A personal note from Rob Isbitts
Bringing some sunlight to the “alternative to alternative assets”
For years, I’ve looked at investing, including ETFs, through a lens of data, efficiency and portfolio construction around a basket of assets. My goal has always been to bring sunlight—the greatest disinfectant—to areas of the market that I think are widely misunderstood.
Lately, I’ve been applying that exact same logic to a totally different market: Claiming Racehorses. Yeah, I know. It sounds eclectic. But it isn’t—not if you look at it from an investing angle. It turns out the “claiming box” is full of the same asset valuation, portfolio strategy, and risk-management elements we look for in ETFs. I can even chart races, and develop intellectual property as I did in my main work here via the ROAR Score. It’s just a different arena, and candidly, it has some of the best tax-reduction incentives I’ve ever seen.
I’ve started a new project called Horseclaiming.com to document the math of this game. And the enjoyment.
Think of it as applying an ETF strategist’s brain to what I call the “alternative to alternative assets.” This isn’t about gambling or “hot tips.” It’s about:
Asset Selection: Treating a racehorse as a physical asset with a clear P&L.
Portfolio Strategy: Managing a “stable” with the same discipline you’d use for a basket of stocks.
Tax Alpha: Leveraging the 2026 OBBBA incentives that most investors aren’t even aware of yet. That includes 100% accelerated depreciation in many cases.
Horseclaiming.com is a Substack site, just like ETFYourself.com. The site just launched with a few “evergreen” posts explaining the logic and why I’m doing this.
If you want to see how the other side of my brain works, come join the first 100 followers at Horseclaiming.com. And if you know anyone else who’s tired of the “usual suspects” when it comes to investing, learning and discourse, tell them about it!
Best regards,
Rob Isbitts