Archive for the People Category

Jul 20 2021

Meet George Adams – Bloodstock Agent

Neal wanted this site to try and help new fans, experienced handicappers, and anyone who wants to learn about the game have access to all the different people who work in the industry. For me, I have often wondered exactly what is a “bloodstock agent”? Thankfully, I’ve gotten to know a young and up and coming bloodstock agent, George Adams, who operates Housatonic Bloodstock LLC, in Baltimore, Maryland. Reading his answers you’ll see he has passion for his work. George agreed to answer my questions about how he got into the business, what he does as a bloodstock agent, and the challenges and possibilities facing the greatest game played outdoors. At the end of the article you’ll find a brief biography supplied by George.

Tell me what is your history with horses? I rode horses as a child, because I was interested in horse racing but didn’t live near a track.  So I took some riding lessons at a local stable, did some showing and earned a couple of ribbons, but when the lessons turned to jumping, I stopped because that wasn’t something I was interested in, it was just the racing.  Later on, I worked as a hot walker for Shug McGaughey at Belmont and Saratoga for a summer during college, and at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky while I took a year off between college and law school.  At Claiborne I prepped sales yearlings, worked a Keeneland September Sale, and then groomed stallions for a bit during the off-season, including Danzig and Devil’s Bag after they were retired from stud duty.  Then after I had become a lawyer and practiced for a few years, I left the law and got back into racing and breeding about 8 or 9 years ago now.

Did you grow up around horses? I did not.  I grew up in Western Massachusetts, a little less than 90 minutes from Saratoga, and my family started going there a couple times a summer once I got interested in racing.  We’d make a whole day out of it with blankets and picnics on the lawn in the back.  But other than the riding lessons I mentioned above, I wasn’t around horses and had no connection to them absent those I eventually made for myself.

If not, how did you first get introduced to horses?  Nobody is really certain — the best we can figure is that I read the Black Stallion books at around 10 years old, and for some reason that just really piqued my interest.  I started watching whatever racing I could that was on TV (mostly just the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup), I subscribed to the Blood-Horse and the Thoroughbred Times, and there were a couple of local convenience stores that sold the DRF so I’d get those on the weekends and read all the articles.

Did you have a direct path to bloodstock work? I would not say that at all.  With no connection to racing, my path was pretty unorthodox, I think.  Once I was ready to leave the legal field and get (back) into racing as a career, it actually took some time and a ton of networking to even find a toe-hold, as I wasn’t born into a racing family and was coming to it a little later in life where I couldn’t necessarily commit to a 7-days a week hot walking or grooming job for minimal pay, something like that.  And I was pretty sure that my interest lay more on the breeding/farm side of things than at the track, anyway.

 I’ve heard many comments that the industry naturally nurtures those who grow up in the sport or industry, but aren’t as supportive of those who try to break in cold.  Maryland has a summer intern program to try to support those who show interest, can you think of ways the industry can support recruitment of people who have an interest but no background, based on your experiences?  I’ve heard that also, but it wasn’t my own personal experience.  Folks were very supportive when I was trying to find a toe-hold in the industry, it was just that because of how I was coming into it a little later in life, there wasn’t as clear of a path.  Not like when you grow up in the barn afternoons and weekends and have constantly built your knowledge and experience base.  But I would certainly not say that people were unsupportive with respect to my efforts, there just was no clear, good answer for what position would suit me. As far as new ways to support recruitment, I think Maryland’s summer internship program is great, and there are a couple of colleges with programs dedicated to students with an interest in the racing industry.  Beyond that, I think tracks and farms just need to do more community outreach, maybe, to let people know what kinds of jobs are available.  The biggest hurdles, obviously, are the fact that caring for horses does require a certain amount of skill (though it’s teachable), but at the same time the hours are very long just by the nature of the fact that horses need care 7 days a week, and the pay is maybe not the greatest.  I’m not entirely sure how to overcome some of those issues, because as an owner, it already feels like day rates are very high, and you have to win a lot of races just to break even.

Actually what is the definition of bloodstock work? I feel as if there are different elements or divisions to bloodstock work. If so how are they broken down? A bloodstock agent is basically someone that buys and sells horses for clients, and in many cases also encompasses advising on breeding decisions as well.  Some bloodstock agents work exclusively with racehorses and/or yearlings, some focus more on broodmares and stallion selection and the pedigree aspects of that.  But they’d all fall under the umbrella of “bloodstock”, which is historically a term for Thoroughbreds generally.

