“I have been fortunate to lead FTBOA at a time of legislative success that has been decades in the making, and at a time of innovation for the media division,” said Isaacs, who has served six terms on the FTBOA board with intermissions as required by bylaws. “I am proud of these accomplishments and thrilled the board has elected me again to continue my service as president for the Association and its members.”

Isaacs also chairs the Equine Studies Program at the College of Central Florida and the FTBOA Ocala Downtown Thoroughbred Walk of Fame committee, serves on the FTBOA Farmland Preservation Work Group, and serves on other boards.

In addition to the officers, the FTBOA updated board members.  Milan Kosanovich and Vanlangendonck extended their terms on the board while Beckie Cantrell was named to the board for the first time. After an absence from the board due to term limits, past presidents Valerie Dailey and Brent Fernung rejoined the board. They will each serve a three-year term that will run through October 2026.

Leaving the board because of term limits were Bobby Jones and Dr. Fred Yutani, who served on the FTBOA board from October 2017 through October 2023; and Richard Kent, who served briefly, taking the seat left with the passing of board member and past president Fred Brei in March. Past president and director Dailey, as immediate past president, also serves as an executive committee member.

Other returning FTBOA board members include T. Paul Bulmahn, Jerry Campbell, Marilyn Campbell, Laurine Fuller-Vargas, Mike Hall, and Mary Lightner. Lonny Powell will continue as CEO and executive vice president.

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Speakers at the clinic include: Tammy Gantt and George Isaacs; Dr. Johnny Mac Smith, DVM; Marette Farrell (bloodstock agent); Tod Wojciechowski, director of sales for Ocala Breeders' Sales Company; David O'Farrell from Ocala Stud.

To register, visit toba.memberclicks.net/seminars-clinics.

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The FBIF program offers Florida-bred two-year-old open maiden winners a minimum bonus of $2,500 for maiden-claiming races and up to $10,000 for a Florida-bred two-year-old winning an open maiden special weight race at Gulfstream.

The FTBOA will offer an additional $100,000 in win bonuses for eligible Florida-sired winners of open maiden special weights, paying $5,000 for up to 10 races for males and females.

“It's imperative that we all work together to promote and build a robust breeding and racing industry in the state of Florida,” Billy Badgett, 1/ST RACING's Executive Director of Florida Racing Operations, said. “To that end, it's important to attract new owners to our sport throughout Florida and the industry. These incentives, and the change in dates of the popular Florida Sire Stakes program, gives us a great opportunity to fulfill these goals.”

Additionally, the Florida Sire Stakes series, to be run at Gulfstream for the 10th straight season, offers $1.2 million in purses and have been pushed back on the annual racing calendar to give owners and trainers more time to prepare their Florida-bred juveniles for the lucrative series. The dates for the 2023 FSS are as follows:

• Sept. 9–$100,000 FSS Desert Vixen S. and $100,000 FSS Dr. Fager S. at six furlongs;
• Oct. 21–$200,000 FSS Susan's Girl S. and $200,000 FSS Affirmed S. at seven furlongs;
• Dec. 2–$300,000 FSS My Dear Girl S. and $300,000 In Reality S. at 1 1/6 miles

“Florida's stakeholders are aligned with one focus–what can we do to help our breeding and racing industries?” said FTHA President Joe Orseno. “We need to find ways to make it worthwhile for breeders and owners to invest in our state. We believe that the new Bonus Program will encourage greater interest in buying and breeding Florida-breds. By moving the dates of the FSS races, late-developing 2-year-olds will have a better chance of participating. We are excited about the future of the Florida Thoroughbred industry.”

“FTBOA is pleased to work with Gulfstream and FTHA on a program for 2023 featuring our priority Florida Sire Stakes program while enhancing our Florida Breeders Incentive Fund for the benefit of our highly regarded Florida-bred 2-year-olds at Gulfstream on a summer through winter basis,” commented FTBOA CEO Lonny Powell.

FTBOA President George Isaacs added, “We are pleased with the continued FSS races as our industry centerpiece promoting Florida stallions and farms. I also consider it a plus anytime we can offer purse incentives for our bread and butter two-year-olds competing at all levels at Gulfstream. We anticipate this will be one of many cooperative efforts improving the industry economics and stability.”

