In 1990, Terry Finley was completing his armed forces service. At that time, his wife Debbie and he purchased a horse for $5,000. The name of the horse was Sunbelt. It was trained by David Stubley and it dwelt at Philadelphia Park. After winning its first race, Finley was attracted to it instantly. As a result, he left his insurance job and gambled on his desire. Equipped with personal savings and credit cards, he launched the venture named West Point Thoroughbreds with Debbie.
“Taking what you love to do and making a profession out of it is so much better than just working to make a living,” Finley said.
Terry and Debbie ran their business from their house during the first year. Subsequently, they shifted to a tiny office in the cellar of office premises. After that, WPT shifted to an office in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Following a stay of 23 years at that location, they moved their principal office again and shifted their main residence to Saratoga Springs, New York. Besides, West Point Thoroughbreds has its regional offices in
- Bowling Green, Kentucky
- Louisville/Lexington, Kentucky
- Pasadena, California
- Washington, D.C.
By 2012, West Point Thoroughbreds bought 20-25 horses every year, creating clusters of investors who made gains when the horses won, propagated, or sold.
Since 2007, the horses of West Point Thoroughbreds triumphed in over 20% of their contests with rewards tallying over $16 million and counting. The revenue every year stood at approximately $7 million.
Accomplishments by West Point Thoroughbreds
The stats given below give us a clear idea about the accomplishments made by West Point Thoroughbred:
- Wins – 925
- Stakes Wins – 127
- Graded Stakes Wins – 54
- G1 Wins – 13
- Amount won in rewards: $56,406,077
Some of the Graded Stake Wins by West Point Thoroughbreds worth mentioning are:
- Decorated Invader Winning Pennine Ridge Stakes (G2T)
- Hard Not To Love Winning Santa Monica Stakes (G2)
- Kanthaka 2nd in Jaipur Stakes (GIT)
- Decorated Invader Winning National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T)
Merchandise corner of West Point Thoroughbreds
West Point Thoroughbreds sells the following merchandizes:
- Hats
- Apparels – (Tees & Fleece, Quarter Zips, Outerwear, Polos/Wovens)
- Masks
- Gifts
The Success Story of West Point Thoroughbreds
West Point Thoroughbreds believe that racing is a passion, not just a game. They were successful in gathering a brilliant team of professionals. Every member of the team has substantial experience in the thoroughbred business and delivers an innovative combination of both racing and commercial knowledge. Each member of West Point Thoroughbreds acts with the best possible expertise and self-respect to assist their clients in attaining their objectives and render superior-quality experience like nobody else.
West Point Thoroughbreds treats its partners differently. They make a vow to the partners:
- To handle them with esteem in all transactions
- To be sincere and frank in all interactions
- To divulge all substantial details
- To be receptive to their requirements in a judicious way
- To handle their investments skillfully and attentively
Furthermore, they also assure to offer the best possible training schedule to their horses, never put them to danger expressively, and offer them utmost veterinary attention.
Given below are the reasons why West Point Thoroughbreds fixes the Gold Standard for Racing Collaborations:
- Performance – They have a history of handling many graded stakes-winning horses.
- Experience – WPT has been in the business since 1991. They have a devoted and experienced team who have been collecting hundreds of horses and handling equestrian portfolios for more than 2,000 collaborators.
- Horse attention – Horses are the priority for WPT. Next comes collaborators. Lastly, it is the company itself. That’s the catchword driving WPT.
- Interactions – They always supply the latest and precise details to their collaborators. Sincerity and clarity in interactions are of supreme importance to them.
- Community – The collaborators of WPT become a part of a community of like-minded people who love to race horses and look for brilliance. So, they can be collectively called the West Point Thoroughbreds family.
- Customer service – Over the years, WPT has developed strong customer service to fulfil the requests of its collaborators. Individual attention is their USP.
- Accessibility – By possessing horses with the help of WPT, the partners enjoy accessibility to the whole world of racing, for example, trainer and jockey details, attending sales events, and knowledge regarding the basics of the thoroughbred industry.
- Reputation – WPT’s business is grounded on integrity. Their ethics are the triggers behind their long tenure in the thoroughbred racing business.
- Flexibility: People have the liberty to invest in the horses they prefer.
- Financial disclosure: Documentation and accountability for every dollar invested. WPT sends comprehensive and transparent financial disclosures to all the partners quarterly on time.
WPT Racehorse Proprietorship Benefits
The benefits provided to the racehorse owners of WPT include the following:
- Racetrack privileges
- WPT website availability
- Financial statements
- Collaborator events
- High-class interactions
- Partner symposium calls
- Countrywide presence
- All-inclusive industry brainstorms
About Terry Finley – President and Chief Executive Officer
Terry got hitched with his high school girlfriend Debbie six months following his graduation from West Point. He completed a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from West Point (United States Military Academy) in 1986. Subsequently, he did his MSBA (Masters in Business Analytics) from Boston University in 1990. Terry functioned in the role of an ordnance officer in the military. He also spent three years in Schweinfurt, Germany for the 3rd Infantry Division as a trip of responsibility. In 1987, Finley did his graduation from Airborne and Ranger School. He quit military service in 1994. At that time, he held the rank of a Captain. In 2014, he successfully finished the Harvard Business School Owner/President Management program.
The Shawshank Redemption is Terry’s Favorite Movie and The World Is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman is his favourite book.
For Terry, serving at the West Point and also in the military was an outstanding experience. It was an honour for him to put on the USA regalia. He always felt proud about that. In college, Terry was an average student. While working at West Point Thoroughbreds, Finley always enjoyed people getting fun and thrill over keeping horses. It has always been a satisfying feeling to him. He also cares about his WPT team a lot. There is a constant endeavour on how to serve their clients in the best possible way and help them triumph in more races. West Point Thoroughbreds runs on the concept of the finish line. Either one becomes first or he loses. That is sufficiently said.
Several people didn’t know that Terry was a stammerer for many years. However, it didn’t hinder him from moving ahead in life. He trusted the motto of Popeye – “I am who I am and that’s all that I am”. Still at this age, he dreams of running a marathon. In 2006, he quit drinking once he won the prestigious Breeder’s Cup which he thinks was a remarkable decision for him.
Other Feathers to Terry’s Cap
In 2019, Terry was nominated to the Jockey Club. He acted as Chairman of the New York Race Track Chaplaincy. He also became a member of the boards of the Thoroughbred Charities of America, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, and the Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund, which offers grants to kids of deceased armed forces members of the United States.
