Real Cool Sam is a 2017 Standardbred gelding by Muscle Hill, out of the stakes-producing mare Cooler Schooner, by Broadway Hall. He was bred and owned by Jules Siegel’s Fashion Farms. Sam was named in honor of Sam McKee, a longtime hall of fame harness track announcer. As a 2-year-old in 2019, Real Cool Sam was exceptional. He won 9 of 10 starts, with his only defeat coming in the Breeders Crown final. Among his major victories were the Peter Haughton Memorial and the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship. He also set or equaled multiple world records, including a 1:52.1 mile at Lexington. In 2019 Real Cool Sam earned the Dan Patch Award as Two-Year-Old Male Trotter of the Year. His 2019 record was 9 wins from 10 starts with nearly $498,000 in earnings. Sam retired from racing shortly after and enjoyed several jobs over the last 6 years at Fashion Farms before coming to New Vocations. It's time Sam moves on to the next chapter of his career as a riding horse. We have enjoyed being able to be a part of this special horse's journey. 

• Leading and Ground Manners - Level 1 - Sam is led with a cotton lead. He has good ground manners however he does look at things sometimes.  We have a rule you can look but we just keep going. 
• Grooming and Tacking - Level 1 - Sam stands quietly in the crossties and loves being groomed and pampered.  He enjoys one on one time and the longer the grooming session the better.  He stands just as quietly to be tacked.
• Horse Care - Level 1 - Sam is barefoot. 
• Riding - Level 1 - We have brought Sam along slow and patiently.  He is still a bit wiggly under saddle and learning how to carry himself but he gets better carrying his rider at the trot every ride. 
• General Demeanor - Level 1 - He has no vices and turns out well with other geldings.  Sam is very social.  He is a bit shy when it comes to assertive people. 
• Physical Capability - Level 2 - Sam is best suited for a mid level career due to a healed suspensory injury. 

 click for horse level information 

Interested in this horse? Approved adopters can reach out to this horse's trainer via the "Email Us About This Horse" button above for further information. Not yet approved? Learn about the process and start your questionnaire at newvocations.org/adopt! Approved applications are valid for two years.

ABOUT OUR ADOPTION FEES

New Vocations intentionally sets our horses’ adoption fees lower than the average cost of buying a Thoroughbred or Standardbred from a private seller. In today’s market, horses coming right off the track are often listed at $5,000 to $10,000!

Our fees range from $0 (waived) to $3,500. Fees typically correspond with a horse’s anticipated physical capabilities. So, horses that are best suited for non-riding careers (our Pasture Potatoes) have waived fees, while the fees for horses assessed to be suitable for high-impact careers will be up to $3,500.

While our adoption fees are low, it’s important to remember that costs associated with ongoing care and additional training for a horse can be high. New Vocations hope that by helping adopters save money upfront, you’ll have more funds available to cover the costs of properly caring for and training a retired racehorse.

When you adopt a horse through New Vocations, you’re helping two horses; your new family member and the one who takes their place in our program. Our facilities are nearly always at max capacity, which means we can’t take in a new horse until one is adopted. Keeping our adoption fees low helps us find appropriate homes for horses quickly, enabling us to help even more horses transition off the track as stalls open up in our barns!

Another perk of adopting from us: We do all we can to give you the most value for your adoption fee. Most adoptable horses have been in the program for a minimum of 60 days, during which they've rehabilitated (if needed), socialized with other horses, been evaluated by trainers and veterinarians, and have been in regular training with a professional. On average, the monetary value of these services exceeds $5,000. Any medical records (often including X-rays and ultrasounds) and pertinent history we have on each horse are also available to interested and approved adopters.