So how does one learn to perform pedigree analysis?   I don’t know that I can speak to this question generally, but in my own case it was all down to years of reading and research.  I was always the most interested in the pedigree aspect of the industry, and the history of families and sire-lines.  There are plenty of research-style books out there on those types of topics, and even if the specific horses discussed become dated relatively quickly, the theories hold up over time.  I also, as a kid, used to sit and read every Keeneland catalog and every Stallion Register cover to cover when they arrived, plus the pedigree write-ups in the Blood-Horse and Thoroughbred Times issues.  So over time I just assimilated all of that information in my head, and developed my own beliefs on how best to put it into actual practice.

Do you start out with ideal matings and with a budget in mind?  Typically the starting point is the client’s budget and geographic restrictions.  There’s no sense in putting a name like Tapit into the client’s head at the outset if they’re on a four-figure budget and want to breed to a Maryland stallion.  So my first question is always “What’s your budget for a stud fee?”, and the second one is “What is your plan with the resulting foal?”  Then that guides the recommendations that will eventually be made for stallions depending on the specific mare’s family.

How far in advance should someone work with a pedigree analyst to create mating reports?  Well, as early as possible so that the analyst can take their time and not rush or miss anything.  Though having said that, a mating report in July might not be overly helpful as plenty can change between July and February, either in the mare’s family, or in which stallions are available at what stud fees.

Are decisions for matings based on commercial or market considerations  versus racing considerations? In my experience, even when clients say they plan to breed to race, they always want to hedge by having something that they might be able to sell as a foal or a yearling.  So the commercial side often drives the bus, even though at the end of the day the goal is still to breed a good race horse.

How do pedigree analysts receive compensation? A pedigree analyst would typically charge a flat fee for the analysis.  Not to be confused with bloodstock agents, who usually work on a commission-based structure where they receive a percentage of a purchase or sale price as their compensation.

What do you see are the three things that concern you about the industry’s future? I am concerned about (1)  the ever-decreasing number of starts made by the average racehorse, and (2) the ever-increasing number of horses trained by a smaller and smaller pool of trainers.  And more generally, (3) the short-sightedness of people looking out for their own immediate best interests instead of being able to take a longer-term, more holistic view of the racing and breeding industry.

Reviewing your 3 problems, do you have suggestions how the industry can solve any of them? Well, I think the first two issues are inter-connected to a large degree.  If you could somehow limit trainers to a certain number of horses in training, that would spread the horse population around a bit more, and then that might help horses run more often because the way it is now the big trainers can only run so many horses in each race.  So if a trainer has 4 horses that all fit a condition, they can’t run all 4 of those in the same race, but if the 4 horses were spread among 2 or 3 different trainers, they could all run in the same spot.  It would help employ more trainers and fill more races.  But having said that, I’m not sure how you could implement a limit like that, either practically or legally As far as the problem of short-sightedness, that’s not unique to the racing industry, it’s human nature.  Or seems to be nowadays, anyway — people worry that if someone else is getting a bigger piece of the pie, it must mean that they’re getting a smaller one, instead of realizing that you can make the pie bigger and then it’s better for everyone.  But I think the Jockey Club’s 140-mare cap for stallions is a good start — of course it’s being challenged in court, which is totally to be expected.  But to me, if you have a popular stallion who is going to reach the cap, you can just increase his stud fee — supply and demand.  And if you get shut out of a stallion, there will be plenty more options out there, and the cap will allow more stallions to have that many more chances to prove that they deserve the extra mares.  I think it’s far preferable to give more stallions more of a shot, than to allow the industry to breed itself into a corner in the interests of making as much money as possible right now.

What do you see are the three things that give you hope for the future?  Racing has been around a long, long time now, with relatively minor changes to the way things work in the grand scheme of things — that gives me hope that the industry and its participants are entrenched and resilient and will be able to weather things like negative public perception and controversies that make their way to the mainstream media.  I am also excited by the number of young, passionate, motivated industry participants — we always hear about how racing is an old person’s sport, but there is a really vibrant younger generation out there that gives me hope for the future.

George Adam’s bio: After a short career as a corporate attorney, George decided to follow his passion and embarked on a career in the Thoroughbred industry in 2012. He established his Housatonic Bloodstock LLC in 2014, which provides pedigree analysis and mating recommendations to clients, as well as assistance identifying and inspecting potential purchases both privately and at auction. He also serves as the Director of Stallions and Breeding for Wasabi Ventures Stables. His prior industry experience includes stints with Claiborne Farm, Country Life Farm, and Shug McGaughey.

