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1st Preakness Stakes-Gr.1, Pimlico, 1³⁄16m, by 1¼ lengths (pictured) from G1SW and Gr.1 Kentucky Derby runner-up Epicenter, G1SW Secret Oath, Classic-placed G3SW Skippylongstocking, G2SW Simplification etc.
1st Withers Stakes-Gr.3, Aqueduct, 1m, by 4½ lengths from G2SW Un Ojo
1st Maiden Special Weight, Aqueduct, 1¹⁄8m, by 1½ lengths on his only 2YO start
2nd Wood Memorial Stakes-Gr.2, Aqueduct, 1m, beaten just a neck by G1SW Mo Donegal
GUN RUNNER - The hottest young sire in America with 6 Grade 1 winners from his first crop.
GUN RUNNER and TIZNOW – Both won the Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
SPEIGHTSTOWN - A leading sire with 64 GSWs including the leading sire Munnings.
1st Breeders’ Cup Juvenile-Gr.1, Del Mar, 1¹⁄16m, by 1¾ lengths (BELOW)
1st American Pharoah Stakes-Gr.1, Santa Anita, 1¹⁄16m, by 3¼ lengths
1st Maiden Special Weight, Del Mar, 5½f, by 4¼ lengths earning a 98 Beyer
The decision by Speedway Stables to go big at an auction of 2-year-olds in training last spring to land Corniche didn't take long to pay dividends. In capping a three-race undefeated season with a clear victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), the son of multiple grade 1 winner Quality Road earned the 2021 Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male.
, 10th Feb. 2022
SHADAYID STUD—Consisting of 839 ± acres on both sides of Leestown Road, in highly desirable Woodford County. Te North Side (587 acres) features 6 concrete block barns with 84 stalls, ofce, and 3 employee houses with the South Elkhorn Creek along the farm’s rear border. Te South side (252 acres) features 44 stalls, show barn, rehab barn, 3 hay barns, shop, and 4 employee houses. Painstakingly developed into the premier horse farm it is today!
FORT BLACKBURN—Purchased by Will Farish as 264 acres of raw land in 1999, Mr. Farish has developed this land into an exceptional horse farm. Adjoining a division of Stonestreet Farm, Fort Blackburn boasts an unparalleledlocationonOldFrankfort Pike. Horse improvements include 3 world-class 20-stall horse barns, 12+ miles of plank fencing, a covered walker, equipment/shop building, and hay barn. Lovely renovated historic 2,650 SF home.
MILLENNIUM FARM—Te former Buckland Farm consists of 317± acres, 8 horse barns, & 128 stalls. Te 6,150 SF main residence includes 7 bd, 6 full & 2.5 baths. Te farm is further complementedwith5employeehouses, yearlingcomplexwitha31stallCharlie Parker built barn, adjoining covered 70’ round pen, & 6 horse walker. A 3030 SF ofce was built & designed to convert to a guest house. Maintenance area with shop and 2 open equipment sheds. Mature tree lined driveways!
WINCHESTER FARM —Location!
Location! Turn key 268 acre horse farm on highly desirable Mt. Horeb Pike and adjoining Castleton Lyons. Improvements include 6 horse barns with 78 stalls & 3 employee houses. Overlooking the Elkhorn Creek, in a park like setting you'll discover the wonderful 4 bedroom 3.5 bath home whose lower level serves as the farm ofce-suitable for gracious living area.
STONEY POINT FARM—Acrossthe road from world-renown Stone Farm and adjoining Machmer Hall and in a quadrant known for producing superior race horses sits this 204 acre turn-key horse farm with recently renovated 2 story 4000 sq f home, renovated guest house, and employee homes. 9 stall Amish built barn with 50’ x 64’ indoor arena; 14 stall barn with lof. 5 stall hay barn, 2 equipment sheds and 16 run in sheds.
5508 RUSSELL CAVE—Location!!
Size!!History!!94±acreswith immediate neighbors including Mt. Brilliant and Hester Equine. Completely-restored circa 1830's colonial home with 6,000 SF, four bedrooms, three baths, gourmet kitchen, luxurious primary bath with steam shower and spa tub, tall ceilings and beautiful hardwood floors, elevator, 13 stallhorsebarn,equipmentbuilding,runinsheds,plankfencing,andgreatsoils!
ELLISTON LANE—This beautiful Woodford County farm features stone and ironentrancegatesleadingto100acres of manicured felds with mature trees, a winding drive with great privacy and seclusion with an additional 70 acres of forested riding trails. Tis charming Victorian home has 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, panoramic views, inground swimming pool, large patio, multilevel decking, gazebo and seating areas accessed by a railed porch around a majority of the home.
BUCKSTONE FARM—Located on the corner of Jackstown and Blacks Cross Roads, this highly desirable 96 acre farm is in the immediate area of Adena Springs, Sparks View and Brandywine Farms. Gated entrances oneachroadleadyoutoitsthreehorse barns with 34 stalls. Te farm has primarily V-mesh fencing and ofers city and well water. You will discover several wonderful building sites on this truly picturesque farm.
Listed below appraised value!
3250DELONG—A Georgian inspired estate nestled on 13 gorgeous acres between world renowned Juddmonte and Overbrook Farms. Fairyhouse Hall ofers approximately 6900 square feet of magnificent living space featuring tall ceilings, dramatic wood foors, gourmet kitchen, marble and granite tops, and Charleston style French doors. You will discover a wonderful trafc pattern in this 6 bedroom, 6 1/2 bath home.
614 WALNUT GROVE—Tis 105 acre retreat ofers spectacular vistas, gently rolling pastures, stocked spring fedpond,andoveramileoffrontageon Hinkston Creek. Te improvements include 2 metal barns, shop with attached 1 bedroom apartment, a 30 amp RV hookup, original 30' deep well, a 16'x16' log garden cabin and a beautifully restored 1780's log home with a primary suite and kitchen addition! Fantastic!
3200 LEBANAON ROAD—Beautifully renovated house on 6± acres featuring poplar & tile foors, crown molding, built-ins, wainscotting, 11' ceilings, 2 staircases, and 6 freplaces. 1st foor primary suite, 2 custom closets, a gourmet kitchen, and 2nd foor suite with living rm, dining area, and bedroom. Other improvements include stone patios, covered porches, covered breezeway, 3 car garage/1495 SF pool house and in-ground pool.
4250LEXINGTONROAD —67 ± acresinBourbonCountywith2barns, 29 stalls, 3 felds, and an equipment shed.
201-237 HUME BEDFORD—92 ± acres in Bourbon County with 1 barn, 14 stalls, and 2-2 Bedroom, 1 bath tenant homes.
Bill G. Bell (859-621-0607) u Mary Sue Walker (859-619-4770) u Marilyn Richardson (859-621-4850) Muffy Lyster (859-229-1804) u Allen Kershaw (859-333-2901) u Cathy Davis (859-806-9444) Bo Goodman (859-509-0582) u Bill Justice (859-255-3657)
With a change in leadership and an assist from the next generation,Taylor Made Farm embraces its next chapter.
As it marks 10 years, the Sporting Art Auction has become a must-attend event.
WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour approaches 25 years of excellence.
Food continues to inspire Phil Dunn, who these days gets a kick out of leading small groups of foodies to Europe.
The Grey Oil on canvas, 50 x 40 by DianaTremaine (American, 1964)
Growing up in NewYork City, DianaTremaine was greatly influenced by an aunt and uncle’s well-known contemporary art collection that included works by AndyWarhol, Piet Mondrian, Joan Miro, andWassily Kandinsky.
Tremaine studied at UCLA and later moved to Montana to have more space and quietude.
Alex K. Mason, whose Ferrick Mason fabrics are coveted by decorators and discriminating clients, looks to nature for inspiration.
by
Vickie Mitchell
Amplify Horse Racing provides the frst step into the Thoroughbred industry for youth and young adults.
by
William Bowden
French phenom Miesque won consecutive runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
CASTLETON LYONS offers a unique opportunity for serious breeders to board their thoroughbreds. Here you’ll find a highly skilled staff in a state-of-the-art facility with old world charm. Over one thousand acres of lightly grazed lush pasture supported by the best quality soil, so famous for producing great race horses, await your thoroughbred investments. Individual, detail-oriented attention for horse and client in a top class environment can be found within minutes of Bluegrass Airport, Keeneland, Fasig-Tipton, and the world’s best equine hospitals.
The offcial magazine of Keeneland Association, Inc. published by Blood-Horse LLC 821 Corporate Dr., Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 278-2361/FAX (859) 276-4450 KeenelandMagazine.com BloodHorse.com
Editor: Jacqueline Duke
Artists: Catherine Nichols (Art Director), PhilipTruman Copy Editors: Tom Hall (chief), Rena Baer Visuals Director: Anne M. Eberhardt
Creative Services: Jennifer Singleton (Director), Forrest Begley
Account Executive: Amanda Ramey Masters Sales Support: Catherine Johnston
Circulation Accounting Manager: Lauren Glover General Manager: Scott Carling
PUBLISHED BY Blood-Horse LLC
James L. Gagliano, Carl Hamilton, Ian D. Highet, Stuart S. Janney III, Brant Laue, Dan Metzger, Rosendo Parra
KEENELAND ASSOCIATION, INC.
4201Versailles Road P.O. Box 1690 Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A. 40588-1690 Tel: (859) 254-3412 (800) 456-3412 Keeneland.com © 2022 Keeneland Association, Inc.
Every once in a while, lightning strikes. The stars align. Magic happens. The commitment you make each and every day to get out and do your best pays off in spades. Once in a lifetime, there is a horse like Flightline.
In June, Flightline was an impressive winner in the Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont, and then he really strutted his talent in the TVG Pacifc Classic. His nearly 20-length victory in the Pacifc Classic mesmerized us all, for Flightline looked as close to a Secretariat as we have seen in my lifetime. We witnessed greatness.
When Flightline arrived at Keeneland on Oct. 23, I paid regular visits to his stall. There is something truly special about this horse. Though reputed to be excitable and rambunctious, Flightline was a gallant gentleman, matching very well with the personalities of his ownership group, which comprises quality horsemen and horsewomen, including the Farish family of Lane’s End Farm, Kosta and Stephanie Hronis, Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds, Jane Lyon of Summer Wind Equine, Anthony Manganaro of Siena Farm, and Ben Haggin of Woodford Thoroughbreds.
The frst time Flightline worked at Keeneland, he was greeted by thousands of people who lined up before dawn to glimpse him stretch out on the Keeneland surface. When Flightline schooled in the paddock beneath the storied oaks, he was greeted by hundreds who just wanted to see him walk. When Flightline entered the paddock before the Breeders’ Cup Classic, everyone — even those with horses competing against Flightline in the race — wanted the opportunity to draw close to greatness.
Flightline has captured the hearts of fans from all over the world. Visitors from all 50 states and 18 countries traveled to Lexington for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland. They were treated to many phenomenal performances — truly the best racing in the world.
We waited with bated breath to see if Flightline’s performance could match his hype. It did that and more. Flightline’s win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic showed his class, professionalism, stride, power, and speed — all awe-inspiring.
Nelson Mandella eloquently said, “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where there was only despair.”
