Borell Alleges She Was Never Paid Purse Winnings

The case of trainer Maria Borell's firing less than 24 hours after winning a Breeders' Cup race on Saturday with Runhappy (Super Saver) appears headed for litigation almost as fast as the colt's track-record time in the GI Sprint.

Borell wrote in a series of social media postings Sunday that she had been abruptly relieved of her duties by Laura Wohlers, the racing manager for owner James McIngvale, after Borell and Wohlers argued over sending the colt to the track for exercise, which Borell believed was not in the best interest of the horse.

On Tuesday the disagreement escalated to a dispute over money: Richard A. Getty, who has been hired as an attorney by Borell, told TDN that Borell is claiming that she has not been paid the industry-standard 10% trainer's cut for any of the five straight races Runhappy has won since Borell took over as the colt's program trainer July 7.

In addition to Saturday's BC Sprint, that winning streak includes a GI victory in the King's Bishop S. at Saratoga and the GIII Phoenix S. at Keeneland, plus two allowance races.

Prior to being trained by Borell, Wohlers was listed as Runhappy's trainer, during which time the colt had a maiden win and a stakes loss in two tries. According to several published reports, Wohlers is McIngvale's sister-in-law, and has also worked in management at McIngvale's Houston-based Gallery Furniture chain of stores.

“Maria's entitled to be paid her portion of the owner's purse, 10%, and she has not been paid on any of these races what she's owed,” Getty said. “Their arrangement was that they paid her a thousand dollars a week. She had a thousand-dollar a week salary or stipend in addition to her [expected purse winnings]. I understand that they are saying that she is a 'private trainer.' Private trainers still get 10% [of purse winnings].”

Getty said he has written a letter to McIngvale outlining what Borell claims she is owed. The attorney would not divulge that figure in a phone interview, but a rough tally of 10% of Runhappy's win earnings this year amounts to about $128,000.

“We've put the Breeders' Cup and Keeneland on notice that we have a dispute as to the portion that's owed to her,” Getty said. “My understanding is she asked [to be paid], and then it was never resolved, and she kept winning races. After the Breeders' Cup, boom, out of the blue, they fired her. I don't know if it's because she was pressing them to pay her or not, or whatever.”

Even the question of Borell's firing remained ambiguous, at least to her. Borell released a written statement earlier on Tuesday in which she indicated that she wasn't sure if her dismissal was “set in stone.”

Reached via phone late Tuesday afternoon, McIngvale paused for a full 20 seconds when asked for his side of the story regarding Borell's firing and the possible dispute over money.

“At this point she's threatening litigation, so I've been informed by my attorney not to say anything,” McIngvale finally replied.

McIngvale was then asked to clear up whether Borell was still Runhappy's trainer.

“The answer is no.”

And is there a financial dispute between the two of them?

“We're over. We're done,” McIngvale said, ending the phone call.

Wohlers was a bit more forthcoming when called for comment.

“Maria was a private trainer for us. We had an agreement with her. Unfortunately, now that she's gone to a lawyer with this and gotten lawyers involved, I just can't really comment on it,” Wohlers said.

Wohlers was asked point-blank if there was a black-and-white issue over payment, or if the dispute fell into a gray area.

“She has been paid exactly according to our payment agreement with her. I will say that,” Wohlers said. “She has been compensated. And we do not owe her any money at this point from our perspective…It will all come out in the wash, and I'm just sorry that this has happened.”

Beyond the dispute, the Borell-McIngvale story is intriguing from several personality angles.

McIngvale, 64, gained a reputation in the Texas retail furniture business as a relentless promoter who sometimes appeared in his own TV commercials wearing a mattress costume and calling himself “Mattress Mack.” According to Equibase, he has been a Thoroughbred owner since 2000, competing in numerous high-level races but never winning a Grade I until this year with Runhappy. Along the way, published reports count at least 33 trainers he has hired and fired, including such luminaries as Bob Baffert and the late Bobby Frankel.

Borell, 32, a Syracuse, N.Y., native, has had lifelong experience with horses, but prior to taking over the training of Runhappy in July, she had never won a race from 22 starts as a licensed Thoroughbred trainer. She has served as an assistant to Barclay Tagg, worked as an exercise rider and as a veterinary technician, and has operated her own boarding farm. Borell literally wears her passion for the sport on her skin, in the form of a large back tattoo of her childhood equine idol, Sunday Silence.

And lest it be overlooked in all the human hoopla, what about Runhappy? Borell had written Sunday that he had “heat and fill in an ankle.” How's the horse?

“Runhappy is good. He came out of the race good,” Wohlers said. “He's done well, and has jogged with vigor the last two days, and he is in good shape.”