super filly
enable the engine
fueling her speed + her relationship with frankie dettori
also inside: kOSTA HRONIS TELLS THE STORY OF bREEDERS’ cUP cLASSIC WINNER ACCELERATE, BILLY KOCH TALKS BUSINESS OF SYNDICATES, WE MEET RACING’S “IT” GIRL, AND MORE!
HOLIDAYS 2018
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Thoroughbred Today
I feel like this year has lasted an eternity. From a business perspective, it’s been a great year filled with important lessons and challenges that have allowed me to grow professionally, exponentially. From a personal perspective, it’s been emotionally debilitating. A year and a half ago, in between the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, my grandmother passed away. It happened abruptly but with enough warning for us to be by her side as she took her last breath. I’m not someone who takes life for granted. I appreciate the little things more than I ever will anything material. A couple of nights before my grandmother passed, I walked in on my dad sitting next to her in a chair, his head hanging as he held her hand. Suddenly, I thought to myself, one day that will be me holding his hand, saying goodbye. That moment cut me so deeply that I’ve been struggling to cope ever since. Nothing in life is promised. Just because someone is here today, doesn’t mean they’ll be here tomorrow. That’s something I’ve told myself every day since my grandmother passed. So many of us get caught up in achieving our goals that we fixate on the future and forget to live in the present; sometimes putting work before family and friends. I’m guilty of that, but now that I’ve realized it, I’ve been making a conscious effort to live more in the moment and appreciate the time I have with the people and furry friends I love. The holidays are a particularly difficult time for many people. A random act of kindness can make a world of a difference to someone who may be fighting an internal battle. So, be receptive, be kind, reach out to that someone you’ve been thinking about, and most importantly, don’t take anyone or anything for granted.
Publisher
Everything Equestrian, LLC. visit us online
www.everythingeq.com FOR ADVERTISING RATES & INFO admin@everythingeq.com Editor-In-Chief
Claudia L. Ruiz Managing Editor
Lauren Lima Front Cover
Alex Evers Back Cover
Editor-In-Chief Thoroughbred Today
04 Living Life to the Fullest
20 Derby Dreamin’
Allyson Walker is racing’s “It Girl” and her story proves just why
10 Bourbon Time
22 Business
Enjoy the holidays with this tasty bourbon spiced eggnog recipe
What it takes to make it to the first Saturday in May
Little Red Feather Racing’s Billy Koch on building a syndicate
11 The List
27 Discreet Farewell
Trainer Uriah St. Lewis bids farewell to first graded winner
12 Learning to Accelerate
30 OTTB Spotlight
Kosta Hronis tells the story of BC Classic winner Accelerate
Contributing Writers
Ciara Bowen Eric Kalet, Hayley Morrison Amanda Sutherland
Contents
Six non-profits to consider that help horses & animals in need
Sandra Scherning
Photographers
Ciara Bowen, Juliana Colombo Bill Denver, Chelsea Durand Alex Evers, Eric Kalet Hayley Morrison, Casey Phillips Carolyn Simancik, Brittlan Wall Wendy Wooley, Chris Young Benoit Photo Eclipse Sportswire
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE
The story of a racehorse turned war horse, named Sgt. Reckless
On The covEr: enable & Frankie
their very special relationship... p.16-17 Thoroughbred Today
3
6
Thoroughbred Today
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE
Q
uotes to live by are a dime a dozen these days, uttered from a soiree of literary figures, philosophers and even from the pedestals of Hollywood’s greatest stars. A free thinker in his own right, Oscar Wilde once said, “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”
If we apply Wilde’s sentiments to the racing world, could improved and she continued building her portfolio. we find an example of such rarity? The answer is yes, and in In the summer of 2014, she received a call from D. Wayne this particular case in the existence of a young woman by the Lukas—one of the most iconic Hall of Fame trainers in North name of Allyson Walker. America. The next morning, she drove to Saratoga and began Bright-eyed and ambitious, the assistant trainer can most working for him. Under his tutelage, Walker would learn a often be seen galloping at Woodbine Racetrack, running new training style and have access to a group of classy horses around the barn ensuring horses are fed and happy, or making including Will Take Charge and Take Charge Brandi. race day entries for her boss, Canadian and U.S. Hall of Fame Lukas had called her to Saratoga specifically to ride Will trainer Roger Attfield. Take Charge, and though Walker’s first day was a nightBorn and raised in Fort Erie, Ontario, a border town about mare, the moment she sat on the chestnut’s back everything an hour and half south of Toronto, Walker grew up riding westjust clicked. The multiple graded stakes winning son of Unern and owned a pony named Ty (after cowboy bridled’s Song was one of Lukas’s top runners Ty Hardin). She came across horse racing by and made quite an impression on the Canadian way of childhood friends. One such friend was exercise rider, who for the first time ever found To live is Josh Lauzon, whose father, Jack Lauzon, a faherself at the forefront of a media frenzy. the rarest mous Canadian jockey, helped her get a job as a By the end of the following year (2015), thing hot walker at Fort Erie Race Track in the sumWalker had crossed some pretty big things in the world. mer of 2003. About a month later, she started off her bucket list: galloping for Roger Attmost people grooming—and that’s when she knew she was field, working for D. Wayne Lukas, riding Will exist, hooked. Take Charge, attending her first Breeders’ Cup While attending Brock University, Walker World Championships—where she watched that is all. ran a ponying business and assisted Fort Erie’s Take Charge Brandi, a filly she had ridden and - oscar wilde media department. In 2010, she graduated with worked on, go wire-to-wire at 27-1 in the Gr.1 a bachelor’s in political science and sociology Juvenile Fillies division—and breaking babies and showed up at the racetrack that same day for Bill Recio at Lynwood Stable in Ocala, FL. to learn how to gallop. Not the most outgoing, her racetrack The cherry on top of the latter: one of those babies fledged to friends would say she wasn’t tough enough, strong enough, become champion filly Songbird. You read that right. Allyson they would tell her ‘don’t do it, stay with ponying.’ She would Walker helped break Songbird. prove them wrong. But let’s fast forward to present day. Now a seasoned horseShe free-lanced for several trainers, including Justin Nixon, woman assisting with the daily training of Attfield’s string, Mike Wright Jr. and eventually Roger Attfield. She was elated Walker could not be happier. She’s worked for the British-bred at the prospect of galloping for Attfield, but shortly after landtrainer on and off for the last eight years and feels blessed for ing the job, Walker broke her arm. the mentorship he has provided her throughout her career. Missing the opportunity of working for a Hall of Famer Her commitment to her trainees remains steadfast and her was not an option, so to speed up the healing process, instead dedication to promoting the sport is equally honourable. She of taking the typical surgery route; Walker opted to have docloves the sport, loves her team and loves watching the horses tors re-break her arm. Two months later, she flew to Florida flourish in their careers. still in a cast and not yet healed. She asked her dad to break Like anyone with aspirations, we all need some sort of it off and then drove from Fort Lauderdale airport to Indianmotivation to conquer each and every goal we set. Walker is town, FL. in a car with a standard transmission, despite not no different. She has a clear view of what drives her to stay knowing how to drive standard. She figured it out on the freemotivated and keeps the hustle going. Most importantly, her way, and joined Attfield’s outfit at Payson Park. willingness to try, fail and then try again shows that her ability The learning curve for becoming an exercise rider is steep. to live life to its fullest is a rarity that can be found in simply Add in the fact that Walker did it while healing from an injury having a bit of gumption, guts, and belief in oneself. and it speaks volumes of her character. With time, her riding Continued on page 8
“
”
Photo: Brittlan Wall
Thoroughbred Today
7
Allyson Walker ft.
