florida horse setember 2012
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4 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
6 THE BROCK TALK8 FLORIDA FOCUS 47 LEADING SIRES48 LEADING JUVENILE/FRESHMAN SIRES60 FARM MANAGEMENT:
Manure Laws in Other States By Jamie Cohen
61 CHASE TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP62 PRACTICALLY SPEAKING:
Horses and Myths By Mark Shuffitt
64 YOUR FLORIDA HORSE PARK By Connie Duff Wise
66 PLAYER’S PAGE: Crowning Glory Turned Local Event?By Paul Moran
FEATURES14 STONEHEDGE FARM’S LARRY KING
Larry King Considers Himself a Lucky ManBy JoAnn Guidry
22 ENCORE PERFORMANCE Emma’s Encore has now won four of sixstarts for Hall of Fame trainer AllenJerkens By Brock Sheridan
24 Q&A WITH FTBOA PRESIDENTPHIL MATTHEWS
26 LITTLE MIKE WINS BIG IN MILLIONLittle Mike is flawless in stunning Arling-ton Million victory By Brock Sheridan
30 DREAM TEAMJames Culver and Kostas Hatzikoutelisare realizing personal dreams throughtheir Dream Team Racing StableBy Michael Compton
36 FLORIDA STALLION STAKESUndefeated in three career starts,Two T’s At Two B takes the Dr.Fager division of the Florida Stal-lion Stakes By Brock Sheridan
44 SARATOGA SUPERFECTATurbulent Descent tops Floridafour in New York’s Ballerina By Brock Sheridan
56 EQUINE CARE: Fungal Skin ProblemsBy Heather Smith Thomas
DEPARTMENTS/COLUMNS
September • 2012 VOL 55/ISSUE 7
COVER PHOTO OF LITTLE MIKE: FOUR FOOTED FOTOSCONTENTS (TWO T’S AT TWO B): LIZ LAMONT
Contents_Sept2012_Layout 1 9/13/12 3:42 PM Page 1
FTBOA OFFICERS ANDBOARD OF DIRECTORS
Phil Matthews, PresidentBrent Fernung, First Vice President Francis Vanlangendonck, Second Vice President
Sheila DiMare, Secretary Bonnie M. Heath III, Treasurer
DIRECTORS
CEO & EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENTLonny T. Powell
801 SW 60th Avenue • Ocala, Florida 34474(352) 732-8858 • Fax: (352) 867-1979 • www.ftboa.com
American Horse Publications • FLORIDA MAGAZINE ASSOCIATION • MEMBER BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU
© THE FLORIDA HORSE (ISSN 0090-967X) is published monthlyexcept July by THE FLORIDA HORSE, INC., 801 SW 60th Ave.,Ocala, Florida 34474, including the annual Statistical Review inFebruary.
Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors anddo not necessarily reflect those of Florida Equine Publicationsor the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Associa-tion. Publication of any material originating herein is expresslyforbidden without first obtaining written permission from THEFLORIDA HORSE©.
Statistics in the publication relating to results of racing inNorth America are compiled from data generated by Daily Rac-ing Form, Equibase, Bloodstock Research Information Serv-ices, and The Jockey Club Information Systems Inc., thecopyright owners of said data. Reproduction is prohibited.
Advertising copy deadline 5th of month precedingpublication. Subscriptions and change of address: Pleasemail to – Circulations Department. THE FLORIDA HORSE,801 SW 60th Ave., Ocala, Florida 34474.
Printed by Boyd Brothers, Inc. BOYD
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 5
Joe Barbazon Linda Appleton PotterCraig Bernick George RussellDean DeRenzo Jessica SteinbrennerRoy Lerman Charlotte C. WeberDiane Parks Greg Wheeler
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Brock Sheridan
BUSINESS MANAGER
Patrick Vinzant
ART DIRECTOR
John Filer
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
JoAnn Guidry
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Beverly Kalberkamp
CORRESPONDENTS
Jay Friedman, Doug McCoy, Cynthia McFarland, Mark Shuffitt, Michael Compton
PUBLISHERFlorida Equine Publications, Inc.
(A corporation owned by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association)
Executive Office - 801 SW 60th Avenue • Ocala, Florida 34474
BOARD OF DIRECTORSPhil Matthews, President/Board Chairman
Brent Fernung, 1st Vice PresidentFrancis Vanlangendonck, 2nd Vice President
Sheila DiMare, SecretaryBonnie M. Heath III, Treasurer
CEO & EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Lonny T. Powell
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Caroline T. Davis
Masthead_WithChange_Layout 1 8/30/12 11:20 AM Page 5
Florida Equine Publications and the Florida Thor-
oughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association is
proud to introduce the newest member of our re-
spective staffs, Tammy A. Gantt.
I say “staffs” because Ms. Gantt will be serving The
Florida Horse, Wire to Wire and Horse Capital Digest as a
contributing writer while also providing additional support
in advertising sales. In addition to her capacity with Florida
Equine Publications, Gantt will also be spending consid-
erable time on the FTBOA side of the office building as
the Coordinator of Membership Services and Programs.
A graduate of the University of Arizona Race Track
Industry Program and with an agriculture communications
and journalism degree from Missouri State University,
Gantt has spent her entire professional life working in the
horse racing industry.
Many of you will recognize Gantt as she comes to
Ocala from Miami Gardens, Fla., where she worked at
Calder Casino and Race Course for more than 13 years.
While at Calder, Gantt worked in marketing as the pro-
motions, events and sales director so she should be no
stranger to many of you who have traveled to Calder over
the years. She also brings non-profit experience to the
FTBOA having worked in the marketing departments of
the American Quarter Horse Association, United States
Trotting Association and Harness Tracks of America.
Gantt likes to create awareness of the industry through
community service and education.
For over a decade, she activated the track’s outreach
program with “Mini Mascots” Thunder & Lightning. They
visited Miami area hospitals, urban schools, youth pro-
grams, sporting events and fundraisers to create industry
awareness.
In addition, she focused efforts on student volun-
teerism, sports management internships and Junior
Jockey Club, a monthly educational program about the
racing and breeding industry. Her favorite program was
“Adopt a Horse” in which youths ages three to 16 “got” a
2-year-old racehorse. Kids saw their horses run, studied
pedigrees, wrote stud farms, met the trainers and devel-
oped feeding plans. After seeing pets lost from their own-
ers after Hurricane Katrina, Gantt collaborated to form a
program for free micro-chipping for underprivileged dog
and cat owners and she received the Carlos Arboleya
Community Service award from Greater Miami Chamber
of Commerce for her efforts.
Gantt has already been in the Marion County community
as a part of your Association’s team, attending to the FTBOA
booth at the recently concluded Ocala Breeders’ Sales Com-
pany Yearling Sale in August, speaking with potential adver-
tisers and visiting farms.
She will also be accessi-
ble to those of you who
would like to share ideas,
volunteer time or are
seeking information.
A look through her new office in Ocala and one will
first notice Ms. Gantt’s passion for horses as exhibited by
her personal library and numerous horse racing memen-
tos and souvenirs from around the world.
“I am very honored to be a part of an organization
that is so dedicated to its mission and membership,”
Gantt said. “Almost overnight, the FTBOA has rein-
vented itself into a forward thinking, dynamic and idea
fostering environment. Being involved in the success-
ful execution of the vision of the future of FTBOA gives
me an opportunity to give back to the Florida thor-
oughbred industry that
has been good to me
for so long.”
We are looking for-
ward to having Ms.
Gantt aboard and hope
to enjoy her leadership,
knowledge and person-
ality that make her a
natural addition to your
FTBOA team.
“Being involved in the successful execution of the vision of the future ofFTBOA gives me an opportunity to give back to the Florida thoroughbred
industry that has been good to me for so long.” —Tammy Gantt
6 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
the Brock talk
Brock SheridanEditor-in-Chief
Florida Equine Publications
Tammy Gantt
WelcomingOur Newest Member
JOHN
FILE
R PH
OTOS
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Project2_Layout 1 8/30/12 11:28 AM Page 1
8 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
Seniority, Florida-blood Prevail for Romacaca in Modesty Stakes
Let go as the fourth choice at 9-2 odds be-
hind 7-5 favorite Upperline in the Grade 3
Modesty Stakes Jul. 14 at Arlington Park in Ar-
lingtinon Heights, Ill., Florida-bred Romacaca
picked up her 14th career victory and her sec-
ond in three starts by taking the $200,000 event
for fillies and mares at 13⁄16 miles on the grass.
As one of two 6-year-olds in the Modesty,
(35-1 long shot and last-place finisher Pathway
was the other), Romacaca had plenty of expe-
rience going into the Modesty, especially with
42-year-old veteran jockey Francisco Torres
aboard. She has also been in the barns of four
different trainers seven separate times during
her 28-race career and was making her first
start of the second stop running from trainer
Danny Miller’s shed row.
Miller had previously
trained Romacaca from
April 2009 to March of
2010 and had won four
races including two stakes.
She had previously
been saddled by Luis
Ramirez and Nick Canani,
each also having her
through two separate stints,
and by David Fawkes very early in her career.
Bred in Florida by Cashel Stud Inc. of Ocala,
Romacaca now races for owner Frank C. Cal-
abrese of Des Plaines, Ill.
Romacaca broke well from post six in the
Modesty and tracked early leader She’s All
In through fractions of :23.92, :49.62, and
:1:14.37 before moving to lead the field
around the far turn. Turning for home, Snow
Top Mountain engaged Romacaca from the
outside and those two went stride for stride
through the final three-sixteenths of a mile.
At the wire however, Romacaca was a neck
in front with Snow Top Mountain a tena-
cious second and a length and one-quarter
ahead of Upperline in third.
“There was [some concern about the dis-
tance] but she’s more and more settled now,”
trainer Danny Miller said after the Modesty.
“She’s 6 years old and I really felt strongly she
could do it. Right now we have to point for
[the Grade 1 Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington
Park on Aug. 18.]”
“This [mare] is just awesome and she gets
better and better every time I’ve been on her,”
FloridaFOCUS
It took six tries for Tiree to win his first
race but since breaking his maiden at
Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Pa., on May 16,
it has been picture time after each race. The
3-year-old grey gelding also won his first
stakes race Jul. 16 when he won the $66,400
Coach Jimi Lee Stakes at Arlington Park
near Chicago against fellow sophomores at
seven furlongs. In between the two mile-
stones, Tiree had won two allowance races at
Presque Isle May 31 and June 27.
Bred in Florida by Strouds Lane Farm of
Ocala, Tiree is trained by Gerald S. Bennett
for Harold L. Queen, also of Ocala. He was
ridden in the Jimi Lee by jockey Francisco Torres, who would later win the Modesty Stakes
at Arlington that day on another Florida-bred in Romancaca.
Tiree was bumped at the start of the Jini Lee from post five but momentarily took
the lead before being settled into second behind Arcade, who had led the field of seven
down the backstretch in :23.69 and :47.11. Around the far turn, Torres and nearly every
other jockey in the Jimi Lee began to move toward the leader as Sweet Luca and Macho
Coach also burst into contention at the top of the stretch. Those four came down the
stretch spanned across the track with Tiree getting the nod at the wire over Arcade in sec-
ond and Sweet Luca in third.
Tiree has now won four of eight career starts and has career earnings of $135,718 while
racing exclusively on artificial main tracks at Presque Isle and Arlington.
Fourth straight win forFlorida-bred Tiree
FOUR
FOO
TED
FOTO
FOUR
FOO
TED
FOTO
Florida-bredRomacca
Florida-bred Tiree
Compiled by Brock Sheridan
Focus_Layout 1 9/13/12 3:45 PM Page 8
said winning jockey Francisco Torres. “I was
going in there 100 percent confident. When
[Snow Top Mountain] came to me, all that
did was make my [mare] run a little harder.”
The Modesty was the fifth win in seven
starts over the Arlington Park turf course for
Romacaca, who earned $117,600 for the
victory to boost her bankroll to $799,492
while improving her overall record to 14
wins from 29 starts.
Romacaca gave jockey Francisco Torres his
second stakes winner of the afternoon with a
Florida-bred after he had previously guided
Harold Queen’s Tiree to win the $66,400
Coach Jimi Lee Stakes earlier in the card.
Broken Dreams breaksThrough in Osunitas
On April 18, 2010 at Tampa Bay
Downs in Tampa, Fla., Broken Dreams
broke third in a $25,000 maiden claiming
race, kept that position down the back-
stretch before taking the lead around the
turn then extending out to a 14-length win.
That was the Florida-bred mare’s first start
and about as close as she has been to win-
ning one of her previous five career victo-
ries while leading from gate to finish.
Until Saturday, Jul. 21 at Del Mar Race
Course that is.
Bred in Florida by her owner, Leonard
Lavin’s Glen Hill Farm in Ocala of which
Craig Bernick is President and CEO, Bro-
ken Dreams went right to the front from
post seven in the $93,110 Osunitas Stakes
at Del Mar, was sent directly to the rail by
jockey Garrett Gomez and began to set a
moderate but pressured pace of :24.11
:48.14 and 1:11.78 with 3-1 choice Halo
Dolly racing just to her outside. Sent off as
the fifth choice at 7-1 in the field of eight,
few expected her to maintain the lead. But
she fought off Halo Dolly and the late charge
of 2-1 favorite Byrony, holding on to win by
a half-length. Byrony got up for second but
by only a nose ahead of Halo Dolly in third.
Florida-bred Briecat was fourth.
Final time for the 11⁄16 mile Osunitas on
grass was 1:41.71 and the Osunitas was the
third win on the day for jockey Garrett Gomez.
Trained by Thomas F. Proctor, Broken
Dreams was winning for
the first time since taking
the Senator Ken Maddy
Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita
in September. Since then
she had finished 13th in
the Breeders’ Cup Lady’s
Turf Sprint (G2) at
Churchill Downs in No-
vember. However, in three
previous races this year,
Broken Dreams has
shown steady improve-
ment, finishing sixth in the $70,000 Lady’s Turf
Sprint at Gulfstream Park in March before a
fifth in the $75,000 Great Lady M at Holly-
wood in May. In her last race, Broken Dreams
tried to go wire-to-wire in the $72,000 Redondo
Beach Stakes at Hollywood Jun. 10, but was
caught in the stretch and finished a close fourth,
beaten just more than two lengths.
Indian Gracey fastest in Cal.State Fair Sprint
Indian Gracey started awkwardly in the
California State Fair Sprint Handicap in
Sacramento Jul. 21, but ended the six furlong
stake on a much higher note, winning by a
head over English Royal in second and Paris
in April in third.
As the starter dispatched the field of eight
fillies and mares in the State Fair Sprint, In-
dian Gracey hesitated and hopped slightly,
giving jockey Julien Couton plenty of work
to do for the remainder of the $75,000 race.
But the 4-year-old filly quickly did her part
to make up for the early mistake and had
sprinted up to chase the leading Trapper’s
Bounty and English Royal from three lengths
Good Lord gets secondStraight stake in Bernhardt
It took Good Lord 40 races before the
Florida-bred gelding won his first stakes
race when taking the $100,000 Wild and
Wonderful Stakes at Charles Town Race
Course on Jun. 30, but since then he appears
to have really got the hang of it. In his next
start, the Forrest Kaelin-trained bay came
right back to win the $50,000 Don Bern-
hardt Stakes at Ellis Park on Jul. 21.
A multiple winner at the allowance level
and a consistenct money earner while rac-
ing against stakes competition, Good Lord
finally managed to break through the invis-
ible barrier that had kept him from hitting
the winner’s circle after an added money
event.
Breaking from post four with jockey
Gabriel Saez aboard, Good Lord tracked the
leaders while racing in the third position off
the rail just behind 8-5 favorite Noble’s
Promise and Florida-bred Hurricane Ike
who went the first quarter in a sturdy :22.24
and the half-mile in :44.63. Around the far
turn, Good Lord made up ground on the
leaders and took the lead at the top of the
stretch. Noble’s Promise fought back as they
raced to the wire but Good Lord prevailed
by a half-length at the finish over Noble’s
Promise in second and Shrill, who was an-
other three lengths back in third. Running
time for the six and one-half furlongs was
1:14.46.
It was the sixth career victory for Good
Lord, who was bred in Florida by Marilyn
Fazio Seltzer of Golden Beach, Fla. Good
Lord now has a career bankroll of $299,063.FOUR
FOO
TED FO
TO
Florida-bred Broken Dreams
STEINH
AUS PH
OTOG
RAPH
IC
Florida-bredGood Lord
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 9
Focus_Layout 1 9/13/12 3:45 PM Page 9
off the pace in third. Racing three-wide
around the far turn, Saez and Indian Gracey
began to close the gap between them and the
front-runners who had gone the first quarter-
mile in :22.67 and the first four furlongs in
:44.92. Trapper’s Bounty began to fall back
and English Royal hung tough but was just
edged at the wire by a steadfast Indian
Gracey. The final running time was 1:10.75.
It was the third career win for Indian
Gracey who was bred in Florida by Donarra
Thoroughbreds, LLC of Ocala, Fla. After fin-
ishing fourth in her next start in the Grade 3
Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar on
Aug. 19, Indian Gracey now has career earn-
ings of $154,360.
Eden’s Moon takes to the turfAnd wins San Clemente
For the second time in two days, a
Florida-bred went wire-to-wire to win a
stakes race at Del Mar Race Course as Eden’s
Moon took the $150,000 San Clemente
Handicap (G2) at the Southern California
track Jul. 22. The day before, Florida-bred
Broken Dreams won the Osunitas Stakes by
leading the field gate to wire.
Trained by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baf-
fert, Eden’s Moon was at one time this year
considered one of the top 3-year-old fillies in
America after she won the Grade 1 Las Vir-
genes Stakes at Santa Anita in early March
then coming back to finish third behind Willa
B Awesome in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks
later that month. Then traffic troubles resulted
in a last-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks
(G1) at Churchill Downs May 4 before Eden’s
Moon came back to run what may have been
her best career race, finishing second by a
nose to Potesta after bumping her in the stretch
of the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks at Betfair Hol-
lywood Park in Inglewood, Ca., on Jun. 23.
But there would be no traffic problems,
no bumping and nobody to catch Eden’s
Moon in the San Clemente. Making her first
start on turf, Eden’s Moon and jockey Rafael
Bejarano sped away from the field shortly
after the gates opened in Sunday’s San
Clemente. Sent off as the favorite at 9-10 in
the San Clemente, Eden’s Moon set fractions
of :23.00, :47.09 and 1:11.24 under pressure
from long shot Don’tgetmadalexis until the
top of the stretch when Eden’s Moon began
to pull away. Don’tgetmadalexis tired in the
stretch but Open Water made a rally from
fifth to get second, a length and one-quarter
behind Eden’s Moon and the same distance
ahead of Indigo River-Ire in third. Final time
for the one mile on grass was 1:34.38.
The remaining order of finish was
Byrama in fourth, Killer Graces, Don’tget-
madalexis and Oblivion
last.
Bred in Florida by Bri-
dlewood Farm of Ocala,
Eden’s Moon had her third
victory from just seven ca-
reer starts for owner
Kaleem Shah Inc. of Vi-
enna, Va. The $90,000
earned in the San
Clemente increase her ca-
reer bankroll to $358,600.
