‘How Lucky are We?’ Mill Ridge and the Breeders’ Cup

Celebrating 40 Years of the Breeders' Cup with Living Legends

It wasn't so long ago that the magnificent sire Gone West held court at Mill Ridge Farm near Lexington. From 22 crops, all while at Mill Ridge, he netted a mouth-watering 9% black-type winners from starters, including Breeders' Cup winners Da Hoss (twice), Johar, and Speightstown, all back in the days when the Breeders' Cup was still a single day and there were far fewer races.

The son of Mr. Prospector passed away in 2009, but his influence on the Breeders' Cup was not done and neither was Mill Ridge's. Among Gone West's sire sons are Speightstown, who has sired two Breeders' Cup winners, and Elusive Quality, who has sired three. His grandsons include Quality Road, sire of four Breeders' Cup winners. And among the major runners out of his daughters is another Breeders' Cup winner in Awesome Feather.

The Mill Ridge team hasn't stopped there. Eight Breeders' Cup winners have been bred, raised, and/or sold by the Central Kentucky farm. Additionally, Mill Ridge's involvement in Horse Country has created an extra ripple effect of the Breeders' Cup's impact on farms big and small, as well as on the fans who visit those farms. And now, the two young sires who are standing at Mill Ridge are both Breeders' Cup winners.

Oscar Performance on a Horse Country tour along with Mill Ridge's tour guide Ryn Harris and managing partner Headley Bell. Earl the Corgi is quite popular on the tours and on social media. | Sarah Andrew

Oscar Performance won the GI Juvenile Turf in 2016, while Aloha West won the GI Sprint in 2021.

“That's like starting two full teams for the University of Kentucky basketball team,” said Price Bell, Jr., general manager of Mill Ridge, with a laugh about the eight Breeders' Cup winners combined with the two additional championship day winners in the stud barn. “That's the beauty of the Breeders' Cup. How lucky are we to have been able to associate with this many horses on Breeders' Cup days?

“We'll often have visitors say, 'Well, don't you have an unfair advantage because you get to watch them in the field and then watch them win?' We know how special it is to get to do this.”

From the start, Oscar Performance had the Bell family's fingerprints all over him. Fittingly, he was raised on the farm and has now returned to the place of his birth to stand. He is also the sire of Sunday's GIII Zuma Beach S. winner Endlessly from his second crop of 2-year-olds. Endlessly is an unbeaten dual graded winner–for the same connections as his sire–who will try to emulate his sire in the Nov. 3 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

“We raised Oscar Performance for the Amermans and helped with the mating. Now for a horse for the same connections to go on and keep that dream alive is very special.

“We feel so lucky and blessed to associate with so many incredible people and breeders and clients and horses,” said Bell. “The Breeders' Cup is what we're all striving for and dreaming about as soon as you do a mating. We feel so blessed to have gotten there and want to keep going.”

Sarah Andrew

Mill Ridge is a popular spot on the Horse Country tours and Oscar Performance has become a showman.

“To connect him with guests is so special,” said Bell. “People have just fallen in love with him. We've really enjoyed sharing him with people and seeing the way he's become a fan favorite. It has been very meaningful as we share that he was the best 2-year-old on the turf in his generation, the best 3-year-old on the turf, and that he set the world record at a mile. One of those three things often sticks with people. To be able to share him with fans is really special.”

As a racehorse, Oscar Performance had a devastating kick.

“What I found so brilliant in his Breeders' Cup is that he had broken from the 13 hole, yet was able to clear the field,” said Bell. “To break from the 13th post to get clear and over at Santa Anita is a big thing. I remember very vividly where I was when he broke his maiden [at Saratoga in August of 2016]. And then his Breeders' Cup, we sat and watched it at the office with my dad because my wife and I had a 15-month-old. It was our son's first Grade I and one we certainly remember as a family. It would be so memorable if Endlessly could do it, too. We're so blessed to have those relationships.”

Aloha West, whose first foals will be born in 2024, took a different route to Mill Ridge.

“He was raised by our friends at Nursery Place by John Mayer,” said Bell. “I think for his Breeders' Cup, what was so telling, is that was the ninth race he had had that year. He'd showed some ability at two, had some shins, hurt himself at three. They were really patient with him. [He debuted at four], broke his maiden in February culminating with a Breeders' Cup win. He danced every dance, had nine starts that year, no real break. He was sort of the clever horse on the backside; people had a lot of chatter about him going into the Breeders' Cup. And then he showed that will to win.”

Halter tag keychains, including one of Breeders' Cup winner Life Is Sweet, in Mill Ridge's Horse Country gift shop | Sarah Andrew

In addition to their two Breeders' Cup-winning stallions, one of whom they had also raised, Mill Ridge has been intimately involved with 2000 Distaff winner Spain, 2003 Turf dead-heater Johar (one of Gone West's winners), 2004 Juvenile Fillies winner Sweet Catomine, 2005 Mile winner Artie Schiller, 2006 Distaff winner Round Pond, 2009 Ladies' Classic winner Life Is Sweet, and 2013 Juvenile Fillies winner Ria Antonia. For those keeping score, that was four consecutive winners from 2003-06 and six in that decade alone.

Winning the Breeders' Cup doesn't get old though. On the contrary, it leaves one hungry for more.

“Once you've been there, you want to experience it again,” said Bell. “You want to do it again and again and again and again.”

Bell has distinct memories of every winner. Some stood out early.

“I often put Sweet Catomine as the one that everyone on the farm thought was very special. For her to culminate as champion and the way she had done it was wonderful. Sometimes you do see something when they're young and it's very gratifying.”