& QA
Allyson Walker talks Will Take Charge, Songbird, D. Wayne Lukas & more.
How did you first get involved with horses? AW: I was at a soccer tournament with family friends and one of the girls, who I didn’t know, was at a riding lesson. Her family asked if I wanted to go with them to pick her up. I think I was 8. We arrived at a farm in Sherkston, Ont. outside Fort Erie and Don Washburn, who I still have a horse with out there, put me on a horse and I rode around the arena. I ended up taking lessons there. In the third grade, Josh Lauzon was the new kid at my school. His dad, Jack Lauzon (a Canadian jockey), would always bring me HBPA calendars—because I was that crazy horse girl in school, always doodling horses and talking about going to riding lessons.
What is something you learned in the early stages of galloping that made you a fundamentally better rider? AW: Justin Nixon used to make me sit at the gap in front of
everybody and do fractions to learn the poles. I used to get so embarrassed because math was never my strong suit. He would try to psych me out by giving me instructions like: I want you to back up to the eighth sixteenth pole, jog forward to the threesixteenth pole, finish your gallop at the fourteenth sixteenth pole, jog back to the one-sixteenth pole and walk home. So you back up the half, jog forward to the 3/16th, pull up at the 7/8th, jog back to the wire and walk home from there. If I got it wrong, I would have to do fractions on the white board after training. It was tough, but I’m a pole sergeant now. I know every single pole to the sixteenth.
Take us back to your days of working with Will Take Charge; what was that experience like? AW: Amazing. I remember the first time I rode him, I was shak-
ing so hard. To this day I’m might not sure I’ve sat on anything as powerful, fluid and in hand as him. His fan base was enormous, and I think what shocked me the most was that even though I had ridden really nice horses before, people referred to me as ‘the girl who rode Will Take Charge’ and not just Ally, which became a staple that was kind of hard to get away from. But people loved him; vets, fans, other riders, dentists—he actually had two rows of incisors, which is weird, so we had the dentist work on him all the time. He just stood out and had a presence. Every day there was a lineup outside the barn of people begging to see him. It was really neat to be a part of that.
What about Songbird; what was she like? AW: She was just unstoppable. We called her Ivana because her
mom is Ivanavinalot. So Ivana lived in the stall next to a really nice grey filly named Southern Girl, who is half to Mucho Macho Man. Ronnie rode the grey filly and I rode Ivana (Songbird); we used to pretend they were Rachel Alexandra and Winter Memories because their markings were so similar. She
8
Thoroughbred Today
Photo: Hayley Morrison
was always looking for a friend and loved that grey filly. I always thought she was the real deal.
What do you do for fun? AW: I go home as much as I can. I love cross fit and I just started training for a half marathon.
What’s your favourite food to eat? AW: I love Frank’s Red Hot; I put it on everything. What is the best advice Roger Attfield has given you? AW: To always be true to yourself and to stick with what you know. There’s been so many times in his life I’m sure people have second guessed him and he just stuck with what he knew worked... he didn’t change it when times got tough.
How did your first day working for D. Wayne Lukas go? AW: It was very intimidating. I thought he was going to be this
fun and lovable man with a lot of personality. I walked in the barn early and introduced myself, ‘Hi Mr. Lukas, I’m Ally!’ He’s at his desk. He looks up and shakes my hand, doesn’t stand up, doesn’t greet me but says, ‘You came highly recommended.’ I said, ‘Well, that’s a lot of pressure.’ And he’s like, ‘You’re going to work a very important horse the first set.’ I asked, ‘Sir, I’ve never ridden the track, would you like to see me ride before you make me breeze?’ He said ‘No, you are going to breeze a horse in the opening day stake, Mr. Z, and you are going to go 5 ½ furlongs with a jockey.’ To breeze against a jockey, not being jockey size, every additional pound is a length. And he’s like, ‘You’re going to finish in front.’ He told me at every pole where I was going to tap him, how fast I needed to go, when I was going to smooch to him and where I was going to be pulled up. So I go out there and I crush it. The horse starts to lug in a little bit at the end. I switch my stick thinking in my head, I’m a leftie, I’ll just show off. Twirled it, tapped Mr. Z, he bolted and knocked me off cold. I’ll never forget standing up and falling back down. It took me three times to get up. My hand was black and blue from my fingertips to my elbow and I thought, ‘I just broke my hand, what am I going to do?’ Went right back to the barn, pretended like I was absolutely fine, iced it between sets and rolled on. I fell off three more times that day. I was sore, tired, and I was so embarrassed. I will never forget asking the pony lady how long she had worked for Wayne. She turns to me and goes ‘I’m his wife.’ I was just so mortified. Thankfully, it ended on a good note. At the end of the day, Laurie (Wayne’s wife) walked out of the office and said, ‘This is going to be a really tough conversation.’ I thought she was going to tell me it wasn’t going to work out. Instead she said, ‘Wayne would really like you to add his grandson to Facebook.’ I got to my friend’s house that night and remember thinking to myself: ‘Did today really happen?’
