Anthony Manganaro wasn't out to make friends. He was out to change an industry he loved. He was a street fighter, a former labor organizer, and he was willing to fight. When one idea hit a dead end he came up with another one and another one and, well, you get the idea. He never gave up in his mission to make the industry better.
I often say one of the wonderful things about my career is I've had the opportunity to be around and learn from some very smart and remarkable people. If I had to rank them Anthony might be #1 for me. He was one of those rare people who was a visionary and who flew at 30,000 feet, seeing the big picture. That's not something many of us can do. We know we should and we try but we just aren't capable of doing it. Anthony had that gift.
I first met him around 15 years ago. He introduced himself and brought me into his circle of confidants. He included me in his mission to make the sport better for everyone involved, especially the people who didn't have a voice.
I soon learned he had the ideas, the vision and the finances to change the industry. He spent millions of dollars of his own money with architects, lawyers, and consultants as he refined his ideas. He took me to meetings with former NBA commissioner David Stern, former Major League Baseball players attorney Don Fehr, and a sports business icon, Harvey Schiller. The thing each of them had in common was they recognized that Thoroughbred racing had all the ingredients to make it a major league sport again. They were truly excited about its potential and the possibilities. The ideas they had and the vision they could see for horse racing were inspiring.
There was just one problem. They didn't know our industry. They didn't know we were an industry, as Anthony always said, that refused to want to make the pie bigger. Instead, we'd rather fight over our slice of a shrinking pie.
Anthony, like another visionary, B. Wayne Hughes, worked tirelessly to make the industry he cared about better. They were both remarkable individuals who commanded enormous amounts of respect, regardless of what side of the debate you were on.
If you knew him you realize we just lost our biggest thinker. If you didn't know him then you have no idea what we lost. Trust me, we lost a lot. We lost someone we won't replace very easily. There are very few Anthony Manganaros out there, if any. And unfortunately we weren't always smart enough to listen to him. If we had, I can promise you we wouldn't be facing as many challenges as we do today.
But he can rest in peace knowing he sure tried. I'll miss him and whether you know it or not, so will you. Go in peace, friend.
Craig Bandoroff, with wife Holly, owns Denali Stud in Paris, Ky. The farm is now managed by their son, Conrad Bandoroff.
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