10 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
FloridaFOCUS Sr. Quisqueyano cruises In Seacliff
While D’nied Permission and
Putyourdreamsaway were deserving
winners in the prestigious Florida Stal-
lion Stakes at Calder on Aug. 25, the
most impressive performance on the
Juvenile Showcase
program was put
forth by Rosa Taveras’
Sr. Quisqueyano, a
commanding 13 ¾-
length winner of
the $75,000 Seacliff
Stakes.
The Luis Oli-
vares-trained son of
Journeyman Stud
stallion Exclusive
Quality merely toyed
with his rivals
through the opening stages of the Sea-
cliff, biding his time in third before un-
leashing a winning move down the
backstretch that saw the colt open up a
seven-length lead at the top of the
stretch, expanding that margin with ease
through the wire while running one mile
in 1:41.44.
“He broke good and it seemed like
he wanted to go a little bit, but I wanted
to play it safe, take him back a little, and
maybe teach him something for later,”
winning rider Jozbin Santana said. “And
once he realized I wanted him to settle,
he settled down and let go of the bit.
“Coming to the backside I saw the
horses in front starting to get a little
tired, so I let my horse creep up a little
bit and get close to the horse on the
lead. After that, he just galloped out.”
The Seacliff victory was the third
straight for the unbeaten Sr. Quisqueyano,
who broke his maiden by nearly three
lengths on April 22 before returning in
an entry-level allowance on Aug. 11
where he was 12 ¼ lengths better than
his nearest pursuer, Affirmed Division
hero D’nied Permission.
Sr. Quisqueano was bred in Florida
by Do Little Farm.
COAD
Y PH
OTO
Florida-bred Sr. Quisqueyano
BENO
IT & ASSOC
IATES PH
OTO
Florida-bred Eden’s Moon
Focus_Layout 1 9/10/12 11:33 AM Page 10
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 11
Tune Me In dials up long shotWin in Oceanport Stakes
There weren’t manywho backed Tune Me
In through the mutual windows before the
$152,500 Oceanport Stakes (G3) at Monmouth
Park on Jul. 29, but for those who did, they were
aptly rewarded.
Sent to the post at odds of nearly 26-1 in the
1 1/16 mile turf race for 3-year-olds and older,
the Florida-bred Tune Me In broke well from
post three under jockey Paco Lopez and settled
into second behind 5-2 second choice Get Se-
rious. Those two raced in tandem as they passed
the grandstand for the first time and stayed that
way for most of the way around the track with
8-1 choice Crepulso and favorite Queen’s-
platekitten just more than a length behind. After
covering most of the course in an unhurried
:25.85, :50.12 and 1:13.36, Get Serious tried to
kick away from Tune Me In but was unable to
get clear around the turn. Into the stretch, Tune
Me In responded to Lopez and began to edge
away and hit the wire a half-length in front of
Queen’splatekitten in second and Get Serious
in third. Final time was 1:43.39.
“No one wanted to go with Get Serious so
we did,” trainer Bruce Alexander said. “The
whole race was won when they went :25[.82]
and then :50[.12]. [Tune Me In] is a good horse
and he showed it today. We’ll find another
stakes for him after this.”
Trained by Alexander for Patricia A. Gen-
erazio of Tequesta, Fla., Tune Me In was bred in
Florida by Joseph and Helen Barbazon of Mor-
riston, Fla. The $90,000 winner’s check pushed
Tune Me In’s career earnings to $289,845.
The Oceanport was the fourth victory in 20
career starts for Tune Me In and the first vic-
tory over stakes company. His last win before
the Oceanport had come against optional
claimers and allowance horses in two consecu-
tive victories at Monmouth last July and Sep-
tember. The Oceanport was the grey/roan colt’s
third start of 2012 having finished third in the
$65,000 John McSorley Stakes in June at Mon-
mouth and seventh against optional claimers
Jul. 5 at Belmont Park.
Florida’s Currency Swap takesAnother New York prize
Florida-bred star Currency Swap may
have the Sunshine State in his blood, but his
heart is in New York.
At least that is what his race record shows.
In seven career starts, the son of Ocala Stud
stallion High Cotton has four wins—all in New
York and three of which are at Saratoga Race
Course in Saratoga Springs. Currency Swap
broke his maiden at Saratoga then won the
Grade 1 Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes at the
Spa last year. This year, the Terri Pompay
trainee has won the $83,000 You and I Stakes at
Belmont Park in Elmont, New York and Sunday
took the Amsterdam Stakes (G2) back at
Saratoga.
Ridden by Rajiv Maragh, Currency Swap
was hustled away from the gate and quickly
took position just behind the speedy Doctor
Chit, who had put daylight on the field of seven
in the first few strides of the race. Down the
backstretch, Doctor Chit maintained a length
lead on Currency Swap in second as he rolled
through fast fractions of :21.34 for the opening
quarter-mile and an almost equally fast :44.04
for the first half.
Around the far turn, Currency Swap began
to make his move and at the top of the stretch
was on equal terms with Doctor Chit with Lau-
rie’s Rocket just to their outside. Those three
fought to the sixteenth pole when Currency
Swap began to kick clear and eventually hit the
finish line a length and three-quarters in front.
Doctor Chit hung on for second, a neck in front
of the late running Unbridled’s Note in third
with yet another neck back to Laurie’s Rocket
in fourth. Then came the Florida-bred tandem
of Fort Loudon and Gun Boat followed by Po-
litically Correct. Fort Loudon did not fire and
Gun Boat broke poorly and was never able to
get back into the swift race. Final time for the
six and one-half furlongs was a sharp 1:15.33.
“[Currency Swap] loves it here [at
Saratoga],” Pompay said beaming after the Am-
sterdam. “He’s been really doing well. I looked
at him [during the race] and it was like he was
doing it easy. I’d rather have him sit and stalk
than be on the pace.”
And that is exactly what Maragh did. “[Cur-
rency Swap] is an amazing horse,” Maragh
said. “He’s got a lot of speed. All the way he
was giving me a lot of energy and came on
strong. From day one, this horse always showed
a lot of ability. I wasn’t concerned with the pace.
I just wanted to have a clean trip and be in a
stalking position, regardless of how fast they
were going.”
Currency Swap is owned by Seth Klarman’s
Klaravich Stables Inc. of Boston, Mass., and
William Lawrence and now has a career
bankroll of $508,300.
Toby’s Corner returns to winMountainview
Toby’s Corner hasn’t exactly had things
all his way in his racing career that now spans
just less than two years. After finishing third in
his debut at Delaware Park in October of
2010, the chestnut Florida-bred went on to win
four of his next five starts including the Re-
sorts World Casino New York Wood Memo-
rial (G1) in April of 2011—a race in which he
defeated his much more heralded stablemate
Uncle Mo who was third.
EQUI PHO
TO
Florida-bred Tune Me In
COGLIANESE PHO
TO
Florida-bredCurrency Swap
B & D PHOTO
Florida-bred Toby’s Corner
Focus_Layout 1 9/10/12 11:33 AM Page 11
12 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
The Wood victory would make Toby’s
Corner one of the favorites to win the Ken-
tucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands
(G1) that year but an injury to the colt’s
left hind leg would change all that. Toby’s
Corner missed the Derby and was sent to
the sidelines for the remainder of the year
and would not return to the races until
February of 2012 when he was third in the
General George Handicap (G2) at Laurel,
then third again in the New Orleans Hand-
icap (G2) at Fair Grounds in April. An-
other short break and trainer Graham
Motion put him back into action in the
Pimlico Special May 18 where he was sev-
enth, then entered him in the Jun. 23 Don-
ald Levine Memorial Handicap at Parx
Racing where he finished fourth.
All of the bad karma was behind the
son of Bellamy Road on Jul. 28 at Penn Na-
tional Race Course in Grantville, Pa., as
Toby’s Corner won the $175,000 Mountain-
view Handicap for older horses at 1 1/8 miles.
With jockey Jeremy Rose aboard,
Toby’s Corner broke with the field from
the outside post five in the five-horse race
and settled in nicely just to the outside of
pacesetter Isn’t He Perfect with favorite
Marilyn’s Guy in third about two lengths
back. After modest fractions of :24.38 and
:48.64, Toby’s Corner took the lead in the
far turn and had two
lengths on the group
as they straightened
away for home. At
the wire, Toby’s Cor-
ner was just less than
four lengths ahead of
Isn’t He Perfect in
second and Not
Abroad in third. Run-
ning time for the nine furlongs was
1:49.15.
Bred in Florida by Diane D. Cotter of
Alachua, Fla., Toby’s Corner picked up
$105,000 for Cotter, who still owns the 4-
year-old colt in partnership with Julian
Cotter, also of Alachua. He now has five
wins from 11 career races with earnings of
$898,240.
Florida-breds flash brillianceFrom start to finish in Honorable MissFlorida-breds stole the show in the Grade
2 Honorable Miss Handicap at Saratoga on
Aug. 3 but the excitement was not all at the
finish line. Repre-
senting the Sunshine
State in the $200,000
race for fillies and
mares at six furlongs
was 120-pound high-
weight C C’s Pal
breaking from post
three; number five
Beat the Blues, win-
ner of Oaklawn Park’s $75,000 Carousel
Stakes in April; 9-5 favorite It’s Me Mom
breaking from post seven; and Belle of the
Hall, fourth in the Vagrancy Handicap (G2)
behind winner C C’s Pal in post two.
The buzz from the Sartaoga Springs, N.Y.,
crowd began after the first quarter-mile when
It’s Me Mom and jockey Willie Martinez broke
third but chased down front-running Winning
Image, got the lead about an eighth of a mile
from the start and led the field through the
fastest quarter-mile of the meeting, flashing
:21.14 for the first two furlongs. It’s Me Mom
was not totally alone however, as Winning
Image kept close down the backstretch and a
length and one-half to two and-a-half lengths
ahead of Roman Treasure in third. When they
hit the half-mile pole approaching the far turn,
C C’s Pal was fourth, some six lengths off It’s
Me Mom who had begun to further separate
herself going around the bend and breaking
away by two full lengths at the quarter-pole.
But that’s when the gas ran out. Roman
Treasure made a mild bid and took the lead at
the top of the stretch but soon all three of the
early leaders began to sputter after screaming
through a half-mile in :43.78. At that time C
C’s Pal began to move on the rail but failed to
hit a hole taken up by Maple Forest as they left
the turn. Jockey Junior Alvarado then had to
check C C’s Pal to keep from running over
Winning Image, who was almost in reverse at
this time, then swerved the 5-year-mare to the
FloridaFOCUS
Gourmet Dinner serves up win in Majestic LightAfter three unsuccessful tries on the turf, Gourmet Dinner went back to the main track
in fine fashion as he took the $100,000 Majestic Light Stakes at Monmouth Park on Jul. 29.
It was the first win for the Bruce Brown trainee who last went into a winner’s circle fol-
lowing the 2010 Delta Jackpot (G3) at Delta Downs in Vinton, La.
Bred in Florida by Ocala Stud and William J. Terrill of Ocala, Fla., Gourmet Dinner
broke next to last in the field of seven and jockey Javier Castellano was more than con-
tent with sixth-place position some five
lengths off of frontrunner I’m Steppin’ It
Up. After an opening quarter-mile in a slow
:23.89 and half in :47.70, the pace appeared
to be working against Gourmet Dinner until
Castellano began to move the 4-year-old colt
around the far turn, picking up horses while
going four-wide. At the top of the stretch
Gourmet Dinner was with the leaders and
by the time they hit the furlong marker, he
had put a head in front of Ponzi Scheme and
those two battled to the wire.
At the finish Gourmet Dinner was a neck in front with Ponzi Scheme in second the
Small Town Talk third. Running time for the 11⁄16 miles was 1:44.20 over a track la-
beled fast.
BILL DEN
VER PH
OTO
Florida-bred C C’s Pal
BOYD
GAM
INGS
PHO
TO
Florida-bred Gourmet Dinner (No.1)
Florida Focus continues on page 52
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By JOANN GUIDRY
Over the span of nearly 40 years and count-
ing, he has shared in the success of two
major Florida Thoroughbred operations.
Those successes have included a Kentucky Derby
winner, a Breeders’ Cup champion, numerous
graded stakes winners, several millionaires and a
trio of Eclipse champions. And here’s the kicker:
King has never had to load up a van and move to
another farm; he just stayed put on the same prop-
erty while it underwent an ownership and name
change. The latter status going from Timothy Sams’
Waldemar Farms to Gilbert and Marilyn Campbell’s
Stonehedge Farm South.
“I’ve been very fortunate to do what I love to
do for two outstanding Thoroughbred operations,”
said King, 57, who has been Stonehedge Farm
South farm manager since 1988. “I was just a kid
when I moved here. So the older I get, I appreci-
ate it all more and more.”
King doesn’t remember a time that horses
weren’t part of his life. Born in Texas and raised in
northern Louisiana, King’s father, Joe, was an all-
around horseman. The elder King progressed from
showing and then racing Quarter horses. Training
Thoroughbreds soon followed with a stint manag-
ing a cattle ranch in between.
“As young kids, my sisters and I helped my fa-
ther work on the cattle ranch,” recalled King. “We
were expected to ride and to work. That’s just the
way it was.”
In 1971, Joe King landed a job managing Walde-
mar Farms in Williston, just northwest of Ocala.
Two years later, his son followed and moved on the
farm that would become his home to this day.
“I was a senior and I graduated from Williston
High School in 1973,” said King. “Dad put me to
work the minute I got on the farm. I did everything
from grooming to exercising horses to maintenance.
Dad was right there too and we worked long days.”
14 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
SERI
TA H
ULT P
HOTO
S
“I’ve been very fortunate to do what I love to dofor two outstanding Thoroughbred operations. I was just a kid
when I moved here. So the older I get, I appreciate it all more and more.”
LARRY KING considers himself a fortunate man.
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As fate would have it, the same year that King came
to work alongside his father, there was a Waldemar
Farms-bred yearling who would soon make history. The
1972 bay colt was by Waldemar Farms stallion What a
Pleasure out of the Tom Fool mare Fool Me Not. Named
Foolish Pleasure, King remembers prepping the colt for
the 1973 Saratoga yearling sale.
“He was always a tough colt to handle,” said King.
“He was rank and head-shy. He wasn’t a favorite around
the barn at all.”
At the Saratoga yearling sale, Foolish Pleasure was
bought for $20,000 by John L. Greer. It proved to be a
bargain price.
As an undefeated juvenile in 1974, Florida-bred Fool-
ish Pleasure broke his maiden and then rolled to six graded
stakes wins in seven starts. He captured the Champagne
Stakes (G1), Sapling Stakes (G1), Hopeful Stakes (G1),
Cowdin Stakes (G2), Tremont Stakes (G3) and a division
of the Dover Stakes (G3). Trained by LeRoy Jolley, he
banked $284,595 on the season. More importantly, he was
named the North American champion 2-year-old colt.
“It was very exciting to have a national champion
bred and raised on the farm,” said King. “I think we
liked Foolish Pleasure a little more after that.”
Foolish Pleasure’s popularity grew in 1975 when he be-
came the third Florida-bred to win the Kentucky Derby
16 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
“It was unbelievable that we had a Kentucky Derby winner, another national champion and What aPleasure, the leading sire in the country in the same year. We were starting to think this was easy.”— Larry King
LARRYKing
LarryKing7pages_USE_Florida Horse_template 9/5/12 9:34 AM Page 16
(G1). He was second in the Preakness Stakes (G1) to Mas-
ter Derby and runner-up to Avatar in the Belmont Stakes
(G1). In addition to winning the Run For The Roses, Fool-
ish Pleasure also scored victories in the Flamingo Stakes
(G1) and Wood Memorial Stakes (G1). He was also sec-
ond in the Governor Stakes (G1) and third in the Florida
Derby (G1)on his way to banking $716,278 on the season.
But it wasn’t enough to nab another championship title
with Wajima named the 1975 champion 3-year-old colt.
WALDEMAR WONDERS
But as it turned out, Waldemar Farms didn’t go with-
out a national champion that year. Florida-bred Honest
Pleasure, a 2-year-old colt by What a Pleasure out of *Tu-
laria, by *Tulyar, dominated the juvenile class with four
key victories. He captured the Champagne Stakes (G1),
Arlington-Washington Futurity (G1), Laurel Futurity
(G1) and Cowdin Stakes (G2). Also trained by Jolley,
Honest Pleasure earned $370,227 and was named the
1975 Eclipse champion 2-year-old colt. Owner Bertram
Firestone had bought Honest Pleasure from Waldemar
Farms for $45,000 at the 1974 Saratoga yearling sale.
“It was unbelievable that we had a Kentucky Derby
winner, another national champion and What a Pleas-
ure, the leading sire in the country in the same year,”
said King. “We were starting to think this was easy.”
In 1976, Honest Pleasure rolled to wins in the
Flamingo Stakes (G1), Florida Derby (G1) and Blue
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 17
Opposite page fromright—The StonehedgeFarm team. Darrell Sulley(broodmare manager)Larry King (farm man-ager) and Jamie King(trainer)
LarryKing7pages_USE_Florida Horse_template 9/5/12 9:34 AM Page 17
Grass Stakes (G1) on his way to being the favorite in
the Kentucky Derby. But at Churchill Downs, he
would finish second to Bold Forbes. Honest Pleasure
rebounded from that loss with a victory in the Travers
Stakes(G1), setting a track record of 2:00.20 for the
mile and a quarter. He closed out the season with three
graded stakes-placings to earn $445,547. After but
four starts in 1977, including a win in the Ben Ali
Handicap (G3), Honest Pleasure was retired with ca-
reer earnings of $839,997.
As for Foolish Pleasure, he won the 1976 Suburban
Handicap (G1) and Arlington Golden Invitational Handi-
cap, as well as being graded stakes-placed twice. He was
retired after that season with career earnings of $1,216,705.
Not to be overlooked is Florida-bred For The Moment,
a full brother to Honest Pleasure. In 1976, he became the
third consecutive Waldemar Farms-bred colt to win the
Cowdin Stakes (G2). Raced by Gerald Robins, he also
won the Futurity Stakes (G1) that year and the Blue Grass
Stakes (G1) the following season before finishing eighth
to Seattle Slew in the Kentucky Derby. For The Moment
retired after the 1977 season with career earnings of
$337,483 and later stood at Waldemar Farms.
What a Pleasure, thanks to the racing success of Foolish
Pleasure, Honest Pleasure and For The Moment, was the
leading sire by progeny earnings in North America in 1975
and 1976. By Bold Ruler out of Grey Flight, by *Mahmoud,
What a Pleasure sired two champions, 59 stakes winners, 15
graded stakes winners, 37 stakes-placers and recorded life-
time progeny earnings of $17.8 million.
“After all that success, we hit a dry spell,” said King.
“That’s when you realize how tough the Thoroughbred
business is.”
But there was indeed one last hurrah for the Walde-
mar Farms era. In 1985, Florida-bred Tasso won the
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), Del Mar Futurity (G1) and
Breeders’ Futurity (G2) on his way to being named
Eclipse champion 2-year-old colt. By Fappiano out of
the What a Pleasure mare Ecstacism, Tasso was bred and
raced in his championship season by Sams and Robins.