Bourbon Spiked Eggnog
Ingredients 4 Egg yolks 4 Egg whites 3 oz. Bourbon â…“ cup Sugar 1 tbsp. Sugar (keep separate) 1 pint Whole milk 1 cup Heavy cream 1 tsp. Freshly grated nutmeg
10
Thoroughbred Today
Instructions Yolk Mixture: Place egg yolks in bowl of stand mixer, beat until they lighten in color. Gradually add â…“ cup sugar and continue to beat until dissolved. Stir in milk, cream, nutmeg and bourbon. Put aside. Whites Mixture: Place egg whites in separate bowl, beat until soft peaks form. Add 1 tbsp. sugar, beat until stiff peaks form. Whisk in yolk mixture. Let chill. Serve with grated nutmeg for garnish. (ingredients serve 6)
6
The List
non-profits
helping animals & horses in need by lauren lima
Non-profits listed have been vetted by CharityNavigator.com using the most recent financial reports. Rating is out of 100 and is based on the organization’s financials, accountability & transparency. “$$ allocated to programs” specifies percentage of donated dollars actually used on organization’s rescue/aid efforts. All six are 501(c)3 verified.
American Humane
Days End Farm Horse Rescue
RedRover
CharityNavigator rating: 90.25 $$ allocated to programs: 81.7%
CharityNavigator rating: 90.22 $$ allocated to programs: 86%
CharityNavigator rating: 96.92 $$ allocated to programs: 79.1%
Based out of Washington, DC., American Humane was founded in 1877 and works “to ensure the safety, welfare and well-being of animals; to serve in promoting and nurturing the bonds between animals and humans.” More than 100 years ago the nonprofit deployed first responders to rescue and care for 68,000 wounded horses in a war-ravaged Europe. Today, equipped with a fleet of state-of-the-art rescue vehicles, it provides lifesaving animal first responder assistance at the sites of virtually every major national disaster. One-time and monthly donations are accepted online, over the phone and by mail. Visit their website to learn more, donate and/or sign up to volunteer.
Established in 1989, DEFHR is a Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance accredited organization providing “volunteer-based animal welfare to ensure quality care and treatment of horses through intervention, education and outreach.” Located in Woodbine, MD., it is a place where children and adults find enrichment, satisfaction and purpose by helping to provide care for unwanted, abused or neglected horses. Since its beginnings, DEFHR has gone from a small non-profit to a full-scale, well-respected rescue and rehab facility housing an average of 60-90 horses. Make a one-time donation, set up recurring foster payments, gift wish list items, volunteer, or help fund a special project today.
Belton P. Mouras originally founded this non-profit in 1987 under the name United Animal Nations, which responded to issues involving poaching, whaling, horse slaughter, and a variety of other animal cruelty cases around the globe. In 2006 it narrowed its scope to the United States and Canada, and in 2011 took on the name RedRover. Today, the Sacramento-based organization operates “to bring animals out of crisis and strengthen the bond between people and animals through emergency sheltering, disaster relief services, financial assistance and education.” Often called the “Red Cross for animals,” RedRover accepts one-time and monthly donations on its website.
New Vocations
Equine Advocates
The TRF
CharityNavigator rating: N/A $$ allocated to programs: N/A
CharityNavigator rating: 87.52 $$ allocated to programs: 77.4%
CharityNavigator rating: 73.1 $$ allocated to programs: 68.4%
More than 6,000 racehorses from 40 racetracks have successfully gone on to second careers thanks to the hard work and exemplary effort of this Ohio-based non-profit. Founded in 1992, New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program offers “retiring racehorses a safe-haven, rehabilitation, and continued education through placement in experienced, caring homes.” With an emphasis on adoption rather than retirement, OTTB’s are taught the necessary skills to excel in other disciplines and are then matched with qualified individuals. Donate to help cover the cost of care and training or new facility construction, donate a vehicle, or shop the online store to show your support.
After rescuing her first horse from slaughter, Susan Wagner founded Equine Advocates to “rescue, protect and prevent the abuse of horses through education, investigation, rescue operations, dissemination of information to the public and the operation of a horse sanctuary for slaughter-bound, abused and neglected horses.” In 2004, the nonprofit opened a 140-acre facility in upstate New York which is now a sanctuary to more than 80 horses and offers tours, lectures, and equine care classes to visitors. Award-winning and Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance accredited, it advocates to make the world a better place for all equines. Support the cause through various types of donations.
Founded in 1983 by Eclipse Award winner Monique S. Koehler, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s mission is “to save Thoroughbred horses no longer able to compete on the racetrack from possible neglect, abuse and slaughter.” In 1985, a 9yo ‘also ran’ named Promised Road became the non-profit’s first retiree. Since then, the TRF has helped thousands like him, retraining and adopting out hundreds and placing others into programs like TRF Second Chances, a vocational training program in equine management and care for inmates at several state correctional facilities across the United States. Monetary, in-kind and hay donations are accepted online.
www.AmericanHumane.org
www.NewVocations.org
www.defhr.org
www.EquineAdvocates.org
www.RedRover.org
www.TRFInc.org
*Listing does not signify endorsement by Thoroughbred Today or its parent company Everything Equestrian LLC.
