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Partnerships, Presented By Taylor Made: A Taste of Victory

The exhilarating rush of adrenaline created when seeing your Thoroughbred soar across the finish line creates a sweet taste of victory that brings a sense of satisfaction and a touch of disbelief.

That often-elusive flavor remains on one's tongue in a constant search for more. Taste of Victory Stable's founders Kyle Yost and Brian Richardson have reveled in that sensation, knowing it can be interspersed with bitter moments that only life and owning Thoroughbred racehorses can produce.

The seeds of Thoroughbred ownership are typically planted by family and/or friends. Yost, a graduate of Penn State University, grew up on a small South Central Pennsylvania farm where his parents raised and brokered livestock. “My dad raised some mid-level Thoroughbreds on the farm which attracted me to the sport, almost by osmosis,” reflected Yost. “We would take in days at Penn National and Pimlico. There was just something about a Thoroughbred that drew me in.”

Richardson, on the other hand, and on the other side of the country, grew up just 20 minutes from Los Alamitos Race Course in Huntington Beach, California. “Aside from the early trips to Los Al, I will always remember my days at USC and making trips to Santa Anita with friends. On one occasion I hit an exacta for $680 and I was hooked as a horseplayer. As a fan, attending the races in Southern California was something special for our family.”

The road to ownership for Richardson began while on a fishing trip with his dad and his dad's best friend Gene Ward, who was affectionately nicknamed “Cherry.” “Cherry offered up what he called the idea of all ideas to my dad who they called `Hawk,' Richardson said. “Why don't we gather friends and family and rent out a luxury suite at Del Mar to take in the races and put Brian in charge?” It became an annual event, titled the Del Mar Cherry-Hawk event.”

The Partners | courtesy of Taste of Victory Stables

After a number of years enjoying Mexican buffets and drinks at Del Mar, it was another genius idea from `Cherry' who figured since they enjoyed going to Del Mar so much each year, it was time to buy a Thoroughbred and race themselves. So, 20 friends and family members got together, including Hawk, Cherry and Yost, who was a business associate and friend, and they started Cherry Hawk Stables.

The partnership's first horse was a yearling who the 20 partners opted to name Twenty Hawks (Unusual Heat). “We didn't think the name Twenty Cherries would provide the intimidating aura we wanted in our first racehorse,” quipped Richardson.

Twenty Hawks would go on to earn over $338,000 for the group of first timers, but sadly Brian's father passed away prior to the horse moving out to Charles Town and finding success. Twenty Hawks broke his maiden in his fifth lifetime start. “It was bittersweet considering my dad inspired us, along with Cherry, to start going to Del Mar and purchase a racehorse. I knew Twenty Hawks was wearing angel wings when he first scored for us. It was an emotional moment for me,” said Richardson.

Twenty Hawks: The Life-Changing Story of “The Iron Horse”

The concept of Taste of Victory Stables was amalgamated over multiple conversations between Yost and Richardson. “It was about 10 years ago, and we both wanted to somehow elevate the popularity of the sport,” said Yost. “There were other groups out there like West Point and Dogwood, but buying shares with them was out of reach for most people. We wanted to make it affordable for the average fan.”

Richardson concurs. “We had the ability to attract new owners from coast to coast and at a level that wasn't going to break the bank,” he said. “Giving people a `behind the ropes' experience that most racing fans have never been a part of was something we were committed to providing. The partners in Cherry Hawk Stables were also looking for more action and more horses so we launched Taste of Victory Stables in 2015.”

Partner Jeff Guffey and wife Nancy with Marley's Ghost at Saratoga | courtesy of Taste of Victory Stables

Current partner Dan Filipek recounted his initial connection to horse racing and Kyle Yost. “I let him know that I had been going to the racetrack with my father since I was a young boy,” said Filipek. “I had great memories of watching the Michigan Mile at Detroit Race Course and watching the Trotters at Northville Downs. I was sad that both of those tracks closed along with Hazel Park Raceway. I mentioned to Kyle that the three things my father and I did most together were go to the racetrack, work on cars and go hunting. But since my dad passed, my passion for working on cars and hunting faded, but not my love for horse racing. It was then that Kyle told me about the partnership group that Taste of Victory offered, and I thought what better way to rekindle my memories of watching horse racing with my dad then getting truly involved in the sport, so I joined.”

Another partner who said he was glad Taste of Victory started to expand is Larry Hopkins. “I have met some incredible people through TOV,” he said. “I have been on a few road trips to see our horses including our annual pilgrimage to Pimlico for Black-Eyed Susan day. It is interesting getting to mingle with more experienced horsemen and also meeting some of the trainers. It has really opened my eyes to what a great sport Thoroughbred racing is.”