Tasso, who retired with career earnings of $1,207,884,
later raced for Robins and Will Farish.
ENTER STONEHEDGE ERA
Big changes were coming for King. In 1988, Gilbert
and Marilyn Campbell bought the Waldemar Farms
property and renamed it Stonehedge Farm South. Joe
King decided it was time to retire and Larry King be-
came the Stonehedge Farm South farm manager.
“Again I was very fortunate that Mr. Campbell gave
me a great opportunity,” said King. “Right from the be-
ginning, we’ve had a great relationship.”
Campbell, an East Coast-based real estate developer
and entrepreneur, first became involved in the Thorough-
bred business in 1982 as co-owner of Florida-bred stakes
winner Shananie. Later, Shananie would become the first
stallion to stand at Stonehedge Farm South. Shananie
would be the first of several successful Stonehedge Farm
South stallions over the years, in-
cluding Sword Dance (Ire), Un-
tuttable and West Acre.
“Waldemar had operated as a
commercial breeding operation,”
said King. “But Mr. Campbell
liked racing, so the farm switched
to being primarily breed-to-race.
He wanted to race homebreds, so
he bought mares to breed mostly
to his own stallions.”
Establishing a homebred rac-
ing operation takes time, but it
wasn’t long before Campbell
began to enjoy racing success
with his Florida-bred runners.
The breakthrough came in 1996
when Campbell notched his first
Grade I stakes winner as a
breeder and initial Florida-bred
champion as a breeder/owner.
18 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
LARRYKing
“We love watching the horses weraise, break and train on the farm go onto do well on the racetrack,” said King.
“For all of us, it’s what makes it worthwhile.”— Larry King
LarryKing7pages_USE_Florida Horse_template 9/5/12 9:35 AM Page 18
Marlin, a 1993 colt by Sword Dance (Ire) out of the
Damascus mare Syrian Summer, had been sold by
Campbell through Bedford Hills, agent, for $30,000 at
the 1994 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s August year-
ling sale. Racing for Michael Tabor, Marlin won the 1996
Secretariat Stakes (G1) and Hollywood Derby (G1) on
his way to earning $854,500.
Racing for Campbell, Blazing Sword was named the
1996 Florida-bred champion 2-year-old colt. By Sword
Dance (Ire) out of Demetroula, by Singular, Blazing
Sword won the Dr. Fager Stakes and Affirmed Stakes of
the Florida Stallion Stakes. He finished second in the
Breeders’ Futurity (G2) and In Reality Stakes on his way
to earning $246,710 that season. Blazing Sword raced
for four more seasons, winning three graded stakes and
retiring with a bankroll of $1,184,055.
As for Marlin, he continued his graded stakes-win-
ning way in 1997. He scored tallies in the Arlington Mil-
lion Stakes (G1), San Juan Capistrano Invitational
Handicap (G1), Sunset Handicap (G2) and San Luis Rey
Stakes (G2). On the season, Marlin earned $1,521,600
and retired at the end of the year with a career bankroll
of $2,448,880. Marlin was named the 1997 Florida-bred
champion turf horse and Campbell was honored as the
1997 Florida Breeder of the Year.
“No doubt about it, Blazing Sword and Marlin were
the farm’s first big horses,” said King. “It was very grat-
ifying to see Mr. Campbell enjoy that early success.”
Marlin and Blazing Sword also greatly contributed to
Sword Dance’s success as a sire. Bought privately by
Campbell to stand at Stonehedge Farm South, Sword
Dance was by Nijinsky II out of the Secretariat mare Rosa
Mundi. In addition to graded stakes winner Marlin and
Blazing Sword, Sword Dance also sired graded stakes win-
ners Friel’s for Real, Dance for Thee and Ryan’s for Real.
Of Sword Dance’s graded stakes winners, Campbell bred
all but Dance for Thee. Sword Dance also sired 21 other
stakes winners, 28 stakes-placers and posted lifetime prog-
eny earnings of $26.5 million. Sword Dance died in 2010.
Since that initial breakthrough success, Campbell has
been consistently a Top 10 leading Florida breeder and
has enjoyed an on-going parade of stakes winners. To
date, he has bred at least 57 Florida-bred stakes winners.
In addition to the aforementioned graded stakes winners,
Campbell has also bred graded stakes winners Ivanav-
inalot, who was the 2002 Florida-bred champion 2-year-
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 19
“When it starts to get close to weaning,we start feeding the babies in a stall nextto their mothers twice a day. Then whenit’s time to wean, we just bring the babyin the stall and take the mare to anotherbarn. By then, the baby is focused moreon the feed than its mother and you canwean them with no fuss.”— Larry King
LarryKing7pages_USE_Florida Horse_template 9/5/12 9:35 AM Page 19
old filly, Garemma, This Ones for Phil and Watch Me Go.
“We love watching the horses we raise, break and
train on the farm go on to do well on the racetrack,” said
King. “For all of us, it’s what makes it worthwhile. We all
want the Campbells to do well.”
FARM MAINTENANCE 101
Over the years, Stonehedge Farm South has grown from
the initial 200 acres purchased to 510 acres. The broodmare
band currently numbers 55; Campbell was the leading
Florida breeder by foals in 2010 and 2011, with 47 and 43
foals, respectively. On average, 40 yearlings are broken each
season at the farm’s training division. The latter is overseen
by King’s nephew, Jamie King.
In addition to veteran stal-
lion and Untuttable, the newest
Stonehedge Farm South stallion
is Factum. By Storm Cat out of
multiple graded stakes-producer
Starry Dreamer, by Rubiano, Factum will stand his initial
season in 2013. He is a half-brother to graded stakes winners
War Front, Teammate and Ecclesiastic.
“When it comes to running a farm, the best thing you
can do is never think you know everything,” said King.
“I’ve learned to watch, listen and learn. If something’s
not too farfetched, I’m willing to give it a try.”
Part of the Stonehedge program is to begin loading foals
in a trailer while they are still at their dam’s side. King
pointed out that “a foal will follow his mother anywhere so
they’ll just go right on in a trailer with her.” Then he adds
that “later when it’s time to ship them to another part of the
farm or to the racetrack, they load without any problems.”
King admits to learning a good way to wean babies
from reading an article in a trade publication. He thought
the process made sense and decided to give it a try.
“When it starts to get close to weaning, we start feed-
ing the babies in a stall next to their mothers twice a day,”
said King. “Then when it’s time to wean, we just bring
the baby in the stall and take the mare to another barn. By
then, the baby is focused more on the feed than its
mother and you can wean them with no fuss.”
And because the farm’s focus is on breeding-to-race,
there isn’t as much a time crunch when it comes to the
breaking and training process. In mid to late August,
the yearlings are accustomed to bathing, being led
around with bridles and saddles and then ponied.
“We don’t usually put a rider on their backs until late
September and October,” said King. “Then they’re bro-
ken to ride and are ridden out in the fields. We let the horse
tell us when it’s time to start galloping on the racetrack.”
The most precocious of the two years olds are then sent
to longtime Stonehedge Farm South trainer Kathleen
O’Connell at Calder. If a youngster is being sold as a year-
ling or a juvenile, then they are sent to respective consignors.
While still logging long days on the farm, just like he
did alongside his father, King also takes time to enjoy
life outside of the Thoroughbred business. After knee in-
juries and surgeries ended his running days, King began
riding a recumbent bike for exercise. He typically bikes
10 miles a day, on the farm and on the backroads of
Williston. King recently did a 48-mile ride to raise
money for the Levy County School Foundation.
King has been married for 33 years to wife Cookie,
who is a real estate agent. Their son Kirby, 22, also has his
real estate license and plans to become a real estate lawyer.
“When we go on vacation, Cookie and I like to go
scalloping,” said King. “We find it very relaxing. There’s
just something very calming about being out there on the
water. It just makes you slow down and appreciate life.”
Especially if you’re a fortunate man. �
20 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
“When it comes to running a farm, the best thing you cando is never think you know everything. I’ve learned to watch,listen and learn. If something’s not too farfetched, I’m willingto give it a try.”— Larry King
LARRYKing
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22 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
Emma’s
By BROCK SHERIDAN
Last year Emma’s Encore failed to hit the winners’circle in three tries and in her first start this year,she put in her best career effort to that point, fin-
ishing third against $50,000 maiden claimers at Gulf-stream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., Feb. 2. It was herfirst start from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer AllenJerkens but there would be a turnaround in her next race,as she broke her maiden against maiden special weightcompany by more than four lengths three weeks later atGulfstream. Including that race, though, Emma’s Encorehas now won four of six starts with a second against op-tional claimers at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., in Mayand a last in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) Mar. 31.In her last two races, the 3-year-old dark bay or brown
filly has taken two stakes including the Grade 3 VictoryRide at Belmont Jul. 7 and the Grade 1 Prioress StakesAug. 4 at Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. But what-ever the 83-year-old trainer has figured out about Emma’sEncore to take her from a maiden claimer in February toa Grade 1 winner in August, she seemed to have returnedto Jerkens in gratification.“Like the old days,” Jerkens said with tears in his eyes
after the race. “We get to havea [painted] jockey [statue] infront of the clubhouse. I al-ways like to get a jockey infront of the clubhouse.”Jerkens has won 3,833 races in his career, but none
stand out as much as when he saddled the Florida-bredOnion to an upset victory over Secretariat in the 1973Whitney Handicap. On Whitney Day in 2012, Jerkensadded to his legacy by sending out another Florida-bredin Emma’s Encore to a nose victory in $300,000 Prioress.The Prioress was his first graded stakes win at
Saratoga since Any Limit captured the 2008 Grade 2Honorable Miss and his first Grade 1 since Miss Shoplanded the 2007 Personal Ensign at the Spa. After the
race, the Saratoga crowd applauded Jerkens.“It’s nice,” he said. “It’s what breaks me up.”Odds-on favorite Agave Kiss broke best from post
five and drew away to lead the field by some twolengths through fast fractions of :22.15 and :44.64 andshe kept the lead until a sixteenth of a mile before thewire when Judy the Beauty took the lead with Emma’sEncore still driving to the outside. As they hit the wire,Emma’s Encore stuck a nose in front of Judy the Beautywith Agave Kiss another length and three-quarters backin third. Final time for the six furlongs was 1:09.35.“I think [Emma’s Encore] improved a little [from the
Victory Ride],” Jerkens continued.” She had to run hervery best. [Jockey Junior Alvarado] has been good. It allcounts. Everything has to go well. The horse has to rungood. She really had to run today. Nothing was in herfavor. It looked like speed was holding on pretty good.”Alvarado said that he too had noticed something dif-
ferent since the win in the Victory Ride, but he was talk-ing mostly about himself . “After [Emma’sEncore] won the Victory Ride, I was reallyconfident in her,” Alvarado said. “She brokereally good again and I got her to settle and
feel comfortable in the race. Turning for home, she wasmoving, but we were wider than I wanted to be. Shegave me a really nice kick at the end.”Emma’s Encore, who was bred in Florida by Equest
Thoroughbred Inc. paid $12.40 for a $2 win, $5.10 toplace and $2.80 to show. Judy the Beauty paid $3.90and $2.70 while Agave Kiss returned $2.20. Emma’sEncore now has a career record of four wins from 10starts and the $120,000 first-place check in the Prioressincreases her career earnings to $282,958.,�
“Like the old days. We get to have a [painted] jockey[statue] in front of the clubhouse. I always like to get
a jockey in front of the clubhouse.”—trainer Allen Jerkens
EmmasEncore2pgs_Florida Horse_template 9/7/12 1:56 PM Page 22
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 25
You see we aren’t in a bubble. I think a smallportion of our membership believes that all thisassociation needs to do is distribute breeder’sawards. It is very important that we communi-cate with, work with, negotiate and lead whennecessary with, all of the players with stakes inthis Florida industry. That means the race tracks,the HBPAs, the ADWs, the legislature, theFlorida Department of Ag, Marion County, Cityof Ocala, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foun-dation, the American Horse Council, and on andon. If we don’t have a seat at these tables and wedon’t press for our concerns on all levels, we be-come weaker. Lonny’s ability to hit the groundrunning on all of these fronts has exceeded ourexpectations.
Lonny gets all that and knows how to workin that world. He also has considerable CEOexperience that makes him a good administrator.He is an enthusiastic team builder. He puts peo-ple in a position to get the most out of them andcreates an environment of support and empow-erment in which they can flourish. That trans-lates to an efficient, competent and accountablestaff that gets things done for the Association.As a business owner, I understand the impor-tance of strong corporate culture. It is para-mount in making a business successful. Lonnyunderstands this to the tee.
TFH: How do you see Florida Equine Pub-lications now and in the future relative to theFTBOA?
PM: I have always thought that the need fora public relations arm to be so necessary. We arefortunate to have a staff that produces a greatproduct, a product that wins awards year afteryear. What FEP produces accomplishes a lot ofthings for the FTBOA, most notably helping en-sure our relevance to the rest of the world, bothwithin and outside of the industry. The web site,The Florida Horse, the Wire to Wire give ourmembers a source in which to advertise theirproducts, to help get their stories and accom-plishments told, to keep up with the industrychanges and news, all of these things.
An important point that I think is alwaysworth reminding people of is that without FEPwe would be outsourcing any public relationsand marketing efforts. This way it is done well,under our complete control and by people thatunderstand our needs and purpose. And as itstands, FEP is a profit asset for the FTBOA.
TFH: Would you like to touch on the re-cently announced supplement bonus programthat is now in its second year?
PM: I’d like an opportunity to clarify if nec-essary the supplemental bonuses. The bonus af-
fects awards received during the 2011 calendaryear. Anyone that received a bonus during thatyear will get a check for an additional 11%. Tomake the math easy, if you received $1000 in2011, you will receive a check for $110. From apure blended percentage standpoint we are nowat the highest level in our history-and we hope tocontinue this upward trend in the future It’s alsoexpanded to pay bonuses for first, second andthird place, meaning more bonuses than before.Oh, and one more thing, those checks should besent out by mid-October at the latest.
TFH: You’ve talked about maintaininghealthy, live thoroughbred race dates inFlorida; will Marion County be a part of thatformula?
PM: Yes, the FTBOA created OTR [OcalaThoroughbred Racing] for the express purposeof converting the quarter horse permit to a thor-oughbred permit. This was accomplished inAugust. It has been the opinion of the board thatwe need to do whatever we can to ensure rac-
ing, and as many racing dates as possible, toexist in Florida. This was seen as a tool in ourtool box toward achieving that goal. It is a toughmountain to climb, but I assure you that OTR ispushing hard to make racing available to us inMarion County. And the type of racing venuewe can be proud of that will support the bottomline of owners and breeders through purses andbreeders awards, as well as create even moreawareness and relevance with the public.
TFH: It’s been widely reported that pari-mutuel barrel racing is a significant threat tothoroughbred racing and breeding in Florida.Can you expound on this threat?
PM: This is certainly a topic that is para-mount on my mind. It gets back to what manyof us feared from the advent of racinos aroundthe country and slots and card rooms coming into Florida. It has always loomed as a double-edged sword. They were seen as a savior for rac-ing because of the boon it has been to purses and
“It is very important that we communicate with,
work with, negotiate and lead when necessary with, all
of the players with stakes in this Florida industry.”
see Phil Matthews page 49
Presidents Report2pgs_tweaked_EditorWelcome 9/13/12 3:52 PM Page 25
By BROCK SHERIDAN
Although Little Mike took a different riderinto the starting gate of the Arlington Mil-lion (G1), the game plan was the same. So
obvious was the plan that the opposing jockeyswere well aware that Little Mike would get theearly lead in the $1 million race—but still they
could do nothing to defeat him.And that is the way Little Mike
and jockey Ramon
Dominguez executed the course of action in the 1¼mile turf race at Arlington International RaceCourse near Chicago. Little Mike jumped out of thegate and went right to the lead from post positionfour with Wilcox Inn giving chase in second andColombian racing third, more than a length back,as they passed the grandstand for the first time. Justas fast as Little Mike got the lead however,Dominguez was able to slow theFlorida-bred horse into his win-ning pace, going the first quar-ter mile in :25.10 and the firsthalf-mile in :49.95. As if thatwasn’t slow enough, theynearly put the field of 11
26 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
Little Mike Flawless In Arlington Million Victory
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THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 27
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international runners into a gallop as they finished six
furlongs in 1:15.03 and the mile in 1:39.54.
By that time the race was all but over as Little Mike
sprinted away from Wilcox Inn and Colombian as they
turned for home. At one point in the stretch, Little Mike
was more than four lengths in front before eventual run-
ner-up Afsare made his late run that fell short by a length
and one-half. Afsare was another length and-a-half ahead
of Rahystrada and Colombian, who had dead heated for
third. Final time of the race was 2:02.44 as Little Mike
ran the last quarter of a mile in a rapid :22.50.
“[Little Mike] was running very comfortable,”
Dominguez said after the race. “Turning for home
when I decided to let him run, he beautifully started
opening up. I wasn’t sure how slow we were going. I
got him to the three-eighths pole and he started to
open it up. I tried to slow him down [early], but [for
the rest of the way] I was going to let him spring
home. He galloped home like a freight train.”
It was the second Arlington Million for Dominquez
who also won aboard Gio Ponti in 2009. Just as Dom-
inquez was elated with the way the Arlington Million
played out however, Kieren Fallon aboard Afsare felt
nothing but frustration.
“I knew what was happening [with eventual winner
Little Mike setting a slow pace]. But there was noth-
ing I could do about it,” Fallon said. “I had to ride my
horse to win, and there was nothing I could do. I had
to ride my horse to win, and there was no pace.”
Pace is the key to success for Little Mike. In his last
five races going back to a Dec. 22 optional claiming
race victory at Gulfstream Park, when Little Mike has
been able to get to the half-mile pole in :47.90 or slower,
he has won. He went the half in :48.27 in winning the
Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill
Downs May 5 and he went in :48.01 while winning the
$150,000 Sunshine Millions Turf Jan. 28, also at Gulf-
stream. Distance does not seem to factor into his suc-
cess too much. Both of those races were at 11⁄8 miles. In
his last race, he was third behind Florida-bred Jeranimo
in the Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Betfair Hollywood Park
after a half in :46.40. He also won the 2011 Canadian
Turf (G3) at one mile after a half in :45.42 so he is ca-
pable of going faster early and winning. But give Little
Mike a half in :48 or so and he appears deadly.
It was the eleventh win from 19 career starts for
Little Mike who is trained by Dale Romans for
Priscilla Vaccarezza of Parkland, Fla. The $570,000
first -place check in the Million makes Little Mike the
newest Florida-bred millionaire with a career bankroll
of $1,436,412. He also joins Ron the Greek as Florida-
breds with two Grade 1 victories this year.
Bred by Carlo E. Vaccarezza, also of Parkland, Lit-
tle Mike will now be pointed to Breeders’ Cup at Santa
Anita Nov. 3 as the Arlington Million was a “Win and
You’re In” race. Entry fees to either the Breeders’ Cup
Turf or Breeders’ Cup Mile and a travel expense al-
lowance will now be paid to Ms. Vaccarezza.
