Our Story
Built On Passion. Driven By Strategy.
Origin
How It All Started
Dan Zanatta and Vince Roth met in the early 2000s and purchased shares in horses through various partnerships — experiencing both the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Those early years taught them everything: what a great syndicate looks like, and what a poor one feels like.
As their love for the sport grew, so did their knowledge and connections in the industry. In early 2012 they set out on their own and formed Final Furlong Racing Stable, purchasing their first horse together in partnership with the breeder and a few friends. That horse finished 3rd first time out in a maiden special weight at Belmont Park — and from that moment, the mission was clear.
Dan and Vince set out to build a syndicate where every partner — regardless of their ownership percentage — is treated as an equal. Full access to their horse on race day or just for a barn visit. An abundance of information on every horse. And two managing partners who make themselves available anytime to answer every question. That philosophy hasn't changed since day one.
How We Operate
The Strategy
Acquiring Top New York Bred Fillies
Final Furlong's core strategy is deliberate and focused: identify, acquire, and race top New York bred fillies. This isn't accidental — it is the result of years of experience, data, and a deep understanding of where the best value and competitive advantage exists in thoroughbred racing.
Working closely with our bloodstock agents at Taproot Bloodstock and our yearling selection team at Rice Horse Stables, we target preferred yearling sales throughout the country with the Fasig-Tipton sale at Saratoga each August and the weanling sales each October being our primary focus. Our team evaluates conformation, pedigree, and temperament to identify fillies with the physical tools and bloodlines to compete at the highest levels of New York racing.
Once acquired, our horses are sent to the farm in Ocala where they all go through the same program until they placed with elite NYRA trainers Jorge Abreu and Linda Rice — two of the most accomplished conditioners on the New York circuit — giving every horse in our stable the best possible platform to succeed.
Program Benefits
The New York Bred Advantage
Owning a New York bred horse is one of the most strategically sound decisions in thoroughbred racing. The New York Bred program offers a suite of financial and competitive advantages that simply don't exist for horses bred elsewhere.
Exclusive Stakes Races
New York breds have access to a rich calendar of restricted stakes races run exclusively for horses bred in the state — from the New York Stallion Stakes series to the prestigious Maid of the Mist and Empire Distaff. These races reduce the competitive field and give NY breds a significant edge.
Substantial Purse Supplements
The New York Bred program supplements purse earnings for NY bred horses that finish in the top positions in open company races. A NY bred finishing 4th or 5th in a race can earn a supplement payment equivalent to a top-three finish — dramatically improving the economics of ownership.
Larger Purse Pools
New York racing offers some of the largest purse pools in North America, funded in part by the state's video lottery terminal revenue. NY bred horses competing at NYRA tracks — Belmont and Saratoga — race for purses that rival or exceed those at any track in the country.
Year-Round Racing Circuit
The NYRA circuit runs year-round across world-class venues: Saratoga in the summer & Belmont thereafter. NY bred horses have a full calendar of opportunities without the need for long-distance shipping.
Strong Residual Value
A NY bred filly that performs well on the track carries strong residual value as a broodmare. Her foals will also qualify as New York breds, compounding the program's benefits across generations and giving partners a meaningful asset beyond the racing career.
"If She Can Make It There, She'll Make It Anywhere"
The Filly Advantage
Why Fillies?
Within the New York bred strategy, Final Furlong specifically targets fillies — and the reasons are both financial and competitive.
A Dedicated Racing Calendar
Fillies and mares have their own division of races at every level — from maiden specials to graded stakes. This means a talented filly is never forced to face colts or open company fillies to find black type or big purses. The competition pool is narrower, and the opportunities are abundant.
Broodmare Value
A filly's career doesn't end when she leaves the track. A well-bred, stakes-placed NY bred filly can command significant value as a broodmare. Partners in a Final Furlong filly partnership hold an interest in that future value — an upside that simply doesn't often exist with a colt or gelding.
NY Bred Filly Stakes Series
New York's restricted stakes calendar is particularly deep for fillies. Races like the Busher Stakes, Demoiselle Stakes, Gazelle Stakes, Critical Eye Stakes, and Empire Distaff are all restricted to or heavily weighted toward fillies — and Final Furlong's record in these races speaks for itself.
Proven Track Record
Final Furlong's strategy has produced multiple stakes winners, graded stakes placings, and over $5.4 million in cumulative purse earnings — the vast majority earned by NY bred fillies. Venti Valentine, our 2021 NY Bred Filly of the Year, is the clearest example of what this strategy can produce.
Ready To Be Part Of It?
Explore our current partnership opportunities and find the right fit for you.