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“Bridlewood has lost its favorite son today,” said Bridlewood General Manager George Isaacs. “The farm vista and complexion will never be the same without him and a good chunk of the Bridlewood heart will forever be broken.”

Isaacs said that Rosas had gone to help a friend in need and was returning home to his family when the accident occurred.

Rosas went to work at Bridlewood November 10, 1980 after stints at Mereworth Farm and Calumet Farm in Kentucky, starting as a stallion groom before being promoted to manager. He took care of Florida greats like My Gallant, Buckaroo, Silver Buck, Siberian Express, Frosty the Snowman, Jules, Wild Event, Forbidden Apple, Stormy Atlantic, Halo's Image, Put it Back, and others. At the time of his passing, he was caring for the Baoma stallions Chitu, Valiant Minister and Tunwoo.

“Saul always had a smile on his face and was there first to lend a helping hand to anyone that needed it on and off the farm,” said Isaacs. “He epitomized the Good Samaritan. As a Christian, the consolation is knowing that he is now already working for Almighty God, the creator of the horse, helping take care of the mighty herd in Heaven. My dear friend Saul, I will look forward to seeing you again someday.”

There will be a visitation and celebration of life for friends and family from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday Dec. 17 at Roberts Funeral Home Downtown Chapel, 606 SW 2nd Ave., Ocala, FL.

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“I am honored and humbled to be elected by my peers to this important position,” Isaacs said. “Being an active manager of a large Florida breeding operation, I hope to do my part in continuing to bolster the Florida breeding and racing industry.”

FTBOA board members Marilyn Campbell and Joe O'Farrell, III extended their terms on the board while Jerry Campbell, Mike Hall and Mary Lightner were named to the board for the first time. They will each serve a three-year term that will run until October 2025.

Leaving the board because of term limits were Valerie Dailey, who served as FTBOA president from October 2021 through October 2022, and past presidents Brent Fernung and Phil Matthews, DVM.

The board also selected the remaining executive committee officers for 2022-23 with Isaacs as president while George Russell, who owns Rustlewood Farm, was named first vice president. Francis Vanlangendonck, who operates Summerfield, was named second vice president; and O'Farrell will serve as treasurer. Nick de Meric, who operates de Meric Stables and Sales, was elected as secretary.

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Leaving the board because of term limits as outlined in the FTBOA by-laws was Richard Kent, who predominantly consigns yearlings under the name of his Kaizen Sales based in Ocala. He was commended for his strong commitment and service to the Association and industry.

Breeder, realtor, executive and most recently first vice president of the FTBOA, Valerie Dailey of Ocala was elected president of the Association at the board meeting that followed the Oct. 22 annual member meeting. She said she was grateful to be elected president by her fellow board members.

“What I bring to the table is my knowledge of agriculture and horses and I'm actively involved in that organization and trade. So I kind of bring a different viewpoint in wanting to protect the interests of all farm owners,” Dailey said.

She notes that she is looking forward to the opportunity of learning more about the industry and enhancing her own experience and knowledge as president of the FTBOA.

“The more you learn, the more knowledgeable you are and the better resource you are to educate your members,” she said.

The board also selected the remaining executive committee officers for 2021-22 with Dailey as president while Isaacs was named first vice president. Russell was named second vice president and Brent Fernung will serve as treasurer. Joseph O'Farrell III has been elected as the secretary and Phil Matthews, D.V.M. remains an officer and director as immediate past president.

Dailey has a long history serving both the agriculture and business markets in central Florida.

She has a Bachelor of Science in Food and Resource Economics and a Masters of Science in Agricultural Operations Management, both from the University of Florida. She has been a Florida licensed realtor with Showcase Properties of Central Florida since 2005 where she specializes in listing and selling commercial and agricultural equine properties. Currently, she also serves as District VII vice president for Florida REALTORS, is a member of the Value Adjustment Board of Marion County and a representative for the Florida Association of Realtors. She is on the board of the University of Florida, College of Agricultural, Life Sciences Alumni and the State of Florida 4-H Foundation board. Valerie utilizes her agricultural background and leadership positions to protect the property rights of breeders in Ocala.