“This is Florida’s horse,” said Carlo Vaccarezza,
who owns Frank and Dino’s restaurant in Dearfield
Beach and Damiano’s
restaurant in Boca Raton,
Florida along with partner
28 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
“This is Florida’s horse. And I want to say that Dale Romans is not justmy trainer but my friend. He’s done such a tremendous job with Little Mike.
A great deal of credit also goes to Jimmy Crupi.”—Carlo Vaccarezza
MIKE’SMILLION
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John Williams. “And I want to say that Dale Romans
is not just my trainer but my friend. He’s done such a
tremendous job with Little Mike. A great deal of credit
also goes to Jimmy Crupi [of Ocala and who gave Lit-
tle Mike his early training.]
“But I was also so happy to win the Arlington Mil-
lion for America. Before the race, the [Europeans]
were all so cocky saying they were going to beat us.
But Little Mike kicked [them into defeat.]”
Little Mike ended a streak of eight straight wins by
European-based runners in International Festival races at
Arlington Park that also include the $750,000 Beverly D.
(G1), $500,000 Secretariat Stakes (G1) and the $400,000
American St. Leger Stakes. The last American-based
horse to win a Festival race was the Dale Roman’s-trained
Paddy O’Prado who took the 2010 Secretariat Stakes.
Little Mike paid $9.80 for a $2 win ticket, $5.60 to
place and $4.40 to show. Afsare returned $6.60 and
$4.80. Rahystrada paid $4.40 to show while Colom-
bian returned $3.80 to show. �
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 29
Pace is the key tosuccess for Florida-bred Little Mikewhohas won 11 of 19career starts.
The Real Little Mike: Mike Vaccarezza, right, with brother Nick, celebrating his namesake’s win.
BROC
K SH
ERIDAN
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mBy MICHAEL COMPTON
Thanks to partnership groups, the cost of own-
ing Thoroughbreds doesn’t carry the hefty
price tag it once did. The simple mission of
James Culver and Kostas Hatzikoutelis’ Dream Team
Racing Stable is to introduce the unique Sport of
Kings experience to Thoroughbred industry enthu-
siasts minus the cost of a king’s ransom.
In search of new stable acquisitions at the Fasig-
Tipton Saratoga New York yearling sale in August,
Dream Team’s principals took time out to share the
stable’s philosophy.
“Dream Team partners have enjoyed many suc-
cesses on the track but the most rewarding aspect of
our business is enabling individual partners to share
in the many benefits of horse ownership and enjoy
the Sport of Kings with a nominal investment while
minimizing the risk,” said Hatzikoutelis.
Dream Team Racing Stable began in earnest
about six years ago. Both Culver and Hatzikoutelis
had participated in other partnership groups. With a
complete understanding of the costs, opportunities
and risks involved in owning racehorses, Culver,
president and racing manager of Dream Team, de-
veloped a business model that allows for affordable
participation in the ownership ranks. Investors, or
partners, receive all the benefits of horse ownership,
but are able to substantially reduce their risk by pur-
chasing fractional interests in one or several horses
for as little as an $800 investment.
“I was a partner in another syndicate and prices
started going up,” said Culver, who is based in New
York. “So, I bought a couple of horses on my own.
Some family and friends wanted to get involved. Our
stable kind of evolved from there. All I’ve ever
wanted to offer was a cost-effective form of owning
racehorses. Today, we have more than 200 partners.”
Culver oversees the stable’s operations, farm re-
lationships and sale purchases. Hatzikoutelis, Dream
Team’s vice president, resides in Georgia and spear-
heads partnership sales, client relations and
marketing efforts. Both partners are lifelong Thor-
oughbred industry enthusiasts and they explain that
the bulk of their business thus far has stemmed
from passionate advocates spreading the word.
“Jim deserves a lot of credit,” said Hatzikoutelis,
who was introduced to horse racing by his father,
Steve, while growing up in Pennsylvania. “He has im-
30 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
Kostas Hatzikoutelis (left)and James Culver (right)try and enable people to
enjoy the sport with a mini-mal risk. In the middle isJohn Rio, Mucho Macho
Man’s breeder.
PHOT
O CO
URTESY KOS
TAS HATZIKOU
TELIS
DARETODream
DreamTeam_Florida Horse_template 9/5/12 1:39 PM Page 30
mersed himself in this business for the last 15 years.
What he started is very intriguing. The horse business
needs to find more people to get involved. Jim’s business
model does just that. We want the owner who can only af-
ford to invest in one percent of a horse. We want those
people to be a part of this game. Jim’s model works.
“What attracted me to Dream Team was Jim’s ap-
proach,” Hatzikoutelis added. “His willingness to share
is hard to find. We
want to keep owners
involved. A big compo-
nent of the model is
that it has to be affordable. We want to make it conven-
ient for people to get involved in the ownership ranks.
We want to offer a prince’s experience at a pauper’s
price. We are able to do that by not spending a lot of
money advertising what we are about. Most of our busi-
ness has come through word-of-mouth marketing.”
DUE DILIGENCE
The key to Dream Team’s success is acquiring
horses at prices that can offer value to the stable’s part-
ners. Culver says he rarely entertains going above
$85,000 to purchase a prospect. Culver prefers to focus
on yearling acquisitions so that he can implement
Dream Team’s program in developing racehorses.
“I believe two-year-olds can be pushed too hard too
early,” Culver said. “I
prefer to buy yearlings.
That way we can move
at our own pace. We
have had more success doing that.”
Dream Team retains 30 to 50 percent of every horse
in the stable.
“We believe we should have skin in the game,” said
Hatzikoutelis. “That is a key to our approach.”
Finding horses that fit the physical criteria and
budget can be a challenge, but Culver and his self-
trained eye zero in on candidates to add to the stable
while staying true to the disciplined system he crafted.
“Jim has tremendous discipline,” said Hatzikoutelis.
“If he has set a limit of $40,000 at a sale and the horse
hits $41,000 Jim is out. He will walk away. He sticks
to a formula and it works.
“Pedigrees are great,” he added, “but with robust
pedigrees come robust prices. We look for sound horses.
We know they are not all going to be perfect. A little
pedigree does help, but we place our focus on value.”
Culver developed his eye through years of experi-
ence and an appetite for industry knowledge.
“I started down this road about 12 years ago,” Cul-
ver said. “I read everything I could. I went to sales, I
hung around the racetrack and I asked a lot of ques-
tions. I go to sales with a team and I am still learning.
I don’t think anyone can know this business com-
pletely. There’s always something new to learn.”
Currently, Dream Team has 20 horses in its stable.
The stable’s trainers include Bill Mott, Dale Romans,
Bill White at Calder, Kathy Ritvo, Joshua Signs, Pat
Quick, Jeff Runco and Dallas Stewart.
“We try to do things the right way,” said Hatzik-
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 31
“We believe we should have skin in the game,” said Hatzikoutelis.“That is a key to our approach.”
Dream Team partners(above) enjoyed the rideof a lifetime through lastyear’s Triple Crown runwith Florida-bred MuchoMacho Man (at left).
James Culver and Kostas Hatzikoutelis are
offering ownership opportunities to Thoroughbred
enthusiasts while realizing personal dreams through
their Dream Team Racing Stable PHOTO CO
URTESY KOS
TAS HATZIKOU
TELIS
DreamTeam_Florida Horse_template 9/5/12 1:40 PM Page 31
outelis. “We understand working with recognizable names
in the industry will only help us achieve the desired results
we’re looking to offer to our partners. We work hard at
identifying where our horses will best fit and we place
them accordingly. We want our runners to be competitive.”
At sales, Culver will assemble a short list and then
seek counsel from trusted sources close to the stable.
“Up until a few years ago I traveled with a team,” said
Culver. “These days I do most of the legwork by myself
and then I’ll ask Dale Romans to look at them for us. His
support and encouragement is a big vote of confidence. We
get a lot of different looks from trusted eyes and trainers.”
THE BIG HORSEDream Team’s Ocala roots trace back to the first
horse to carry Dream Team’s silks. John and Carole Rio
of Ocala’s Rosegrove Thoroughbred Farm have been
breaking and training Dream Team’s young runners
since the beginning.
“The very first horse I bought was from the Rios. They
have been great,” Culver said. “Their hands-on approach
has played an important role in developing our young
horses and preparing them for their racing careers.”
Dream Team partners enjoyed the ride of a lifetime
through last year’s Triple Crown run with Florida-bred
Mucho Macho Man. Owned in partnership with Reeves
Thoroughbred Racing and the Rios, Mucho Macho Man
is truly a Dream Team success story.
“The Rios told me they were breaking a promising
Macho Uno colt they bred,” said Culver. “They said he
was training very well and he had a huge stride. They
thought he was special, so we bought in.”
Mucho Macho Man has delivered on that promise.
Second in a pair of Grade 2 stakes—the Nashua and the
Remsen Stakes—as a juvenile, Mucho Macho Man
stamped his ticket to the 2011 Kentucky Derby (G1) with
a win in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) and a third in the
Louisiana Derby (G2) at three.
“I remember the Remsen very well,” Culver said. “We
were closing on To Honor and Serve. If that race had been
1¼ miles, I think we would have beaten that horse. I was
real quiet at dinner that night because all I could think
about was that we had a shot to win the Kentucky Derby.”
Hatzikoutelis also remembers dinner the night of the
Remsen. Instead of celebrating a second-place finish in
an important graded stakes race, the partners, now a
table of hushed dreamers, quietly entertained visions of
Churchill Downs on the First Saturday in May.
“We were supposed to be celebrating,” Hatzikoutelis
said. “Once Jim shared with us why he was so quiet,
everyone at dinner went quiet just thinking ahead to
what might be in our future. It hit us that people work
their entire lives in this business just to be in the position
we were in. It was almost unreal.”
For Culver, the architect behind Dream Team, Hatzik-
outelis and all the partners, the journey only got better.
“Derby day was surreal,” Culver explained. “Just to
walk over with the horse in front of that large, enthusi-
astic crowd left me speechless. I can’t even begin to de-
scribe the feeling.
“The impact Mucho Macho Man had on strangers
during Derby week was amazing to me,” he added. “One
day there was a little girl sitting on a fence and she was
so taken by the name on his saddle cloth. They took pic-
tures of him everywhere we went. I’ve never seen any-
thing like it. The whole experience flew by.”
Mucho Macho Man carried Florida’s banner and the
Dream Team colors to a game third-place finish behind
Animal Kingdom and Nehro in the Kentucky Derby under
Rajiv Maragh. He closed out his run through the classics
with a 6th-place finish in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and a
7th-place finish in the Belmont Stakes (G1).
“There are so many feel-good stories attached to
Mucho Macho Man,” said Hatzikoutelis. “From his
trainer, Kathy Ritvo, and what she overcame in her life
(heart transplant in 2008) to the horse and his humble
roots. All of the stories just fed our experience and
made it that much richer for all involved. My father
32 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
“For us, it’s about the connections. We must have had 50 people in the winner’s circle with Mucho Macho Man at
Gulfstream Park last winter. “At the Belmont Stakes we had 60 partners there with us.”—Kostas Hatzikoutelis
DARE TODream
PHOT
O CO
URTE
SY KOS
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TZIKOU
TELIS
DreamTeam_Florida Horse_template 9/5/12 1:40 PM Page 32
even traveled from Greece to take it all in with us.
“Mucho Macho Man really started the ball rolling for
us,” he added. “I had nearly 8,000 bracelets made that we
handed out to Mucho Macho Man’s fans. Today, I am down
to 100. Some of these popular horses are like rock stars,
thanks in large part to the following they generate through
social media. We definitely shared the ride with his fans.
Mucho Macho Man was the catalyst for making Dream
Team a defined name in the Thoroughbred industry.”
Recently, Dream Team sold its share in Mucho
Macho Man to Reeves Thoroughbred Racing but retain
a stake in the horse through the end of this year. Winner
of the Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream Park in
January, Mucho Macho Man has added wins in the
Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2) and most recently the
Suburban Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park.
“We’re certainly hoping he continues his tremendous
success,” said Hatzikoutelis. “We want to get him to the
Breeders’ Cup. He appears to be peaking at the right
time. One thing is certain: This horse has been a blast
for us. He is truly a special horse.”
THE PILLARS
Dream Team’s blue and white silks clearly define the
pillars that reflect the stable’s mission with three bold
stars on each sleeve. The stars represent: The Horse,
The Partner and The Stable.
“We have met many wonderful people through Dream
Team,” said Hatzikoutelis. “Our partners mean everything
to us. That’s why we emblazon the stars on our silks.
The stars are not just for us but for our partners.”
Culver and Hatzikoutelis recognize the heights they’ve
already scaled can be difficult to experience again. The
desire to return to the stage reserved for the industry’s elite
fuels their passion and pursuit of the next big horse.
“Were committed to the success of our partners,” said
Hatzikoutelis. “We’re both horse racing junkies. We love
this industry. Getting to the Derby was a big dream. Now
we want to get back there again.”
While the Kentucky Derby experience is forever
etched in his memory, Culver will never forget the
stretch run of the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds.
“I was standing near the eighth-pole when Mucho
Macho Man had about a one-length lead,” Culver said. “I
ran the length of the stretch with him. I kept telling my-
self, ‘we’re going to the Derby, we’re going to the Derby.’”
With any luck, more memorable afternoons at the
racetrack are on the horizon for Dream Team’s partners.
“For us, it’s about the connections,” said Hatzikoutelis.
“We must have had 50 people in the winner’s circle with
Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park last winter. “At the
Belmont Stakes we had 60 partners there with us. About
an hour before the Belmont, we won a $10,000 claiming
race at another track and all of us were high-fiving each
other and celebrating. It’s the reason we do this. Our com-
petitive natures kick in and winning a race, any race, and
sharing it with people is what this game is all about.” �
Hatzikoutelis(right) and Culver(second from left)with some DreamTeam partners.
“Derby day was surreal. Just to walk over with the horse in front of that large, enthusiastic crowd left me speechless. I can’t even begin to describe the feeling.”—James Culver
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 33
DreamTeam_Florida Horse_template 9/13/12 11:30 AM Page 33
FLORIDA DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICESAdam H. Putnam, Commissioner 850-617-7341 • Fax 850-617-7331
e-mail: Christopher.denmark@freshfromflorida.com407 S. Calhoun • 416 Mayo Building, Tallahassee, FL 32399
FLORIDA THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS’AND OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION
Lonny T. Powell, CEO and Executive Vice President801 SW 60th Ave. • Ocala, FL 34474 • 352-629-2160Fax: 352-629-3603 • www.ftboa.com • info@ftboa.com
BreedLikeRabbits.qxd:Layout 1 5/24/12 11:18 AM Page 1
www.facebook.com/thefloridahorse
Florida...the Best State for Business
BreedLikeRabbits.qxd:Layout 1 4/12/12 3:25 PM Page 2
By BROCK SHERIDAN
It is difficult to crown the king of the South Florida 2-year-olds after just the first of three open divisions inthe Florida Stallion Stakes , but at the end of the six furlong Dr. Fager Division at Calder Casino and RaceCourse July 28, Two T’s At Two B certainly gave reason to begin pricing thrones.
The second divisions of the Florida Stallion Stakes was run at seven furlongs at Calder Aug. 25 with the$125,000-estimated Susan’s Girl for 2-year-old fillies and the open Affirmed Di-vision, also with an estimated $125,000 purse. The Florida Stallion Stakesconcludes Oct. 13 with the My Dear Girl Stakes for 2-year-old fil-lies and the open In Reality Division, both offering $300,000-estimated purses at 11⁄16 miles on the main track.
36 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
Undefeated in three career starts Two T’s At Two B takes the Dr. Fager
Division of the Florida Stallion Stakes
StallionStakes_Florida Horse_template 9/10/12 11:55 AM Page 36
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 37
COAD
Y PH
OTOSTwo T’s At Two B won in
almost effortless fashionas he crossed the wire in
front by 33⁄4 lengths.
StallionStakes_Florida Horse_template 9/10/12 11:55 AM Page 37
Sent off as the odds-on choice with 3-5 odds, Two
T’s At Two B did not disappoint in an almost effortless
victory for owner-breeder Gilbert G. Campbell of Tyn-
gsboro, Mass., and trainer Kathleen O’Connell. Two T’s
At Two B broke alertly from post four and went right to
the lead under jockey Eduardo Nunez, blazing the first
quarter-mile in 22.09 seconds. Nunez was then able to
settle the Florida-bred son of Untuttable into a more
moderate pace of :45.75 for the half and :58.39 for five
furlongs while maintaining the lead by about a length
ahead of pressure from 9-1 third choice Cat Five Hurri-
cane in second and long shot Billos Boy in third.
“[Two T’s At Two B] wanted to go right to the lead, and
I wasn’t going to fight it,” Nunez said following the race.
Around the far turn, Two T’s At Two B began to draw off
somewhat and by the top of the stretch, the bay colt had in-
creased his margin to three lengths. Nunez did nothing but
let the young colt run and he galloped down the stretch to
eventually win by three and three-quarters lengths, stopping
the clock in 1:11.68. Dixie High rallied to get up for second
while Billos Boy hung on for third. Joshua’s Compromise
was fourth followed by Cat Five Hurricane and Wardroom.
“When [Two T’s At Two B] came to the three-eighths
pole, I asked him to take off,” Nunez said. “He opened
up his lead, and when I saw that no one was coming to
us, I eased up on him. Everything he does, he does like
a professional horse.”
Two T’s At Two B is now undefeated in three career
starts, having also won a maiden race and the $100,000
Frank Gomez Memorial Stakes, both races at Calder in May
and June respectively. In those three races Two T’s At Two
B has been headed only once—when just a bit away from
the early lead in the Gomez, and he has now moved into six
figures with $132,135 in career earnings. He has now won
his three races by a combined 16 and three-quarters lengths.
Two T’s At Two B returned $3.20 for a $2 win ticket
and $2.20 to place and $2.10 to show. Dixie High paid
$2.80 and $2.20 while Billos Boy had the highest return
on a $2 straight investment, paying $3.40 to show.
CANDY CODED UPSET IN DESERT VIXEN
If the Dr. Fager Division of the Florida Stallion
Stakes was a conformation of Two T’s At Two B as the
early standout among Calder Casino and Race Course
juvenile males, the Desert Vixen Division was a can of
worms that had been opened
by Candy Coded Kisses in
defining the best of the young South Florida fillies.
While Two T’s At Two B won at 3-5 odds, Candy
Coded Kisses went to the post in the Desert Vixen at
odds of more than 24-1 under jockey Cecelio Penalba.
It is just about there that this dissimilarities end. Al-
though Candy Coded Kisses did not get the lead out of
the gate quite as quick as her male counterpart, she did
break well from post seven in the Desert Vixen, but was
a length behind pacesetter Talent Passion after the first
furlong in a swift :22.15. The determined Candy Coded
Kisses was bound for the front however, which she had
after a half-mile in a more moderate :46.08. At the top
38 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
The Desert Vixen Division of the Florida Stallion Stakes wasa can of worms that had been opened by Candy Coded Kissesin defining the best of the young South Florida fillies.