Thoroughbred Today
11
12
Thoroughbred Today
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE
learning to accelerate some horses just need a little more time to spread their wings and fly. this is the story of breeders’ cup classic winner accelerate. written by claudia l. ruiz as told by owner kosta hronis
M
y introduction to the sport came at a young age. My brother Pete and I grew up in Delano, a small agricultural town in the San Joaquin Valley right in the middle of California. My grandfather and my father were both farmers, born and raised in Delano, and my mother was originally from Pasadena. She loved horse racing, and every weekend we visited grandma and grandpa resulted in a family outing at the track. Years later, in January of 2010, while sitting in our box at Santa Anita Park, I turned to Pete and said, ‘I think I want to claim a horse.’ He was like, ‘No, we can’t do that. That’s crazy talk. We have no idea what we’re doing!’ He was right, we had absolutely no idea, but we chose to give it a shot.
The following weekend, our usher, Tony, tells us he’s going to introduce us to trainer John Sadler. Now, me and brother Pete both think we’ve got no shot; John’s got big time clients, there’s no way he’s going to want to claim a horse for a couple of kids. I don’t think we interviewed John, he interviewed us; and I guess it went well because one month later he helped us claim our first horse. Flash forward to present day where we now have 50 horses—all trained by John— and we can proudly say we’re Breeders’ Cup Classicwinning owners thanks to a gritty chestnut colt named Accelerate. The story of how we bought him is interesting. We had one of his half-brothers, Daddy DT, who had just qualified for the Breeders’ Cup two-year-old turf. We were excited about that, so when we saw his dam had a colt in the Keeneland Yearling Sale of 2014, we went photo by ALEX EVERS | Breeders’ Cup Ltd.
Thoroughbred Today
13
to take a look. Yearling sales are particularly difficult because at It was one of those things where the expectations going in one-year-old, you don’t really see a whole lot. Thankfully, David were zero and it was like, ok, who’s going to run second to ArIngordo—we call him the horse whisperer—is our bloodstock rogate? But I also really felt that it was the perfect time because agent. He looked at the colt, his form, his size, how he walked, it was his first race back since Dubai and it was on a track that and envisioned what the future might look like. We knew that Accelerate has always loved. I remember getting interviewed by his brother was a runner and we were hoping he would be, too. TVG’s Britney Eurton before the race and she had mentioned We fell in love and purchased him for $380,000. she would be at our barn in the morning to film Stellar Wind. Accelerate arrived at John Sadler’s barn as a two-year-old, So, she says to me, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow,’ and I said, ‘No, I’ll but still had a lot of growing up to do and was a little slow to see you in about 2 ½ minutes in the winner’s circle!’ And it hapget to the racetrack. We aren’t pushy; we don’t try to make a pened! I got really teary-eyed. It was a great moment. two-year-old run if they’re not ready. We played it day by day Since then, it’s been a thrill to watch Accelerate compete with him and watched to see how he was coming at classic distances against the best. It’s funny bealong. That’s the great thing about having John cause he’s developed a bit of an attitude—he acts as a trainer: he always puts the horse first and lets a little macho—but has also gotten real gritty on it’s been the horse make its schedule. It’s because of John’s the racetrack. To see him win the Gold Cup, Santa a thrill to philosophy that Accelerate ended up becoming a Anita Handicap, Pacific Classic, Awesome Again to watch spectacular racehorse. I salute John for not only and Breeders’ Cup Classic has been unbelievable. accelerate training horses well, but for also training us to beWe were hoping to get to Churchill Downs earcompete come great owners. ly so that Accelerate could do his final work for the at classic We never really had a plan in place. I mean, Breeders’ Cup there, but it didn’t work out because distances it’s hard to plan because horses, like strawberries, the weather was so poor we didn’t want to leave against can go bad overnight. As a farmer, that’s how I California. Race day started off on a not so great see it. Accelerate’s maiden win was very impresnote. We had Catalina Cruiser in the Dirt Mile; he the best. sive, but in this business, you don’t want to get was undefeated and the big favorite going into the - kosta hronis, owner too high, because the highs can be too high, and race, so we were feeling he was the one that was the lows can be too low. That was his fourth race going to put Sadler over. Then he broke so poorly, when he broke his maiden, and little by little we saw him start made a right turn right out of the gate and didn’t like the track. to understand things and mature. He then ran in the first Shared I remember looking up at the sky and saying, ‘It’s cool, I’m not Belief Stakes and won. I remember telling Jim Rome what an mad. If I’m only going to get one today, you know which one honor it was because I was a big fan of Shared Belief—I think I want.’ he was one of the best racehorses we’ve ever seen. To win that Our group ended up watching the Classic from the paddock; race was special for the Hronis family, and perhaps in some way I was standing behind John the whole time, watching him jump a bit of an omen. up and down. I was emotional, but calm, as Accelerate crossed As a precaution, our horses are routinely checked by a vet the finish line. For me, the real joy came from watching John. from head to toe to make sure they’re in good shape. As long as I’m super proud of him and glad that he not only won a Breedthey enjoy racing and are happy, we’re going to let them continue ers’ Cup, but a Breeders’ Cup Classic—there’s nothing bigger to run. Accelerate wanted to run, and that’s what prompted us than that and he deserves so much credit for the amazing work to campaign him as a four-year-old. In July of 2017, 10 months he does with his horses. To watch Accelerate become the horse after his third career win and first graded stakes win, he won the he is today and watch everything come together the way that it Gr.2 San Diego Handicap by 8 ½ lengths, beating Arrogate. has, it’s really been a dream come true.
