Metaboss Gives Facebook Group Ownership Experience

Metaboss Gives Facebook Group Ownership Experience: Not too long ago on the active Facebook group Homeless Handicappers, a member suggested they get together and buy horses. Racehorses, even the cheaper ones, are expensive to maintain and most fans never get a taste of owning one. Plans progressed though and under the leadership of head moderator Michael J. Arndt they purchased an interest in Metabosss, as well as other horses.

Over a week ago, the three-year-old Street Boss colt that cost 60k at auction gave his inexperienced owners a thrill while breaking his maiden over turf at Santa Anita.

Racing in mid-pack, Metaboss saved ground for most of the race under jockey Rafael Bejarano while opponent Rockin Robin set a moderate pace. Turning for home, track announcer Trevor Denman remarked that Metaboss “needed somewhere to run” and Rockin Robin began to slip away.

Arndt worried shortly, but soon felt confident.

“I had about six strides where I got concerned,” Arndt explained through text. “Robin went 1:13 on the rail with zero pressure and then spurted out by four when we hit the lane. How often do those horses get run down? Almost never, we know that. But once he saw him and took aim, then I felt very confident.”

After mowing down the pacesetter, Metaboss improved his overall record to 4-1-1-1.

Metaboss’ previous losses involved talented runners. In the colt’s third start, the race featured Bolo, a promising horse that crushed the Eddie Logan S. next time out. Before that, Metaboss lost the Juvenile Turf Sprint S. on the Breeders’ Cup undercard against Ocho Ocho Ocho, who went on to win the G3 Delta Jackpot. Even Metaboss’ career debut featured a horse named Stormy Liberal that placed in a graded stakes at Del Mar.

The tough competition gave the young colt some good experience, should the connections decide to tackle similar horses in the future.

One excited poster even suggested Metaboss might point towards the Belmont Derby, but Arndt and partners Daniel Press, Mersad Metanovic and S.M. McFetridge will play conservatively for now. Arndt warns not to take everything written inside Homeless Handicappers as official Metaboss updates.

“… no one not in the group knows if the person voicing their opinion is in the partnership or not,” Arndt pointed out. “They are still a couple of weeks away from deciding where to run him in February, much less July and August.”

“… let’s just let him tell us what he can and can’t do, instead of the other way around.”

To be clear, Arndt and his loyal followers own a very small percentage in Metaboss. But their enthusiasm remains the same, especially since Metaboss runs in the official silks of Homeless Handicappers with “HH” proudly displayed on front.

Metaboss related posts appear daily on Facebook now. A recent discussion point among members questions the usefulness of the 76 Beyer Speed Figure awarded to Metaboss’ maiden win (many think the number should be higher). One commenter wrote how even Andy Beyer questions his own numbers for turf races. In any case, Metaboss sparked the group into bonding behind their horse.

Arndt, who runs the company Digital Hearing Outlet, sticks to a rule in order to ensure the ownership experience remains positive.

“I worked very hard on NOT having just anybody join this. I chose folks who tended to get along on the bulletin board, and … they are like that in real life as well,” Arndt revealed.

When asked whether owning horses feels better than handicapping, Arndt does not hesitate to choose owning horses. The group leader hopes to one day breed horses and watch them run, and seemed eager to tell an inspirational story relating to this goal.

“Planning the mating, watching the foal being born, watch its first steps, then grow through the different stages … wondering if it’s really ability you are seeing … then hanging on every element of its training, then that day it races for the first time … oh man, I want to do that someday,” Arndt proclaimed.

“I once was at Del Mar. The guy next to me (we were on the rails behind the box seats) was sucking an entire cigarette into his lungs in three enormous drags.”

“I finally asked him ‘Dude, you betting money you ain’t got on this race? You look like you are about to explode’ and he said ‘You see that filly, No. 7? I saved her mother from dying and I thought she could never have a foal again, but she was doing so good we tried it, and she had this foal, but she died having it. I couldn’t even look at the foal for a long while. But, dammit, she can run. She can really run. So, I borrowed some money and here we are, she’s about to run, and I think she can win, I really do.’ and I said ‘Good luck’ and immediately went and dumped my wallet upside down at the nearest betting window. And she won, easy, at 8-1.”

“I tried to find him, but I couldn’t. But I will always remember him and want to experience that sort of feeling.”

For now, Arndt is happy watching Metaboss and the group’s other active horse Arlington House. After Metaboss won, he received at least 30 texts from members expressing how Metaboss’ win gave them one of the best experiences of their lives, and receiving those texts is a feeling that gambling on horses cannot duplicate.

For more information on Metaboss or joining their ownership group, check out the Metaboss Facebook Page and Homeless Handicappers.

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