SHANNON ARVIN President and CEO
Sport takes talent, but talent is not worth much without hard work, a strong team, and belief in yourself and your teammates. Our sport certainly inspires and has the added beneft of connecting us to the biggest star of our sport — the horse. Our thanks go to trainer John Sadler, assistant trainer/rider Juan Leyva, and the entire team supporting Flightline for safekeeping such greatness — “a Picasso” in the words of Terry Finley.
As our team watched Flightline’s performance, tears ran down our cheeks that we were fortunate enough to witness such greatness. To follow his performance, we rolled into our November sale the next Monday, where 45 interested parties had registered for the opportunity to purchase a fractional interest in Flightline. In addition to our traditional public auction, the world could also experience the sale in the Metaverse, where avatars of our auctioneers and Flightline appeared in our virtual sales pavilion. The fractional interest sold for a staggering $4.6 million to an individual who has invested in horses but not at that level. His experience at the Breeders’ Cup the prior weekend, witnessing greatness through Flightline’s performance, surely must have inspired his enhanced interest and passion for our sport.
When lightning strikes, stars align, and magic happens, we have to take the time to step back and be grateful to the people, the industry, the sport, and the horses who make it happen.
Cheers to blue skies ahead. KM
(A Starting Gate) most recently worked as publications editor atTransylvania University. He was formerly a writer and an editor at the Somerset (Kentucky) Commonwealth-Journal, the Lexington Herald Leader, and the NationalTour Association.
LOUIS GUIDA
(Live from Lexington) is a writer and media producer/director based in Lexington. His credits include internationally telecast documentaries; videos for the NationalTrust, American Academy in Rome, PBS, and for other clients; as well as articles in numerous national publications.
(A DesigningWoman) writes for regional and national publications as well as for small businesses and nonproft organizations. She lives and works in Lexington.
(Let’s Cook) is a freelance travel writer whose work has appeared in major newspapers and national magazines. She currently writes travel articles for the Lexington Herald-Leader.
(Keeneland News/Connections) is Keeneland Communications Associate.
(Positioned for the Future) is a senior correspondent for BloodHorse magazine and the author of Head to Head: Conversations with a Generation of Horse Racing Legends; Justify: 111 Days to Triple Crown Glory; and Ride of Their Lives: The Trials and Turmoil of Today’s Top Jockeys.
(Very Sporting) is a freelance writer whose work has been published in a number of outlets, including the NewYorkTimes. She is an essayist for America’s Best Racing. A retired federal government manager in aviation safety, Stewart lives in the Pacifc Northwest.
Keeneland’s 17-day fall meet from Oct. 7-29 was the fourth consecutive season of record handle at the track, refecting the continued elevation of the racing program. Contributing to several season records — led by all-sources handle of $208.9 million — were lucrative purses, full race felds, and championship-caliber competition along with picture-perfect weather and special events that ofered family fun and philanthropy. All were conducted in a unique setting as Keeneland prepared to host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships Nov. 4-5.
“Tis fall meet embodied everything our founders envisioned for Keeneland — a place where families and friends could gather and enjoy great horse racing — all heightened by anticipation for the Breeders’ Cup,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “Te race meet was special in every way: idyllic weather, terrifc racing, and special events that celebrated many deserving people.”
Keeneland awarded a record $8.9 million for 22 fall stakes with the winners of 15 of those stakes entered in the Breeders’ Cup. Average daily purses were a record $1,168,120, while average starters per race numbered 9.2. Six stakes records fell during the season — fve on the turf course and one on the dirt track.
Horses entered in the Breeders’ Cup following victories in Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” races were Castle & Key Bourbon (G2T) winner Andthewinneris, Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) winner Forte, Coolmore Turf Mile (G1T) winner Annapolis, Darley Alcibiades (G1) winner Wonder Wheel, Indian Summer (LT) Presented by Keeneland Select winner Private Creed, JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2T) winner Delight, Juddmonte Spinster (G1)
winner Malathaat, Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) winner Manny Wah, and Toroughbred Club of America (G2) winner Slammed.
Meanwhile, several fall meet wagering marks fell: On Fall Stars Saturday, Oct. 8, records were set with single-day allsources wagering ($21,695,896) and Pick 5 wagering ($1,431,736).
A Keeneland record payof of $72,863.72 for a 10-cent superfecta wager occurred in the seventh race on Oct. 20. Te ticket, which swept the entire pool cost only $18.
Te meet’s leading horsemen all were decided on the fnal day of the season. Owners Gary and Mary West had two wins that day, including the Hagyard Fayette (G2) with West Will Power, for their meet-leading fourth victory; West Will Power’s trainer, Brad Cox, won two races to top trainers with 11 wins; and jockey Luis Saez won three races, including the fnal race, to edge Tyler Gafalione, 21-20.
“Fans were treated to thrilling performances from start to fnish this fall, and our sincere thanks go to the owners, trainers, and jockeys who always bring their very best to Keeneland,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing Gatewood Bell said.
For this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which Keeneland hosted for the third time on Nov. 4-5, total all-sources, global common-pool handle was a record $189 million.
“We witnessed a spectacular two days of racing capped by Flightline’s absolute brilliance in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, once again showcasing the best Toroughbreds from around the world, and we want to thank our partners here at Keeneland, who did a phenomenal job, and the greater Lexington community,” Breeders’ Cup President and CEO Drew Fleming said. “Te Breeders’ Cup is truly an international championship event and the very best our sport has to ofer.”
Total common-pool handle on Saturday’s 12-race card was a record $122.9 million. All-sources common-pool handle on the 10-race Future Stars Friday card was a record $66 million.
Meanwhile, on-track handle for the two days was $20.3 million with Friday attendance of 39,851 and Saturday attendance of 45,973.
Four graduates of Keeneland’s September yearling sale won Breeders’ Cup races, each worth $2 million: Elite Power (Qatar Racing Sprint), Forte (FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by Toroughbred Afercare Alliance), champion Malathaat (Distaf), and Wonder Wheel (NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies).
Tree captured grade 1 stakes during Keeneland’s fall meet: Forte (Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity), Malathaat (Juddmonte Spinster), and Wonder Wheel (Darley Alcibiades). Te season also produced $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Caravel, who took the Franklin (G3) in October.
Malathaat now has won four stakes at Keeneland, ranking her among the most successful horses in track history.
A colt by Quality Road sold for $2.5 million to top Keeneland’s world-famous September yearling sale.
Keeneland’s 12-session September yearling sale from Sept. 1224 made history by posting gross in-the-ring sales of $405,495,700, the highest in Keeneland auction history, and September sale records for average ($142,429) and median ($70,000) prices.
A total of 2,847 yearlings sold through the ring with gross sales topping the $399,791,800 from the 2006 September sale. Tis year’s gross also is 14.93 percent above the amount from last year’s 11-day auction.
“Tis sale went beyond our expectations and refects the energy and excitement in racing right now,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “We are grateful to our consignors, sellers, and buyers for their support of Keeneland and the September sale. And a special thanks to the breeders. We appreciate how much hard work goes into breeding and raising quality horses, and we are very happy they were rewarded for their
eforts through the ring.”
Among the impressive numbers from the sale were 30 yearlings selling for $1 million or more, the most since the 2007 September sale and double the 15 sold in 2021. Talla Racing, Woodford Racing, and West Point, L.E.B., agent, paid $2.5 million for the sale-topping Quality Road colt, making him the most expensive yearling in North America and the second most expensive yearling in the world sold at public auction to date this year.
Aidan O’Meara of Stonehaven Steadings, which consigned the sale-topper, echoed comments about market strength.
“It’s been a tremendous market,” O’Meara said. “We had a phenomenal run ourselves, but everybody across the board has had some seriously nice trading. It’s a huge turnaround from a couple of years ago at the height of COVID and we were all fretting about what was going to unfold in that scenario. To see the turnaround in such a short period of time has been phenomenal.”
In tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Keeneland planted six cherry trees — three on either side of the infeld tote board — before the fall meet. A lifelong horsewoman, Queen Elizabeth II attended the races at Keeneland on Oct. 11, 1984, for the inaugural running of the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, for which she presented the trophy.
Te tree planting at Keeneland is part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and to serve as a living legacy to her “extraordinary service to her country and her people.” Te Queen passed away Sept. 8. “Queen Elizabeth II was an unmatched horsewoman and a tremendous patron of Toroughbred racing,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “We were fortunate to have welcomed the Queen to Keeneland and Central Kentucky, and her visits to the Bluegrass created a lasting connection. We are honored to pay tribute to her racing legacy.”
Keeneland has planted six cherry trees — three on either side of the infeld tote board — to honor Queen Elizabeth II.
To further commemorate the Queen’s historic visit to Keeneland, her Platinum Jubilee, and her involvement in Toroughbred racing, the Keeneland Library this year featured the photo exhibit “Elizabeth II: Horsewoman.” A video of the exhibit and a beautifully appointed scrapbook of the photos on display were sent to the Queen, who responded with a thank-you letter (penned by her lady-in-waiting) on Windsor Castle stationery.
On Oct. 14, Peter Brant’s Gina Romantica won the 39th running of the $600,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1T) Presented by Dixiana. Flavien Prat rode the 3-year-old daughter of Into Mischief for trainer Chad Brown, who has won the race fve times.
Keeneland has named Mark Taylor, president and CEO of Taylor Made Farm near Nicholasville, Ky., to its advisory board of directors.
Longtime Keeneland Directors Louis Lee Haggin III, Charles Nuckols III, and Duncan Taylor will move to emeritus roles on the advisory board.
Mark Taylor was named president and CEO of Taylor Made Farm on Jan. 1, 2022, afer previously serving as the farm’s vice president of marketing and public sales operations. A perennial leading consignor in North America and at Keeneland, Taylor Made Farm has been a family-run Toroughbred operation for 44 years. Today, in addition to sales consignments, Taylor Made stands eight stallions, among them Horse of the Year Knicks Go and leading sire Not Tis Time, and manages multiple racing and breeding partnerships.
Local Toroughbred farms and organizations teamed with Keeneland to present the 15th Make-A-Wish Day on Oct. 13. Ten children and their families were treated to a VIP experience at Keeneland that included presenting a trophy afer each race, meeting jockeys, and saluting fans from the winner’s circle.
Keeneland on Oct. 14 made a $50,000 contribution to the Ed Brown Society to become an ofcial Ed Brown Partner to further opportunities for young people of color to gain exposure, experience, and professional job placements in the Toroughbred industry. Te Ed Brown Society is named for the noted 19th century African American horseman, Edward Dudley Brown from Lexington, who is a member of the Racing Hall of Fame.
Children helped Lexington artist Enrique Gonzalez paint a LexArts HorsePlay foal during the Oct. 16 Keeneland Kids Club Family Day Presented by Kentucky Children’s Hospital.
Grand Entrance (lef) and Pure Pauline (right) appeared together in the winner’s circle afer the 2-year-old fllies fnished in a dead heat to win the ninth race Oct. 20. Both are trained by Todd Pletcher; both were bred by Stonestreet Toroughbred Holdings. Pure Pauline, who races for Stonestreet Stables, is a daughter of Curlin and the Pulpit mare Keen Pauline. Grand Entrance, owned by Eclipse Toroughbred Partners, Gary Barber, and Steven Rocco, is by Bernardini and out of Keen Pauline’s dam, the Two Punch mare Grand Pauline.