FLORIDAFLORIDA Stallion Stakes
StallionStakes_Florida Horse_template 9/10/12 11:56 AM Page 38
of the stretch, the bay filly extended her lead to three
lengths then drew away under the urging of Penalba, hit-
ting the wire four lengths in front of favored Putyour-
dreamsawy in second and So Blessed in third.
“I was confident going into the race and the fact she
won doesn’t really surprise me,” winning jockey Ce-
cilio Penalba said. “But I think a lot of people are prob-
ably surprised right now. If she can be on the lead, the
plan was to be on the lead,” Penalba said. “But that other
filly went, and my filly was happy to put herself in that
early position. And then, when I asked her to go, she
did it very easy.”
Candy Coded Kisses returned $51.40, $13.00, and
$5.00 for her shocking victory. Putyourdreamsaway paid
$3.00 and $2.80 when finishing second, while third-
place finisher So Blessed returned $4.40.
Saturday’s victory was the second straight for Candy
Coded Kisses, who broke her maiden by a neck on July
6 in a $50,000 maiden-claimer against male rivals. The
daughter of Omega Code has a lifetime bankroll of
$60,370. Candy Coded Kisses is trained by Easton DeS-
ouza who co-owns the filly with Elsaida DeSouza.
Candy Coded Kisses was bred in Florida by Carlos
Rafael and the Briggs and Cromartie Bloodstock
Agency of Ocala.
The Florida Stallion Stakes culminates with the
$300,000-estimated In Reality and My Dear Girl divi-
sions on the October 13 Festival of the Sun card. �
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 39
Candy Coded Kisseswon the Desert Vixen Division. It was the sec-ond straight victory forthe Florida-bred filly
StallionStakes_Florida Horse_template 9/10/12 11:56 AM Page 39
40 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
he Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’Association announced in April an agreementwith Calder/Churchill Downs Inc. and the Florida
Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association forthis year’s Florida Stallion Stakes Series at Calder. The lucrative series for two-year-olds was created in
1982 to benefit the Florida Thoroughbred Breeding in-dustry. The popular series features three legs—an opendivision and a fillies division—run in July, August andconcluding in October for juveniles by Florida stallionsregistered with the FTBOA.The initial legs carry purses of $75,000 each for a total
of $150,000. Purses are increased to $125,000 for thesecond legs, totaling $250,000. Purses for the series fi-
nale swell to $300,000 each for a $600,000 total. Includ-ing Nominator Awards and $5,000 FSS Supplements forfillies (15) and colts (15) totaling an estimated $85,000,the estimated purse payments total $1,160,000.The FTBOA, FHBPA and Caldereach contributed to the program.
“I believe all parties involved recognize the impor-tance of the Florida Stallion Stakes to Florida’s ownersand breeders,” said Lonny Powell, FTBOA CEO and ex-ecutive vice president. “The juvenile program at Calder isone of the strongest in the country year in and year out,and we’re looking forward with great anticipation to thissummer’s renewal of the Florida Stallion Stakes Series.I’d like to thank the FHBPA, Calder and the members ofmy Racing Advisory Committee for assisting us in bring-ing some continuity and stability to the program.”“The Florida Stallion Stakes have long been a tradi-tion here at Calder that showcases our two-year-olds forthe whole country,” FHBPA president Phil Combest said.“Many champions have come out of the series and we atthe FHBPA are pleased that the track, breeders andhorsemen came together to support an important cor-nerstone of South Florida racing.”The first legs of the series are slated for July 28. The two
$75,000 races are the Desert Vixen Division for fillies andthe Dr. Fager Division for colts. Both races will be run at sixfurlongs. The second legs—the $125,000 Susan’s Girl Di-
vision and the Affirmed Divisions will be run Aug. 25 duringCalder’s Juvenile Showcase program. The races will becontested at seven furlongs. The FSS finales are set for theFestival of the Sun card on Oct. 13. The series concludeswith the $300,000 My Dear Girl Division and the $300,000In Reality Division. Both races are at 1 1/16 miles.2012 FLORIDA STALLIONSTAKES SERIES SCHEDULEJULY 28
Florida Stallion Stakes-$75,000 estimated Desert Vixen DivisionFlorida Stallion Stakes-$75,000 estimated Dr. Fager Division
AUG. 25Florida Stallion Stakes $125,000 estimated Susan’s Girl DivisionFlorida Stallion Stakes $125,000 estimated Affirmed Division
OCT. 13Florida Stallion Stakes $300,000 estimated My Dear Girl DivisionFlorida Stallion Stakes $300,000 estimated In Reality Division
In recent years, Fred and Jane Brei’s Jacks or BetterFarm has dominated FSS proceedings. Fort Loudoncapped off a three-race win streak last year when he wonthe In Reality Division while stablemate Awesome Bellewon the My Dear Girl Division the same day. Both ofthose runners are sired by Journeyman Stud stallionAwesome of Course, as is Redbud Road, who annexedthe Desert Vixen Division last year.The 2011 Florida Stallion Series also marked the third
consecutive year that Jacks or Better Farm and trainerStanley Gold swept either the open or fillies division ofthe series. They combined to win the fillies series in 2010with Awesome Feather, also by Awesome of Course, andswept the open division in 2009 with Jackson Bend.Another recent notable sweep was Harold Queen’s
Big Drama, who swept the 2008 Florida Stallion StakesSeries. Big Drama was conditioned by David Fawkes.In addition to the FSS and the lucrative purses for
Florida-bred juveniles, there are plenty of other substan-tial earning opportunities for Florida-breds during theCalder meet which runs through Aug. 31. The Tropical
Rewarding ExcellenceThe Florida Stallion Stakes at
Calder Keeps on Rolling
continued on page 43
AcceleratedEarningPower2Sprds_Florida Horse_template 9/6/12 6:38 AM Page 40
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 41
Advert isement
JIM LISA PHOTO
AcceleratedEarningPower2Sprds_Florida Horse_template 9/6/12 6:40 AM Page 41
FTBOA:THE VOICE OF FLORIDA’S THOROUGHBRED INDUSTRY
Since its inception, the Florida ThoroughbredBreeders’ and Owners’ Association has been re-sponsible for Florida-bred registration and adminis-tration and distribution of the industry’s incentiveawards program, which encourages individuals tobreed, train and race Thoroughbreds in Florida.
The FTBOA is dedicated to ensuring a pros-perous business climate for the industry. WithFlorida’s low taxes and smart growth policies, bas-ing a Thoroughbred operation in the SunshineState makes perfect business sense. For more in-formation, contact the FTBOA at (352) 629-2160.
2012 FLORIDA-BRED STAKES PROGRAM AT CALDERDate SEX AGE DISTANCE SURFACE PURSE RACE Definition FTBOA Supplement5/12 Fillies 3 Yo’s 6 fur. Dirt 75,000 French Village FSS 20,000 FTBOA5/12 Open 3 Yo’s 6 fur. Dirt 75,000 In Summation FSS 20,000 FTBOA
Preview Summit of Speed6/9 Open 3 Yo’s 6 fur. Dirt 75,000 Unbridled 10,000 FTBOA6/9 Open 3 & Up 6 fur. Dirt 75,000 Ponche Hdcp. 10,000 FTBOA6/9 F & M 3 & Up 6 fur. Dirt 75,000 U Can Do It H. 10,000 FTBOA6/9 Fillies 3 yo’s 6 fur. Dirt 75,000 Leave Me Alone 10,000 FTBOA6/30 Fillies 2 Yo’s 5 1/2 fur. Dirt 100,000 J J’s Dream FS Pref 45,000 FTBOA6/30 Open 2 Yo’s 5 1/2 fur. Dirt 100,000 Frank Gomez Mem. FS Pref 45,000 FTBOA7/7 Open 3 & Up 5 fur. Turf 75,000 Bob Umphrey (T) Sprint7/21 Fillies 3 Yo’s 1m 70 yds. Dirt 75,000 Three Ring FSS 20,000 FTBOA7/21 Open 3 Yo’s 1m 70 yds. Dirt 75,000 El Kaiser FSS 20,000 FTBOA7/28 Fillies 2 Yo’s 6Fur Dirt E. 75,000 Desert Vixen FSS7/28 Open 2Yo’s 6Fur Dirt E. 75,000 Dr. Fager FSS8/18 Fillies 3 Yo’s 7 1/2 fur. Turf 75,000 Crystal Rail FSS 20,000 FTBOA8/18 Open 3 Yo’s 7 1/2 fur. Turf 75,000 Naked Greed FSS 20,000 FTBOA
Juvenile Showcase8/25 Fillies 2 Yo’s 7 fur. Dirt E.125,000 Susan’s Girl FSS8/25 Open 2 Yo’s 7 fur. Dirt E.125,000 Affirmed FSS8/25 Fillies 2 Yo’s 1 mile Dirt 75,000 Lindsay Frolic FS Pref 20,000 FTBOA8/25 Open 2 Yo’s 1 mile Dirt 75,000 Seacliff FS Pref 20,000 FTBOA8/25 Fillies 2 Yo’s 5 fur. Turf 75,000 Catcharisingstar 20,000 FTBOA8/25 Open 2 Yo’s 5 fur. Turf 75,000 Fasig Tipton (T) Dash 20,000 FTBOA
42 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
AcceleratedEarningPower2Sprds_Florida Horse_template 9/6/12 6:41 AM Page 42
meet begins Sept. 1 and runs through Nov. 30 this year.New at Calder this year is a Starter Series, which offers a
combined $200,000 in purse money along with a $5,000bonus to the trainer of the points-leader at the completion ofthe series. The four-race series began in April and runsthrough May 26. It attracted a total of 74 nominations. “The Starter Series has generated a great deal of interest
from our horsemen and we’re thrilled with the positive responsewe have received,” Racing Secretary Mike Anifantis said. “Weexpect large and competitive fields for each of the four races.”The four-race series is restricted to 4-year-olds and up that
have started for $20,000 or less in 2011 or 2012 and will berun at progressively longer distances while alternating be-tween the main track and the turf course. Bisnath Parbhoo, the top trainer at the 2010-2011 Tropical
Meet, leads the way with seven horses nominated to theStarter Series, six of which run in the silks of the 2011 CalderMeet leading owner Sherry Parbhoo. Two-time leading ownerFrank C. Calabrese, winner of the 2011 and the 2010-11 Trop-ical titles, has five horses nominated to the Starter Series,three for trainer Kirk Ziadie and two for Nick Canani. Other trainers of note that have horses nominated to the
Calder Starter Series include the northern-based outfits ofVickie Foley, Jamie Ness, Jason Servis, and Peter Walder,along with longtime Calder stalwarts Dave Fawkes, Bill Ka-plan, and Stanley Gold. A $5,000 bonus will be awarded to the trainer of the horse
that accumulates the most points throughout the series, withpoints allocated to the first six finishers in each race.
THE CALDER STARTER SERIES SCHEDULE:
APRIL 14Seven Furlongs—Dirt
APRIL 28One Mile—Turf
MAY 12One Mile and Seventy Yards—Dirt
MAY 26One and One-Sixteenth Miles—Turf
Advert isement
FLORIDA THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS’ AND OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION
Lonny T. Powell, CEO and Executive Vice President 801 SW 60th Ave. • Ocala, FL 34474 • 352-629-2160Fax: 352-629-3603 • www.ftboa.com • info@ftboa.com
www.facebook.com/thefloridahorseFLORIDA DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
AND CONSUMER SERVICESAdam H. Putnam, Commissioner • 850-617-7341 • Fax 850-617-7331
e-mail: Christopher.denmark@freshfromflorida.com407 S. Calhoun • 416 Mayo Building, Tallahassee, FL 32399
Date SEX AGE DISTANCE SURFACEPURSE RACE Definition FTBOA SupplementPreview Festival of the Sun9/15 Fillies 3 Yo’s 1 1/16 m. Turf 75,000 Judy’s Red Shoes S. FSS 20,000 FTBOA9/15 Open 3 Yo’s 1 1/16 m. Turf 75,000 Needles Stakes FSS 20,000 FTBOA9/15 Fillies 2 Yo’s 1m 70 yds. Dirt 100,000 Brave Raj Stakes FSS Pref 35,000 FTBOA9/15 Open 2 Yo’s 1m 70 yds. Dirt 100,000 Foolish Pleasure Stakes FSS Pref 35,000 FTBOA9/29 Fillies 2 Yo’s 6 fur. Dirt 100,000 Cassidy S. FS Pref 35,000 FTBOA9/29 Open 2 Yo’s 6 fur. Dirt 100,000 Birdonthewire S. FS Pref 35,000 FTBOA
Festival of the Sun10/13 Open 3 Yo’s 1 1/8 m. Turf 75,000 Tropical Derby 10,000 FTBOA10/13 Fillies 3 Yo’s 1 m. Turf 75,000 Francis A. Genter 10,000 FTBOA10/13 Fillies 2 Yo’s 1 1/16 m. Dirt E.350,000 My Dear Girl FSS10/13 Open 2 Yo’s 1 1/16 m. Dirt E.350,000 In Reality FSS
Florida Million11/10 Fillies 2 Yo’s 1 1/16 m. Turf 100,000 John Franks Juvenile Fillies Turf State 50,000 FTBOA11/10 Open 2 Yo’s 1 1/16 m. Turf 100,000 Arthur I. Appleton Juvenile Turf State 50,000 FTBOA11/10 Fillies 2 Yo’s 7 fur. Dirt 125,000 Joe O Farrell Juvenile Fillies State 50,000 FTBOA11/10 Open 2 Yo’s 7 fur. Dirt 125,000 Jack Price Juvenile State 50,000 FTBOA11/10 Open 3 & Up 6 fur. Dirt 125,000 Jack Dudley Sprint H. State 50,000 FTBOA11/10 Open 3 & Up 1 1/8 m. Turf 125,000 Bonnie Heath Turf Cup State 50,000 FTBOA11/10 F & M 3 & Up 1 1/16 m. Dirt 150,000 Elmer Heubeck Distaff H. State 50,000 FTBOA11/10 Open 3 & Up 1 1/8 m. Dirt 150,000 Carl G. Rose Classic State 50,000 FTBOA
FTBOA Racing/Stakes Committee: Brent Fernung, Chair,Phil Matthews, George Russell, Fred Brei, Lonny Powell
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 43
AcceleratedEarningPower2Sprds_Florida Horse_template 9/6/12 6:43 AM Page 43
44 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
Turbulent Descent tops Florida four in New York’s Ballerina
TurbulentDescent topped a Florida-bredsuperfecta in New York as she won the Ballerina
Stakes at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 24 over fellow Florida natives Der-win’s Star in second, All Due Respect in third and Belle of the Hall in fourth.It was the fourth career Grade 1 victory for Turbulent Descent who wasmaking her first start for her new owners and trainer.Let go as the odds-on choice at 2-5, the chestnut filly was purchased pri-
vately by Michael Tabor, John Magnier and Derrick Smith after winningthe $72,000 Desert Stormer Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park on Jun. 17and was subsequently sent to trainer Todd Pletcher’s barn in New York fromMike Puype’s base in Southern California.It was under Puype that Turbulent Descent won the 2011 Test Stakes (G1)
at Saratoga, the Santa Anita Oaks (G1), the Beaumont Stakes (G2) atKeeneland and the 2010 Hollywood Starlet (G1) and $100,000 MoccasinStakes at Hollywood Park before going to Pletcher for her eighth win fromjust 12 career starts.
By BROCK SHERIDAN
Ballerina_Superfecta_Florida Horse_template 9/6/12 6:51 AM Page 44
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 45
CO
GLI
AN
ES
E P
HO
TOS
Ballerina_Superfecta_Florida Horse_template 9/6/12 6:52 AM Page 45
However, the Ballerina was not the easiest of wins
for the 4-year-old filly. At the start of the seven furlong
Ballerina, Turbulent Descent, breaking from post five,
bumped with number four Nicole H at the start before
being settled some three lengths behind early leader All
Due Respect. The 20-1 long shot quickly put two lengths
between herself and Island
Bound on the rail, Nicole H be-
tween horses and Turbulent De-
scent on the outside as they went
the first two furlongs in an hon-
est :23.02 and the first half-mile
in an equally calculated :45.33.
Island Bound could not keep up around the turn as Tur-
bulent Descent and Nicole H ranged up to catch All Due
Respect coming out of the bend. Not far into the stretch,
Nicole H dropped back while Turbulent Descent took the
lead and began to pull away from Nicole H. Turbulent De-
scent went on to win by more than a length as Derwin’s
Star had rallied from fifth to get up for the place. All Due
Respect fought hard down the stretch and kept the show
spot. The final time for the seven furlongs was 1:22.13.
“Turning for home [Turbulent Descent] kind of
bumped with the horse inside of us and she got into the
bridle a little bit earlier than I hoped for,” jockey John
Velazquez said after the race. “But she ran a great race.”
The $300,000 first-place check
allowed Turbulent Descent to join
the Florida-bred fraternity of mil-
lionaires as she now has a career
bankroll of $1,201,640. Pletcher
also made note of her career ac-
complishments after the race.
“You’re talking about a filly that’s a Grade 1 win-
ner at [ages] two, three and four and that’s pretty rare,”
Pletcher said.
The Ballerina was a “Win and You’re In” race, giv-
ing Turbulent Descent an automatic berth in the Breed-
ers’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) to be run at Santa
Anita Nov. 2. �
SaratogaSuperfecta
“You’re talking about a fillythat’s a Grade 1 winner at
[ages] two, three and four andthat’s pretty rare.”
—trainer Todd Pletcher
46 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
Turbulent Descent (inside) bests three other
Florida-breds for an allFlorida Superfecta
Ballerina_Superfecta_Florida Horse_template 9/10/12 11:58 AM Page 46
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 47
The following list includes currently active, deceased, and pensioned stallions, with racing results updated through September 4, 2012. Statistics provided by The Jockey Club Information Systems Inc.
Leading Florida Sires
PUT IT BACKWILDCAT HEIR CHAPEL ROYALNA Stk Gr Leading Leading Yrlg Yrlg 2yo 2yo
Name Sire Name Farm Name Earnings Strtrs Wnrs SW's Wins SW's Earnings Earner Earnings Sold Avg Sold Avg
Wildcat Heir Forest Wildcat Journeyman Stud $3,325,922 164 87 5 5 1 $3,405,559 Derwin’s Star $233,000 24 $26,458 16 $47,813
Put It Back Honour and Glory Bridlewood Farm $2,929,345 177 81 7 10 4 $3,152,371 Yara $292,250 32 $17,556 28 $42,679
Chapel Royal Montbrook Signature Stallions $2,147,187 192 85 3 3 0 $2,159,171 Dolly Peach $121,875 17 $14,629 7 $15,500
With Distinction Storm Cat Hartley/DeRenzo $2,124,443 146 78 0 0 0 $2,129,197 Canuletmedowneasy $138,930 21 $26,200 22 $25,432
Full Mandate A.P. Indy Hartley/DeRenzo $2,064,914 86 49 1 2 1 $2,094,771 Ron the Greek $1,022,932 2 $1,600 3 $20,500
Repent Louis Quatorze Cloverleaf Farms II $1,879,063 159 63 2 4 0 $1,885,242 Lotta Lovin $124,914 9 $16,078 7 $20,386
Leroidesanimaux (BRZ) Candy Stripes Stonewall Farm Ocala $1,471,978 81 36 4 5 1 $1,647,874 Aquitania $130,000 21 $37,293 5 $125,400
Halo’s Image Halo Deceased $1,548,500 60 29 1 2 1 $1,548,500 Turbo Compressor $677,180 4 $5,675 3 $12,167
Graeme Hall Dehere Winding Oaks Farm $1,418,180 92 40 0 0 0 $1,418,312 Duke of Mischief $212,000 12 $19,342 14 $29,464
Value Plus Unbridled’s Song Stonewall Farm Ocala $1,307,305 101 47 0 0 0 $1,408,967 Sweet Jody $67,329 22 $10,582 6 $33,750
Leading Sires_Florida Horse_template 9/13/12 3:55 PM Page 47
48 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
The following list includes currently active, deceased, and pensioned stallions, with racing results updated through September 4, 2012. Statistics provided by The Jockey Club Information Systems Inc.