Aug 30 2015

Head Trainer Tom Morley – Honesty Is His Trademark

Tom Morley2 Spa 2015

Head Trainer Tom Morley

When we last visited with Tom, nearly two years ago, his stable consisted of himself, Maggie Wolfendale, one groom, one hot-walker, and about a dozen horses. Since that time, his stable has grown to around fifty horses, with 33 stabled on the grounds at Saratoga and Belmont, a dozen two-year olds in nearby training centers where Tom visits them on a regular basis, and about five older horses turned out at farms (having a mid-season break). His staff now consists of two full-time assistants, eight grooms, eight hot-walkers, and, of course, now lady of the castle – Maggie Wolfendale-Morley.

Tom Morley Stable remains a New York based operation, but will soon be expanding into other racing circuits. Tom told us “Fifty horses is a good competitive number to divide the stable”. After Saratoga, Tom plans on leaving some horses at Saratoga and moving the rest back to Belmont. In the fall, he intends to send some horses to Keeneland for the first time. Then over the winter he plans to ship a division to Florida and stable them at either Payson Park or Palm Meadows. In Florida, his two assistants, Pearl Hagadorn and Sarah O’Brien, will manage the operations while Tom runs the New York division. Tom added “In the future, when my staff has been with me longer, I wouldn’t be afraid to let the number of horses grow larger. At the end of the day, it’s not just a numbers game, but you need to have the numbers because there is always a level of attrition, when horses get hurt, sick, or taken away by an owner.”

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May 22 2015

Meet Ian Wilkes – You Make Your Own Luck

Ian Wilkes

I recently sat down with Ian Wilkes, the trainer of 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Fort Larned. Ian told me that “Fort Larned took me to places I’d dreamed of going.” But to get to those places, Ian Wilkes had to learn from some mistakes first. And during the course of our conversation, I discovered that Ian is very willing to share his mistakes and the lessons he learned along the way. He explained, “You’re never too proud to say that you screwed up. Successful people always make mistakes in life and learn from them. Just don’t keep making the same ones over again.”

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Mar 9 2015

Meet Brendan Walsh – The Ups and Downs of a Horse Trainer

Brendan Walsh

Brendan Walsh

When he started training three years ago, Brendan Walsh bought enough equipment for a dozen horses.  That wasn’t enough.  It went to twenty and now it’s 32 horses in his stable.  He expects to have between 40 and 45 horses over the summer.  The day after we interviewed Brendan, he won his 3rd consecutive start at Gulfstream Park.  In 2014, he cracked the $1 million mark for purses earned.  So, the life of a horse trainer is a bed of roses, huh.  Well, listen to Brendan’s story before you give up your day job to try it out.

Brendan Walsh grew up on a farm in County Cork, Ireland. That gave him plenty of exposure to animals, but not horses … until he got a pony. He had to teach himself how to ride, since no one in his family “had a clue.” Brendan described his relationship with the pony, “For about two years that pony would buck and kick and run off on me. My dad said anyone else would have just quit. But, I’d keep getting back on him, and eventually I got him going pretty good.”

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Feb 17 2015

Meet Julian Leparoux – A Cracking Good Rider

Julian Leparoux

Julian Leparoux

Continuing with our popular “Meet The People” series, I recently sat down with Julian Leparoux in the jockey’s room at Gulfstream Park.  Julian emigrated from France to the USA in 2003 and began riding thoroughbred horses as a jockey in 2005.  He made a big splash in 2006 by setting records for an apprentice in terms of wins and earnings.  As a result of these feats, he was awarded the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey that year.

Over the years he has been labeled as an excellent “turf rider,” “polytrack rider,” “gate rider” … and a few more that he mentions below.  But in the end, as I discovered with many of Julian’s responses … it really all depends on the horses he’s riding.

How did you get started riding horses?

My dad was an assistant trainer in France. I grew up around horses all my life. I started riding at eleven and I did show jumping. I started riding racehorses around eighteen. I galloped horses one year in France, and then I came to the States in 2003 and started riding in 2005. Then 2006 was an amazing year, I won 403 races and was top apprentice.

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Nov 19 2014

Insights From Maggie Wolfendale In The Aqueduct Paddock

Maggie Wolfendale NYRA

Maggie Wolfendale at Aqueduct

I went on a spur of the moment trip to Aqueduct and  I contacted Maggie Wolfendale to see if she’d be willing to meet my wife Deb, and spend some time with us in the paddock.  She said, “Sure, no problem.” Maggie is the paddock analyst for NYRA, and we introduced her in a prior article.  Click here to read more about my first visit with Maggie at Saratoga in August.

This meeting was more informal than my first time with Maggie at Saratoga. For the most part, we just conversed on whatever topic came to mind as we were watching the horses in the paddock. Deb was very intrigued by the whole experience, and asked most of the questions. As I mentioned in the prior article, she’s a big fan of Maggie. Here, in no particular order, is a list of some topics that came up.