As the partnership expanded so did the management group. In 2016, while attending an owners' conference at Keeneland, Yost and Richardson met Russ Sapienza on a tour of Adena Springs. Originally from Pennsylvania like Yost, Sapienza would eventually make his way to Saratoga Springs where the former senior partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers currently resides. “I was first introduced to horse racing in high school when I went to Brandywine Raceway in Delaware to see the Stanley Cup, which was on tour after being won by the Flyers,” said Sapienza. “But I looked around and my attention turned to the horses. That experience and years of going to Saratoga and Belmont with my wife and her dad turned me into a hardcore fan of the sport and the horses. I enjoy handicapping and even participated in the 2020 NHC in Las Vegas and continue to play in tournaments today. I hope I bring a bit of the 'business of Thoroughbred ownership' in my role as an advisor to Kyle and Brian.”

Sapienza has focused on New York-breds and racing at Belmont, Aqueduct, and Saratoga for Taste of Victory. “New York has a friendly condition book for New York-breds, and the purse structure is extremely competitive. They also have a strong aftercare program which is important to our partners. When you race at places like Saratoga, you get to compete at an elite level in sport while still being part of a small barn or group. You can't do that in any other sport.”

Taste of Victory provides a variety of opportunities that can include young horses or claimers. Their groups are also regionally diverse with groups competing in California, the Mid-Atlantic, New York, and recently Ohio. “We like to keep the investment levels between $1,500 and $7,500 and want people to have at least a three percent interest in any group,” said Yost. “Each group has multiple horses to provide plenty of action and we don't mark up any of our purchases. Each group starts off with a budget that includes estimated expenditures for a year in advance, assuming no purse earnings. We don't want to be reaching out and making cash calls every month.”

The lower starting investment level was a key for partner Doug Shepherd. “The idea of purchasing a horse on my own was too daunting and expensive for a hobby, so the concept of an ownership group was perfect for me,” he said. “I have now been a part of numerous TOV groups that race in various parts of the United States. My wife and son have also become interested in horse racing and my son has recently joined a group with TOV.”

Hit the Road | Lauren King

Filipek agreed and aptly summed it up. “The cost of entry is affordable, but the thrills are priceless!”

Taste of Victory does reserve $300 per month for administrative expenses that go to cover professional fees and the services of their trusted bookkeeper Cara Thomas. The group has begun retaining 5% of purse earnings for new groups to provide funding for expansion and offering more social events. The trio of experienced managers has recently begun offering private management for individuals or groups that want to own horses on their own but need some additional guidance and support.

“Private management is great for families, poker or golfing groups, fraternity brothers and sorority sisters, corporate groups–essentially any individuals or groups that want a program customized to provide maximum enjoyment and flexibility,” said Yost.

Jeff Guffey is one partner who enjoys the events and access. “On race days, they are always willing to host owners at the track, and even set up barn tours for up-close access to the horses and the trainers. It really makes you feel like a true owner and horseman. I think that is what differentiates a group like Taste of Victory from other ownership groups that are less hands on, and more crowd-sourced.”

Taste of Victory Stables has sent two horses to the Breeders' Cup since its inception. GISW/GSW What a View (Vronsky) was the first in 2016, but success arrived in a big way when Taste of Victory Stables bought into Hit the Road in 2019. The More Than Ready colt won the GIII Thunder Road S. and the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile in 2020.

“Hit the Road made it to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in 2019. Even though he didn't hit the board, it was such a joy to be able to host our partners and family at one of our home tracks,” Richardson said.

Hit the Road will be starting his stud career in South Africa this year.

Hit the Road | Benoit

The sweet taste of success was less palatable for Yost though. His wife of 15 years was also immersed in a cancer battle, which sadly she lost in June 2021.

“The horses, including Hit the Road, helped divert my mind for a bit and provide some positivity to the situation, but it was difficult for everyone,” said Yost. “I couldn't get over the outpouring of support from our partners and all the people in the horse racing industry we work with. From sending food for my family to simple notes of support, it was unbelievable.”

Shepherd reflected on the sentiment. “Sure, we love to win stakes races, but that is not what drives everyone. I have learned so much about the sport and the people involved, that it has made me love and appreciate the sport so much more than I ever imagined.”

As Taste of Victory Stables continues to welcome new partners, one thing will continue to hold true: The flavor of life and owning Thoroughbreds is a complex blend of sweet successes, bitter disappointments, and the savory experiences that linger in between.