Leading Florida Juvenile Sires
WILDCAT HEIRPUT IT BACK HIGH COTTONNA Stk Gr Leading Leading Yrlg Yrlg 2yo 2yo
Name Sire Name Farm Name Earnings Strtrs Wnrs SW's Wins SW's Earnings Earner Earnings Sold Avg Sold Avg
Put It Back Honour and Glory Bridlewood Farm $549,179 24 12 3 3 1 $549,179 Putyourdreamsaway $115,975 32 17,556.25 28 $42,678
Wildcat Heir Forest Wildcat Journeyman Stud $320,414 26 7 0 0 0 $320,414 Heir Kitty $66,000 24 26,458.33 16 $47,812
High Cotton Dixie Union Ocala Stud $308,867 15 5 1 1 1 $308,867 Spurious Precision $168,000 9 26,222.22 19 $34,500
With Distinction Storm Cat Hartley/DeRenzo $224,680 18 7 0 0 0 $224,680 Too Fast to Pass $51,420 21 26,200.00 22 $25,431
Bring the Heat In Excess (IRE) Ward Ranch $197,176 11 4 1 1 0 $197,176 Rip Roarin Ritchie $70,645 2 $40,000
Doneraile Court Seattle Slew Stonnewall Farm Ocala $184,752 17 6 1 1 1 $188,618 Scherer Magic $110,400 11 10,465.83 1 $20,000
Untuttable Unbridled Stonehedge Farm South $162,365 5 2 1 2 0 $162,365 Two T’s At Two B $144,385
Value Plus Unbridled’s Song Stonewall Farm Ocala $162,133 14 4 0 0 0 $162,133 Baby Princess $48,000 22 10,581.82 6 $33,750
Chapel Royal Montbrook Signature Stallions $154,210 16 6 0 0 0 $159,712 Mr Rodriguez $43,000 17 14,629.41 7 $15,500
Cowtown Cat Distorted Humor Journeyman Stud $147,474 15 5 0 0 0 $150,123 Calgary Cat $49,499 25 17,000.00 22 $43,068
The following list includes currently active, deceased, and pensioned stallions, with racing results updated through September 4, 2012. Statistics provided by The Jockey Club Information Systems Inc.
Leading Florida Freshman Sires
CIRCULAR QUAYCOWTOWN CAT GOT THE LAST LAUGHNA Stk Gr Leading Leading Yrlg Yrlg 2yo 2yo
Name Sire Name Farm Name Earnings Strtrs Wnrs SW's Wins SW's Earnings Earner Earnings Sold Avg Sold Avg
Cowtown Cat Distorted Humor Journeyman Stud $147,474 15 5 0 0 0 $150,123 Calgary Cat $49,499 25 $17,000 22 $43,068
Circular Quay Thunder Gulch Journeyman Stud $99,073 12 5 0 0 0 $99,073 Jewel in the Sky $43,313 14 $13,014 19 $36,826
Got the Last Laugh Distorted Humor McKathan Brothers $84,835 5 3 0 0 0 $84,835 Giggle Fit $27,000 4 $5,625 4 $12,375
The Green Monkey Forestry Hartley/DeRenzo $80,085 5 1 0 0 0 $80,085 Kinz Funky Monkey $64,400 1 $2,000 3 $48,667
Gottcha Gold Coronado’s Quest Ocala Stud $70,750 10 1 0 0 0 $70,750 My Daddy’s Dollars $22,530 7 $7,386 13 $26,769
Keyed Entry Honour and Glory Bridlewood Farm $61,429 10 1 0 0 0 $61,429 Hyena $48,000 17 $5,918 16 $33,313
Belgravia Mr. Greeley Hartley/DeRenzo $17,740 4 1 0 0 0 $17,740 Bel Dancing $10,400 16 $12,331 13 $15,038
Indy Wind A.P. Indy Journeyman Stud $4,120 5 0 0 0 0 $4,120 Rose Indy $2,040 4 $7,875 4 $12,500
Leading Sires_Florida Horse_template 9/13/12 3:56 PM Page 48
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 49
breeder’s awards. But many of us were waitingfor the next shoe to drop, when some tracks fig-ured a way to have their casinos, and slots, butnot have the investment and demands of live rac-ing at all or curtail it significantly. That is exactlywhat is happening with barrel racing. These bar-rel racing rogue permit holders are trying to cre-ate a venue by which thoroughbred racing canbe eliminated. They pay very small purses, havea very small number of horses to provide spacefor and still qualify for their other forms of morelucrative gaming. It is an ugly thing that is hap-pening.
I want everyone to realize two other pointsthat are very important about this diabolicalprocess. These people are doing everything theycan do to delegitimize the now legitimate, andtraditional, horsemen’s groups. That is theFTBOA and the FHBPA [Florida Horsemen’sBenevolent and Protective Association]. Wehave always been the groups that the racetrackshad to enter in to agreement with for breeder’sincentives and purses. The Gretna people wantto create their own “cozy” horse groups, basi-cally run by them, which they will supposedlynegotiate with, and by doing so cut us out of theprocess. And I don’t mean the barrel racingprocess, I mean Thoroughbred racing!
The second point I want to make is this.Where have the race tracks been on this issue?The silence has been deafening. They don’t vis-ibly take a stand but they are just waiting to seewhat happens. As one high ranking racing offi-cial said to me, “Hey, we like it. We like the flex-ibility it could provide.” This should send a chilldown the spine of any individual or organiza-tion truly dedicated to live thoroughbred racingin Florida.
TFH: What do you see as some of thelarger challenges and opportunities aheadfor the FTBOA?
PM: I think our members create and providemany of their own opportunities by breedinggreat horses that continue to consistently andsuccessfully compete on a world stage. Weshould all be incredibly proud of the product thatis turned out by the people of this state. We needto work as an association to protect the pastachievements and continue to strive for more.We need to work toward an equitable solutionwith Advance Deposit Wagering and to have aseat at the table when destination resort casinosbecome a reality, we need to be able to producequality and economically rewarding racing inMarion County as the other tracks contract theirdates as they are trying to do.
The challenges are many. The economy maybe our greatest challenge and one that we havethe least control over, so we must focus on thosethat we can influence. I’ve already mentioned thebarrel racing debacle. I mentioned ADW as anopportunity, which ultimately it will be, but in themeantime it is a struggle, certainly a challenge.
You know, unfortunately, there is a long list ofchallenges to our industry. That is why strength,vibrancy and relevance need to be key focalpoints of this association. We are and must bemore than “just an administrator of BreedersAwards.” It is our responsibility to also lead, fa-cilitate, advocate and otherwise promote theFlorida thoroughbred industry.
Brock, let me digress for a minute. There are many in our membership who
speak to one topic only; increasing our breeder’sawards. On one level, I think that is fair, it shouldbe a major priority. The higher they can be thebetter. Who in their right-mind would ever thinkdifferently? It allows present breeders more po-tential to get more money and it provides addedincentive for more people to come to Florida tobreed their horses.
So what I think amajor challenge is; is toeducate our membershipabout how that can hap-pen. As I said, we don’texist in a bubble. We area very unique industrythat few people under-stand and, unfortunately,fewer are embracingevery year, referring tothe fan and owner base.So let’s couple that withwhere the money comes
from. It comes from the handle and the slot ma-chine and card room revenue at the racetracks.Therefore, it is absolutely imperative to protectthese sources; our only sources of income.
To do that, we need relevance. We need tobe relevant to the legislature. We need to showthem on both a professional and unified basisthat we are a large and vital part of the econ-omy in Florida and that we are a significantgrass-roots voting bloc. So that we can per-suade them that we need help with immigra-tion, taxation, workman’s comp law, ADW,awards flexibility, etc. We need to be relevant
to the state, to the people of the state, so thatthey see us as a vital industry, not simply thesport of kings or a rich man’s hobby as so manyperceive We need to be strong and relevant tobe able to negotiate with the other stake hold-ers in the industry, negotiate positions that pre-serve racing dates and as strong a percentageof handle and other revenues as possible to-ward our trust fund, our breeder’s awards,purses and our future.
It is this relevance that is so important. Iwould argue it is more important now than ever.Gretna and other gaming interests want to claimwe are irrelevant; that our time has come andgone. They want to write us off as being unableto get beyond the in-fighting; that we shouldn’thave a place at the negotiating table.
To counter this andachieve our goals weneed to be the wholepackage. Good legalcounsel, good lobbyist,strong and savvy CEO,hardworking board andofficers and a unifiedmembership. This ishow this Associationprotects and forwardsthe interests of its mem-bers.
We must do all ofthese things. I’m afraidit is naïve and totally un-realistic to think that theFTBOA should consistof a bean counter in theback room that reaches
in to a pot of money and sends out breeder’sawards. The pot will quickly dry up under suchlimited vision. There are people working veryhard, every day, through their selfish interests,trying to dry that pot up. Many of our mem-bers realize this and are enthusiastic and fo-cused on moving forward in a constructive,unified manner.
That being said, we continue to make thearea of membership services and education amajor focus of what we do and something thatLonny, myself and the FTBOA staff are excitedabout building upon. We also believe that it isvery important that the board and managementcontinue to be proactive as we look down theroad. Toward this end, I am working withLonny to have a board and staff strategic plan-ning session in the near future. To make thisworkable, we are currently planning a formatby which the members can provide theirthoughts and concerns for the board’s consid-eration in this effort.
Florida is a great place to breed, raise,train and race horses. It is up to us, all of us,to protect this fine tradition and make it as re-warding to our current members as possiblewhile enticing people outside of the state tojoin us. People in our business are forever op-timistic; I’m no different. �
“Florida is agreat place tobreed, raise, train and race
horses. It is up to us, all of us,to protect this fine tradition andmake it as rewarding to ourcurrent members as possible
while enticing people outside ofthe state to join us. People inour business are forever opti-mistic; I’m no different.”
Phil Matthews from page 25
Q&A with FTBOA President Phil Matthews
Presidents Report2pgs_tweaked_EditorWelcome 9/13/12 3:52 PM Page 49
Florida...the Best State for Business
FLORIDA THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS’AND OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION
Lonny T. Powell, CEO and Executive Vice President801 SW 60th Ave. • Ocala, FL 34474 • 352-629-2160Fax: 352-629-3603 • www.ftboa.com • info@ftboa.com
has a leg upon the
competition
Florida...
LegUp.qxd:Layout 1 7/10/12 12:52 PM Page 1
From coast to coast, Florida’s tax-friendly,pro-business environment is poised and ready to attractnew companies and create new employment opportunities.
• No personal state income tax.• No individual capital gains tax.• National leader in veterinary and equine research.• Ranked third in the U.S. for number of horses and size of horse industry.• Horses are exempt from sales tax when purchased from their original breeder.• Feed and animal health items, along with other specific items, are also exempt.• Florida’s greenbelt exemption provides property tax breaksfor Florida horse farms.
• No tax on stallion seasons.• Physical climate allows for year-round training, racing, showingand business opportunities.
FLORIDA DEPT. OF AGRICULTUREAND CONSUMER SERVICESAdam H. Putnam, Commissioner 850-617-7341 • Fax 850-617-7331e-mail: Christopher.denmark@freshfromflorida.com407 S. Calhoun • 416 Mayo Building, Tallahassee, FL 32399 www.facebook.com/thefloridahorse
LegUp.qxd:Layout 1 7/10/12 12:53 PM Page 2
52 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
outside and chased down Maple Forest and
Roman Treasure. Taking the lead with some
100 yards to run, C C’s Pal then fought off a
hard closing Island Bound in second and the
Florida-breds Beat the Blues and Belle of the
Hall in third and fourth respectively. Final time
for the six furlongs was 1:09.88.
“It was awful quick up front,” trainer
Richard Dutrow Jr., trainer of C C’s Pal said
after the race. “We wanted to save ground and
the turn. [C C’s Pal] can lead, stalk… she fired
another bullet.”
Winning jockey Junior Alvarado was
equally complementary of C C’s Pal, who was
bred in Florida by Beth Bayer of Ocala. “The
filly is just amazing,” Alvardo said. “It’s a lit-
tle easier for you when you ride this kind of
horse. Rick Dutrow really had her ready, too.
“My filly has enough speed to close if they
are going slow or if they’re going fast, I know
I’ll be in a good spot. That’s pretty much what
happened. They went real, real fast and I was
in a nice spot saving ground. She really gave
me a nice kick in the end.”
Royal Currier majestic inTeddy DroneMat Stable LLC’s Royal Currier raced to the
lead entering the stretch and then held off the
late charge of fellow Florida-bred Soaring
Stocks to score by a nose in the $100,000 Teddy
Drone Stakes at Monmouth Park Jul. 29.
Royal Currier broke well from post five
and went with Secret Commander to set the
early pace of :22.26 for the first quarter and
:44.97 for the half. Around the far turn,
jockey Joe Bravo began to ask Royal Currier
and the two had the lead when they straight-
ened away for home. Soaring Stock began to
drop back at that point while Travelin Man
made a three-wide rally and nearly caught
Royal Currier. However, Royal Currier found
more and held on to win by a nose. The fi-
inal time was 1:093⁄5
for the six furlongs.
Royal Currier is
trained by Patricia
Farro and was ridden
by Joe Bravo for his
second win of the day.
This was the sec-
ond straight stakes
victory at Mon-
mouth for Royal Currier, a 4-year-old son
of Red Bullet who captured the Mr. Prospec-
tor Stakes here on July 8. Royal Currier was
bred in Florida by Adena Springs.
Cash Rules responds to Correction by Saez
Part of being a successful jockey is
being able to find one’s mistake in a race
lost and correct it. It may have been in the
Calder Casino and Race Course jockeys’
quarters after the Primal Stakes on July 12,
when jockey Luis Saez, looking up at the
replay on the television monitor, realized
his mistake. Perhaps he had known it the
moment he crossed the finish line—the re-
play only confirmed it. In any case, he had
seen his error.
What Saez saw on the replay was that he
had taken the lead at the top of the stretch
aboard Cash Rules in the $51,000 stake after
stalking pace-setter Oligarch through much of
the 11⁄16-mile race. But just as he took the lead,
Rip Roarin Ritchie tearsThrough Tyro StakesRichard Ravin’s Rip Roarin Ritchie did not
disappoint his backers betting at Monmouth
Park Aug. 5 when the Florida-bred son of
Bring the Heat was sent to the post in the
$60,000 Tyro Stakes at the odds-on choice at
4-5. The Tyro Stakes
featured a field of
eight 2-year-olds
going five furlongs on
grass at the Oceanport,
N.J., track.
Bred in Florida by
trainer Wesley Ward of
Hallandale Beach, Rip
Roarin Ritchie broke
well from the inside post and quickly as-
sumed command under jockey Elvis Trujillo.
The dark bay or brown colt opened up day-
light on the field taking them through quick
fractions of :22.04 for the first quarter-mile
and :44.67 through the first half-mile. De-
spite the quick early pace, like most Florida-
breds Rip Roarin Ritchie held on for the win,
a half-length ahead of runner-up I’m Bound-
toscore, who had chased him from the sec-
ond spot for most of the race. I’m
Boundtoscore was a neck ahead of third-
place finisher Itsmyluckyday, who had ral-
lied from the fifth spot to almost catch the
leaders. Final time for the five-eighths of a
mile was :56.46 over the firm turf.
“He broke really fast out of the gate,” win-
ning jockey Elvis Trujillo said. “The gates
opened and he was three lengths in front al-
ready. He relaxed really well, but I had to ride
him a little in the stretch because he started
looking around.”
The $36,000 winner’s check increased the
lifetime earnings for Rip Roaring Ritchie to
$70,645.
He now has two wins from three career
starts having also won a maiden special
weight event at Churchill Downs in
Louisville, Ky., on Jun. 15. In the colt’s only
loss, he was third against maiden special
weight company at Woodbine Race Course
near Toronto, Ont., May 13—a race in which
winner Uncaptured would later go on to win
two $150,000 stakes.
FloridaFOCUS
EQUI PHO
TO
Florida-bred Rip Roarin Ritchie
COAD
Y PH
OTO
Florida-bred Cash Rules
DENV
ER PHO
TO
Florida-bred Royal Currier
continued from page 12
Focus_Layout 1 9/10/12 11:34 AM Page 52
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 53
South Florida nemesis Numb Lips sped past
and went on to win by three-lengths. Cash
Rules fought on stubbornly to hold second,
but Saez knew he had not given the Florida-
bred gelding his best ride.
Saez responded and would change his
strategy slightly in the $55,000 Band Is Pass-
ing Stakes at Calder Aug. 11 and it worked
to perfection as Cash Rules avenged his loss
in the Primal by winning the 11⁄16 stake over
a sloppy main track. The Band Is Passing
was scheduled for the turf, but thunder-
storms had forced officials to move the race
to the main track.
Again Oligarch set the pace, taking the
Band Is Passing field through sluggish frac-
tions of :23.92, :48.29 and 1:13.69. Again
Saez and Cash Rules laid back in third, about
two lengths behind the frontrunner with long
shot Runyon Humor separating them in sec-
ond. At the top of the stretch, Oligarch began
to tire and drifted out just a bit. Saez, waiting
a bit more patiently this time, could not pass-
up the opportunity to hit the hole on the rail
and shot Cash Rules to the lead. This time
Cash Rules had plenty left and he went on to
extend his lead to two and one-half lengths at
the wire. The final time was 1:46.26.
Numb Lips rallied for second but was
never a threat. Finishing third was Liberty Cap
while Oligarch and Runyon Humor faded to
sixth and seventh respectively. Duc Duc was
fourth and Flatter This was fifth to complete
the order of finish.
Trained by Dave Fawkes for owner and
co-breeder Larry Fugate of Dade City, Cash
Rules was bred in
Florida by Fugate and
Marsh Novak and
Suzanne Novak also of
Dade City, Cash Rules
won his fifth race from
12 career races and in-
creased his earnings to
$167,226. The Band Is
Passing was his second
stakes win of the current Calder meeting hav-
ing also taken the Sumter Stakes on May 5 at
the Miami Gardens, Fla., track.
