Getting into the game with a $500 stake

Horse racing has traditionally been known as the sport of kings. But Chris Wittstruck, an attorney and licensed thoroughbred owner, will teach a course at Hofstra in June that will explain how you can be sort of a king too.

"What's come about in the last few years is fractional ownership" of a horse, said Wittstruck, who will teach a two-day course - June 19 at Hofstra and June 20 at Belmont Park, on "Racehorse Ownership for the Small Investor." You can own 3 percent of a horse for as little as $500 to $1,000, which entitles you to visit the stables and see your horse.

Can you make money? Maybe, maybe not, Wittstruck said. He himself, he said, does not bet on the races but is instead an investor. It's all for the love of the sport, Wittstruck said.

"This is a disposable investment opportunity," Wittstruck said. "This is not your child's college money. It's the potential to be with other people" who love the industry. Wittstruck owns a small percentage of Hold That Prospect, a mare that won her first victory in a stakes race at Aqueduct in January.

It is a complicated industry, said Wittstruck, who has been a race fan since age 14 and teaches the benefits and risks of horse ownership as an alternative investment vehicle and also covers racing syndicates, the acquisition of horses, and tax issues. The $225 course includes a 7 a.m. breakfast June 20 at Belmont Park. To register visit ce.hofstra.edu or call 516-463-7200.