Kyle Wilson, Stallion Seasons Director, WinStar Farm
How did you get interested in racing?
I was raised in Toledo, Ohio which isn't exactly a hotbed of equine activity, but I was introduced to the sport by my grandfather, William Lageman. He lived on Long Island but had a few horses in Kentucky and always made a trip to the September Sale at Keeneland. My mother was also a pretty good show jumper and she had her retired Thoroughbred, Stepper, at a farm just outside of town. We began taking family trips to Lexington during the sale to spend some time with my grandparents and our interest in the game grew. I remember all of us driving to the local Standardbred track, Raceway Park, to watch the simulcast feed when Grandpa's horses were running. I ended up at the University of Kentucky to study finance….then marketing…and finally economics and Spanish. Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonk were brave enough to let me work the 2004 September Sale for them and from then on I tried to get as much experience in the industry as possible. I worked as many sales as my class schedule would allow, prepped yearlings, walked hots, and even filed registration papers at The Jockey Club. I was fortunate enough to be accepted on to the Godolphin Flying Start and will be forever grateful for that opportunity. I've been very fortunate to work with some incredible people and be around some amazing horses. It's been a fun ride so far.
What's your first racing memory?
The memory that really sticks with me is our first trip to Keeneland on Bluegrass Day in 1995. Wild Syn won the Bluegrass over favored Thunder Gulch and paid $60 to win. I think I tried to bet on every 30-1 shot I could find after that!
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