The win by Cash Rules was the sixth of the
day for Saez, who became just the ninth jockey
in the 40-year history of Calder to win that many
races on a single card. The last to accomplish
the feat was Manoel Cruz in November, 2005.
Eddie Castro holds the one-day win record at
Calder, riding nine winners in June, 2005.
Bridgetown spans Troy forSecond timeThere weren’t many surprises in the
$100,000 Troy Stakes at Saratoga Aug. 15. Eu-
gene Melnyk Racing Stables’ Bridgetown was
expected to be on the lead early in the five and
one-half furlong turf race and as the 7-5 favorite,
was also expected to be in front at the wire.
As it turned out,
all came true.
Trained by Todd
Pletcher, Bridgetown
broke second from
post three but quickly
had the lead and took
the field of seven 3-
year-olds and older
through a quick first
quarter-mile in :23.34 and a half in :44.08 while
running stride-for-stride with 2-1 second choice
Perfect Officer in second and Freudian
Dilemma, a length and one-half behind in third.
At the top of the stretch, Freudian Dilemma
dropped back while Bridgetown and Perfect
Officer turned for home together under little
urging by their riders. Three-sixteenths from the
wire the running became more serious as both
John Velazquez on Bridgetown and Javier
Castellano on Perfect Office threw their re-
spective crosses and began to ride with more
urgency as they battled to the finish line. Perfect
Officer hung tough down the stretch but
Bridegetown was too much as he went on to
win by a half-length over Perfect Officer in sec-
ond. Florida-bred Wekiva Wachee rallied for
third some four lengths back with Night Offi-
cer, Regally Ready, Zeb and Freudian Dilemma
completing the order
of finish. Final time
was 1:101.52.
After the race,
Pletcher said there
were aspects that he
had expected and
everything turned
out almost exactly
as planned.
It was the second consecutive victory in
the Troy Stakes for Bridgetown, who won
this race last year with Valazquez aboard.
Although the race was a bit easier in 2011
for Bridgetown when he won by more than
Old Time Hockey ices La JollaOnly four horses started in the 72nd running of $147,000 La Jolla Handicap (G2) at
Del Mar Aug. 11 and three hit the wire together.
Old Time Hockey, who was bred in Florida by owner Leonard Lavin’s Glen Hill Farm
in Ocala, won the 11⁄16 turf test over My Best Brother in second in what was a rematch of
the faster division of the $109,000 Oceanside Stakes run at Del
Mar July 18. In that race, My Best Brother was the winner and
Old Time Hockey was third.
Ridden by jockey Joe Talamo for the first time in the La Jolla,
Old Time Hockey sat behind My Best Brother and Chips All In as
they set fractions of :23.80, :47.85 for the first quarter and half-mile.
Chips All In made a run at My Best Brother down the backstretch,
but the favorite drew clear again as they went the six furlongs in
1:10.72. By that time Old Time Hockey began to make a move while
racing three-wide and was able to eventually chase down My Best
Brother in the last strides while Chips All In would not give in either. At the wire, Old Time
Hockey was a nose in front of My Best Brother, who was a head in front of Chips All In in
third. Blingo was fourth. Final time for the 11⁄16 miles on the grass was 1:40.55.
It was the third career victory from nine starts for Old Time Hockey and the career
earnings for the 3-year-old gelding now stand at $200,228.
BENO
IT & ASS
OCIATE
S PH
OTO
Florida-bred Old Time Hockey
COGL
IANE
SE PHO
TO
Florida-bred Bridgetwon
Focus_Layout 1 9/10/12 11:34 AM Page 53
54 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
six lengths, this running went according to
plan but had some challenges as well.
Bridgetown was also bred in Florida by
Eugene Melnyk, owner of Winding Oaks
Farms in Ocala, and was named after the
city of Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados.
Melnyk resides in Barbados. It was the
eighth victory and sixth stakes win from 18
starts for the 5-year-old horse who now has
a career bankroll of $844,700.
Awesome Belle scores Second straight stakes In Crystal RailHaving halted a nine-race losing streak
with a victory in the $75,000 Three Ring
Stakes on July 21, the Jacks or Better
Farm, Inc. homebred filly Awesome Belle
won for the second straight time when
leading at every call to take the co-fea-
tured $75,000 Crystal Rail Stakes at
Calder Casino & Race Course on Aug. 18.
Having made an easy lead under some
aggressive handling from jockey Fernando
Jara, Awesome Belle never faced any real
threat as the pacesetter, guiding the field
of 3-year-old fillies through moderate
early fractions of :24.87 and :48.54.
Awesome Belle was forced to repel a
mid-turn challenge from Montessa G, and
the filly responded willingly, opening up a
1½-length lead at the top of the stretch and
expanding that margin to 2¼ lengths at the
wire, running the 7½-furlong trip, over a
turf course listed as good, in 1:30.53.
“When I asked her to go, she was there
for me, and she started to run again,” Jara
said.
With her Crystal Rail Stakes victory,
Awesome Belle increased her career earn-
ings to $353,387. The Stanley Gold-
trained daughter of Awesome of Course is
now a four time winner from 17 starts, and
is a three-time stakes winner at Calder,
adding a victory in last year’s $300,000
My Dear Girl Division of the Florida Stal-
lion Stakes to her 2012 Three Ring and
Crystal Rail triumphs.
Awesome Of Course stands at Journey-
man Stud in Ocala, Fla.
Empire Builder constructsFirst stakes winLuis Duco Stables, Inc.’s sophomore
colt Empire Builder became a stakes-
winner on grass for the first time when
taking the $75,000 Naked Greed Stakes
by two lengths on Aug. 18.
“He is a good horse on the dirt,”
winning rider Jonathan Gonzales said
of the 3-year-old colt, already a two-
time stakes winner on the Calder main
track. “But I think I saw today that he’s
much better on the grass.”
Content to settle in fifth-place
through the opening quarter-mile of the
Naked Greed, Empire Builder was
asked to run a bit earlier than usual
when advancing on the early leader
Harrison Bay through an opening half-
mile that went in :47.32.
“I knew where I wanted to put him
early; so out of the gate I was able to get
a position,” Gonzales said. “When I saw
the half-mile (marker) coming, I knew
it was time to go. And when I asked him
(to run), he just went.”
Empire Builder made the lead rather
easily and quickly opened up a three-
length lead on his overmatched rivals.
While that margin was whittled away
late, at no point in the stretch was the
result ever in peril as the son of Kitten’s
Joy ran unchallenged through the wire,
covering the 7 ½-furlong trip in 1:29.47.
“At the finish line, my horse still
wanted more,” Gonzales said.
With his victory in the Naked Greed,
the Luis Duco-trained Empire Builder
improved his career record to five wins
from 12 starts, with lifetime earnings of
$151,145.
West Acre was euthanized due to com-
plications of laminitis Thursday, August
16 at Stonehedge Farm South, where he
stood for owners Gilbert and Marilyn
Campbell, since 1998.
To date, the unraced son of Forty Niner
has sired 179 winners from 12 crops of
racing age and earners of more than $13
million. Among West Acre’s 30 graded
stakes horses are Ivanavinalot, winner of
the Grade 2 Bonnie Miss Stakes and the
My Dear Girl division of the Florida Stal-
lion Stakes and his leading money earner
with a $647,300 career bankroll; Tampa
Bay Derby (G2) winner Watch Me Go;
and Orchid Stakes (G3) victor Speak Easy
Gal, a winner of $413,761.
In 2010, West Acre was the only
Florida sire with three 2-year-olds on the
Experimental Free Handicap and he was
the second-leading Florida sire of juvenile
stakes horses the same year, with six. He
currently has 20 winners and six stakes
performers from 40 starters.
Florida sire West Acre, Dead at 17
FloridaFOCUS
COADY PHOTO
Florida-bred Awesomes Belle
COADY PHOTO
Florida-bred Empire Builder
LOUISE REINAGEL PHOTO
West Acre
Focus_Layout 1 9/10/12 11:34 AM Page 54
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 55
Shadowbdancing lands Millionaire status withPrairie Meadows winShadowbdancing seems to pass mile-
stones with every start and the 7-year-
old horse did just that again Jul. 28 at
Prairie Meadows while winning the
$98,000 Prairie Meadows Handicap.
Bred in Florida by Ocala Stud Farm
and by Montbrook, who stands at the
Ocala farm, Shadowbdancing grabbed
control of the 1¼ race around the first
turn when he and jockey Quincy Hamil-
ton took the lead and the field through
the first quarter mile in :23.76 and the
first half-mile in :46.90. Around the far
turn Shadowbdancing edged clear of
stalker Hope for Today and had a three-
length advantage at the top of the
stretch. That margin only increased as
Shadowbdancing hit the wire seven
lengths ahead of Hope for Today in sec-
ond and It Happened Again in third.
Shadowbdancing picked up $60,000
for owner RNB Racing LLC, pushing
his career earnings into six figures at
$1,000,147. Shadowbdancing now has
six of his 15 career wins at the Altoona,
Ia., track where is also just one of two
horses (the other being Wayzata Bay) to
win all three of the track’s big races for
older horses after also winning the 2009
and 2012 Jim Rasmussen Memorial
Stakes and the 2010 Cornhusker Hand-
icap (G3).
BOYD
GAM
INGS
PHO
TO
Florida-bred Shadowbdancing
Focus_Layout 1 9/10/12 11:34 AM Page 55
56 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
By HEATHER SMITH THOMAS
Skin diseases in horses have many different
causes, including pathogenic fungi. These
tiny organisms can survive and multiply
in a wider range of temperature and environ-
ments than most bacteria or viruses. Some fungi
are parasites, causing skin or systemic infections
in humans and animals, multiplying by sending
out microscopic spores. The spores can survive
in the environment for long periods of time. Fol-
lowing are examples of equine diseases caused
by fungi and fungal-like organisms.
RINGWORM – The most common fungal in-
fections in horses are the dermatophytes (para-
sitic fungi). Some of these are commonly found
in soil (geophilic fungi) or in animals (zoophilic
fungi), according to Dr. Leonel Mendoza (Bio-
medical Laboratory Diagnostics, Michigan State
University). “The most important of these in
horses are Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton
metagrophytes, and Trichophyton equinum.
There are also a few unusual cases in horses
caused by Microsporum canis, which is much
more common in cats and dogs. I had a case in
a horse that developed extensive lesions, and
found that the barn cat was sleeping on top of the
saddle blanket during the night,” says Mendoza.
“Sometimes we see unusual cases of Tri-
chophtyton verrucosum which is more common
in cattle. But because cattle and horses are often
pastured together, horses may develop this type
of ringworm. It can be difficult to diagnose in
horses because the lesions are more inflamma-
tory, with wet exudates rather than dry skin with-
out hair.” The horse owner should have a veteri-
narian examine the horse for proper diagnosis.
“The only way to get a diagnosis is by taking
a skin scraping to send to a laboratory. They will
look at it under a microscope, using 10% potas-
sium hydroxide, and try to find filamentous hy-
phae, arthrospores, and invasion of the hair. The
fungus goes inside the hair, damages it, and the
hair falls out,” says Mendoza.
When a horse has ringworm, the fungi can
spread to other areas of the body, and to other an-
imals and humans. “This disease is insidious.
The horse may rub against a fence and leave
some spores on the fence. Humans may pick up
the infection, leaning against the fence, putting
their arms over the fence, or climbing over a
fence. If a horse rubs and creates small cuts or
abrasions in the skin, or a human has small nicks
in the skin, dermatophytes can pass from the
fences to other horses and humans,” he says.
“These dermatophytes can survive in the envi-
ronment a long time. We think these fungi originally
lived in the ground, and then adapted to living on
mammals. They are geophilic, which means they
live in the soil. Some have adapted to living on hu-
mans and have become what we call anthropophilic
(able to live on human skin) or zoophilic (living on
animals). They often spread from one species to an-
other, especially from animals to humans, and only
rarely from humans to animals,” he says.
“Most ringworm agents are zoonotic, which
means they can travel from one animal to another
species of animal, and from an animal to humans,”
EquineCare
EquineCare_USE_Florida Horse_template 9/6/12 7:09 AM Page 56
says Mendoza. If you have a pet or a horse with ring-
worm, be aware that you could get this infection, too.
Children often get ringworm from dogs or cats that har-
bor Microsporum canis.
Ringworm is often more common during winter in
horses and cattle and can be readily spread from one an-
imal to another. “One animal may be a carrier, and
spreads it to the others,” he says.
TREATMENT FOR RINGWORM – If you have several
horses with ringworm, the treatment is expensive be-
cause it takes a lot of medication to provide an adequate
dose for such a large animal. Anti-ringworm drugs work
well for dogs and cats, but the cost would be high for a
horse. “The usual treatment I recommend, which is
cheaper, is to use potassium iodine or sodium iodine so-
lution (diluted to about 5 or 10% with water) to wash
the skin,” says Mendoza.
“These iodine compounds can be given orally, but
you must use the prescription drug for animals. Your
veterinarian could give advice on dosage. These drugs
are used in combination with topical iodine treatment.
The iodine-based shampoos can be used over the whole
body if the horse has many areas affected,” he says.
“There are vaccines that can be used to prevent and to
cure ringworm infections in cattle, and these have been
used in Norway, Sweden, Germany and Russia, but I
don’t think they’ve been used in horses,” says Mendoza.
SUBCUTANEOUS INFECTIONS – Some fungal and fun-
gal-like infections are not on the skin, but just under the
skin. “There are several of these, such as Conid-
iobolous, Basidiobolus (caused by fungi that live in the
ground) and Pythium infections (usually acquired after
contact with contaminated water in ponds). They are
not really skin diseases; they are subcutaneous infec-
tions,” says Mendoza.
“Conidiobolomycosis is usually found around the
nostrils in horses, producing lesions inside the nos-
trils. The spores are on the grass, and if the horse has
a small cut or abrasion in the nostrils, these spores can
penetrate and cause infection if the horse encounters
them while grazing. This type of infection is very
common in the southern part of the U.S. and less com-
mon in the northern part of the country,” he says.
“One of the less common types of infection that
has been reported and described in horses is called
pheohyphomycosis. This subcutaneous infection is
caused by black fungi, and very unusual in horses. It
produces small, bumpy lesions in the skin,” he says.
“Another unusual type of subcutaneous fungal in-
fection in horses is caused by mycetomas. All of these
types of infection must have an opening in the skin to
get started, and exposure to organic material such as
plants that have mold, or wood splinters. If the fungi
are there, and can penetrate the skin, they cause infec-
tion.” These types of fungal infections are difficult to
treat. The affected area of skin usually must be cut out.
Pythiosis is caused by Pythium insidiosum (a fun-
gal-like organism) and was originally considered a
rare disease in the United States. “About 20 years
ago we started seeing cases, especially in the Gulf
Coast states, and now we see thousands of cases an-
nually in the southern part of the U.S. and some cases
as far north as Wisconsin. Most of the cases I’ve seen
have been from Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama,
and other warm regions,” says Mendoza.
“This organism likes warm weather. If the sum-
mer is hot and rainy, we generally see more cases of
pythiosis,” he explains.
“This fungus lives in the ground, and loves water. It
is one of the water molds, in swampy areas. It goes
through its life cycle in water, and produces spores with
flagella that swim in the water. When it comes in con-
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 57
When a horse has ring-worm (above), the fungican spread to otherareas of the body, and to other animals and humans.
PHOT
OS COU
RTES
Y DR
. LEO
NEL M
ENDO
ZA
EquineCare_USE_Florida Horse_template 9/6/12 7:09 AM Page 57
tact with skin, if there is an
opening in the skin, the spores
will produce a hyphea (small
tube) which can penetrate
under the skin and cause infec-
tion.” A horse may get this dis-
ease when wading in water.
Not all horses exposed to
this pathogen become infected.
“If 10 horses wade in the
swamp, maybe one will be in-
fected. Some may not have
skin lesions. Or, certain horses
may have a defect in their im-
mune response, and are more vulnerable to this infection. There are
many theories about how certain horses become infected,” he says.
Treatment is difficult. “People have been using anti-fungal drugs
with varied results. Some people think a treatment worked, and oth-
ers say it never worked in the cases they treated. Treatment only
works in about 5% of cases—so we know pythiosis doesn’t respond
very well to anti-fungal drugs. If your horse has this type of infec-
tion, he will probably die with it, unless treated with immunother-
apy,” says Medoza.
This is a relatively new way to treat this infection. “Pythium im-
munotherapy treats the infection by stimulating the immune re-
sponse to act against the pathogen—enabling the horse’s body to
fight it. It puts the immune system into better shape (stronger) and
then the immune system itself can defeat the pathogen. A company
in Texas, called Pan American Veterinary Laboratories
(www.pavlab.com), makes this vaccine, and in horses it works about
70% of the time,” he says.
It helps if this disease is recognized early and the vaccine given
quickly. “If a horse can be vaccinated within the first 2 weeks of
the infection, he has a 100% chance for cure. After that, the im-
munotherapy works in about 70% of cases. This is why an early di-
agnosis is very important,” he explains.
Another treatment, which is more invasive, is surgical removal
of the growths. “Surgery only works in the very early stages of the
infection. If the growth has become huge, it won’t work,” says
Mendoza.
FUNGAL INFECTIONS CAN’T BE PREVENTED – There is no easy
way to control or prevent these diseases in horses. “The fungi are
everywhere—in the water, grass, soil, etc. The only suggestion I
have for horse owners is if
they see a small cut or le-
sion, call the veterinarian if
it looks unusual,” he says.
You should check it in the
early stages, because if it’s
any type of fungus you
should not ignore it and as-
sume that it will heal on its
own. The earlier you diag-
nose any of these diseases,
the better chance you have
for a good resolution with
proper treatment. �
58 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
Fungal infection Pythiosis (left), Conidiobolus (above) and Pythium (below)
EquineCare
EquineCare_USE_Florida Horse_template 9/6/12 7:10 AM Page 58
Salad Plate
Dinner Plate
“Home” Plate
Show Pride in Where you Live!Order your “Home Plate” today
Contact your local Department of Motor VehiclesFor branch locations, contact Marion County’s Main Office, McPherson Complex, 503 SE 25th Avenue, Ocala, Florida, 34471
Phone: (352) 368-8200 Mon - Fri: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm • or Online at mariontax.com
For more information: Florida Agriculture Center & Horse Park Authority, Inc.11008 South Highway 475 Ocala, Florida 34480 • 352-307-6699 Fax: 352-307-6799 • flhorsepark.com
Dinner Plate
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60 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
Hello to all. I hope everyone had a good sum-
mer and those starting to break babies are get-
ting the season nicely underway. Occasionally,
I like to discuss what’s going on in other states so every-
one can appreciate how important water protection has
become all over the country and world. The start of a
year or season is always an appropriate time to step back
and reevaluate the farm’s manure management prac-
tices. It’s important for farm owners and managers to
understand why careful farm management practices are
essential, in order to become better stewards of the land
and water. Improved practices also help to keep already
existing county, state and federal legislation from get-
ting bigger and more stringent. This
month, Pennsylvania’s strict land
application regulations on animal
waste (that means spreading ma-
nure) will be examined.
