The Man Alongside Foundation Sire Malibu Moon

Following the sudden passing of Spendthrift foundation sire Malibu Moon, much has been said on his accomplishments at stud.

The perennial leading sire has had 126 stakes winners, 51 graded winners and 17 Grade I winners. He's the sire of a Kentucky winner in Orb and an Eclipse Champion in Declan's Moon. As a broodmare sire, he has produced champion Stellar Wind (Curlin) and Breeders' Cup runner-up Bellafina (Quality Road). Just yesterday, he had his 21^st 'TDN Rising Star' with Always Carina.

To Spendthrift's Stallion Manager Wayne Howard, those stats don't mean all that much. To him, Malibu Moon will be remembered for so much more.

“Malibu Moon is a once-in-a-lifetime horse for me,” he said. “I don't see myself having another horse like that again with his presence. Everybody knew he was the man. Without Malibu Moon, I'm not sure where I would be.”

Malibu Moon was foaled in 1997, the same year Howard, a native of Falmouth Cornwall England, arrived in the United States.

As a juvenile, Malibu Moon went into training under Melvin Stute, where the B. Wayne Hughes homebred made his only two career starts at Hollywood Park, breaking his maiden on second asking going five furlongs. From there, the son of A.P. Indy began his stud career at the Pons family's Country Life Farm in Maryland, his initial stud fee set at $3,000.

Meanwhile Howard was working at Gainsborough Farm, learning from the likes of Allen Kershaw and Sandy Hatfield.

In 2004, Malibu Moon was relocated to Castleton Lyons. That's when the stars aligned for Malibu Moon and Wayne Howard.

“I was working the sales when Gary Murray [of Castleton Lyons] came up to me and asked if I had ever worked with stallions,” Howard recalled. “He said they were looking for somebody to come look after Malibu Moon and they had already been through three people who didn't stay very long with him. I came for an interview and Gary made me grab the horse. He bit me, made me bleed. I took him out to the show ring and when he went up in the air, I gave him a slap on the shoulder. Gary said I was hired. That's how our 18 years together started.”

The duo slowly began to figure each other out, their relationship developing as mutual respect grew for the other.

“He was always a tough horse to be around,” Howard said. “But he wasn't in any way vicious, he just had to have his own way. I spent most of my time looking at the sky because he was always on his hind end with his legs up in the air. You had to have a firm hand but also respect him.”

During Malibu Moon's first year in Kentucky in 2004, his son Declan's Moon was named champion juvenile colt. The next year, his fee at Castleton Lyons was increased from $10,000 to $30,000, and again to $40,000 in 2007.

In 2008, Hughes was ready to bring his homebred success to Spendthrift. It was quickly decided that Howard would come along too.

“They were asking who was going to look after him,” Howard remembered. “I was lucky enough that they said, 'Well Wayne is handling him now,' and I was offered the position. When I arrived at Spendthrift, there were just three stallions. Here we are now with 24.”

As it turned out, Howard's hand with the rambunctious stallion would be needed for most of his career.

“Malibu Moon was a tough horse up until the age of 14,” he said. “Then he finally decided it was time to grow up a bit. But he was definitely the man of the barn. He was such a great breeder, but we had to do everything his way. He was the boss, one hundred perfect.”

Even as the stallion produced a Kentucky Derby winner in 2013 and soon became regarded as a perennial leading sire, to Howard, he was just 'Malibu,' or sometimes, 'Boo Boo.'

“For me, the enjoyment was just coming up here at 11 o'clock at night in my pj's and flip flops, going around and seeing all the guys and patting Malibu on the head and giving him a carrot. The racing is great, but for me, it's about seeing these horses and getting to know them. Every one of them is different and Malibu, without a doubt, is a horse like I've never been around before. He's one of a kind.”

Over the past few days, the loss of Spendthrift's cornerstone sire has hung heavy among members of the farm's stallion team.

“There was just a presence about him,” Howard explained. “When every other stallion would see him walk by, they would all just kind of drop their heads. They knew he was the boss of the farm. Without him around, there's a big hole to be honest. You don't think of Spendthrift without thinking of Malibu Moon. It's heartbreaking at the moment.”

A few years ago, Howard handed Malibu's shank over to his new handler, Alex.

“He's taking it very hard,” Howard shared. “He has lost a great horse.”

Malibu Moon's paddock is the first on the left when driving up the hill to the farm's sprawling stallion complex. Along the fence, an arrangement of flowers sits this week, given by Howard and his wife in honor of the horse that will have an eternal impact on their lives.

“He was just like having a best friend,” Howard said. “There were plenty of good horse people out there, but you get an opportunity and you grab it and you're lucky enough to get a chance to go with a horse. I've been at Spendthrift now for 14 years. We breed up to 3,000 mares a year and I couldn't be in a better place. If it weren't for Malibu, who knows? Honestly, he's made my career.”

Howard and his team find comfort in the fact that one of Malibu Moon's most accomplished sons, Gormley, is off to a flying start at Spendthrift with his first crop of juveniles.

“We're super excited about Gormley,” Howard said. “He has started off great and we're hoping that one day, we can put Gormley in Malibu's stall and he can take over the mantle, without a doubt.”