Heroes Day Presented by Rubicon on Oct. 24 honored members of the military (active duty and veterans), frst responders — law enforcement, frefghters, EMTs, and health care workers — and their families with free general admission and access to reserved grandstand seats.
Lexington native Alex K. Mason operates her high-profle business from a low-profle headquarters in downtown Versailles, Kentucky.
Thebuilding at 160 South Main Street in Versailles draws the eye. It looks like a wedding cake, three stories of white brick, a ring of seven windows at its middle, a turret at its top. Big, bowed display windows fank the front door. At night, they become a warmly lit stage for sprightly chairs dressed in cheerful upholstery fabrics.
It’s an enticing storefront, which makes it easy to understand why shoppers are dismayed to read “By Appointment Only” on the door of Ferrick Mason/Alex K. Mason Studio.
“People ask ‘Are you going out of business?’ ” said artist and textile designer Alex K. Mason.
Tat’s not likely. As it turns out, 160 South Main is not a typical smalltown storefront but instead the low-profle headquarters of a high-profle upholstery and wallpaper company selling directly to designers.
In its relatively short history, Ferrick Mason has become a darling of interior designers, garnering dozens of mentions and stories in glossy magazines such as House Beautiful, Architectural Digest, and Southern Living.
Inside the small Versailles showroom, everything in a front sitting area is upholstered in fabrics designed by Mason. Samples of her upholstery and wallpaper — a newer product — line the walls. Each year Mason adds three new designs to her collection and discontinues three. “But sometimes I get carried away,” she said with a laugh. “For next year I’ve already created four.”
Beyond a cluster of ofce desks and computers where she and her four full-time and one part-time staf work, shelves hold bolts of upholstery fabric, shipped from as far away as Italy. Tey soon will be sent to one of the 15 design showrooms that represent Ferrick Mason in such fashionforward cities as New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, London, Singapore, Vancouver, and Toronto. (Te nearest showroom to Kentucky is DeCioccio in Cincinnati.) At the back of the building, wallpaper, printed to order, emerges from a massive digital printer.
FROM CALIFORNIA TO KENTUCKY
Mason brought her company to Kentucky in 2015. She had started it with business partner Brian Ferrick — known for his ability to get textile designers up and running — in 2008 when she and her family lived in L.A. But California’s high cost of living stifed the company’s growth, and so Mason bought all but 5 percent of Ferrick’s 50 percent share, came back to her native Kentucky, and bought 160 South Main, an 1860s building that had been untouched for 30 years. Locals applauded the renovation. “Te city of Versailles loves us,” she said.
Mason didn’t set out to be a textile designer. Her frst love was, and is, painting, which she studied in college, earning a bachelor’s degree in studio art at the University of Vermont and a master’s in painting from the Pratt Institute. “Painting is where my true passion is, but I love this too,” she said. “If I had to pick one, it would probably be painting, but it doesn’t pay the bills like this does.”
Making a living is part of what pushed her toward textiles. For one, Albert, her then future husband, pointed out that “starving” artist was a title to be avoided. Ten, people who knew the industry began to tell Mason that elements of her paintings would translate well to textiles. So she headed to the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles and studied textile design.
Mason’s designs are infused with her personality and her passion for the natural world. As she likes to say, “Flora, fauna, and color fuel my work.”
But her interpretations are contemporary. “I’m not a realistic painter — I’m not doing landscapes, still lifes, or people.” As she told one design magazine in an interview, “My designs are a bit whimsical and colorful. I’m defnitely a maximalist when it comes to color and pattern.”
With breezy brushstrokes, she loosely interprets vines, blossoms, seed pods, and leaves. Other designs are more geometric
Above, shelves contain bolts of upholstery. Right, Mason reviews current wallpaper designs while one of her newest patterns prints from the machine behind her.
and employ small elements from her paintings — such as piles of crisscrossed color that resemble hieroglyphs. A design called Albert, named for her husband, echoes pointillist painters with its tightly spaced, brightly colored dots.
Designs are ofen named for family members and important places. Tere’s even a nod to one family dog, Whiskey, although there isn’t one yet for the other, Pickle.
Each design is ofered in varied color combinations. Many earlier designs, from the California years, lean toward blues
and greens, the cool colors Mason calls her “go-tos.” Te colors, combined with her lighthearted style, made her designs popular in children’s rooms and other casual spaces. But the return to Kentucky has caused her to shif toward warmer colors, a nod to the region’s design aesthetic. A good example is a wallpaper she created called Tobacco, which features overlapping golden tobacco leaves on a metallic paper.
“Tere’s been an evolution as we moved to Kentucky in trying to get into the adult
rooms of the house,” she said. “I’m instinctively drawn to blue and green, but I think I can push other colors in textiles in a unique way to give more variety and depth.”
One of her newest designs, Woodland, is a good example with its butterfies and mushrooms in shades of brown and gold.
Nature is at play in her work in another way. Sustainability is a company value, and so now most of her fabrics are created through digital printing, which has fewer environmental downsides. Te linen and cotton used for upholstery fabrics
— ALEX K. MASON, ON RETURNING TO KENTUCKY
‘‘THIS MOVE HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE FOR US.”
and interior designer Isabel Ladd designed a themed room for Lexington’s 21C Hotel based on the popular Netfix series “Te Queen’s Gambit,” which was set in Lexington. Te pair turned to Mason to create a custom wallpaper for the room, which Mason turned around in two weeks. She used a knight chess piece as the design’s focal point, which wedded the show’s chess theme to the Toroughbred industry.
She also was one of three area artists featured in fall of 2021’s “Informed by Nature” exhibition at the HeadleyWhitney Museum.
Returning to Kentucky has had many upsides. Mason, her husband, and their two daughters live in a house they own, which they couldn’t have aforded in California. It’s around the corner from the ofce, which makes the commute short for her and Albert. While she works downstairs or in her second-foor painting studio, he can work across the hall in his ofce on digital production projects for flm and television. Tey can monitor the one-bedroom AirBnB they operate on the second foor, where afernoon sun beams into rooms featuring Mason’s art and wallpapers and furniture bedecked in Ferrick Mason upholstery. When Pickle and Whiskey — both adopted from the Woodford Humane Society — need a walk, she can run home and do that.
are from sustainable sources; her wallpaper is printed to order to eliminate waste and the need for warehousing. She buys furniture for her showroom from resale shops or online auctions and has it upholstered in her fabrics, a way to recycle and save money.
Although her work schedule has kept her from connecting with the arts community as much as she would have liked, she was part of two art projects during the pandemic. In early 2021, mid-century modern furnishings collector Lucy Jones
Most importantly, the move has placed Mason minutes away from her parents, who live on Big Sink Pike, and other relatives. “I wanted to be near them and have a small-town life,” said Mason, who was born and raised in Lexington.
Her design called Lexington, with its dogwood blossoms, reminds her of how it felt to be so far from her family in Kentucky. “I was feeling homesick when I designed it.
Tere are no dogwoods in California.”
But that time on the West Coast was essential for her company’s success. “When we moved here, we were already established. Magazine editors knew who we were, and we were in a lot of showrooms. If I had tried to start the company in Kentucky, it would have not been the same.”
But thanks to its fortuitous timing, the homecoming has been like one of her paintings, which, the artist says, are all about “abundance and movement and change.”
“Tis move,” she said, “has been incredible for us.” KM
For more information, or to see Mason’s paintings and prints available for purchase, visit ferrickmason.com.
ANNE M. EBERHARDT
Vibrant fall colors and festively decorated grounds provided the backdrop Nov. 4-5 as Keeneland presented the Breeders’CupWorldChampionships for the third time.
Te two days culminated with undefeated Flightline’s tour de force in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in which the Kentucky-bred son of Tapit defeated a top-quality but overmatched feld by 8¼ lengths. A sell-out Saturday crowd of 45,973 responded with a prolonged standing ovation.
From the start the 2022 Breeders’ Cup delivered unforgettable performances. Four of them came from horses that had won stakes races during Keeneland’s fall race meet: FanDuel Juvenile victor Forte (Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity), Distaff winner Malathaat (Juddmonte Spinster), NetJets Juvenile Fillies winner Wonder Wheel (Darley Alcibiades), and the Qatar Racing Sprint winner Caravel (Franklin).
Malathaat’s Distaff — her fourth stakes victory at Keeneland — produced an impossibly close fnish while a poignant Dirt Mile saw Cody’s Wish battle Cyberknife the length of the stretch to prevail by a head.
European invaders once again proved to be formidable: Godolphin won a record four races, three with trainer Charlie Appleby. Te Coolmore ownership group and trainer Aidan O’Brien also won three races.
With racing so formful and outstanding, bettors responded by wagering a record $189 million. KM
Keeneland dazzled on the international racing stage as it hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships
Above, fans cheered as Flightline soared alone to the fnish line. Right, the winner’s circle couldn’t contain everyone who has an ownership interest in the Classic winner.
Cody’s Wish (center photo) won the Dirt Mile as his namesake, Cody Dorman (above), watched. The teenager with a rare genetic disorder met the colt several years ago on a Keeneland Make-A-Wish farm tour and the two bonded.
Keeneland accommodated Breeders’ Cup connections and racing fans in luxury chalets (right) as well as in the grandstand and clubhouse.
Godolphin’s homebred Rebel’s Romance (right) set a course record to win the Turf.
Goodnight Olive (below), who won for the frst time at Keeneland a year ago, returned to the scene of that triumph to add the Filly & Mare Sprint.
How do we gracefully manage the sale of a living family heirloom?
"It's important to honor the heritage of the farm and convey that sense of history to buyers," says Zach Davis, President & Principal Broker of Kirkpatrick & Co. When the time comes to entrust a new steward with a family farm, Kirkpatrick & Co. provides sensitive expertise.
After gathering historic information, stories, and family wishes, a story takes shape. Davis finds that for most buyers, the legacy holds special appeal. Conveying that is paramount. Also crucial? Kirkpatrick & Co. Associates work in concert with a family's legal and financial teams to develop a strategic plan for the sale.
Lastly, Davis says, "we're matchmakers," working to pair a buyer who will honor the family's wishes & develop favorable terms for all.
"The result is always bittersweet... Complicating this can be the emotions and desires of other family members. Zach Davis helped me make this transition. His integrity and sensitivity to all the emotions involved... was exemplary. He made sure we achieved our goal of a smooth transition and made sure we were satisfied with the price and conditions of the sale. I came out of the transaction with Zach as a friend and trusted colleague."
JOHN J. LARKIN, SELLERKirkpatrick & Co. represented the seller, buyer, or both for each of the sales below. What are we noticing about the market?
Our prowess handling the sale of historic homes continues to be unmatched, attracting a pool of buyers & sellers interested in preservation.
Retreat properties with natural landscapes & access to water hold appeal for out-of-towners, as well as Kentuckians reprioritizing peaceful recreation.
Turnkey horse farms are highly sought-after, with a long view toward any added improvements.