The post Partnerships, Presented By Taylor Made: A Taste of Victory appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Earning Their Stripes: Dan Blacker

Last year, we conducted a popular Q and A series called 'Smaller But Still Super,' where we featured veteran trainers who have built a competitive racing stable with relatively small numbers (click here to view the archive). This year, we will highlight trainers who have already cut their teeth as novice trainers, but now have a few years of experience under their belt and are looking to make a name for themselves as they grow their stable. We'll talk about the challenges that come with hanging out your single, advice for trainers setting out on their own, how the incoming class of young trainers differs from previous generations and more.

Dan Blacker said he always knew that he wanted to be a trainer. His first job was with British jump racing champion trainer Nicky Henderson and he spent school holidays riding out in his native England and in France. But it wasn't until a trip to the U. S. during the Godolphin Flying Start program that he fell in love with the racetrack way of life.

As part of the Flying Start program, the horseman spent time learning from Richard Mandella and he returned to work for the Hall of Fame trainer in 2007.

After working under Mandella for two years, Blacker spent two years with Tom Albertrani on the East Coast. In 2011, he jumped at the opportunity to launch his own stable.

Since then, Blacker has made a name for himself within the training ranks in California. Last year he not only reached 100 career wins, but he also celebrated his best season yet with 16 wins on the year and over $880,000 in earnings.

Blacker's name has long been associated with his leading earner Hit the Road (Medaglia d'Oro). After going through the ring unsold during Book 1 of the 2018 Keeneland September Sale, Hit the Road was picked out by Blacker and associate Craig (Boomer) Rounsefell for $160,000. Hit the Road took Blacker to his first Breeders' Cup at two and then gave his conditioner his first Grade I victory as a 3-year-old in the 2021 Frank E. Kilroe Mile S.

How did you ultimately take the plunge in going out on your own?

Jamie Lloyd, a bloodstock agent in England now, was training here in California and he was going back to England. He asked me if I wanted to start up, but I wasn't sure if I was ready financially. But Jamie got me a few owners and I started with three horses.

I had met Gary Stevens when I was working in France for Jonathan Pease. When I was starting out, Gary had just finished training. I asked if I could borrow some equipment. He told me to go to this container in Sierra Madra and take whatever I needed. I opened it up and grabbed two saddles, some webbings, all the stuff I needed, and took it back to Hollywood Park. I went and got my first three horses from Jamie and then found two grooms and asked if they wanted to work for me. I didn't have a whole lot of money, but thankfully I had some friends who helped me get going.

We've built it up from there and now 10 years later, we have 30 horses.

Blacker got to spend plenty of time with future supersire Into Mischief during his time with Richard Mandella | Horsephotos

What was the biggest challenge in those first few years as you were getting started?

The first major challenge is going from an assistant to a head trainer. As an assistant, you always have an idea of how you want to do things when you're the boss. You take a piece of the routine from everyone you work for and then formulate your own routine that's unique to you. So you have this idea in your head, but then when you do take the plunge, it's a massive difference when you don't have that person to ask what to do. You're the person that has to make the decisions for everything and ultimately if something doesn't work out, you're the one that has to answer to it with the owners. You never really deal with owners when you're an assistant, but when you go out on your own, all of a sudden you have all this responsibility. There are a lot of things you don't think about when you're an assistant that you now have to do on a day-to-day basis.

You have to learn to wear many hats. You have to be a good communicator, a good horseman and you have to be good with finances. I started my business having no real background in running a business and I had to learn as I went. I opened a QuickBooks program and started learning.

Is there anything the industry as a whole should do to make it easier for trainers starting out?

That's what is really unique about America. It's one of the best places for young trainers to start without a huge amount of financial backing. Back home in England, it's so hard to get going as a trainer. You need a lot of financial backing because you need your own private yard. Here you can have three horses and three stalls and away you go.

In general, I think young people in America are given opportunities much more readily, especially compared to where I'm from back home in England. I think Americans in general are much more open to giving young people a chance if you prove that you work hard and you're passionate about what you do. You don't need a well-known last name and it doesn't matter what you look like. If you have a bit of success, people will give you a chance.

I think the finances are the hardest point. Running a business in any industry takes a lot of planning. I was really winging it in the beginning and it would have been nice to have some sort of guidance in terms of setting up a viable business.

What do you think makes your stable or your training style unique?

We really focus on individual routines for each horse when it comes to training and feed.