Together with husband Hugh and daughter Samantha, Dailey has been a small breeder under the banner of their 3D Farm since 1992 with multiple stakes winners and a Breeders' Cup qualifier. Dailey is a member of the Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership and has been a member of the FTBOA for 30 years.

Isaacs is a past FTBOA board member and officer, who became stallion manager at Arthur Appleton's Bridlewood Farm in Ocala in 1989 before becoming the general manager for Allen Paulson's Brookside South Farm in 1992. In 1996, Isaacs returned to Bridlewood as general manager and currently manages operations there with John and Leslie Malone, who purchased the farm in 2013.

During his tenure at Bridlewood, more than 100 Florida-bred stakes winners and 12 Grade 1 winners have been bred by the farm.

Isaacs is the chair of the Equine Studies Program at the College of Central Florida, is a Horse Farms Forever board member and an AdventHealth Ocala Foundation board member. Isaacs is the chair for the FTBOA Ocala Downtown Thoroughbred Walk of Fame committee and serves on the FTBOA Farmland Preservation Work Group.

Isaacs will be serving his fifth term on the FTBOA board.

Fuller-Vargas is a third generation horsemen and today owns and operates the 65-acre Cedar Lock Farm with more than 25 thoroughbreds and is home to Run for the Ribbons Inc., a 501(c) 3 program. She also founded the Florida Thoroughbred Expo, which along with Run for the Ribbons, is dedicated to improving the lives of OTTBs and founded by Fuller-Vargas in 2014.

She will be serving her second term on the board. She has dedicated time to thoroughbred retirement programs and assisted the FTBOA charity and social committees.

Russell is past president of the FTBOA and longtime director and officer. He and his wife Karen own the 158-acre Rustlewood Farm in Reddick. They have bred and or raced several graded stakes winners and currently campaign Best Pal (G2)-winner Pappacap.

Russell has been instrumental in the FTBOA's legislative role, governance and racing program development, is past chair of the charity/social committee and is a strong advocate of Florida Thoroughbred Charities. He is currently the chair of the FTBOA Farmland Preservation Work Group.

Russell will be serving his fourth term on the FTBOA board.

Bulmahn is an entrepreneur in various industries and opened GoldMark Farm, a 2,600 acre commercial thoroughbred training center, in 2006.

He serves on the Texas State University board of directors of the College of Business Foundation and is a member of the FTBOA Farmland Preservation Work Group.

Bulmahn will be serving his second term on the FTBOA board.

A native of England, de Meric currently operates with his wife Jaqui, the 240-acre Manuden Farm, de Meric Sales and Eclipse Training Center.

Currently serving on the FTBOA Farmland Preservation Work Group, de Meric is also on the board of Horse Farms Forever and dedicates time to the Ocala Farm Ministry where Jaqui serves on the board. He has also served on the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company board since 2001.

This will be the second term on the FTBOA board for de Meric.

Other FTBOA board members include Fred Brei, Marilyn Campbell, Bobby Jones, Milan Kosanovich, Francis Vanlangendonck and Dr. Fred Yutani.

The post Valerie Dailey Elected President Of Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ And Owners’ Association appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Well-respected Florida horseman George Isaacs has returned to the board of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association after a brief absence due to term limits. Laurine Fuller-Vargas of Morriston, George Russell of Reddick, T. Paul Bulmahn of Ocala and Nick de Meric of Ocala were re-elected to the board. They will each serve a three-year term that will run until October 2024. Leaving the board because of term limits is Richard Kent of Kaizen Sales.

Isaacs is a past FTBOA board member and officer, who became stallion manager at Arthur Appleton's Bridlewood Farm in Ocala in 1989 before becoming the general manager for Allen Paulson's Brookside South Farm in 1992. In 1996, Isaacs returned to Bridlewood as general manager and currently manages operations there with John and Leslie Malone, who purchased the farm in 2013. During his tenure at Bridlewood, more than 100 Florida-bred stakes winners and 12 Grade 1 winners have been bred by the farm.