Call our office for a market analysis of your property at 859.231.8444 or visit www.kirkfarms.com
THE LARCHES
AUDUBON
PARIS PIKE
KEARNEY ROAD
DELANEY FERRY
RUSHING WIND
MCCALLS MILL
BRIAR HILL
WATTS FERRY
ESCONDIDA ROAD
FORGING OAKS
OLD FRANKFORT
For Taylor Made, bigger has been better as the family operation led all other consignors at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale for the eighth consecutive time.
With a change in LEADERSHIP and an assist from the NEXT generation, TAYLOR MADE FARM embraces its next chapter
By Lenny Shulman | Photos by Lee Thomas
ost consignors who sell Toroughbreds for a living prefer keeping their operations at boutique levels — big enough to drive proft but small enough to manage seamlessly and maintain a close working knowledge of each horse.
Te four brothers who have been running Taylor Made Farm and its sales agency for decades have embraced a far diferent business model. Tey relish being Goliath, and the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale marked the eighth consecutive time (and 24th overall) they were leading consignor at the world’s largest auction by number of horses sold and gross proft. Yet, their methods have ensured that customer service and attention to detail need not sufer due to sheer size; and by embracing change, technology, and innovation, Taylor Made can remain on the cutting edge even as it outpaces its competitors in quantity.
Taylor Made, under brothers Duncan, Frank, Ben, and Mark Taylor (and farm manager Pat Payne), has diversifed aggressively over the past decade. Tough best known for its success at Toroughbred auctions, Taylor Made has an active partnership division, a thriving stallion operation, and a farm-based program to help substance abusers recover. Concurrently, the brothers are bringing aboard a new generation of leaders as part of a succession-planning operation that seeks to instill energy and new blood into Taylor Made moving forward.
Duncan Taylor, eldest of the quartet, receives much of the credit from his siblings as the visionary behind many of the initiatives that have helped grow the farm and its ofshoots. Duncan started Taylor Made (with Mike Shannon) in 1976 when he was still a teenager attending the University of Kentucky and has seen it grow to
cover 1,500 acres outside the town of Nicholasville in Jessamine County, south of Lexington. Hard work and learning lessons well from the family patriarch, Joe Taylor, have made for the essential ingredients in turning those acres into a multifaceted Toroughbred operation.
Joe Taylor managed Gainesway Farm for 40 years, raising horses such as champion Unbridled. He literally wrote the book on horsemanship when he authored “Joe Taylor’s Complete Guide to Breeding and Raising Racehorses.” On the side, he also raised cattle and tobacco on his own farm and enlisted his children’s help early on. Benefts fowed in both directions.
“Dad was trying to raise eight kids and pay the bills, so it wasn’t about keeping the kids busy,” said Ben Taylor. “We had to work, and he put all kinds of responsibility on us from day one. When we got out of school, our sisters would drive us to the farm to work, and it would get to be 6 or 7 at night and we’d be ready to quit, and here’d come Dad from Gainesway and we ended up working until dark. We learned a lot in the process.”
Added Frank Taylor, “When I was 13, I was rubbing [grooming] yearlings for [Hall of Fame trainer] Woody Stephens at Gainesway. One year, a month before the Keeneland sale, Dad’s main guy there blew the turn behind alcohol, and he put me in charge of 22 yearlings. Tat’s the kind
of experience you’d get. He’d put you in the deep water, and you’d have to fght to swim, but he’d help if you got in too deep. Tat was Secretariat’s frst crop of yearlings, and we had a colt who brought a half-million, which was huge then.”
What is now Taylor Made started as a boarding and nursemare operation. In the 1980s it received a big boost from prominent breeders Aaron and Marie Jones, who sent 40 head to the farm and got the ball rolling. Marie Jones remains a Taylor Made client today. And that is a hallmark of the Taylor brothers — fnding clients and especially retaining them. You don’t get to be as big as Taylor Made has become without accomplishing each of those goals.
“Te main thing is having really good team members and really good customers,” noted Mark Taylor, who has recently takenoverfromDuncanaspresidentandCEO.“Wehavestaf who have been with us a long time, and they’ve been steeped in how we do things. Our culture is that the customer is king. Our role is to serve them. Find out what they want to do and where they want to go, and then help them get there. It’s always been about the customer.
hard to get a new customer, and once you get them,
“It’s
to get a new customer, and once you get them, you never want them to leave.”
—TAYLOR MADE CEO MARKTAYLOR Under the restructuring, Frank Taylor, left, has taken over as head of sales from Mark while Ben runs the stallion operation.
you never want them to leave. We don’t bat a thousand at that, but we’re trying to. Take [prominent owner] Rick Porter. Rick was hard to get in the boat, but once we did, we ended up selling 13 seven-fgure horses for him that brought $42 million. He was a tough guy but very loyal, and we became friends with him. But the bottom line is you have to take care of the customer.”
For the most recent Keeneland September yearling sale, Taylor Made catalogued more than 400 horses for some 80 individual clients, both numbers far and away tops in the business. Becoming the largest consignor is one thing, but remaining on that perch requires systems and infrastructure that must constantly be upgraded to stay ahead of the curve.
“Duncan gets the credit. He’s like a mad scientist always pushing the envelope on innovation,” said Mark Taylor. “Sometimes it’s frustrating
because you’re trying to take care of the here and now, and he’s focused on way down the road. Twenty-fve years ago everybody was using a Rolodex and he insisted we invest in a CRM [customer relationship manager] system.
“Te tipping point came with client communications. We’d start the September sale, and there would be a line of 15 people waiting to talk to us, clients trying to fgure out the reserves on their horses. It became untenable. Duncan fgured out a way to scaleit,whichwasbringinginateamofsevenpeoplewecallour Toroughbred Advisors, who manage each customer across all our services. You have one point of contact for everything. Tey
do the legwork while the brothers still stay in contact with the customer. It’s worked out beautifully. And I believe our Toroughbred Advisors could go out tomorrow and start their own consignment and be as good as anyone else out there.”
Te brothers aren’t afraid to study business models from other industries and incorporate ideas from outside people into the Taylor Made system.
Allan Bernotas, a former intern at the farm who today heads Taylor Made’s partnership division, was selling sofware for Google and Oracle before being brought back into the fold.
“You get ideas from outside people, gather more data, learn more, so when you build technology systems, everyone gets to beneft from that,” said Duncan Taylor. “Plus, we’ve always had the work ethic and focus. None of us are geniuses, but over a 35-year history we tweak things and keep trying to do the best for our customers. We were the frst to say to our customers, ‘If we don’t sell your horse, we’re only going to charge a minimum commission. We’re not going to charge you 2.5 percent or 5 percent on a million-dollar horse if you buy it back.’ ”
R EProminent Florida breeder Ed Seltzer has been selling through Taylor Made for years. “I started elsewhere, with other consignors, and most of those places I found were more concerned with the buyer than they were with the seller,” noted Seltzer. “I always felt the guys at Taylor Made were on the side of the seller; loyal to the seller and honorable. Everyone who works there is very professional and good at what they do.”
His brothers credit Duncan with instituting a carefully crafed plan that will carry a healthy and evolving Taylor Made into the future. Although Joe Taylor never owned Taylor Made, his sons still consider themselves the second generation of the organization. And in doing succession planning, Duncan and his siblings discovered that only 8 percent of family businesses succeed into the second generation, with just 3 percent surviving into the third. Further complicating matters is that all four brothers have children who would be part of the equation. Duncan took the bull by the horns.
Clockwise from left, Mark Taylor greets Mary Ryan at the recent September yearling sales; Taylor Made’s Jose Tovar presents a yearling at the sales; Duncan Taylor keeps an eye on the consignment.
“If you asked me three years ago when Duncan would retire, I’d have said when we pry his cold, dead hands of the keyboard and drag him out,” said Mark. “But he saw that if we were going to get the next generation involved, we must create room for them to assert themselves.”
DuncanretiredasCEOlastyear,withMarksteppingintothat role and Frank taking over as head of sales. Duncan remains as a senior consultant, board member, and the “ideas man.” But more responsibility has been shifed onto the next generation, called G3. Six G3 shareholders now sit in on board meetings, soaking up information on the fnancial side of the business. Frank’s daughter Katie has taken over the role of COO; his son Joe runs the farm’s bloodstock investment fund and serves as a Toroughbred Advisor. Ben’s son Brooks and Duncan’s son Marshall are Toroughbred Advisors and G3 members. And Payne, a longtime partner of the Taylors who is now semiretired, has seen his sons Alex and Logan step into expanded roles, with Logan serving as overall farm manager.
Katie Taylor had worked for years at Taylor Made, both with horses and in the ofce, where she analyzed all of the
The next generation includes, from left, Brooks Taylor (Ben’s son), Katie Taylor (Frank’s daughter), Joe Taylor (Frank’s son), and Logan Payne (Pat’s son and farm manager).
farm’s operating systems. “Ten years ago they asked me what I ultimately wanted to do here, and I said, ‘I want to be the COO.’ And they said, ‘Tat’s not a job,’ ” Katie said, laughing. “But when Duncan retired, they created the job of vice president of operations, which is basically the same thing. We’ve streamlined communications, launched a new CRM system, and taken all our contracts digital in the past year.”
“I think it’s better to pass it on to the next generation,” allowed Duncan. “Taylor Made is in good hands. Me moving away allows my brothers to move up, and lets other people in the organization move into new slots and take on more responsibility. If I had waited until I was 80 to retire, a lot of people might have lef or become stagnant and unmotivated. I felt now was the time.”
Te atmosphere Duncan sought to create has taken hold. “It’s so diferent now, from being in the peanut gallery to actually having a voice at the table,” noted Katie Taylor. “It’s a diferent dynamic. Tere is a legacy here that we are so proud to continue. We’ve always done business on the up and up and have
never sacrifced our integrity. Tat comes from my grandfather and has been instilled in us our whole lives. Now we as a generation are excited to leave our own mark.”
Taylor Made has always operated best with roles being loosely defned rather than people being forced into narrow silos. If something needed to be done, someone stepped in to accomplish it in the best possible way. Tat’s been the secret to the family staying on the same page, which is no small feat given the decades of their needing to work together to keep moving forward.
“I may be in charge of stallions, but each brother plays a role in stallions as well,” stated Ben. “I’m involved in sales. Our roles overlap a lot. We have diferent divisions that we each head up and make sure everything is staying on track, but other people are helping out.”
Added Mark, “It’s been pretty miraculous. People ask all the time how this works with four brothers working side by side. Our mom taught us to stick together even when we were cussing each other out and there was chaos everywhere. She was a devoutly religious and spiritual lady who prayed this thing to stick together. Most people can’t do one business deal with a sibling, so how we’ve all stuck together has been unusual.”
might already be involved in horses or who are new to the game. “We pivot each year to fnd the best value in the market,” said Bernotas, who serves as director of partnerships for Taylor Made. “It may be buying a weanling in November and selling it as a yearling the following September. Or maybe buying a maiden mare of the racetrack or a mare with her frst foal. Because of Taylor Made’s experience, we feel we can identify value and take advantage of what the best buys are.”