REQUIREMENTS FOR MANURE MANAGEMENT PLANS
Every farm in Pennsylvania that land applies manure
or agricultural process wastewater (generated on the
farm or received from an importer), regardless of size,
is required to have and implement a written Manure
Management Plan. This includes manure and agricul-
tural process wastewater application by various types of
equipment and/or direct application of manure by ani-
mals on pastures and in Animal Concentration Areas
(ACAs). In other words, farms that do not mechanically
apply manure but which do have pastures or ACAs still
need a manure management plan.
The Manure Management Plan format in this man-
ual must be used for the written manure management
plan unless the farmer gets approval from DEP for an al-
ternative plan format. In addition to developing a writ-
ten plan, the farmer must also complete and maintain
records to demonstrate compliance with the Manure
Management Plan. DEP has developed a Manure Man-
agement Plan Workbook for farmers to use that contains
the forms described in this manual.”
The above passage was taken directly from Pennsyl-
vania’s Land Application of Manure Manual, page 1,
which was developed by the PaDEP, or Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection. Effective Oc-
tober 29, 2011, this lengthy document lists requirements
(in great detail) concerning land application for farms
having EVEN ONE ANIMAL. What does that mean
for your farm in Florida and why worry about what is
happening as far away as Pennsylvania? I share this in-
formation to educate all on where the whole country is,
concerning manure handling. So, when you are feeling
like it’s too strict in Florida, or that our state is “picked
on”, you can realize that in the big scheme of things,
Florida has it pretty easy. However, it’s a great “wake-
up” call about where everyone’s mind should be NOW,
because other states have legislation already in place.
We are tremendously fortunate to be afforded the lux-
ury of several different options of manure management
in Florida, none of which require written documenta-
tion/permitting in most parts of the state (except for very
large facilities). However, these days are coming to a
close, so with continued development and the growth of
both people and horses coming to Florida, it is impera-
tive to become better stewards of the water and land now,
get educated on Best Management Practices (BMPs) and
set the farms up more carefully so that future legislation
will represent no trouble or additional expense.
Different parts of the state have different issues spe-
cific to the region, but the main problem remains uni-
fied: water quality. I have said it before; water is the
new oil and its importance to all should be beyond
measure. We can live without electricity, or running our
cars and trucks, but no one survives without clean water!
Extension Services, and other agencies and organi-
zations, are here to help. Remember, you can always
contact me or your local Extension agent about your
specific questions and concerns. As
always, keep up the good manage-
ment practices! �
FARM MANAGEMENT
Schedule a Farm Call: 352-671-8792
Jamie A. Cohen • Farm Outreach CoordinatorUF IFAS/Marion County Extension Servicejamiecohen@ufl.edu
In Pennsylvania every farm,regardless of size, is requiredto have and implement a writ-
ten Manure Management Plan.
Pennsylvania—
Concerning Manure Laws in other States
Cohen_FarmManagement_Florida Horse_template 9/6/12 7:21 AM Page 56
THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012 61
Following are the “FTBOA Chase to the Championship ” Point Standings through September 5, 2012.
Year-end divisional champions will be determined using the “FTBOAChase to the Championship” point system, a ranking that awards points forsuccess in stakes races. The “FTBOA Chase to the Championship” allocates points for stakes wins in
graded races, open-company stakes and Florida’s signature racing days, with thenumber of points awarded based upon the classification of the race. Internationalstakes race status is governed by the International Cataloguing Standards Com-mittee. The first three finishers in all Group/Graded and listed races appearing inPart I of the International Cataloguing Standards and International Statistics Bookprinted by The Jockey Club receive “black-type” designation. Ten point bonus tobe awarded to any 2-year-old colt or filly sweeping all three legs of the Florida Stal-lion Stakes in determining the Champion 2-year-old Florida-bred.The Florida-bred with the most points in each division on December 31
is deemed champion of that division. Horse of the Year, Broodmare of theYear and Breeder of the Year will be voted on by the FTBOA Board of Di-rectors and announced at the FTBOA’s annual awards dinner.In the case of a year-end tie in points in any division, earnings will be
used to decide the tiebreaker. — Points are assigned as follows:
� World Thoroughbred ChampionshipBreeders’ Cup Race:Win: 20 points Place: 15 points Show: 10 points
� Grade 1 Stakes Race:Win: 15 points Place: 10 points Show: 5 points
� Grade 2 Stakes Race: Win: 5 points Place: 3 points Show: 2 points
� Grade 3 Stakes Race: Win: 3 points Place: 2 points Show: 1 point
� Sunshine Millions (equivalent to a Grade 2 Stakes Race): Win: 5 points Place: 3 points Show: 2 points
� Other Florida-bred Signature Race Days(equivalent to a Grade 3 Stakes Race):(The Florida Million, Florida Cup, Florida Stallion Stakes Series): Win: 3 points Place: 2 points Show: 1 point
� Open-Company Stakes ($50,000+Purse) Points for WIN ONLY: Win: 2 points
� Selection Criteria for Florida-bred champions
Horse Breeder Owner Trainer
Two-Year-Old Colt/GeldingRolling Fog (Posse) - 15 British Mist Racing and Breeding Arnold Zetcher LLC Bob BaffertTwo T's At Two B (Untuttable) - 6 Gilbert G Campbell Gilbert G Campbell Kathleen O'ConnellSpurious Precision (High Cotton) - 5 Michael Chamberlain Klaravich Stables & William H Lawrence Richard Violette Jr
Two-Year-Old FillyCandy Coded Kisses (Omega Code) - 5 Carlos Rafael & Briggs & Cromartie Easton & Elsaida DeSouza Easton DeSouzaPutyourdreamsaway (Put It Back) - 5 Southern Chase Farm Inc, Karen & Greg Dodd Ione & Herbert J Elkins William KaplanSalamera (Successful Appeal) - 5 Tanourin Stable Tanourin Stable Rodolfo GarciaHeir Kitty (Wildcat Heir) - 3 Pedro Gonzalez & Jorge Herrera D Bernsen, M Bloom, L Kruse & Altamira Racing Stable Peter Miller
Three-Year-Old Colt/GeldingCurrency Swap (High Cotton) - 10 Stonecliff Farm Klaravich Stables Inc & William H Lawrence Teresa PompayFort Loudon (Awesome of Course) - 7 Jacks or Better Farm Inc. Jacks or Better Farm Inc Stanley GoldOld Time Hockey (Smarty Jones) - 5 Glen Hill Farm Glen Hill Farm Tom Proctor
Three-Year-Old FillyEden's Moon (Malibu Moon) - 23 Bridlewood Farm Kaleem Shah Inc. Bob BaffertEmma's Encore (Congrats) - 18 Equest Thoroughbreds Inc Brenda Mercer & Peter A Berglar H Allen JerkensRegalo Mia (Sligo Bay) - 6 Juvenile Diaz Steven Ciccarone Michelle Nihei
Older Male (Four-Year-Olds and up Colt/Gelding)Ron the Greek (Full Mandate) - 45 Jack T. Hammer Brous Stable, Wachtel Stable & Jack T. Hammer William MottLittle Mike (Spanish Steps) - 38 Carlo E Vaccarezza Priscilla Vaccarezza Dale RomansMucho Macho Man - 25 John D & Carole A Rio Reeves Thoroughbred Racing Katherine Ritvo
Older Female (Four-Year-Olds and up Filly/Mare)Musical Romance (Concorde's Tune) - 30 Ocala Stud Pinnacle Racing Stables & William A Kaplan William A KaplanC C's Pal (Alex's Pal) - 18 Beth Bayer Eric Fein Richard Dutrow JrTurbulent Descent (Congrats) - 15 Ocala Stud Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith Todd Pletcher
Male Sprint (Three-Year-Olds and up Colt/Gelding, race distances one mile and less)Jackson Bend (Hear No Evil) - 20 Jacks or Better Farm Inc. Robert V. LaPenta & Fred J. Brei Nicholas ZitoJeranimo (Congaree) - 19 Brylynn Farm Inc B J Wright Michael PenderCurrency Swap (High Cotton) - 10 Stonecliff Farm Klaravich Stables Inc & William H Lawrence Teresa Pompay
Female Sprint (Three-Year-Olds and up Filly/Mare, race distances one mile and less)Musical Romance (Concorde's Tune) - 30 Ocala Stud Pinnacle Racing Stables & William A Kaplan William A KaplanEden's Moon (Malibu Moon) - 20 Bridlewood Farm Kaleem Shah Inc. Bob BaffertEmma's Encore (Congrats) - 18 Equest Thoroughbreds Inc Brenda Mercer & Peter A Berglar H Allen Jerkens
Male Turf (Three-Year-Olds and up Colt/Gelding, races run on the turf)Little Mike (Spanish Steps) - 38 Carlo E Vaccarezza Priscilla Vaccarezza Dale RomansJeranimo (Congaree) - 22 Brylynn Farm Inc B J Wright Michael PenderTurbo Compressor (Halo's Image) - 17 Bridlewood Farm P and G Stable & Off the Hook LLC Todd Pletcher
Female Turf (Three-Year-Olds and up Filly/Mare, races run on the turf)Bay to Bay (Sligo Bay) - 13 Adena Springs Robert Smithen Brian LynchWild Mia (Wildcat Heir) - 7 Montgomery Farm Rosemont Stud Syndicate Jerry FanningHooh Why (Cloud Hopping) - 6 Gail Gee Estate of Gail Gee, Mark Hoffman & Earl Trostrud, Jr. Michael L ReavisRegalo Mia (Sligo Bay) - 6 Juvenile Diaz Steven Ciccarone Michelle Nihei
ChaseToChampionship_Florida Horse_template 9/12/12 9:08 AM Page 52
62 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
The horse has been and still is a symbol of:
courage, strength, speed, pride, death, war and
even the passage of time and human life.
In mythology, the Sun is said to be drawn in his char-
iot by celestial horses in his daily journey across the skies.
To the Norsemen and Romans of old, the horse was sim-
ilarly associated with the moon, drawing that god’s char-
iot across the skies. Additionally, Neptune is credited with
creating the horse in a contest with the other gods for the
honor of naming what was to be the city of Athens.
The first sea horses had a horse’s head, forefeet and
barrel, terminating in a fish tale. Later the sea horse had
the head of a horse and the body of a fish. Sea horses
were also prevalent in early Irish myths. When a tempest
breaks over the sea in Ireland, the breakers are said to be
the white horse of the Gaelic God of the Sea.
According to German legend, there was once a beau-
tiful young maiden, named Lorelei, who threw herself
headlong into the river in despair over a faithless lover.
Upon her death she was transformed into a siren and
could from that time on be heard singing on a rock
along the Rhine River. Her hypnotic music so mesmer-
ized the sailors that they would crash into the rocks on
the narrow gorge of the river. After luring sailors to their
destruction, Lorelei would place them in a sea-green
chariot drawn by white horses.
The Hungarians and Spanish believed all black
horses were lucky while the French claimed the reverse.
The afore mentioned horse myths are amusing to
think about and help fuel the romanticism associated
with horses, while other myths associated with raising
and managing horses may be at best unnecessary and
costly and at worst detrimental to horse training
and/or overall health.
Not long ago, I was in a local barn at feeding time and
noticed one of the grooms mixing feed for the afternoon
feeding. He opened two bags of commercial feed and
poured the contents into the wheelbarrow. Next, he mixed
two bags of steamed crimped oats with the feed. I asked
him why he was mixing oats with the feed. He said the
broodmare manager had told him to. My curiosity got
the best of me and I asked the manager why she was hav-
ing the crew mix oats with the feed. She said they mix in
oats because that’s the way her Daddy did it. To make a
long story short, her daddy was buying a pre-mix in bulk
and only had to mix in oats to complete the ration.
The point is, be sure to know the reason(s) why
you’re doing something and always seek advice from re-
liable sources. To learn more about the many myths and
misconceptions related to raising and managing horses,
be sure to attend this year’s Florida Equine Institute and
Allied Trade Show Thursday, September 13 from 8:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion
in Ocala, Florida. This University of Florida Extension
program is committed to providing Florida Horsemen
and Horsewomen with the most current equine man-
agement information and a “working” Trade Show.
Scheduled topics for 201 include: Horse Farm Weed
Control; Myths and Misconceptions, Horse Health
Myths and Misconceptions, Unraveling the Caterpillar
and MRLS mystery: What Every Horse Owner Should
Know, Equine Athlete Selection, Matching Form To
Function, Florida Agriculture Center & Horse Park Up-
date, and Feeding Horses Fact or Fiction.
Contact Marion County Extension at 352-671-8400
for more information or to register for the Florida
Equine Institute. Early registration $25, student regis-
tration $15 (ID required) before September 7, 2012.
Regular or on-site registration $50. �
PRACTICALLY SPEAKING
by UF/IFAS MarionCountyLivestock Agent
Mark Shuffitt
Horses And Myths
Myths are amusing to think about and help fuel the romanticism associated with horses, while other myths
associated with raising and managing horses may be atbest unnecessary and costly and at worst detrimental to
horse training and/or overall health.
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As we navigate through steady progress at the
Florida Agriculture Center and Horse Park,
it’s clearer all the time that we have something
really special here in our own backyard. Unlike any-
thing else in the state, and perhaps also unique to the
rest of the world.
Where can you tighten up your shoe laces and go
for a run on sweet pine needle-covered trails for miles
and miles…and see a baby deer on your journey?
Where can you bike under the shady coolness of
grand-daddy oaks and choose to either tackle a mud
puddle or steer clear and hit the more solid route, then
end up at a picnic table with all the right lunch fixins?
Where can you ride your horse on good footing in
a pristine environment and stumble upon a perfect
view of nesting or hunting hawks and bald eagles?
Where can you spend a Saturday afternoon watch-
ing international-level equestrian sports, with a frosty
mug of Southern sweet tea or pristine Silver Springs
water in hand, together with your family and friends?
Where can you lease a solid, safe, steady horse to
take you out on the Florida Greenways for a leisurely
ride with trusted guides?
Where can you watch polo, compete in various events,
cheer on Olympians, or support
your local pony club members?
Right here at the Florida Agri-
culture Center and Horse Park.
This summer, in addition to
our regularly scheduled events,
we put on an outdoor band con-
cert as a fund raiser at the park that attracted everyone
from dignitaries in high office to local trail riders, polo
players, families with children, equestrian clubs, ther-
apeutic riding organizations. By the end of the evening,
we were all new friends making fun new opportunities.
Yes – the Florida Agriculture Center and Horse Park
offers acres and acres of outdoor adventure. Miles and
miles of fun.
We invite you to come see us. Come ride with us.
Come volunteer with us or sponsor something special.
Send a tax-deductible donation, which keeps this proj-
ect sustainable and growing better to serve. In the end,
and for generations to come.
P.S. Just a thought – did you know the Florida Agri-
culture Center and Horse Park has its own specialty li-
cense plate? It’s called “Discover
Florida’s Horses” and it’s a direct
benefit for the park. For your
car, your truck, your horse
trailer, or – hey, even your neigh-
bor’s boat! Join the movement;
you’ll be glad you did.
Most sincerely,
Connie Duff WisePresident, Foundation for theFlorida Horse Park
64 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
YourThe Rythym. The Beat. The Story.
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FLORIDA HORSE PARK
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66 THE FLORIDA HORSE • SEPTEMBER 2012
It has been well received in New York, Toronto,
Chicago, Dallas, South Florida and on the Jersey
Shore, places that fit the original vision and intended
purpose of the Breeders’ Cup, the current leaders of
which have chosen to ignore out of hand while turning
what was not so long ago the crowning glory of the rac-
ing business into a local event held annually in suburban
Los Angeles.
What was once a moveable feast of tremendous na-
tional importance has been shifted in recent years be-
tween Southern California and Louisville but it is not a
certainty even that Louisville will host another Breeders’
Cup. For all its appeal to racing enthusiasts, it has never
been particularly profitable for the host track and the
management of publically-owned Churchill Downs, Inc.
is no longer primarily racing oriented, its focus having
shifted toward other forms of gaming and maintenance of
shareholder value. Racetrack ownership and Wall Street
have never worked well in concert,
which probably removes from the
mixture of potential host tracks other
Churchill-owned properties that
would be attractive settings for the
event – notably Arlington Park, an ac-
commodating host but only once, and
The Fair Grounds. What better setting
than New Orleans? Keeneland, not-
for-profit and privately held, has been
mentioned as a Kentucky alternative
to Churchill– an idea worth consider-
ing. The fact that Del Mar has never hosted the event is
astonishing. A bid by Monmouth Park, a successful host
of the rain-swept Breeder’s Cup of 2007, was dismissed
this year. Woodbine, another victim of weather discrim-
ination, has not been seriously considered since it hosted
the 1996 renewal.
Important racetracks in some key markets – Florida
among them -- are not suitable to the event. In its current
form, Gulfstream Park, a highly popular destination in
years past, is no longer a candidate. Belmont Park, with
a 12 furlong dirt course and two turf courses and vast ca-
pacity, is probably the ideal host from a purist view but
the New York Racing Association, woefully rudderless,
is awash in both money and with the state in control of its
board and subsequently its management, uncertainty.
Perhaps the Breeders’ Cup will one day return to the fi-
nancial, cultural and sports capital of the nation, but at no
time soon.
The choice between Santa Anita and anywhere else
is not the only point at which the Breeders’ Cup has
strayed. The abandonment of what was one of its most at-
tractive qualities – exposure of the Breeders’ Cup to as
many racing markets as possible – is as unfortunate as
the pollution of the original format by the steady intro-
duction of meaningless races that are run without conse-
quence simply for the purpose of creating a lightly
viewed second afternoon of television.
The vision of founder John Gaines has in less than
three decades of reverse evolution been poorly recon-
structed, perhaps beyond recovery, by misguided leader-
ship. What was once a five-hour, Saturday afternoon
televised racetrack happening is reduced this year to the
point at which only one race, the Classic, will be seen
live on the NBC Network with the remainder of the two-
day event relegated to the network’s secondary dedicated
sports affiliate. Who agreed to this?
Nine Breeders’ Cup races, the original seven, the Filly
& Mare Turf and Dirt Mile, both added later, are relevant
to the event’s stated purpose, which is to determine
American championships. (Admittedly, there is no
Eclipse Award for champion miler but there should be.
One handed to the champion handicapper. There is
something radically wrong here.) The races added later
have no bearing whatsoever on any divisional title, serve
no real purpose and in fact have done nothing except di-
lute what was once a focused afternoon of racing that
worked brilliantly in its original form.
The smartest person in the history of the Breeders’
Cup is John Gaines and attempts to improve on his
original concept have been no less ill conceived than
attempting to reshape the wheel. What has happened
to the event in the years since it was first run, in 1984,
the initial execution of Gaines’ vision, has done little to
further its purpose, advance its cause or heighten the
impact of what should be, but is not, America’s Day at
the Races. �
PLAYER’S PAGE
by Paul Moran
What was once a moveable
feast of tremendous national
importance has been shifted
in recent years between
Southern California and
Louisville but it is not a cer-
tainty even that Louisville will
host another Breeders’ Cup
Crowning GloryTurned Local Event?
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