Henderson 'Suddenly' Back on the Scene

Things are looking up for “Sonny” Henderson. After recently overcoming bouts with leukemia and heart trouble, the West Texas businessman–more formally known as Samuel F. Henderson–has his mind back on the things he enjoys: ranching, playing the stock market, and most of all, racing horses.

And what a racehorse he has in Suddenbreakingnews (Mineshaft). The consistent gelding burst on to the scene with a powerful last-to-first rally to capture Oaklawn Park's Feb. 15 GIII Southwest S.–an effort that gave Henderson his first graded stakes triumph and stamped Suddenbreakingnews as a serious contender on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby. Like many who watched the race, Henderson said that he and his wife of five years, Helen, were amazed to see their colorbearer sweep past all 13 of his rivals to win going away by 2 3/4 lengths [video].

“He's got a tremendous turn of foot [and] it's just unbelievable how fast this horse can kick it,” Henderson remarked. “I couldn't believe it. I was watching him [at Oaklawn] when he came around, and he got about halfway in front of the stands and my wife was with me, and I said, 'Honey, we're getting ready to win this race. Our horse is running over these horses on the outside!' And boy was he.”

Henderson surely has ample experience to draw from, having been on horseback since the age of five and involved with racehorses on and off since the 1970s. A graduate of Texas Christian University and Southern Methodist University, he began his professional career as a stockbroker in Dallas, but quickly moved on to orchestrating oil deals after the market went south in the 60s. Henderson founded five oil and gas fields in Texas before he turned 30 years old, and continued with the successful business for over a decade before transitioning into the ranching sector.

After becoming fascinated with horse racing from a young age during numerous trips to Hot Springs, a venture into the equine industry was only logical for the prosperous Texan. And even with the passage of time, years of ownership and a battle with numerous health issues, Henderson admitted that he was still eager to “play again” in 2014, when he developed a plan to rebuild his stable.

“I got well–I had heart trouble and leukemia, and everything in the world happened to me,” said Henderson. “But the Lord blessed me, and I've got all of this in remission now. I wanted to go back to the horses, so I went back to them. I decided I'd play the middle end [of sales], where the good horses usually are.”

Suddenbreakingnews was just the second of 17 yearlings Henderson acquired with help from advisors Ivan Thompson, Bob Austin and Jim Wells over a two-year period upon his return to good health. Henderson recalled that, although he recognized potential in the Mineshaft yearling's pedigree, it was the trusted eyes of Thompson and Austin who pushed him forward to make the winning bid of $72,000 in Book 4 of the Keeneland September Sale.

“Ivan and Bob found him,” the owner acknowledged. “I was flying in [to Lexington] on my airplane [and] I walked in just as we were buying this horse, and I didn't really like him. I gave him to Bob for two or three months, and Bob put a lot of weight on him, and the next time I saw him, I didn't recognize him. He's just a big Thoroughbred horse that shows he can go two turns. I'm used to Quarter Horses and speed horses in this country, but when I saw him, he really changed my mind. I really like him.”

Signifying a new beginning in more ways than one for Henderson, Suddenbreakingews's game performances on the racetrack led his owner to begin thinking of him as a “throwback.” The Donnie Von Hemel trainee notched three wins and two narrowly beaten runner-up finishes from five appearances as a juvenile, including a score in the seven-furlong Clever Trevor S. at Remington Park Nov. 6. Following his intial graded stakes success in the 1 1/16-mile Southwest, Henderson admitted that he felt validated for honing in on a stamina-laden pedigree that included the likes of two-time G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Alleged, the sire of Suddenbreakingnews's second dam, GSW & MGISP Party Cited.

“This horse runs like the old-timer horses, the distance horses and the horses that come out of Europe,” said Henderson. “If you look at his pedigree, he has horses like Alleged in there, and the mares Party Cited and [MGISW] Composure. I play the bottom line more than I play the top side. I liked his bloodlines.”

As such, the successful businessman said he sees no reason why the star of the stable will not continue to excel as he is asked to navigate longer distances on a path that will likely include appearances in Saturday's GII Rebel S. and the Apr. 16 GI Arkansas Derby over nine furlongs.

“This is a very unique horse [because] we all look for these horses that have a quick turn of foot, but there aren't many around,” explained Henderson. “I think the further this horse goes, the better he's going to get.”

Despite devoting much of his time to renewed investments in the stock market and a ranching business that breeds brangus cattle, Henderson has already penciled in trips to the racetrack on the weekends when Suddenbreakingnews is slated to compete. Additionally, he has 15 other horses currently being broken or trained, some of which will go to his “number-one man” Donnie Von Hemel at Oaklawn Park.

Henderson has also been busy fielding calls from roughly 10 different people offering to purchase Suddenbreakingnews. But given his renewed love for the horses and the business, Henderson wants to hold on and continue the ride–a decision that comes with new perspective just a few years after getting back in the game.

“The Lord blessed us with this horse,” Henderson concluded. “We're really indebted to the man upstairs, and we've really enjoyed this horse. I just hope he stays together and keeps getting better. I hope he has a good career and a good life.”