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Oct 14 2014

Meet Thomas Brandebourger (Asst. Trainer to Christophe Clement)

Thomas Brandebourger

Thomas Brandebourger

In a prior article about Christophe Clement, we noted his ability to attract talented and loyal staff.  Over the past few months we’ve spent some time with one of his assistant trainers, Thomas Brandebourger.  In doing so, we discovered a man working quietly, out of the limelight of the racing world, tending to a string of Clement’s horses, seven days a week.

Thomas is 29 years old, a native of France, speaks three languages …  loves horses, soccer, and a good coffee. Since the age of three he has wanted to train horses. His father bred and sold horses in France, and Thomas grew up on a farm. But, as Thomas said to me, “The exciting thing for me was the racing. I just wanted to be as close to the racing as possible.”

As a teenager, during his school vacations, Thomas worked with several trainers learning how to train and ride horses. Then at eighteen, he stayed and worked with an accomplished trainer in France, Robert Collet, for five months. After that, he told his father that he wanted to go to America, to “see what is going on there.” So, at nineteen years old, Thomas picked up his tack and moved to America, for what was supposed to be a few months. He never went back to France.

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Sep 26 2014

Meet Miguel Clement – Flying Start Trainee Odds On To Succeed

Miguel Clement and Gio Ponti

Miguel Clement and Gio Ponti

Miguel Clement is the 23-year old son of head trainer Christophe Clement, who trains Tonalist, the winner of the 2014 Belmont Stakes. During the summer meet at Saratoga I was lucky enough to spend some time with this engaging young man. To say Miguel is “beyond his years” would be an understatement. To say he was born with a “silver spoon in his mouth” would be a gross misjudgment. To say he is destined for great success would be equivalent to making an odds-on bet … one that I would rush to the window to lay down.

Lest we put the cart before the horse, let’s begin with a few bits of information about Miguel’s background. He was named after his grandfather, who was Basque, and a trainer in France. Miguel explains, “A lot of names in south of France and northern Spain are alike. You wouldn’t believe how many people think my native tongue is Spanish.” It happens to be English.

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Sep 1 2014

Meet Maggie Wolfendale – In The Saratoga Paddock

Maggie Wolfendale NYRA

Maggie Wolfendale on the job, in Saratoga.

On a hot summer day, Maggie Wolfendale was generous enough to grant me an interview while she was at work in the paddock in Saratoga.  First, for those of you that don’t know her, Maggie is the Paddock Analyst for NYRA.  Her job is to assess the physical attributes of each horse in a race, and then report to the betting public what she sees (both good and bad).

I suggested to Maggie that she has become a “rock star” to eager listeners in the crowd.  My wife and daughter are both fans, and will hush people around them when Maggie comes on the air.  I talk, and they roll their eyes.  Maggie talks, and they listen.

From my perspective, Maggie brings a unique dimension to racing that is unmatched by any other racing circuit.  Every track has public handicappers that read the Daily Racing Form and provide analysis and selections based upon the printed form, video race replays, etc.  But what they are looking at is based on the past.  Maggie sizes up the horses today … 15 minutes before they are going to run.

Another thing she does is compare how a horse looks today versus the last time she saw them in the flesh, and if there are any differences (again good or bad) she reports that to the crowd.

We had the following dialogue over the course of several races in the paddock at Saratoga.

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Jul 22 2014

Meet Tom Durkin (before he says “Goodbye”)

Photo courtesy of Bob Coglianese Photos

Photo courtesy of Bob Coglianese Photos

Tom Durkin will make his final race call on August 31, 2014 at Saratoga racetrack.  For those of us who have followed him throughout his stellar career on the NYRA circuit, racing without Tom Durkin is going to take some getting used to.  We have been privileged to witness a true master plying his craft with a unique style that is best described as theatrical.  In a recent interview with Tom, he said “I get the best seat in the house for the greatest racing. And, there’s a new show every 25 minutes.”

Having always been impressed with his mastery of vocabulary and witty turn of phrase, I asked Tom if his race calls are spontaneous? He replied, “No, they are by no means entirely spontaneous. I do all sorts of preparation.”  At this point, he handed me a medium sized notebook filled with handwritten notes, including countless words and phrases.  He said, “This is about half of the things I’ve written down. My proper book, which I keep at home, is double that size and I try to read through it on a daily basis. So, some of the stuff is extemporaneous … but, the genesis of it comes from this notebook.  And, I still add stuff to it.  For example, I had never used the word ‘flagging’ before, so on May 17, 2014 I used the word ‘flagging.’ ”  As he tells me this, he points to a recent entry in his notebook.

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