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Return
on Investment
Letter to Investors
As I’ve been a resident of Dracut and Tyngsboro
for all of my 53 years, many of you who read this
may already know me.
After quitting high school at the age of 16,
I joined the US Navy for a four-year enlistment.
The Navy lighted a spark in me, and the flame
hasn’t stopped burning since.
I completed my education and went on to attend
many other specialty schools offered by the USN,
consistently graduating top in my class. I also
reached the highest possible rank in the shortest
possible time for my stay in service.
After I received my honorable discharge, the
desire to succeed continued to burn in me. I became
what some people would call an entrepreneur.
For some thirty years, that desire to succeed
led me to own and operate some very successful
businesses, as well as to purchase a large amount
of commercial and residential real estate. Both
of the businesses are worth well into the millions
today. I began with a small initial investment
of $104, put in long hours of hard work, and added
honesty and a good business ethic. Through it
all, I was motivated not by money, but by the
will to succeed.
My lack of formal education turned out to be
an asset. I simply didn’t know I couldn’t
do what I was doing.
 Some
people say that I was very lucky, and indeed a
little good fortune never hurts. However, being
ready to seize the opportunities that come your
way is the key to making your own luck.
About two and a half years ago, I decided that
I needed a change - a diversion.
When I was a young boy, my father and I worked
on a farm whose owner had Thoroughbreds. I remember
the awe I felt when I worked with them, and the
pleasure I of caring for them. They are majestic
- truly beautiful animals – and I wanted
to recapture that sense of wonder.
Like many people in the Thoroughbred business,
I started by claiming a horse. I’ll never
forget the feeling when the first horse I claimed
barely finished the race. Many of my friends were
with me, and had also wagered on her. It turned
out that she had a bone chip in her knee, and
I ended up selling her at a loss. She is now enjoying
the good life in retirement.
Determined to succeed in this business, I set
out to claim a few more. One of my most recent
claims goes by the name of Beauett. As I watched
her on the track, she was obviously underweight
and not in great form, but there was something
about her that told me she might be “the
one.” My gut told me to claim her, and I
did.
After my trainer put about 150 pounds on her,
and added a bit of TLC, she began to win races.
She moved steadily up the claiming ranks, running
for more and more money. At one point, she won
three races in a row, and was the number one horse
for wins at Suffolk Downs. I had paid $5,000.00
for her.
One day, when we ran her in a $12,500 claiming
race, another owner claimed her away from me.
Although I had already made a substantial profit
on her (and on the handful of other horses I’d
bought along the way), my insides told me that
I had to get her back.
Her new owner couldn’t win a race with her,
and eventually put her into a $10,000 claiming
race. BINGO! I claimed her back instantly. I knew
she was something special, though I didn’t
yet know why.
Racing and claiming led me to study the breeding
end of the business. Although I still race and
will continue to do so as long as I am able (the
excitement of a win never gets old!), I became
more and more enthusiastic about breeding. I set
out to build a classic barn, and started purchasing
mares. Some I purchased already in foal; others
were barren, and I had them bred to stallions
of my choosing. I now own 18 horses, with 5 foals
on the way.
 One
day I read that Albert The Great was to be retired
after the 2001 Breeders cup. He was to stand at
Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Kentucky, and the
farm would be selecting only a very few mares
to breed to him. At that time, Beauett was at
my small farm in Dracut, resting up from a small
injury she received in a $16,000 claiming race.
Even with the injury, she ran third, showing the
same heart that moved her steadily up the claiming
ranks.
After I read the article on Albert’s retirement,
I took a good look at Beauett’s pedigree,
ran a few numbers matching her with Albert, and
was amazed at the outcome.
That same day I emailed the Three Chimneys expert
on pedigree, Ed Anthony, and asked him if they
would consider Beauett for Albert’s first
breeding season. The very next day I received
a positive response.
She is now back at my Dracut farm carrying one
of Albert The Great’s first foals.
Provided there are no complications, she will
have that foal in early 2003.
If I have sparked just a little curiosity in
you, I invite you to explore this site, and see
the opportunity that I would like to share with
the people of the Merrimack Valley.
I’ll close this letter by saying this.
If you know what it feels like when your favorite
team wins the Super Bowl with just seconds on
the clock, then you know what it feels like when
your horse makes his run for home - and wins.
The only difference is, with the horse,
you own the team!
Sincerely,
Leo Chasse
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