“
”
Photos: Juliana Colombo
Thoroughbred Today
15
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE
allow. permit. empower.
enable. In his own words, jockey Frankie Dettori details his relationship with Enable and shares some of his favorite moments aboard the superfilly. written by Claudia l. ruiz as told by Frankie dettori
Before I ever rode Enable, I raced against her in her second start. I was on a filly named Shutter Speed, who trainer John Gosden and I thought was the better filly, at the time. We won the race, and Enable finished a very strong third. After that start, I rode her for the first time in the Cheshire Oaks. The goal was to finish in the top three so that she would look good on the page when she went off to stud. I wasn’t expecting her to run—or win—the way that she did. She was so impressive. That’s when I realized she had the potential to become something special. It goes without saying that she’s accomplished quite a bit since then. To me, winning 2 Arcs is amazing. To put a Breeders’ Cup on top of that… she’s the first one to do it, and for that she is simply extraordinary. Personally, her first Prix De l’Arc de Triomphe is my favourite. She had gone through that season without a hiccup, and that day she was remarkable. I did feel quite a bit of pressure going into the first Arc, but even more so the second time around because we didn’t have a smooth run at it. She had a knee injury in the spring of 2018 and then
a bit of a stop and start prep leading into the race. Everybody was watching her, wondering if she could do it, and it felt like we were carrying the weight of the world. I remember looking back the first time as we galloped down the straight to the finish; I was full of jubilation when I saw we were ahead by three-lengths. But then she just sort of stopped running. So, I looked back again and thought to myself in a bit of a panic, ‘Oh, dear!’ I was very relieved the moment we crossed the finish. It was close, but we won. I’m very fortunate to have ridden some great horses throughout my career, but I have to admit I’ve really gotten attached to Enable. I go to see her in the mornings about four times a week and spoil her with a packet of Polar Mints each time. She’s an amazing racehorse, naturally strong, versatile; she travels well and loves the atmosphere of the races. With a good turf horse, you can make the running if there is no pace, you can stop the pace and you don’t need to cover. Enable is the epitome of a great turf horse and when I ride her, she’s on the bit in my hands, not run-
ning away, but not slacking either. She’s also got an amazing set of lungs, to the point where can say I’ve never ridden a horse that actually expands my legs like she does when she takes a breath after a race. So, while she’s got a great stride, her lungs are her engine. She’s not a very exciting horse to run works on, but what she lacks in the mornings, she makes up for in the afternoons, and that’s exactly what she did in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Running into the first turn, I could feel that she was uncomfortable—she was skidding and couldn’t find her rhythm because the grass was shifting underneath her. Mike Smith had told me before the race that the outer ridge was the place to be. So, I took her wide and the farther we went, the better she got. Towards the finish, I was waiting for Ryan Moore to come up to us on Magical. When he did, I got Enable balanced and we kind of eye-balled each other as we neared the finish and worked out that it was up to her to get the job done. And, well… she did it. Truthfully, I don’t think we’ve seen a filly like this. She’s a horse of a lifetime, and the best filly I’ve ever ridden. Photo: Carolyn Simancik/Breeders’ Cup Ltd.
16
Thoroughbred Today
Cover Story
Thoroughbred Today
17
Highlights
Candy Crush! His name may be Game Winner, but there is no denying that this good looking son of Candy Ride (ARG) has caused racing fans to crush real hard since he won his debut at Del Mar by an impressive 5 ¾ lengths back in August of 2018. Bred by Summer Wind Equine, the Kentucky-bred colt was born on March 6, 2016, and was purchased by Gary and Mary West for $110,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale of 2017. He now calls California home and Bob Baffert trainer. On November 2, 2018, with Joel Rosario in the irons, Game Winner cruised to a 2 ¼ length victory in the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile despite a bumpy start. The effort yielded his fourth straight victory and third Grade One win following the Del Mar Futurity and the first running of the American Pharoah Stakes. Photo: Alex Evers/Breeders’ Cup Ltd.
18
Thoroughbred Today
Photo: Monomoy Girl, with Florent Geroux in the irons (teal cap), leads the Breeders’ Cup Distaff field into the stretch at Churchill Downs on her way to claiming her fifth Grade One victory of 2018 | Wendy Wooley, Breeders’ Cup Ltd.
Photo: Irad Ortiz Jr. and Chad Brown-trained filly Newspaperofrecord vie for position at the start of the Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. The duo went on to win the mile-long contest by 6 ¾ lengths | Bill Denver, Breeders’ Cup Ltd.
Thoroughbred Today
19
Derby Dreamin’ written by AMANDA SUTHERLAND
Each year, the official “Road to the Kentucky Derby” kicks off approximately seven months before the first Saturday in May. From the middle of September to the middle of April, horses are entered to compete in a series of races offering points to the top four finishers. The system is simple: a horse must accumulate enough points to rank within the first 20 spots on the leaderboard and those that do are awarded a spot in the starting gate of the most coveted three-year-old thoroughbred dirt race in the world.
20
Thoroughbred Today
Though the official “road” begins in the fall of a horse’s two-year-old season, the real road to the derby is started many months, and often years, before a horse even makes it onto a racetrack. It is a long road complete with ups and downs, turns, twists, and stops; and it begins at the farm, where a mare is bred to a stallion, sometimes multiple times if she fails to take. When she finally does, she carries her baby for 11 months—or about 340 days on average— and gives birth sometime in the spring. The foal will spend
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE
“
the dream is to win the kentucky derby, because there’s nothing like it. - Billy Turner, trainer of Seattle Slew, 1977 Kentucky Derby & Triple Crown champ
a handful of months with its mother until it is weaned to begin its racing journey alone. There are many methods used to wean foals. Most farms will put several mothers and their foals out in a pasture together for the first few months so that they form a herd. When the time comes, the common practice is to remove mares from the herd one at a time, doing so periodically until it is just the foals in the pasture alone. From there, their formal education begins. They learn to be handled,
”
how to walk when being led, how to wear tack and eventually how to be ridden. It’s a two-year journey from birth to racetrack, and of the thousands of thoroughbreds bred each year, a fraction will make it into the starting gate, and only 20 will have the once in a lifetime opportunity to run for the roses. To get there, it takes dedication, a whole lot of luck, and a dream. photo by ALEX EVERS | Breeders’ Cup Ltd.
Thoroughbred Today
21
22
Thoroughbred Today
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE
Business
billy koch
Building a syndicate by CLAUDIA L. RUIZ
I
n 2002, Northwestern University graduate and avid horse racing fan Billy Koch established Little Red Feather Racing with the goal of bringing more people into the sport to experience the thrills of horse ownership by buying a share of a racehorse for a fraction of what it would cost to own alone. Two years later, Little Red Feather won the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Mile with Singletary—a then 4yo colt trained by Don Chatlos Jr.—putting the syndicate on the map in a big way. Since then, LRF has become the largest racing syndicate in the state of California and Koch has turned his passion into his full-time job. In a 45-minute interview, Koch takes me back to his childhood, explains the business of syndicating horses and touches on the importance of aftercare.