Taylor Made also boasts two racing partnerships, which grew out of the operation’s involvement with the popular racehorse and Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome. Taylor Made bought into the colt, managed the latter stages of his racing career, and found that the clients who bought into him enjoyed going to his races and having the thrills of a top-shelf performer.
“We found it was a great vehicle for getting new people into the business, and we wanted to do more of that,” said Mark Taylor.
So Taylor Made started a fund to buy into established racehorses that were more likely to give investors the experience of winning graded stakes races and immediate gratifcation. Usually, the original owner of the horse stays in as a partner, with the understanding that when the horse is retired, Taylor Made will consign it to the appropriate auction.
Bloodstock Investments began about 10 years ago and ofers a mutual fund-type experience for participants who
“We try to give people the chance to have success on a big-time level, and they can fgure out how much they like it,” said Mark Taylor. “Get into the winner’s circle with
horses like Cathryn Sophia [winner of the grade 1 Kentucky Oaks], Bella Sofa [grade 1 winner], Going to Vegas [grade 1 winner], or [multiple grade 2 victor] Beau Recall. If someone goes to the races and wins a grade 1 and they don’t like it, it’s time for them to go do something else. Or maybe they go forward and buy something on their own.”
Bernotas said that the program that buys proven racemares is known as Medallion Flagship, while another, Medallion Yearling, buys young horses to be trained and then raced as 2-yearolds. “We don’t charge markups ,” said Bernotas. “We make our money when we sell the horses at the end of the venture.”
impressed by what they were doing, and the people working together.
“I give credit to my brothers because it’s kind of scary bringing drug addicts out here to work around horses. Tings can go wrong. But I said, ‘What if we save a bunch of them?’ So, we took a shot and tried it, and nothing’s gone wrong now for the frst 18 months. We’ve had 40 people working here, and one of them, Christian Countzler, has started a sober living house called Stable Recovery. Literally saving lives. Tree-quarters of our maintenance team have come through the program; one is our maintenance manager. Tese people are honest, hardworking, loyal, and grateful, and they help each other. Tey’re a unit. Tey come to Taylor Made and have an AA meeting at 6:15 every morning, of the clock, to share. And everybody’s there early. It’s really improved the culture around our company.”
At the recently completed Keeneland September sale, Taylor Made sold an auction-leading 273 yearlings, nearly double that of its closest pursuer. Tose yearlings grossed a sale-leading total of nearly $39 million. Putting the customer frst continues to pay of.
“We weren’t happy with our performance the previous year,” Duncan Taylor said. “So, we interviewed 50 of our customers to see what we could improve on. Tey told us we moved our horses in a day too late, and they felt at times it was too crowded and hard to relax when viewing the horses. So, we tweaked things, split up into diferent barns. Afer 40 years we’re still listening to and pleasing the customer, because if you don’t do that, you go out of business.” KM
A diferent type of innovation led Taylor Made to establish its School of Horsemanship. Frank Taylor brought up to his brothers the idea of helping people whose lives have been caught up in substance abuse. Because of the exacting nature of working around horses, there was some pushback. But there was also the farm’s mission statement of being a force for good, and the acute labor shortage that is bedeviling so many in the industry.
“Addiction is an epidemic, and it’s been felt in our family,” stated Frank Taylor. “I was hit close by it myself and I started attending AA to work on my addiction, so I really understand. I watched DV8 Kitchen [a downtown Lexington restaurant stafed by those in substance-abuse recovery], and I was so
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As it marks 10 years, the Sporting Art Auction has become a must-attend event
By Julie June Stewart
Photos by Amy Lanigan
From left, the Cross Gate Gallery team of Linda Helton, Field Ladd, founder Greg Ladd, Catherine Ladd Kenneally, and Bill Meng has seen their hard work and expertise bear fruit in the success of the Sporting Art Auction.
The Sporting Art Auction is celebrating 10 years with another stellar selection of fne sporting art, American paintings, and sculptures on Nov. 18 at Keeneland. Te auction, a collaboration between Cross Gate Gallery and Keeneland, also will continue its tradition of featuring exciting up-andcoming equine artists.
Te frst sporting art auction in 2013 was a resounding success. At that time there had not been a specialized sporting auction in more than 15 years, when major auction houses had their auctions in New York in the late 1990s.
Te sporting art auction is a natural progression for Lexington-based Cross Gate Gallery, considered the country’s premier gallery of fne sporting art and contemporary British fgurative painting. Greg Ladd founded Cross Gate in 1974 and for years has conducted traveling art shows around the nation, including an annual event in Saratoga Springs, New York. Ladd explained: “Te idea [is] that you must get in front of the people to show your
inventory. Ten when people come to Lexington, they will visit us.”
Keeneland, with its state-of-the-art sales pavilion and auctioneering expertise, has proved to be the ideal location. “Lexington is the Toroughbred capital of the world, and Keeneland sees every major Toroughbred owner in the world,” Ladd said.
Added gallery associate and daughter Catherine Ladd Kenneally: “Te symbiotic relationship Cross Gate has with Keeneland is
longstanding and both organizations pride themselves on integrity. We ofen share clientele with the common factor being the love and appreciation of the horse — whether it’s the real thing or a beautiful depiction to be admired on your wall. Te sporting art auction has a great impact on our community. Not only do Keeneland’s portion of the proceeds beneft its nonproft initiatives, but the auction adds another layer of cultural depth to our community.”
Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin agrees. “It’s been really fun these past 10 years to watch the Sporting Art Auction thrive and grow into what we hoped it would be from its inception: a highly anticipated event for sporting art enthusiasts, many of whom are also Keeneland clients. Cross Gate and their team are globally respected, and, like Keeneland, they hold themselves to the highest standards and are committed to the horse industry and the local community. Te synergy between Keeneland and Cross Gate is key to the auction’s success.”
Sellers appreciate the auction’s sell rate of 70 to 80 percent. Cross Gate seeks inventory throughout the United States and Europe for the auction, which this year features 180 lots. Ladd and his staf collaborate with established contacts and visit European and American art galleries, artists, and estate sales. Ladd and son Field (acquisitions director) travel to Europe for three weeks every June in a quest for art. Field describes the annual trip as delightful as he and his father drive around England, Ireland, and France in a rented car with a “boot” that can hold art. In the early days they depended on hand-drawn maps or directions received at local pubs and post ofces. It’s much easier now with GPS technology.
European art selected for the auction is shipped from London while gallery staf drive in the Cross Gate van to sometimes distant points in the United States to pick up art.
“On the days that the crates are arriving, we hear, ‘Wait until you see this.’ ” Ladd Kenneally said. “Te wooden crates are massive. Some of them are 6 feet by 10 feet or larger. Tey are not just full of paintings but sculptures too and can be heavy. It’s like Christmas morning.”
Cross Gate previews the artwork for each auction in the Keeneland sales pavilion. Auction day typically draws a healthy crowd, though the pandemic resulted in a virtual auction in 2020. “We have a lot of horsemen who live here,” Greg Ladd said.
“A lot of people pass through during the September horse sale, the October race meet, and the November horse sale. Keeneland has a great clientele, and we drop it right in front of them.
“We try to show the best quality we can fnd. Our clientele is well traveled and knows quality. We try to watch what our customers are buying. Early naive or primitive pictures are popular right now, as long as the subject is right and they are well painted. Light and color are what we look for in edgy contemporary work. Te artist still needs to be able to draw, but that always comes through.”
Te inaugural auction featured a work that still holds the record for top price: LeRoy Neiman’s “Flat Racing.” Te gallery staf had the challenging task of reassembling the piece, originally a mural at the old Sportsman’s Park in Chicago, afer the work arrived in individual boxes that contained 119 glaze ceramic 12 x 12 tiles. It sold for $291,000.
Every year the auction features favorite artists. Tey include Sir Alfred Munnings (British, 1878-1959), John Frederick Herring Jr (British, 1820-1907), Andre Pater (Polish/American, b. 1953), Sandra
The auction preview takes place during the September and November Thoroughbred sales and the fall race meet.
Oppegard (American, b. 1942), and Peter Howell (British, b. 1932).
Tis year’s most impressive piece is a painting by Munnings titled “Going Out Epsom,” which has an estimated value of $3 million to $5 million. Munnings, known as one of England’s fnest equine artists, frequently painted at Epsom. He would bring his own horses and grooms to the paddock (afer the meet), sketching as he planned a painting. He would go to great lengths to ensure the details in his subject matter, such as the colors of the jockey silks against the sky and the muscle tone of the horses.
Ladd is enthusiastic about “Going Out Epsom” because of
Munnings. “Of all the 20th century sporting painters, he was the man. He is a wonderful painter. Tis is the most important racing picture of this caliber in the past 25-30 years.”
Ladd considers Andre Pater, with whom he has worked for 20 years, the top sporting artist today. Pater’s work is highly coveted in the auction. In 2016 his painting “Red Arrow” sold for $276,000 afer an enthusiastic bidding duel. Te painting depicts a Lakota warrior. Pater was present and said it was “a stunning surprise. Nobody was expecting this,” he said. He was thrilled to receive a standing ovation from the audience.
Sporting art ofen includes non-equestrian subjects. Dogs are always popular as are chickens, roosters, cows, cats, and associated barn animals. Tere is always a strong interest in paintings depicting the sporting art lifestyle such as shooting, fshing, and boating.
Te gallery makes an efort to tell the story of each painting in its catalog. “Te thought and time we put into the editorial side of the catalog is massive,” Field Ladd said.
An equine painting with no context might arouse little interest, Field Ladd said. “But you could take that same painting and say this horse was from a farm that has been around Lexington for 150 years. Suddenly, you have reached into farms whose families are still around.
Field Ladd travels with his father, Greg, to Europe every June in search of artwork for the auction. Pieces also come from across the U.S.
“All the stories that we tell give the painting life. Te way in which the story reconnects the racing community to a piece of art is important to us and to the community. Te power to be able to connect the dots generationally — not only through families but through horse generations — is a big power in our sale. Purchasers have been able to purchase paintings that mean a great deal to their family legacy.”
Te gallery also seeks and develops contemporary artists and encourages them to explore equine art. “We try to be very selective with our contemporary (living) artists as well. By showing what we think is the best work out there, we attract other good painters,” Greg Ladd said. “Our contemporary artists get great exposure.”
Artist Sandra Oppegard agrees that Ladd has a talent for discovering artists with a talent for equine subjects. “Greg picks people out that do another kind of art,” she said. “He is always looking for someone with a defnite style, and he will point them in the direction of doing sporting art.”
Some of these artists have benefted from an artist-in-residence program in which they stay at Keeneland for several weeks, take in racing and stroll the grounds, and work in an on-site studio.
Tis year’s auction features several artists new to the event. “We
are looking at more contemporary artists,” Field Ladd said, “I think this year we have more variety and pieces with an edge to them than we have had in the past.”
For new participating artists, the auction is a glorious event. Jill Soukup, an award-winning Colorado-based artist, said, “It is an honor to have my work in this prestigious exhibition. It’s always an excellent show, exhibiting masterful works of art from the past and present. Of course, Toroughbreds are a common theme in this show, but other subjects and breeds are also honored. It’s a must-see art exhibition.”