Valerie Dailey of Ocala, a breeder, realtor, executive and most recently the first vice president of FTBOA, was elected president of the Association at the board meeting that followed the Oct. 22 annual member meeting.

The board also selected the remaining executive committee officers for 2021-22 with Dailey as president while Isaacs was named first vice president. Russell was named second vice president and Brent Fernung will serve as treasurer. Joseph O'Farrell III has been elected as the secretary and Phil Matthews, D.V.M. remains an officer and director as immediate past president.

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A prolific sire of stakes winners, he averaged 12 stakes winners a year for ten straight years.

Raced in the colors of Arthur Appleton, Stormy Atlantic retired to Bridlewood Farm where he stood his first three years at stud. He is the sire of champions Up With the Birds ($1,870,376), Stormy Liberal ($2,212,580), El Tormenta ($816,106), Stormy Antarctic ($946,832), Conquest Typhoon ($759,449), Leonnatus Anteas ($600,074), Maritimer ($362,835), Storm Allied ($229,114), Dixie Wave, etc. and Grade 1 Winners Get Stormy ($1,606,812), Stormy Lucy ($851,700), Stormello ($700,100), Next Question ($424,391), Victor Security, etc.. In addition, he is emerging as an important broodmare sire.

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“I wasn't really interested in standing him at first, until I saw him get off the van,” said George Isaacs, longtime manager of Bridlewood for Arthur Appleton and his family before the Malones bought the showcase property in 2013. “I'd told Mrs. Chu not to send him, but she did anyway, and when he stepped off that van, he was impressive. He stands out.”

Isaacs is a tall and lanky figure in his early 60s who sports a ubiquitous baseball cap and a short-cropped beard and tells it like it is, politely but with no holds barred. And he's no one's fool. An accomplished horseman with a record of success in Florida, Isaacs has a keen sense of Ocala breeding history, and he knows how to run a business. The moment he saw the horse in front of him, he knew he'd have to take a shot with him.

“I called Eddie Woods and asked him if he remembered the colt,” Isaacs said. “Eddie told me he was the fastest 2-year-old he'd ever had. And with the horses Eddie's had through the years, that said a lot.”

Isaacs's initial reticence stemmed from Valiant Minister's race record. He'd raced only once, at four. Susan Chu entered the business nine years ago with Lanni picking her stock, racing Grade l-placed Grade lll winners Super Ninety Nine (Pulpit) and Chitu (Henny Hughes) under her Tanma Corp. banner with Baffert in 2013 and 2014 before husband Charles came aboard and they became Baoma Corp. Valiant Minister and Drefong (Gio Ponti), both 2-year-olds of 2015, were part of the couple's new joint venture, and the success certainly continued with the latter, who won the Gl Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita in 2016–the season he was named champion sprinter–and the Gl Forego S. at Saratoga the following year.

Valiant Minister got hurt shortly after he sold at OBS June and didn't make it to the races until January of 2017, missing his entire 2-year-old and 3-year-old seasons. However, he made the most of his lone start, winning a Santa Anita maiden special wire-to-wire in 1:08.84 by 2 1/4 lengths from a stablemate, Baoma's Lord Simba, who won a Grade lll race a few months later to validate the class of Valiant Minister–who'd earned an excellent Ragozin speed figure as it was for his winning effort. Valiant Minister was subsequently injured in a stall accident and never raced again.

“When I saw that monster performance on tape, I knew he had all sorts of ability, but hearing about him from Eddie and seeing the horse in front of me convinced me pretty quickly,” said Isaacs.

Isaacs had developed a relationship with the Chus over the last few years, initially standing Chitu at Bridlewood after Barry Eisaman had recommended Isaacs to the couple for their initial foray into the breeding side of the game.

“Charles and Susan Chu are a dynamic couple who want to do things the right way. They love their horses, they have the capital behind them, and they are committed to quality, which is our philosophy at Bridlewood,” Isaacs said.

The couple had sold Drefong to Japan, where the stallion was recently represented by his first winner, and after supporting Chitu for several years are now focused on making Valiant Minister. Their burgeoning broodmare band boards at Bridlewood, which otherwise exclusively houses the Malones's high-grade commercial breeding stock. The farm, with an excellent dirt and turf course plus an uphill Tapeta gallop modeled after those in Europe, does have a separate training division under farm trainer Meda Murphy that prepares client 2-year-olds, and graduates of the program include such Grade l winners as Gun Runner, Tapwrit, Catholic Boy and Maxfield, among others.