CLAUDIA RUIZ: First off, I want to thank you for taking the time to talk with me. BILLY KOCH: Absolutely. I’m always more than happy to talk about the sport I love. CR: So, tell me a little bit about your family and how you got into racing. BK: So, I’ve been going to the racetrack since I was a little kid. My grandfather, Howard W. Koch, who was a Hollywood movie producer best known for producing movies like Airplane and Ghost, he is the one who introduced me to the track. He owned racehorses and would take me along to the races. I’ve loved racing since. CR: Your grandfather and father were both Hollywood producers; did you ever want to be an actor? BK: I did try to do some commercials at one point when I was about 22-23. I went into a casting session for a Coors Light commercial and saw 50 of the best looking, most ripped guys ever and I just knew it wasn’t for me. That was the end of my acting career. But around the same time, I was actually the sideline reporter on Hollywood Park Today, which was pre-TVG. I did the interviews before the races and I worked with Mike Wellman and Kurt Hoover. A lot of people don’t know that.
CR: What’s your greatest childhood memory at the racetrack? BK: Probably when J.O. Tobin beat Seattle Slew in the Swaps Stakes of ‘77. I was a huge Seattle Slew fan, still am; I think he’s one of the greatest horses to ever run. When he came to California, I was so excited. Even though it was devastating to see J.O. Tobin blow the doors off of him, it just became such an indelible memory in my head. As a kid, it taught me a valuable lesson: even the best get beat sometimes. CR: Did you aspire to be anything in particular as a kid? BK: I wanted to be a baseball player. I played high school baseball and college baseball for Northwestern, but I had some injuries along the way that really limited my chances. I also wanted to be a jockey. Unfortunately, that dream ended when I grew too much in the seventh grade. But I think in the back of my head I always knew I was going to do something in the horse racing industry, because I really loved the sport. CR: What do you admire most about horses? BK: I don’t know if there is one particular thing, but I love their spirit, athleticism, power, beauty... and I’ve just always bonded with them. I think they bring a lot of unconditional love and bring those of us who are in the sport so many thrills you really can’t get anywhere else. Just to be around them and learn their personalities, they’re all so different. We have a horse right now named My Boy Tate and he is just a lunatic—he lives in a padded stall—but we love him. We had a horse named Midnight Storm, who’s a stallion now, and you couldn’t get near him because he would try to bite your head off. And then we have these sweet young horses like our horse Fashion Business who will just put his head in your arms. They are just such amazing animals. CR: Let’s talk about syndicating horses; when did you start your first syndicate and how did you do it? BK: I started syndicating horses after college, around 1992. I didn’t have any money, but I wanted to be an owner because I liked the ownership part of the sport. I got together with a group of friends and we bought a piece of a racehorse. We called her No More Worries and named our group the Versailles Racing
Photo: Benoit Photo
Thoroughbred Today
23
Photo: Little Red Feather connections pose next to Del Mar Handicap winner Fashion Business (GB) | Casey Phillips, Eclipse Sportswire
Syndicate after a Cuban restaurant on Venice Blvd that was our favorite place to eat. We made hats and t-shirts and had a blast. It was a great experience. CR: What prompted the idea to start Little Red Feather, and did you have a formal business plan? BK: Yes and no. I mean, my goal was to bring new people into the sport and that’s really always been the emphasis. I got married young and had a couple of young kids, so while I was doing these little syndications on the side, I also had a full-time job in the visual effects business. One day, I decided I wanted to try and spend a little more money to get better horses. A good friend of mine, Bruce Corwin, who runs Metropolitan Theatres; his son, David, and I grew up together. I asked Bruce if he would be interested, told him I would work hard to syndicate the horses. He put up the money and I went and bought three horses. Well, the story goes that I first bought one horse—Spoonman. He was Little Red Feather’s first horse and he was amazing. It took him nine tries to break his maiden, but he was a hero for us. Afterwards, Bruce and I went out and bought the three horses: General Zod, I Miss You, and Singletary. CR: And Singletary went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile. BK: Exactly. But before he did, I went door-to-door trying to find anybody I knew to buy into these horses. I ended up putting a group together of about 16 people, friends of friends and guys from business I had been associated with. Singletary ended up winning $1.7 million on the track and his win in the Breeders’ Cup put our group on the map. That’s when I got serious about making it my full-time profession. CR: To what do you attribute Little Red Feather’s success? BK: I think our success is predicated by our partners because they allow us to try and find the best horses possible. Our partnership is truly like a family; we have tremendous communication and transparency that is second to none. Right now we have around 500 active partners and about 80 horses we manage between our racing and pinhooking partnerships. We also work with some of the best trainers and bloodstock agents in this business. I’m very grateful, I hope it comes across. I cannot emphasize enough how appreciative I am of my Little Red Feather family. CR: Running LRF is how you make a living, so tell me; is running a syndicate a viable source of income? BK: If you can keep your overhead down, you can have a tremendous amount of success. With us it’s just me, my partner and an outside accounting firm. We don’t do a lot of regular advertising, in fact the SEC frowns on that kind of thing for these LLC’s and partnerships. We’ve grown by using good old word of mouth and we’ve done very well. CR: What’s the one question you get asked the most by people interested in buying into their first racehorse?