We put a lot of emphasis on communication. We send out weekly updates. We film every workout and send workout reports. Most of my owners are not local, so it's great for them to be able to see the works. I think that's one of the most important things. It's why we're here. If I can get the owners more involved with the process of getting a horse ready for a race, I think I'm doing my job. The more you can get them involved, I think the more they enjoy it and the more likely they are to be longtime owners.

I like to think that in terms of training horses, I can train any type of horse. I know I have a British accent but ironically, my statistics are actually a little bit better on the dirt just because we've had a run of decent dirt horses lately. I worked for Richard Mandella and he has won Grade I races on every distance on every surface. I hope that one day I can get close to his kind of record.

Hit the Road gives Blacker his first Grade I victory in the 2021 Frank E. Kilroe Mile | Benoit

What was the main takeaway from your time working for Richard Mandella?

There are so many different things I learned from him that I still think about today. He's the best horseman I've ever been around.

The main thing would be attention to detail and really focusing on each horse. Training a horse is not just about what they're doing on the track. It's their whole life–how they behave in the barn, how they behave in the paddock, how they're eating. The whole package of a horse's life can impact the outcome of a race.

As assistants for Mandella, we spent our entire time in the barn watching how they were behaving. It was about all the little things that I don't think a lot of people think about. Winning and losing is a matter of inches sometimes, so for Mandella it was about trying to tweak these horses and their routines to gain every kind of advantage.

What is something that this incoming generation of trainers does better or different than previous generations?

The obvious one is communication. There is a lot more emphasis on communication these days.

In terms of training, I think training horses has evolved everywhere around the world. There is a lot of talk about how horses race less often than they used to. I think it's a combination of many different things at play. Maybe the breed has been bred over generations to run faster and possibly the breed might have become tougher to keep sound. But more likely, with statistics and numbers being analyzed more these days, trainers have been able to see that horses run better with more time between races. When you're spacing out races more, horses tend to run bigger and have better performances. If you're running against a trainer that spaces his races out, you're going to be at a disadvantage.

That's not always the case. You can get a horse that runs well every two weeks. But statistically on the whole, I think that trainers have learned over the years that horses run a much bigger race when the races are more spread out. It's difficult to compete with the guys that do that unless you're doing the same thing, so I think it's just the way that training styles have developed over the years.

Could you tell us a bit about the Keeneland Files you did with Boomer Bloodstock? Will we see those again this year?

I really owe all of that to Vicky Leonard and Boomer [Craig Rounsefell]. They came up with the idea and I was just along for the ride. I was a little skeptical at first as I'm not one to jump in front of the camera. But once we got going, I realized that what they were trying to achieve was great and it was crazy how much positive feedback we got from it. So many people were coming up and saying how much they loved the videos. If it can shed some light on the process that we go through with buying horses, then I think we're doing our job. Boomer really does his homework leading up to it and in the videos you can see how much work he puts in. I had some calls afterwards and people were interested in coming in, so I think we definitely got some new partners from it.

Who is your favorite horse that you've trained?

That's a pretty easy one–Hit the Road (More Than Ready).

He had some minor injuries after the Pegasus last year so we gave him some time off. He has come back and was a bit disappointing, but after his last race a splint bone became inflamed so we've been going easy with him recently. This will be his last year of training. Hopefully we will have him back to the races before Del Mar this summer.

I genuinely believe he deserves a shot as a stallion. He has a great pedigree, he was precocious and he has always had a great mind. As a trainer, those are the kind of horses I want to train. He had a spotty racing career, but that was mostly due to the pandemic. He really has everything that I would hope to have in a racehorse. He's so competitive and he's won a stakes race at two, three and four. I hope he gets a chance to be a stallion because has all the attributes you look for in a racehorse.

Is there an up-and-coming horse in your barn that we should know about?

A horse called Arrowthegreat (Arrogate). He ran second in a straight maiden last summer at Del Mar. After a little issue we ran him back and he was a bit disappointing here last month, but was really sick after the race. He's a really beautiful horse and I have high hopes for him for the second half of the year. He'll be getting back on the work tab next week.

We have some exciting 2-year-olds arriving soon, including one by Good Magic. We've heard good reports about him from Ocala.

If you aren't at the racetrack, what can you be found doing?

I have three daughters. I spend a lot of time with them. They're all active in softball and soccer.

What is your favorite restaurant to go to after celebrating a win?

My wife [TVG host Christina Blacker] and I like to go out and try new places. There's a good one in Pasadena, a new Italian place called Piccolo. But all you Breeders' Cup people, don't be taking up my reservations.

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Hit the Road Sidelined Until Summer

Hit the Road (More Than Ready), winner of the prestigious GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita last March, has been given some time off following an eighth in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park Jan. 26.