Standing stallions at Bridlewood, where Skip Trial (Bailjumper) and Put It Back (Honour and Glory) once served mares and where Hill 'n' Dale stalwart Stormy Atlantic (Storm Cat) was foaled, raised, and initially entered stud, wasn't a part of Isaacs's business plan for the Malones, but with the Chus committing about 30 mares to support their own studs, he'd decided to venture back into the stallion business primarily for them.

Non-Stakes Winners

As a student of the game, Isaacs is aware that it's a longshot to make any stallion, much less a lightly raced one that never won a black-type race, but Isaacs has also seen these types of horses succeed in Florida dating back to the middle of the last century when the commercial breeding industry in Ocala began. The most recent notable example is Journeyman Stud's Khozan (Distorted Humor), a winner of both of his starts. Any Florida list would also include the prolific 2-year-old sire An Eldorado (Vaguely Noble {Ire}), unplaced in one start, from the 1980s; Big Burn (Never Bend), unplaced in three starts, from the 1970s; and unraced West Acre (Forty Niner) from the beginning of this century, among quite a few others. And I'm not including here horses like Sovereign Dancer (Northern Dancer) and Crafty Prospector (Mr. Prospector), who weren't stakes winners but were graded-placed when they began their careers in Florida before moving on to Kentucky, or early Florida stallions like Beau Gar, a non-stakes winner of 15 starts who sired Beau Purple, who thrice defeated the great Kelso, and Handsome Boy, who beat Buckpasser, in the 1960s. Beau Gar also sired the dam of Onion, who conquered Secretariat in the 1970s.

Claiborne's Danzig (Northern Dancer), an undefeated winner of three starts, is the outstanding example of a non-stakes winner in Kentucky, but Claiborne had previously stood Drone (Sir Gaylord), an undefeated winner of four starts but no stakes, and stakes-placed Nantallah (Nasrullah), and the iconic farm currently stands Flatter (A.P. Indy), who didn't win a black-type race while taking four of six starts, but did place in a graded race, like Sovereign Dancer and Crafty Prospector.

The recently deceased Malibu Moon (A.P. Indy), a cornerstone for Spendthrift under B. Wayne Hughes, only made two starts, winning once, and Maclean's Music (Distorted Humor), who stands at Hill 'n' Dale and is currently represented by Grade l winners Drain the Clock and Jackie's Warrior–one-two in the recent Gl Woody Stephens–won his only start, and it, too, was a “wow” outing like Valiant Minister's.

Aside from their lone races, Maclean's Music and Valiant Minister are linked by Sikura, who stands the former, bred the latter, and began the career of Valiant Minister's sire Candy Ride, whose sons at stud in Kentucky were profiled in this space two weeks ago. Sikura's belief in Maclean's Music was vindicated off the bat when the horse got Gl Preakness S. winner Cloud Computing from his first crop and then followed up with Grade l winner Complexity from his third crop before his most recent duo, members of his fifth crop, and his success is the model that Isaacs hopes to follow with Valiant Minister.

To date, Valiant Minister is represented by only one starter, Signora Minister, who was second in a Santa Anita maiden special in her debut two weeks ago. The filly was an OBS March $25,000 sale, which is reasonable for a $3,000 stallion like her sire, but Valiant Minister has some bigger guns in the pipeline, including a filly and a colt that breezed well and made $360,000 and $350,000, respectively, at OBS April–eye-opening prices. Both were bred by Baoma Corp., which also bred a Valiant Minister yearling filly that made $120,000 at OBS October.

To make a horse like Valiant Minister, it takes heavy owner participation plus savvy management, which the Chus and Isaacs are providing. In fact, Isaacs said that this spring Baoma bred all of its mares at Bridlewood to Valiant Minister to shore up his difficult fourth year at stud, which is one heck of a gamble, but one that's admirable, too. Not many would do it.

We're about to see if it pays off over the second half of the year.

Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks.

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