It’s been an extraordinary journey, not only for Cross Gate and
The 10th Annual Sporting Art Auction will be held Friday, Nov. 18, 2022, at 4 p.m. at the Keeneland sales pavilion. Information about registering, viewing, or requesting a catalog is available at https:// thesportingartauction.com. Further information about Cross Gate Gallery is at crossgategallery.com.
Important pieces sold at previous auctions include, clockwise from left, “Flat Racing” by LeRoy Neiman ($291,000 in 2013); “Midway” by Henry Lawrence Faulkner ($57,500 in 2021); “Winter Scene, Chantilly” by Peter Howell ($34,000 in 2019); and “Red Arrow” by Andre Pater ($276,000 in 2016).
Keeneland but for the artists and the equine community.
Ladd Kenneally attributes the auction’s success to her father. “Te feel-good element is my dad. He dreamt it out of thin air. He put his blood, sweat, and tears into it all these years. It’s really come to fruition with the partnership of Keeneland. It speaks volumes about his integrity and our integrity being partnered with Keeneland.”
Te sporting art auction has created a global artistic community that appreciates the beauty and strength of equines and of sporting art to the beneft of all. Tere is much to anticipate and an exciting future ahead. KM
Inthe entrenched cultural ether of Lexington and the Bluegrass, a homegrown music show has earned some bragging rights. It’s not bourbon, horse racing, or basketball, but WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour has carved a niche in the local scene as it prepares to celebrate 25 years of life, stronger than ever.
Te show, perhaps a bit under the radar in its backyard, has an international profle, reaching millions of viewers and listeners nationwide on public and pay television and worldwide on radio, including American Forces Radio Network, and the web.
“It’s one of a kind,” said Michael Johnathon, a folk singer who created the show and is its jack-of-all-trades impresario. “It’s the comfortable rocking chair on everyone’s front porch.”
Recorded before a live audience, WoodSongs is built on performances by mostly unsung musicians from around the United States and the world — underscoring one of Johnathon’s marketing slogans, “You don’t have to be famous … you just have to be good.” But over the years it’s also featured high-profle acts — Judy Collins, Emmylou Harris, Bela Fleck, Bobby Rush, Sam Bush, the Blind Boys of Alabama, and others.
“WoodSongs is driven by content excellence,” said Johnathon. “Artists who come on the show are beyond special. Name recognition is irrelevant.” Tose artists aren’t paid for performing. “Tey’re getting the beneft of reaching audiences on over 500 stations,” he added, “and it’s free.”
Te show — there are 44 new ones a year — is organized as a non-proft corporation and is self-sufcient. Te crew — from stage manager to sound engineer, videographers to gafers — is entirely volunteer. “Passion drives people harder than payment,” Johnathon said.
Volunteers — from veterans to newcomers — prove Johnathon’s assessment. “I love everybody here,” said Isabelle Smith, a high school senior from nearby Winchester who’s been helping with the show’s audio since April. She wants a career in the music industry, and her volunteering has given her “a lot of hands-on experience. Tis is always an incredible show,” she said. “My grandparents used to bring me here almost every Monday night when I was young.”
WoodSongs has a cult following, including a live audience fan base of avid long-timers that are integral to each performance. Tey ofen packed the house until the COVID-19 pandemic triggered attendance restrictions. Although government indoor mandates have ended, WoodSongs has opted to continue limiting attendance.
Te show has been held for the past 10 years at the Lyric Teatre, a former movie house and performance center in Lexington’s historic East End now owned by the city. Before that, it was held a few blocks away at the State and Kentucky Teatre bi-plex, also owned by the city. (Te show’s frst broadcast, in 1998, was in a small Lexington recording studio.)
Te format has been “surprisingly consistent” over the show’s lifespan, according to Johnathon. Tat was in evidence on a recent Monday in late September. A 4:30 p.m. pre-show production
meeting started things. Johnathon and the two main acts sat in an adjacent cluster of theater seats. He welcomed Jake Blount, an award-winning banjo player from Washington, D.C., and the New Faith; and the Sweet Lillies, a Colorado string band. He began by telling the two groups, “I believe love is the greatest transaction for an artist.”
Ten the ground rules. “Te format is very simple: It’s a broadcast, not a concert. And we treat the stage as a recording studio.” He asked both groups to select four songs, each about 3½ minutes long. “We begin and end in 59 minutes. We front sell and back sell. Keep the conversation [between songs and with him] as evergreen as you can — each show has a two-, three-year shelf life. We’re focusing on the art.”
Afer the main groups lef, he met with that night’s WoodSongs Kids group — a trio of folk-singing brothers from Eastern Kentucky
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Right, Dorothy Edwards starts the show.
Below, Jake Blount, who won the Steve Martin Excellence in Banjo Award, performs with his New Faith band.
called the Spencer Boys. (Each show includes one song from a young group — a popular segment that led WoodSongs to launch a new public television kids series in October.)
Te meetings were followed by a sound check at 5 p.m. Teater doors opened at 6 p.m. A halfcapacity crowd of about 250 took their seats. Te main performers positioned themselves onstage. A headphone glitch delayed the 7 p.m. start a few minutes, but cameras soon started rolling and WoodSongs broadcast #1059 began.
Announcer Dorothy Edwards thanked the Kentucky Department of Tourism, city of Lexington, VisitLex, and other supporters. Voiceover sound bites goosed up the show and welcomed Johnathon, who sang and played guitar on a song he wrote, accompanied by Sharon Holler on fute. Afer a few “grassroots music” and “front porch” remarks, he introduced Jake Blount and the New Faith. Tey played two songs, intercut by a chat between Johnathon and Blount. Johnathon introduced Sweet Lillies, and they played two songs, with a chat intercut. Te Spencer Boys came on stage and played their song. Te main groups each played their fnal two songs. Ten the close: “My name’s Michael Johnathon. I’m a folk singer. I’m a song farmer. We’ll see you next week on the” — now the audience joins in — “WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour.”
A singer and songwriter, Johnathon performs early in the show.
WoodSongs’ evolution and success refect Johnathon’s vision when he started the show in 1998. He built it on his own
After the torrential rains and fooding that devastated Eastern Kentucky in September, WoodSongs joined the international relief effort. Along with private companies, including Martin Guitar and Highbridge SpringsWater, individual musicians, friends, and others, it collected more than a thousand instruments from around the country to distribute free to people who played music and were affected by the fooding. “When things are built out of love,” Michael Johnathon said of the project, “you’ve got to do something loving in return.”
In December 2021,WoodSongs undertook a similar effort inWestern Kentucky, distributing more than 700 instruments to people affected by tornadoes that devastated that region.
experience performing at small concert halls, festivals, and colleges across the country and recording six CDs (he now has 19, as well as six books).
A native of upstate New York (folk legend Pete Seeger was a neighbor and mentor), Johnathon was 18 and working as a disc jockey in Texas when he had an epiphany while hearing “Turn, Turn, Turn” by Te Byrds (a song written by Seeger). “I was convinced I was going to be a musician,” Johnathon said. He bought a guitar and banjo and moved to an Eastern Kentucky Appalachian crossroads called Mousie.
He chose Appalachia because he con-
Above, the Sweet Lillies entertain with their Americana/bluegrass music.
Left, the Spencer Boys, a trio of folksinging brothers from Eastern Kentucky, are the evening’s WoodSongs Kids group.
sidered it “the birthplace of America’s folk music.” In 1986, afer he had spent three years soaking up mountain music and culture in Mousie, his career began to take of, and he moved to Lexington and became a “folk singer with a staf.” In 1992 he created the Troubadour Concert Series, which still brings nationally known musicians to Lexington several times a year.
In 1999 he published “WoodSongs,” a book and CD subtitled “A Folk Singer’s Social Commentary, Cook Manual & Song Book.” Out of that publication — which mixes autobiographical accounts and original music with recipes for “Sexy Pasta Tomato Sauce” and “Kentucky
Korn Puddin’ ” — came the idea for the WoodSongs radio series. “It was a natural extension.”
He wanted “to reintroduce folk music to a new generation” and “give grassroots artists a chance to meet their audience.” Tat those artists are unknown was central to his concept. “It’s the Vincent van Gogh theory of folk music. Fame and commercial success don’t have anything to do with good art.” (His latest book/CD, “WoodSongs 5,” subtitled “A Folk Singer’s Fireplace Compendium and Van Gogh Reader,” is dedicated to the Dutch painter.)
but each Monday he’s in Lexington to host WoodSongs — the show doesn’t go on without him.
Te show he created has “gotten better” over the years, he said, but still refects “the exact same spirit” it had in its frst days. “It’s turned into the global multimedia front porch that we envisioned from the beginning.”
Johnathon, introducing the Sweet Lillies to the audience, never misses a show.
Johnathon, who said he’s “franchising folk music,” continues to pursue his own career apart from WoodSongs. He performs on the road about 40 days a year,
From the start, Johnathon said he “wanted WoodSongs to be a modern, technically advanced old-timey show.” And he hoped it would become the next “Austin City Limits” for PBS. “Tat’s what we were aiming for.” It hasn’t gotten that far… yet. But it is broadcast — in Kentucky, at least — Sundays at midnight, right afer the famed Texas performance show. KM
Te good people at Hawthorne Products have loved what they do for over 45 years — and the passion is still as strong as ever. Tank you for sharing in the love.
Food continues to inspire Phil Dunn, who these days gets a thrill leading small groups of foodies to Europe
By Patti Nickell Photos by Mark Mahan
At a recent dinner party he hosted, the Lexington food impresario displayed his passionate love for travel, conversation, and, above all, culinary art.
Appetizers represented both modern American cuisine (olive cheese pufs) and classic Greek dishes (tiropita, similar to spanakopita but without the spinach). Next up was Crab Demos, a crab and wild rice concoction with Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and mayonnaise, courtesy of time spent with Stanley Demos at Te Coach House.
Te entree stop was Italy with chicken piccata and a fettuccine Alfredo so moist and buttery it would make Romans, Venetians, and Florentines break into a chorus of “magnifcos.” To end the meal, he came full circle back to the U.S. with a creamy New York cheesecake topped with a grand chocolate sauce.
It was an amazing meal from a man who has altered his path several times over.
Novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald once bitterly noted, “Tere are no second acts in American lives.” Fitzgerald never knew Phil Dunn.
Dunn is well past his second act, having fnished a third and is now into his fourth. How many 74-year-olds can claim they have owned a restaurant, a catering company, and a bakery; taught cooking classes; been a chef-in-residence at luxury destinations across Europe; and even dabbled in real estate? About the last, Dunn said, “I didn’t take long to realize this was not who Phil Dunn was.”
At an age when most are content to see the curtain drop on the fnal act of their professional lives, Dunn is still frmly
planted on the Lexington stage as he has been for the past 50 years. Although he no longer caters, Dunn teaches the occasional cooking class to enthusiastic participants.
Dunn graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1970, armed with a degree in geography. Now before you start asking what was he thinking, he did have a plan, or at least a dream, for using his degree. “I wanted to work for the National Geographic Society,” he recalled. “When I was 11 years old, my parents gifed me with a life membership in the National Geographic Society.”
