© BENOIT PHOTO
SKIP DICKSTEIN
Undefeated winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Favorite Trick was champion 2-year-old male and Horse of the Year in 1997 for Joseph LaCombe Stables
four of 14 starts and earned $321,100. As a juvenile, he fnished second in the $560,000 Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity (gr. I), then set a new track record at Hollywood Park when he won the $69,150 War Chant Stakes at 3. He entered stud at Rancho San Miguel and quickly fourished, becoming California’s leading freshman sire of 2015. “He was a hard-luck kind of horse,” LaCombe said. “We had a few big ofers to sell him, but we never did because to me he was always a grade I kind of horse. He’s really balanced, and when people see him, they’re impressed.” LaCombe moved many of his Kentucky mares to California to visit Slew’s Tiznow, saying, “We are so happy with him. His frst crop was very small, but his upcoming 2-year-old crop is strong.” LaCombe also stands his half brother, Typhoon Slew. Te Stormy Atlantic son
ANNE M. EBERHARDT
“Trick’s Pic is how we got started in California, and things subsequently grew until we had just about everything out here,” LaCombe said. “Tat was the time when we were really enjoying the sport because we know we can go from the highest highs to the lowest lows so quickly.” A single broodmare has made the biggest impact on LaCombe’s relationship with breeding in California. Te LaCombe family privately purchased the winning California-bred Slewpy mare Hepatica while she was in foal to Cee’s Tizzy. Te resulting flly, Helleborus Blue, was a winner and as a broodmare produced grade I winner Te Hangman and grade II winner Trip to Heaven in South Africa. Hepatica was bred back to Tiznow for the 2004 season. Tat colt, Slew’s Tizzy, went on to be a multiple graded stakes winner, while his younger brother Slew’s Tiznow was a graded stakes-placed stakes winner. Slew’s Tizzy won fve times in 20 starts and earned $619,619. After winning both the $325,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II) and $300,000 Lone Star Derby (gr. III) at 3, he added the $108,200 Native Diver Handicap (gr. III) at 4. He is standing in Venezuela and already has a stakes winner to his credit. Full brother Slew’s Tiznow won
Joe LaCombe is in charge of the family racing business in California
Joseph LaCombe and his wife, Irene
www.ctba.com
started only four times, but broke his maiden by a widening 103⁄4 lengths at Ellis Park. He fnished third in the With Anticipation Stakes (gr. IIIT) and fourth in the $400,000 Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity (gr. I) before retirement. “I bred a few of my own mares to him,” LaCombe said. “I was worried about him, but Clay Murdock (general manager at Rancho San Miguel) asked why. Te horse is gorgeous, and how many stallions have a dam like Hepatica?” Currently, the Joseph LaCombe Stables has 10 horses in training, with another 10 broodmares and yearlings on the farm. LaCombe was quick to thank the team surrounding his horses, such as trainer Dan Dunham at San Luis Rey Downs and Dr. Stacy Potter, who is based out of Rancho San Miguel. “She’s super,” LaCombe said. “Te biggest thing we have to sell when breeding mares is that the mare will be well taken care of and that you will get a healthy baby. We feel that way with Dr. Potter on the farm.” LaCombe has the family racing business in California for the long haul and believes the California breeding incentives make up “a great program.” With Slew’s Tiznow seeing quality mares and Typhoon Slew’s frst foals on the ground this spring, the LaCombe family story is still being written, long after Favorite Trick’s escapades on the track.
❙ April 2016 ❙ CALIFORNIA THOROUGHBRED
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