| INDUSTRY |
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Terry Finley’s West Point Thoroughbreds is enjoying another successful year, operating coast-to-coast and offering partnerships. To date, West Point Thoroughbreds has won 964 races, including 55 graded stakes with earnings of more than $59 million. Four years removed from its Kentucky Derby victory with Always Dreaming, West Point has brought in more than 2,000 new owners to the industry. Terry’s wife Debbie and daughter Erin are key members of the company. While adept at deflecting credit for his successes, 57-year-old Terry—a 1986 graduate of West Point—has emerged as an industry leader, currently serving as the chairman of the New York Thoroughbred Chaplaincy and on the board of the Belmont Child Care Association, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and Thoroughbred Charities of America. He was on the board of the Breeders’ Cup from 2004 through 2011, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, and the Jockey Club. He was elected a member of the Jockey Club in 2019.
Q Has the Breeders’ Cup accurately carried out founder John Gaines’ vision? A Yes. Mr. Gaines, who I didn’t get to know unfortunately, wanted the Breeders’ Cup to be in essence our Super Bowl—to bring everybody together to promote Thoroughbred racing and spotlight horses, owners, breeders and trainers. It’s a much more focused operation with the allocation of stakes money, the “Win and You’re in” program, the shipping bonus, the international participation, the event itself. The ongoing success of the Breeders’ Cup is a grand slam for our industry.
Q Is there room for future growth? A I’d like to think there is. There are really sharp people of the younger generation in our business. There’s
always room to get better. I do know that Drew Fleming and his staff have not sat back on their heels so far, and I certainly don’t see them doing so in the future.
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