Thoroughbred Owners Conference Day 2 Recap

They say it's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. In the racing industry, the candle to that maxim is the horse. A flicker of hope that a newborn foal represents is something that everyone across racingdom can get behind, dissolving any bitterness between differences in creed, gender or whatever else gets in the way of the purity of the pursuit of winning the race.

At day two of OwnerView's National Thoroughbred Owner's Conference, held at the Del Mar Hilton Tuesday, panelists encouraged audience members, comprising longtime, new and prospective owners alike, that it's all about the horse and having compassion towards one another along the way into that winners' circle, in addition to providing conference attendees practical measures to get there.

During a panel discussion entitled “Breeding to Win,” Darby Dan Farms's John Phillips had a tear in his eye as he watched a video shown to the crowd of his multiple graded stakes-winning homebred Winter Memories (El Prado {Ire}) crossing the wire first in the 2011 GI Garden City S. at Belmont Park.

“One thing the film didn't show was the stands; there were about 30 of us, all family members, and we couldn't believe that she ran 10 and 2 [fifths] for the last eighth [of a mile],” Phillips told the crowd through broken words after the video finished playing. “That filly represents five generations off the farm–more important than just winning the race, it's a manifestation of your passion. [Breeding] is such a meaningful process–it's a science, but it's also an art because there are so many variables.”

And with that, the panel, moderated by TVG's Simon Bray, proceeded to tell conference attendees about the winning ways in which they've made it in the game breeding horses. Phillips warned the audience about “paper breeding,” saying that the breeding business is far more vast than using paper analytics. While statistical analysis tools are helpful, it's most important, Phillips offered, to “know your horse, know your mare, and know your family.”

Bloodstock advisor David Ingordo, founder of Ingordo Bloodstock Services, on hand for the panel discussion as well, concurred with Phillips's sentiments and offered his key fundamental points on what goes into looking for that perfect breeding match.

“First of all, you have to take into account what the mare looks like,” Ingordo said. “You have to look at her traits and either breed away from them or accentuate those traits accordingly. You also have to appropriately pair a mare according to the quality of her breed,” said Ingordo, who's been associated with horses like Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}), Honor Code (A.P. Indy) and Lady Eli (Divine Park).

Panelist and bloodstock advisor Alex Solis II agreed about pairing mares accordingly, using the example of the sense behind breeding client LNJ Foxwoods's highly precocious and well-bred Dreamologist (Tapit) to precocious sire War Front.

A lot of praying goes into that miraculous feat of producing a healthy foal, Ingordo admitted. When it's all said and done, however, Ingordo said he prefers breeding pairs that yield stamina on top and speed on the bottom.

“Secretariat would've been the reverse of that,” Phillips chimed in. “What I am really interested in seeing is acceleration in deep stretch. Europeans emphasize acceleration, and that's what I am looking for largely in broodmares.”

The rousing discussion on what these industry experts look for in the breeding process was just one of many expert panel discussions held throughout day two of the conference. Earlier in the action-packed day, a panel entitled “The Influence of Women in Racing” was aimed at exploring the nuances of women's contributions to racing and encouraging gender equality in the sport. During the panel, broadcaster Donna Brothers and Fasig-Tipton's Anna Seitz talked about the launching of the Thoroughbred Women's Network.

“It's going to give young women interested in working in the industry the opportunity to work with mentors with years of experience in the game,” Seitz said. The focus of the Thoroughbred Women's Network is to invite all women in racing to share their story and involvement.

Following the news of the new program, the audience leaned in with interest as the panel, moderated by broadcaster and jockey agent Carolyn Conley, proceeded to share their stories of how they got into Thoroughbred racing. Other women on the panel were Southern California-based owner Madeline Auerbach and founder of the California Retirement Management Account (CARMA) and Thoroughbred Owner Maggi Moss.

“My passion is the horse,” said Moss, who told of her rise to becoming a successful public defender, and her story of spending over $16,000–more than allowed by her father–when given the chance to purchase her first horse at the Keeneland September Sale while she was in college.

“Of course he was a chestnut with four white legs and a white face,” Moss said with a chuckle.

Added Moss, “If you just work hard you can do anything in this business, no matter what gender you are.”

The women in racing panel started the day by showing a video of the late Penny Chenery.

“Her heart was truly with her horses,” Brothers said. “She became the voice of Secretariat and the ambassador of racing, so I admire her for that.”

Madeline Auerbach told the story of how she started in racing–by visiting the racetrack with her husband. She would read books in between races and admired the beauty of the horse.

“I never looked at it any other way than that these horses don't have a voice, but I have a voice and it is quite loud and obnoxious,” Auerbach said.

That voice, she told the audience, led to the foundation of CARMA, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit that is funding aftercare organizations to retrain, rehabilitate, and rehome former racehorses.

“Please don't feel that you have any more or less of a say because of your gender,” Auerbach said. “Join us in keeping it about the horse,” she implored the audience.

After lunch, OwnerView presented the New Owner Award to the owners of champion sprinter Drefong (Gio Ponti)–Charles and Susan Chu. A panel that included prominent owners John Amerman, Arnold Zetcher and Sol Kumin entertained the audience with their owning success stories.

“I think my early success was pure luck,” said Kumin, of Lady Eli fame.

Kumin credited the close relationship he has built with Chad Brown, noting that they became friends when Brown was just starting out, as a large part of building one of the most successful ownership operations in the world.

Jeff Fager, executive producer of CBS's 60 Minutes, gave the keynote address of the day, telling the story of the way horse racing would change him and his family's life forever–and in some way, play a part in the emergence of the popularity of 60 Minutes and its way of reporting.

When trainer John Nerud fell off his horse, he met Dr. Charles Fager, a Boston-based neurosurgeon credited with saving Nerud's life. Subsequently, Nerud named a horse after him–Dr. Fager.

“My father thought [Nerud] was going to name a stable pony after him,” Fager, son of Charles, told the captivated audience. “But instead, he named one of the great champions over all the years of horse racing for him.”

Perhaps the moment of the day came when Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron, on hand for a panel later in the day where conference attendees learned about the relationship between trainer and jockey, stood up during a Q&A with Fager to ask the keynote speaker a question.

McCarron told Fager that one of his favorite episodes of 60 Minutes was when journalist Mike Wallace interviewed jockey Eddie Arcaro. “Now tell me about fixing races,” Wallace asked Arcaro. Eddie put out his cigarette, recalling McCarron, and said, “I don't hold horses.”

McCarron proceeded to ask Fager about how Thoroughbred racing can attract more coverage.

Fager replied by saying that it begins with keeping the sport credible, holding the industry to a high standard, and finding a way to capture that allure that was present back in the Dr. Fager days.

“We need to bring back some of that glow that existed,” Fager said.

The best of that glow, as they say, is yet to come. Day 3 of the fourth annual National Owners Conference resumes Wednesday morning at the Del Mar Hilton. For more information about OwnerView visit https://www.ownerview.com/