24
Thoroughbred Today
BK: Most newcomers want to know if they can make money, and I tell them right off the bat probably not. If you’re going to do this and make it all about the money, you’re in the wrong sport. From an investment standpoint it is not something to do, it is purely entertainment. You should get involved for the experience, for the love of the sport, for the love of the horses and the camaraderie. CR: Buying a racehorse is a gamble. It’s hard to find raw talent, let alone spot it at an auction. Do you go out and do the buying or do you have someone who buys horses for you? BK: I’ve been around horses my whole life, but I am no expert and I would not go to a sale by myself to buy a horse. We have a gentleman by the name of Tom McCrocklin who does a lot of the buying for Little Red Feather. He’s taught me a lot about what to look for in a horse, especially in young horses. Tom is actually the one who told us about Egg Drop. CR: Tell me more about her, she was very talented and a very unique looking filly. BK: Oh, she was just this very beautiful, white filly by Alphabet Soup. She was as mean as they come, hated me, but loved the women in the syndicate. Actually, for some reason she just didn’t like men. There’s a funny story about her and Mike D’Amato. One morning Mike went into her stall and she kicked him so hard in the thigh that he thought she had broken his leg in half. Everyone heard him scream and then watched him crawl out of the stall. Luckily he was fine and we all laughed really hard about it... we still do. Anyway, she was quick on the track and hated losing. Her win in the Matriarch was really sentimental because it was the last one run at Hollywood Park and the last Grade One Mike Mitchell won as a trainer before passing away. Mike really loved that filly. She was so big and strong and powerful. One of the gamest mares I’ve ever seen. CR: Tell me about Little Red Feather’s foundation, LRF Cares. BK: I think it’s every owner’s responsibility to make sure their horses have a safe place to go when they are done racing. You need to find time to do the research. We went a step further and created our own aftercare program called LRF Cares, where we make sure all of our horses have good homes to go to and a chance at a second career once they retire. These horses give us so many thrills. Finding each a good home is the least we can do. CR: What is your best advice for anyone wanting to start their own syndicate? BK: Make sure you have a good trainer and a good relationship where there is mutual trust. Make sure that you have enough financial backing and people behind you willing to step up to purchase horses. Surround yourself with people who know their craft and will help you achieve success. Also, use the transparency model. If you do that and you work hard, you will eventually find success.
“
I think our success is predicated by our partners because they allow us to try and find the best horses possible.
�
Photo: Casey Phillips, Eclipse Sportswire
- billy koch founder, lrf
Thoroughbred Today
25
26
Thoroughbred Today
discreet farewell Trainer Uriah St. Lewis’s rise to the top with G1 winner Discreet Lover and how he plans to repay the FL-bred for the ride of a lifetime. written by eric kalet
W
e were the lucky ones to get him. That is what Philadelphia-based trainer Uriah St. Lewis said when asked to recall how Discreet Lover, winner of the 2018 Gr.1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, joined his barn of about 28 horses at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. A son of Repent and Discreet Chat (by Discreet Cat), Discreet Lover was purchased at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale in May of 2015. “He didn’t breeze too fast, but he kept showing he was smart,” St. Lewis said of his first impressions of his then soon to be pupil. “We looked at a lot of horses and he was in our price range, [which was] anywhere from $5,000 to $40,000. He was a diamond in the rough, much like Seattle Slew.”
St. Lewis has a method for choosing racehorses at the sales: he prefers those that come from young mares, and typically the first foal from the dam’s side. When he caught sight of hip #59, he liked what he saw and hammered him down for a bargain price of $10,000. Not long after, the two-year-old arrived at Parx to settle into his new home. But it was a bit of a rocky welcoming. As the van carrying him pulled up to the barn, a tractor trailer rolled past and startled the colt. “He did not want to come out,” St. Lewis recalled. He eventually came out, and given time to get acquainted with his surroundings, he began to develop. St. Lewis mapped out a schedule and debuted Discreet Lover at Parx on July 12, 2015. He finished fourth. Fifty days—and three more tries—later,
the colt found his way to the winner’s circle after winning a Maiden Special Weight at his home track by an impressive eight lengths. He then dabbled in Allowances, Black Type stakes and took on graded company in the Gr.2 Indiana Derby with no luck before scoring a second win in an Allowance on August 2, 2016. A quick look at his record shows his journey to the top was anything but easy. In fact, in 2017 the colt failed to fire in the Gr.3 Smarty Jones, Gr.2 Pennsylvania Derby, Gr.3 Excelsior, Gr.3 Pimlico Special, Gr.1 Whitney, and Gr.1 Woodward, finishing no better than fifth. In November of that year, he managed to win the Swatara at Penn National, but given his lengthy list of failures many trainers would have probably pulled the plug and moved on. Not St. Lewis. He saw something in the colt no one else did Photo: Chelsea Durand/Coglianese photo
Thoroughbred Today
27
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE and he stuck with him. Born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lewis fell in love with racing when his sister took him to the racetrack as a kid. From that moment forward, in whatever way he could, he knew he wanted to be involved in the sport. In 1973, at the age of 15, he immigrated to the United States and attended East New York Vocational and Technical High School, where he joined the track and field team. Coincidentally, his high school was just a few miles away from Aqueduct Race Track, and so he and his friends would jog to the track, play the Daily Double, and then jog back to school. Upon graduation, St. Lewis got married and earned a degree in computer science. He then landed a job repairing computers for AmTote, the pari-mutuel wagering and technology company that services racetracks. But he ultimately decided to pursue training racehorses. So, he and his wife sold their home in Brooklyn and moved to Oklahoma, where St. Lewis met trainer Robert Hayes at Will Rogers Downs. He worked under Hayes’s wing for a year, learning the training and operations side of the business, and in 1988, after earning his trainer’s license, went out on his own. Kept Fact, a filly he purchased for $5,000 along with another horse (Double
28
Thoroughbred Today
Magic), gave him his first win. However, his winning streak went cold right after. He moved back east and picked up a few stalls at Atlantic City Race Course and Philadelphia Park, where he managed to win a few occasional races throughout the years but struggled to make a name for himself. That is until Discreet Lover came along. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” These famous words uttered by Winston Churchill are sown seamlessly into the fabric that makes Uriah St. Lewis’s story so encouraging. In April of 2018, the trainer’s persistence and hard work paid off as he watched Discreet Lover cruise to a 2 ½ length victory in the same race he had lost by 19 ½ lengths one year prior—the Gr.3 Excelsior at Aqueduct. Five and a half months later, at odds of 45-1, St. Lewis witnessed his iron horse defy logic in the Gr.1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. Rallying with a rush of power, with jockey Manuel Franco aboard, the Florida-bred closed from fourth to first in the final strides of the race, denying accomplished runner Thunder Snow in one of the most outstanding performances of the year. Both horses seemed to finish in unison, noses apart, Thunder Snow nearest the rail, and Discreet Lover out in the
middle of the track. Less than a minute later, the slow-motion replay and photo finish revealed Discreet Lover had won, granting St. Lewis his first Grade One victory and punching their ticket to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Getting the chance to compete in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs resulted in an experience of a lifetime for the trainer and his family, despite the fact that Discreet Lover did not win the Classic (he finished 8th). “He is a real easy horse, all professional; can race at any track and loves to travel,” St. Lewis said of his most accomplished runner. Three years after setting foot in the barn at Parx, his once pupil is a Grade One winner with $1.4 million in career earnings, and the fire in St. Lewis’s heart burns feverishly once again. “He is the best horse I ever trained, but he’s done enough on the racetrack. I’m going to find him a nice home.” Photos: (p.27) Discreet Lover winning the Gr.1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, Chelsea Durand/ Coglianese Photo | (p.28 left): Trainer Uriah St. Lewis looks on at Discreet Lover after his first Grade One victory, Eric Kalet | (p.28 right): Manuel Franco pilots Discreet Lover across the finish line at Belmont Park, Eric Kalet.