It didn’t quite turn out as the 20-something Dunn planned, but
IfPhil Dunn ever invites you to dinner, cancel any plans you might have and go. You won’t regret it.Caterer, baker, restaurant owner, teacher, and chef-in-residence — Phil Dunn has had an adventuresome work life.
A special thanks to the 2022 sponsors of Evening in the Gardens and the Bluegrass International Cup beneftting Fayette Alliance and the UK Markey Cancer Foundation.
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National Geographic’s loss was Alpha Chi Omega sorority’s gain.
“My frst culinary job was as a breakfast cook at the sorority house,” he said with a chuckle.
A male cook in an all-female household may have made a good sitcom plot, but Dunn had other plans. An ROTC cadet in college, he was fulflling his Army duty when he had an epiphany. “Tat was when I frst knew I wanted to make the culinary arts my life’s work,” Dunn said.
He also knew he wanted to begin his life’s work, like so many other aspiring young chefs, in Europe. But unlike most of them, he headed not to Paris but to Vienna afer college. His geography lessons had taught him that Austrian Empress Maria Teresa, a member of the powerful Hapsburg dynasty, had been responsible for many of the continent’s culinary trends. By marrying of her brood of 16 to the crowned heads of Europe, she spread Austria’s infuence beyond its borders — including its culinary infuence.
“Trough her children, Maria Teresa introduced Danishes to the Danish and croissants to the French,” said Dunn, adding that, “both of those originated in Austria.”
He enrolled in a Viennese cooking school and immediately encountered his frst pitfall.
“All of my fellow students were about 12 years old,” he said with a laugh. “I hadn’t considered how early they began their training in Europe.”
Realizing there would be no collegial evenings spent hoisting tankards of ale with his fellow students, he dropped out of the class and took a job in
As chicken for the piccata cooks, Dunn sautees cherry tomatoes, top; then seasons green beans, center; and next adds Parmesan cheese to the Alfredo sauce, below.
the kitchen at the Parkhotel Schönbrunn, a watershed experience for the fedgling chef.
“I learned so much from the staf there,” he said. “One taught me to make Austrian dishes such as goulash and stroganof; a second taught me the correct way to sharpen knives, while a third taught me perhaps the most important thing I’ve ever learned: how to prep.
“He taught me what can be done on the spot and what has to be done in advance,” he continued. “It is a lesson that has stood me in good stead throughout my entire career.”
When he was not toiling in the kitchen at the hotel, he was cooking up meals for the Austrian family he was living with. Te kids especially were crazy about American food, he recalled. “While I was eating wonderful Wiener schnitzel and dumplings, they were demanding fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and biscuits.”
From his European experience, it was a natural progression to the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, New York, where his classmates were most assuredly not 12 years old.
“I was in class with people who went on to become top chefs at restaurants in New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago,” he said. “It was a wonderful experience.”
Tere is nothing like starting at the top, and that’s just what Dunn did when he returned to Lexington in 1975. A newly minted culinary professional, armed with a degree
from the CIA, he became chef at what was then the city’s premier restaurant, Stanley Demos’ Te Coach House.
Dunn credits Demos for much of what he’s done in his own career.
“It’s kind of funny for a chef to say that because Stanley didn’t cook,” Dunn said. “He was a front of the house guy, and there was nobody better at that than he was.”
From Demos, Dunn said he learned “How to run a restaurant, how to manage a restaurant, how to buy the best ingredients, how to hire the best team — basically everything involved in having a successful restaurant.
“He was my inspiration for what I did when I opened Phil Dunn’s Cookshop,” said Dunn.
Although Demos served as an inspiration, Dunn tweaked many recipes to create his own memorable dishes.
MY FIRST
JOB WAS AS A BREAKFAST COOK AT THE SORORITY HOUSE.”
—Phil Dunn
“An elegant table setting awaits Dunn’s delicious dinner.
“I think two of my most successful were Chicken Cordon Bleugrass, where the chicken breast was stufed with blue cheese, and my grilled cheese sandwich, which used my own baked bread, Sturminster — an English cheddar with chives — and slices of tomato and zucchini.
“Te customers loved it,” he said.
Phil Dunn’s Cookshop, which combined a restaurant, bakery, and cooking classes on Old Vine Street, had a decade-long run. During that time he also operated a catering company he had started eight years before
Top, Dunn adds garnishments to the chicken piccata. Left, next come the beans, followed by the fettuccine Alfredo, below. Bottom left, the fnished plate is ready to serve.
opening the restaurant and through which he frequently catered as many as eight events a day.
Te main lesson he had learned from Demos — always to strive for consistent quality — made him a success in both businesses.
When it came to catering, every Lexington host and hostess had him on speed dial.
“I don’t think I ever had a luncheon or dinner party when I didn’t call Phil,” said Joan Gaines, widow of horseman John Gaines, who frst met Dunn when he was still at Te Coach House. “I knew I could always count on Phil to make me look good.”
Linda Roach, who helped her late husband, Dr. Ben Roach, raise funds for the Markey Cancer Center, talks about Dunn’s help in the couple’s fundraising eforts. “I always knew Phil would give the same attention to detail
whether we were planning the Celebration Ball for hundreds or a small donor luncheon for fve,” she said.
“But as serious as Phil was about his food and the presentation, there was always laughter coming from his kitchen,” she added.
It wasn’t just Lexington’s elite who came to rely on him. Dunn has catered for some of the world’s most famous and celebrated people.
He cooked lunch for both Queen Elizabeth II and Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor within a two-week period. He cooked for George H. W. Bush when he was vice president and Anthony Kennedy when he was a Supreme Court justice.
He catered the 30th birthday party for Saturday Night Live’s Ana Gasteyer and bonded with Princess Michael of Kent, a guest at a dinner he catered at Overbrook Farm.
“She is Austrian, so we got along famously,” he said.
From the Maktoums, the royal family of Dubai, to actress Anne Hathaway to TV anchor Diane Sawyer and her husband, director Mike Nichols, Dunn has fed them all.
Still, his own celebrity hasn’t gone to his head. One of his greatest pleasures, other than baking breads and pastries, which he says he prefers over anything else he’s done as a chef, is mentoring other up-andcoming chefs and food executives.
One of those mentees is Brad Mitchell, who was part of the team during Dunn’s temporary tenure as executive chef at the Governor’s Mansion during Ernie Fletcher’s administration.
Mitchell apparently went to the head of the class, as he currently serves as executive chef for Gov. Andy Beshear.
“I went to work for Phil at his catering business right out of culinary school,” said Mitchell. “Over the next 12 years he taught me everything I know about catering, from event planning to execution.”
Tey were lessons well learned, as Mitchell served the commonwealth under four governors.
“Of all the chef instructors and chef employers I’ve had the pleasure of working with, Phil had the most infuence,” said Mitchell. “He also became a close friend to my family and even made the cakes for both of my sons’ weddings.”
Dunn says he tries to stay in touch with many of his protegees, claiming “I really enjoy following their career arcs.”
Having served as a mentor to so many young chefs, is there one now that he hasn’t worked with, but would like to?
“Cameron Roszkowski, the chef at Te Apiary,” he said without hesitation.
“I really admire him and keep track of his career,” said Dunn.
“Following his education, he took a year of to travel the world and learn the diferent food cultures.
“Tat dedication has really shown in his work at Te Inn at Blackberry Farm, Heirloom, and now Te Apiary.”
At 74, having survived two bouts of cancer and with an illustrious career that has earned him international acclaim, you would think Dunn would be content to rest on his laurels, and you would be wrong.
For the past 15 years he has been working with Florida-based Falcon Travel, serving as a chef-in-residence for many of their private European tours. At the time of this interview, he had just returned from two weeks in Scotland and had just another two weeks to prep for a trip to Tuscany. So, how did he get this glamorous job?
“It was quite a coincidence,” he said. “Te manager of the company in Winter Haven turned out to be the daughter of my former Sigma Nu fraternity housemother.”
Tat serendipitous connection led to his doing two to four trips a year, with the Scotland and Tuscany trips bringing him full circle.
“My frst trip was to Scotland, Ireland, and England, and Tuscany has been my most frequent destination,” he said.
He also had the chance to go back to where it all started — Austria — and he hopes for a future jaunt to Provence, which he claims “has the best food in France.”
As testament to the respect and afection he has garnered in his home state, Dunn said that about half of the usual 12-15 people who make up the groups are from Kentucky.
When asked what a typical day is like on these trips, Dunn said, “I cook them a full breakfast every morning, and while they are out sightseeing during the day, I am canvassing the farmer’s markets for the freshest ingredients.
“I cook a gourmet meal every night and I usually try to squeeze in a cooking class if they have a free day.”
So will this be Phil Dunn’s last act?
He laughed and then answered, “Probably. I just wish I had discovered this 50 years ago.”
A legion of Lexington fans are glad he didn’t. KM
Eric Resendiz was frst in line when Amplify Horse Racing kicked of its mentorship program in August 2021.
Te Bluegrass Community & Technical College student was paired with Ben Henley, general manager of Airdrie Stud. Henley showed Resendiz the farm’s operations and took him along to the Keeneland September yearling sale for a close-up look at the home of the world’s largest Toroughbred yearling auction.
Amplify Horse Racing is a nonproft organization dedicated to introducing youth and young adults primarily in the 15–25 age group to the myriad possibilities for becoming involved in the Toroughbred industry. Resendiz is taking full advantage of its resources as he contemplates a career in the racing business.
His education continued last summer when Resendiz journeyed to Saratoga Springs, New York, for a behind-the-scenes tour of Saratoga Race Course conducted by Annise Montplaisir, president and co-founder of Amplify. He met with trainers and veterinarians and saw the backside operations of a racetrack, which ft in with his goal of working on the training side of the business.
Te tour was hosted by Amplify with collaboration from the New York Toroughbred Horsemen’s Association, New York Racing Association, and National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, which is located in Saratoga Springs.
“It’s been a cool experience getting all of those insights,” said Resendiz, who is pursuing an associate degree in equine studies. “With my mentorship I’ve been able to network and get my foot in the door a little bit. It’s been a great experience with Amplify.”
Te pairing of Resendiz and Henley is one of many success stories in the young life of Amplify Horse Racing. Te organization is an outgrowth of a business plan Montplaisir submitted as the fnal requirement of her studies with Godolphin Flying Start, a two-year
management and leadership training program in the international Toroughbred racing and breeding industry. Her friend and co-founder Madison Scott now serves on the Amplify board of directors.
“Te Toroughbred industry, as opposed to industries comprising other breeds, did not have a frst-step educational platform on the national level, singularly focused on getting youth and young adults involved in racing,” Montplaisir said. “Great work has been done in that regard on a state level or by specifc programs, and Amplify intends to collaborate with and help to grow those existing initiatives.”
Montplaisir brings a rich and varied background to her role as
Amplify’s leader. At age 12 she was a volunteer racetrack ambassador at North Dakota Horse Park in her hometown of Fargo. She later saddled up and ponied horses to the starting gate, then became director of communications at age 19. She also completed an internship at the American Quarter Horse Association.
Afer graduating from North Dakota State University in 2017, she moved to Lexington, where she completed internships with Fasig-Tipton, Keeneland, and Mill Ridge Farm before her Godolphin education.