“He's at Kingfisher [Farms] in Solvang [in the Santa Ynez Valley] and he'll be back in the summer,” confirmed trainer Dan Blacker.

“To win Grade I's you have to have a horse 100 % and he wasn't quite 100 % [at Gulfstream],” Blacker said. “He'll have a couple months off and, hopefully, there's a chance he could be ready for a race like the [GII] Del Mar Mile if everything goes smoothly,” Blacker said.

The 5-year-old also won last season's GIII Thunder Road S. at Santa Anita.

“There's a notion that he doesn't ship well [the Pegasus was only his second start outside of Southern California in 13 career races), but I know him very well and he's very smart, very intelligent, and he shipped very well to Florida,” he continued. “There were other reasons he didn't run his best and we're going to hopefully take care of them…but it wasn't just the shipping…We'll be patient and, hopefully, have him back at his best this summer.”

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‘Colonel’ Looks for Pegasus Turf Repeat

As is the case in the day's feature event on the main track, Gulfstream's GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational highlights a returning champion in the form of Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam (Liam's Map). Following a neck win in the 2021 renewal of the nine-furlong test, the Todd Pletcher trainee added a win in the GII Muniz Memorial Classic at the Fair Grounds in March before finishing on even terms with Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic at Churchill Downs in May. In his latest start, he finished eighth in the 10-furlong GI Manhattan S. at Belmont June 5.

“He seems to look good and energetic coming into this,” confirmed Pletcher. “Is he going to be ready to fire his best shot off the lengthy layoff? But every indication he is he's ready.”

A winner of this race in 2019 with ultimate Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar, Chad Brown is represented by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Mike Caruso's Sacred Life (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). Fourth in this race last year, the French-bred won the GIII Knickerbocker S. last October before finishing a head back in second behind the re-opposing Field Pass (Lemon Drop Kid) in Del Mar's GII Seabiscuit S. Nov. 27. Jose Ortiz gets back aboard.

D K Racing, Radley Equine Inc., Taste of Victory Stables, Rick Gold, Tony Maslowski and Dave Odmark's Hit the Road (More Than Ready) reeled off four consecutive wins between May 2020 and March 2021, including Santa Anita's GIII Thunder Road S. and the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile in March. He is coming off back-to-back thirds in the GII Del Mar Mile in August and GII City of Hope Mile Oct. 2. The 5-year-old was purchased by trainer Dan Blacker and Australian bloodstock agent Craig 'Boomer' Rounsefell after he RNA'd for $200,000 at Keeneland September.

“He's the best horse I've ever trained,” said Blacker. “Hopefully, there'll be more like him to come, but, he's a really special horse. It meant a lot that myself and Craig Rounsefell bought him ourselves at the sale and watched him develop into a great horse. I always had a confidence that he could be a top-level horse, but you never know. To have him go and win a Grade I, it was more than I could have hoped for, a real thrill. I'm just thankful to the owners to give me the chance to buy horses like him.”

Kirk Wycoff's Three Diamonds Farm offers a two-pronged attack with Cross Border (English Channel) and the aforementioned Field Pass. Their trainer Mike Maker, who won this race with Zulu Alpha (Street Cry {Ire}) in 2020, is also represented this year by Jordan Wycoff's Atone (Into Mischief) and Mike and Jules Iavarone, Abbondanza Racing and Donald Durando's Flavius (War Front).

Cross Border, winner of the GII Bowling Green S. at Saratoga in July, took the Prairie Bayou S. over Turfway Park's all-weather surface Dec. 18. Winless with a second and two thirds over Gulfstream's turf, Cross Border gets the services of Reylu Gutierrez from post 11.

Victorious in the GIII Baltimore/Washington International Turf Cup in July, Field Pass later finished runner up in the Knickerbocker before taking the Seabiscuit. He won in his only previous try over Gulfstream's grass course in the 2020 Dania Beach S. Umberto Rispoli rides from post 9.

Joseph Allen's homebred Doswell (Giant's Causeway), runner up in the 2020 edition of the GII Ft Lauderdale S., finished third in his next three starts, including the GIII W. L. McKnight S., also at this venue. Sent off a 9-2 while trying to go one better in last month's Ft. Lauderdale, he went wire-to-wire to score by 1 1/2 lengths over Atone Dec. 18.

“He came out really, really well,” said trainer Barclay Tagg. “Not a blemish on him. He's happy, eating well and he hasn't missed a breeze since. We feel good about him. If he can get to where he can relax and be up close, then I think it'll work out fine.”

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