30
Thoroughbred Today
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE
OTTB Spotlight
sgt.
reckless by CIARA BOWEN
“And some night, under a Kentucky moon, I’m sure you’ll find her standing proud with champions like Affirmed and Alydar, Whirlaway, Secretariat, and Man O’ War… and she’ll say, ‘Listen up, boys, and I’ll tell you about a race I ran...”
T
hose words are but a few of the many praises people speak of an American soldier whose accomplishments are not so widely known, despite being one of the most famous horses to have served the United States. A small Mongolian mare with a brilliant chestnut coat, a blaze, and three white stockings, Sergeant Reckless was originally named Ah Chim Hai, meaning Flame of the Morning. Lieutenant Eric Pedersen, commanding officer of the Recoilless Rifle Platoon of the 5th Marine Regiment, found her at the racetrack in Seoul, South Korea, in October of 1952 after receiving permission from his regimental commander to obtain a horse who could be trained to carry up to nine 24-pound shells for the recoilless rifles—introduced during World War II—used by his platoon. Kim Huk Moon, the Korean stableboy who owned Reckless, loved her dearly, but sold her in order to buy an artificial leg for his sister after she lost hers to a land mine. Pedersen paid Moon $250, loaded the mare into a jeep trailer, and drove back to camp. It was dark when they arrived, but members of the Recoilless Rifle Platoon were eager to meet the new recruit, and christened her “Reckless,” after the ‘restless rifle’ nickname they had given their weapon. Private First Class Monroe Coleman was responsible for caring for Reckless and Platoon Sergeant Joseph Latham put her through hoof camp. Her nights were rather leisurely; after the first few nights of being tied to her bunker, Reckless was given free rein to roam and often visited the Marines in their tents, sleeping with them occasionally and taking advantage of the warm stove on cold nights. During the day, Latham put his recruit through her paces. He taught her to jump in and out of a jeep trailer, where she would hop in and lay catty-corner until he tied her down. He also taught her to take cover on the front lines—a tap on the front leg meant to hit the deck or get down, and when incoming rounds hit behind the lines, a shout of “incoming!” would send her to her bunker. After a pack saddle was received, Latham taught Reckless to carry ammunition—six rounds a load. Adjustments were made to the saddle that allowed her to carry 10, but Pedersen waited until it was absolutely necessary for that. Off the battlefield, she was known for her voracious appetite— even though she seemed to enjoy her horse fares, she had a fondness for whatever the Marines were eating as well. Scrambled eggs, buttered toast, bacon, chocolate, Coca-Cola, peanut butter sandwiches, mashed potatoes, beer, whiskey, bourbon… it didn’t matter. Her other jobs behind the scenes included stringing communications
wire, carrying grenades, small-arms ammunition, rations and sleeping bags, to name a few. During the Battle of Outpost Vegas in March of 1953, Reckless made 51 round-trips—most of them alone—from the supply point to the firing sites. During that five day battle, the mare carried over 9,000 pounds of ammunition and walked over 35 miles, going through rice paddies, up and down steep mountains, while enemy fire exploded around her. It was, without question, the most notorious battle of her career. Through her time with the Marines she also provided a shield for those on the front-lines, carried wounded soldiers to safety, and was wounded twice. On November 10, 1954, Reckless arrived in the United States and was welcomed as the guest of honor at the Marines’ 179th birthday celebration. A few days later she traveled to Vista, California, where she spent some time with Pedersen and his family before being stabled at Camp Pendleton. The red mare became the property of the First Marine Division Association, but continued to be cared for by the 5th Marines. She made guest appearances and marches with her comrades when possible, though those occasions were put on hold when she foaled Fearless, Dauntless, Chesty, and her fourth foal, who sadly died at only a month old. She was officially promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant by the Commandment of the Marine Corps on August 31, 1959, and remains the only animal to boast the rank. With full military honors, she was officially retired on November 10, 1960. Reckless’ military decorations include two Purple Hearts, a Presidential Unit Citation (1 bronze star), Navy Unit Commendation, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal (3 bronze stars), Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, United Nations Service Medal Korea, PDSA Dickin Medal, and an Ambassador for Peace Medal. There are currently three monuments in the United States that honor Reckless. The first was dedicated at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia; the second is at Camp Pendleton, where she retired and is buried; and the third was unveiled in May of 2018 at the Kentucky Horse Park, where four veterans who served with her in North Korea helped in the emotional unveiling ceremony. On that special day, it was resoundingly clear exactly how much Reckless meant to those men... She wasn’t just a horse—she was a Marine.
Photo: Ciara Bowen
Thoroughbred Today
31
“ The thing is, the best horses
give you the best emotions, so you tend to get attached to them more. To win such a great race like the Arc two years in a row in front of the racing world, it is just an amazing feeling. Enable, she is a horse of a lifetime. I love her dearly.
�
- Frankie Dettori (champion jockey)
visit to subscribe
www.ThoroughbredTodayMagazine.com