Montplaisir created Amplify in 2019. She then worked as the equine education coordinator for the Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP), which folded her Amplify work into her job description. Tat allowed the foundation to serve as an incubator for her to continue developing Amplify on the national level.
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such as farm administration, exercise riding, and yearling sales prep. Participants can ask questions of industry professionals, who explain their careers and the fundamentals of the horse racing business.
Beginning in January 2023, Montplaisir will devote all her energies to Amplify while KEEP continues to be an industry partner. Amplify also functions as the U.S. afliate of Together for Racing International, a global initiative to promote the Toroughbred industry.
A key factor in Amplify’s fast start out of the gate is its rewarding collaboration with Keeneland and the many educational programs the racetrack already had in place before Amplify came along to bolster those eforts.
“We believe our company’s mission is to build the next generation of fans for our sport,” said Kara Heissenbuttel, Keeneland’s senior director of operations and community relations. “Keeneland and Amplify have become wonderful partners in this efort. We have a series of programs throughout the year to reach diferent age groups, and Amplify has helped us fll in some gaps and take them a step further.”
An excellent example of those eforts is the presence of Amplify during Keeneland’s College Scholarship Day Presented by Lane’s End. Tis event, supported by the Kentucky Toroughbred Association, ofers students free admission for one racing day and a chance to win valuable scholarships while also seeing racing in terms of career possibilities.
Amplify has a booth at the event and adds to the students’ activities by coordinating tours through the paddock to see riders get a leg up, then out to the winner’s circle for the owner’s experience. Discussions about career opportunities and an introduction to the Amplify mentorship program are also ofered.
Tat’s where Resendiz comes in as a Keeneland College Ambassador, an academic-yearlong program that lets students assist with special events and learn about marketing, promotions, guest services, and other areas of operations. “We collaborate with Amplify on the tours that day and help promote the Keeneland brand,” he said.
In fulflling its mission, the organization aims to amplify and expand on both the existing educational programs in the industry, such as Keeneland’s College Scholarship Day Presented by Lane’s End, as well as new resources of its own, including mentorships, an Equine Careers Tour Series, and podcasts.
Horse Racing Hangouts are virtual learning sessions streamed live to Amplify social media platforms and have featured subjects
“Keeneland doesn’t have the staf and bandwidth to do all of those things,” Heissenbuttel said, “but we can provide the platform for Amplify to come in and be an additional resource to take the experience to the next level.”
Amplify is also involved during the Keeneland Kids Club Family Day Presented by Kentucky Children’s Hospital events in the spring and fall for the program for children ages 12 and under.
Amplify Horse Racing is a 501(c)(3) nonproft funded by donations and grants. For more information visit amplifyhorseracing.org
in that discipline at Marquette University.
“My goal is to be an on-air broadcast journalist covering Toroughbred racing,” said Littau, who is executive news producer at his campus television station and podcasts creator for Amplify. “I have a lot of passion for the sport and want to instill that in new fans and deepen that feeling in existing fans.” For inspiration he has studied videos of racing broadcast luminaries such as Bob Costas, who covered the Kentucky Derby for NBC for nearly two decades.
“Amplify may be there with tack so the kids can touch and feel some of the materials the horse and jockey use,” Heissenbuttel said, thereby bolstering the educational value of those events.
An Equipony, a mechanical device that simulates what a jockey feels aboard the horse, is another attraction that Amplify makes available for the children.
Becoming a jockey, trainer, or an owner might be among the frst occupations that come to mind when considering how Amplify could help someone get started in the business. Te organization’s umbrella, however, covers much more than that.
“When someone thinks about the Toroughbred industry, they think primarily of horse racing,” Montplaisir said. “Tey don’t immediately think of all the jobs associated with that. Tere is work everywhere in the industry that may involve insurance, sales, transportation, veterinary care, afercare for retired racehorses, ofciating, and more.”
She could include journalism in that list, which would encompass the career aspirations of Timothy Littau, a senior majoring
A bit uncertain about whether Amplify would support his interest in journalism, Littau was pleased when his mentorship application was gladly accepted. He was paired with Tom Law, editor of the Saratoga Special, a twice-weekly newspaper covering racing at Saratoga Race Course. Montplaisir also spent a summer working for the Special.
Law was so impressed with Littau that he ofered him a
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summer internship on the paper. While there, Littau had the opportunity to join Law in a presentation titled “Amplifying the Future of Racing,” where they spoke of the value of their mentorship. Te event was co-hosted by Amplify and the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
“Without Amplify, the mentorship with Tom Law and then interning on the newspaper would not have been possible,” Littau said. “And I certainly could never have imagined myself speaking at the Racing Hall of Fame at age 21. It’s been a phenomenal experience.”
Holly Brown had already taken a big frst step into the Toroughbred industry when a mentorship with Amplify allowed her to validate her career choice and open the door to a wider view of the business.
Brown is ofce manager at Rancho San Miguel, a large Toroughbred breeding and sales prep operation in Central California. Trough her Amplify connection she found a mentor who has become an important source of support and guidance for
her budding career in the racing business.
“I had traveled around for several years holding various jobs, even working with wild burros in Texas, and had little bits of exposure to Toroughbreds along the way,” she said. “Ten the job opening here at Rancho San Miguel was paired at about the same time with my Amplify mentorship. It all drew something out in me to want to be with racehorses.”
For her mentorship Brown was paired with Jordyn Egan, executive director of the California Toroughbred Owners Association and an Amplify board member. Egan has brought industry connections and encouragement to Brown as the two enjoy an ongoing professional relationship that has continued far beyond the three-month formal mentorship period.
“I found my passion in this industry on the business end of things, understanding what makes it work,” Egan said. “Holly has that same analytical, business mind-set and has worked to improve the processes of the farm where she works. I’ve encouraged her to seek out connections and work hard.”
Brown drew inspiration from hearing Egan describe her rise
f horse racing could be compared to a game of poker, the Breeze family ofTollesboro, Kentucky, has gone all in.
Margaret andTroy Breeze, along with their fve offspring, have used the expertise gained from attending all of the Equine CareersTour Series events offered by Amplify Horse Racing as a basis for creating their own familyThoroughbred breeding, training, and racing operation literally from scratch.
“We have a neighbor who has racehorses and we started helping out there,” saidThomas, oldest son in the family. “We then discovered Amplify and it’s taken off from there.”
The Amplify career tours put participants in direct contact with industry professionals
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WITH MY MENTORSHIP I’VE BEEN ABLE TO NETWORK AND GET MY FOOT IN THE DOOR A LITTLE BIT.” — ERIC RESENDIZ
in the business that began afer graduation in 2004 from the University of Arizona, where she earned a Bachelor of Science from the Race Track Industry Program. Said Brown: “I really didn’t know if I was in the right job until Jordyn told me about her past. She helped me see a bigger picture of the industry and how many women were involved, all the opportunities for growth. Tat helped solidify my choice.”
Montplaisir has big plans in mind for Amplify as its profle and infuence begin to spread across the nation and even into Canada for the mentorship program.
“Our goal is to work with a variety of states and racing jurisdictions to promote existing programs, then create initiatives of our own that fll in the gaps,” she said. “We’ve piloted a lot of things in Kentucky. Te work we’ve done with Keeneland, especially, has helped us develop a framework for how we want to work with tracks across the country.”
Supporting the coming generations of career professionals in the business while creating new fans of racing underlines Amplify’s all-encompassing tagline: “Toroughbred racing is not just a sport of kings … it is a sport for everyone.” KM in areas such as breeding, foaling, managing and marketing stallions, and veterinary medicine.The tours have proved invaluable to the Breeze family in building their business, down to the detail of selecting a horse van to purchase, which was informed by a visit to Sallee HorseVans.
The friend who owns racehorses played a key role in getting the family fully into the industry.
“He was very helpful in teaching us about the business,” Margaret said. “He took us to Belterra Park in Cincinnati and introduced us to his trainer. He suggested we purchase a horse in a claiming race.”
That horse is Keen Mind, who came home a winner in his frst outing under the Breeze family banner, a $12,500 maiden claiming race at a mile-and-a-sixteenth at Belterra.The family has since added a stallion and mare to their brood.
Montplaisir says Amplify has developed a framework that will help it work with tracks across the country.
The racing bug has bittenThomas so much that he has decided not to pursue the video game programming career that his college studies at Shawnee State University would prepare him for, but instead plunge into the high-stakes world ofThoroughbred racing.
He’s joined there by his parents and siblings, all of whom take part in the family business to some degree.The children are homeschooled, which means the business can be incorporated into their school day. Daily chores include mucking out the stables and helping at three neighboring horse farms with more than 20 horses stabled.
“We have a large family, each with varying interests and skills,” Margaret said. “Amplify has shown us that we can build a family business around the great sport of horse racing where each of us can contribute in a unique, meaningful way.”
Miesque thrilled racing fans with her efortless victories in consecutive runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Mile — 1987 at Hollywood Park and 1988 at Churchill Downs — and became the frst horse to win two Breeders’ Cup races.
Not only did Miesque cement her reputation as one of racing’s greatest milers, but her impact as a broodmare resonates today. Indeed, two of her descendants have won runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Mile, and it’s likely her name will appear in the pedigrees of future Breeders’ Cup winners.
Bred and owned by the late Stavros Niarchos’ Flaxman Holdings, Miesque was born in Kentucky in 1984. A daughter of champion miler Nureyev and the stakes-winning Prove Out mare Pasadoble, Miesque showed an early appitude for turf racing.Trained by the legendary Francois Boutin, Miesque won her career debut and then added back-to-back group 1 victories in the Prix de la Salamandre and the Prix Marcel Boussac to earn the title as France’s champion 2-year-old flly.
Above and right, Miesque brought her A game to Churchill Downs in 1988 to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
In 1987, Miesque won two classic races — the English 1,000 Guineas and the French equivalent — among other top-level events before concluding her season with a breathtaking victory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. She earned the Eclipse Award as champion grass horse.
The following year, Miesque won a second running of France’s prestigious summer mile event — the Prix Jacques le Marois — then failed to repeat in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. That loss raised doubts about her invincibility in the ’88 Mile, but she put all skepticism to rest. On a crisp late-fall day at Churchill Downs, the bay flly displayed her trademark turn of foot to dismiss the feld by four lengths.
Miesque retired to the Oak Tree Division of Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky after that victory. In all, she won 12 of her 16 career starts, including 10 group/grade 1 stakes, and earned $2,070,163.
Miesque earned a second Eclipse Award to add to her collection of European trophies.
“On a given day, I rode horses that were as good as she was,” Miesque’s jockey, Freddy Head, told The BloodHorse, “but I never rode one better than her.”
Miesque had an immediate impact as a broodmare. Her offspring include Kingmambo, an internationally infuential sire who stood at Lane’s End, French champion East of the Moon, and group 3 winners Mingun and Miesque’s Son. The latter sired Miesque’s Approval, who maintained the family tradition of turf mile dominance by winning the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Mile. Miesque also produced stakes winner Moon Is Up who is the granddam of 2014 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Karakontie. Miesque passed away from old age in 2011. KM