Some stand out because of the relationships with the breeders.

“Artie Schiller was awesome because Leroidesanimaux (Brz) was the overwhelming favorite and he beat him handily, squarely, no excuses. He ran by him like he was standing still. It was a great culmination of the relationship we had with the Moussacs [breeders of Artie Schiller]. A great celebration.”

But one of the Breeders' Cup wins that is most memorable to Bell is for an out-of-the-ordinary reason and ties in to the farm's involvement with Horse Country.

“I remember Spain was a classic [D. Wayne] Lukas move. Lukas put them to sleep. She got a phenomenal ride [from Victor Espinoza]. It was Lukas taking a shot and then he wins at 56-1.

“But what I really remember when I think of her now is on one of our tours there was a gentleman who was about my age. He loved Spain. He was in the hospital at the time she won, in a children's cancer ward, and he'd told all the nurses to bet her.

“Here's a horse that we both had great memories of for very different reasons. It was our first Breeders' Cup winner while he's a kid fighting cancer. It meant a lot to both of us, was an inspiration for both of us. Horses touch people in different ways and sometimes we don't even know it.”

A Horse Country tour sign at Mill Ridge | Sarah Andrew

Perhaps that is why Bell and Mill Ridge are so bullish on the non-profit Horse Country, which Bell was instrumental in co-founding and which also has Breeders' Cup roots. It's his way of giving back to the industry and connecting the wider public to our sport.

“We launched Horse Country tours the same year [2015] as the first Breeders' Cup at Keeneland. It coincided with American Pharoah and that was kind of what got us going. We had set a timeline of the Breeders' Cup date and it gave us a starting gate. We were committed. It has taken a lot of iterations between then and now, but we're big believers in it. We love doing it and sharing what we do.

“The tours have welcomed 200,000 people since then, 25,000 of those at Mill Ridge. We're the number two thing to do on Trip Advisor in Lexington. It feels like it's our part in trying to connect people to racing.

“We're all inspired by the horses and tours are people's best opportunity to meet a horse. Farms create a great opportunity for that. It's meaningful for people to share that, just like the gentleman who had a relationship with Spain from his hospital bed.”

One guest at a time, Mill Ridge and Horse Country are changing the wider public's perception of racing. If meeting a Breeders' Cup-winning stallion brings one more person over to the beauty of our sport, it's a win. If it shows another person how well we take care of our horses and how much they mean to us, it's a win. And if it gets one more person to watch the Breeders' Cup, feeling they have a connection because they've feed a carrot to the sire of one of the runners or have walked over the same land where one was raised, it's a win.

“The better we can show guests what we do, the better we all are,” said Bell. “It feels like the right thing to do. We get so much from the guests and the experience. It's a great reminder of how lucky we are.

“Mill Ridge is just one small piece in it, but we've jumped all the way in. It's very doable. And it's beautiful. At the end of the day, we get so much out of committing to it.

“I feel like we get more out of it than we give.”

The post ‘How Lucky are We?’ Mill Ridge and the Breeders’ Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Horse Country Searches for New Executive Director with Hardy’s Departure

Anne Sabatino Hardy, Visit Horse Country's first Executive Director, will be leaving that organization to transition to new opportunities in early 2022. Hardy will remain through the transition as the board of Horse Country searches for a new Executive Director.

“The equine industry is vital to the tourism infrastructure of Lexington and Central Kentucky tourism,” said Gathan Borden, Vice President of VisitLEX and Visit Horse Country Board Chair. “[Hardy] has been a tremendous asset in helping develop and grow Horse Country to where it is today. As we embark on this next chapter, the board looks forward to building upon her leadership and success to take Horse Country into the future.”

Horse Country members have hosted more than 180,000 guests and fans since a group of industry participants conceived the idea of a collaborative industry initiative focused on outreach in 2014. Horse Country enables guests to be a part of equine experiences in the heart of the Thoroughbred industry, with documented positive perception change for the sport as well as national and international recognition in press and awards.

“Building Horse Country with the members, board, sponsors, and supporters over these last seven years has been a beautiful challenge and I treasure the relationships I've built through this work as well as the accomplishments we've shared together,” said Hardy. “I look forward to seeing the next vision of Horse Country. I was drawn to this work as someone outside of the industry who was inspired by the members' unified vision of providing engaging access to the horse, land, and people and I still firmly believe in how this outreach prioritizes the guest and fan above all as a way to help them fall in love with the horse, the sport, and Kentucky.”

The post Horse Country Searches for New Executive Director with Hardy’s Departure appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Borden Succeeds Bell As Visit Horse Country Board President

With a unanimous vote of the board of Horse Country, Inc., Gathan Borden officially stepped into his role as the new – and second-ever – board president for Visit Horse Country. Borden has served on the board since his election by the members in 2019. The transition also marks the outgoing of long-time founding board president Price H. Bell, Jr., who has served for the organization's first 7 years.

Bell, along with father Headley, Brutus Clay, and Dr. Luke Fallon, termed themselves the “mule team,” as they worked in the early days to form and shepherd the industry initiative that would become Visit Horse Country. Each has served roles on the board with Dr. Fallon recently rejoining; Bell, Jr. has maintained the leadership position through the foundational days.

“No doubt the organization would not be what it is, or at all, without Price's generous dedication of time, contribution of boundless energy, and sheer will,” said Executive Director Anne Sabatino Hardy. “He's been a mentor and a tremendous leader. His fingerprints are all over the initiative, which has opened the gates to completely new fans over these last years.”

Borden, the Vice President of Marketing for VisitLEX, Lexington's convention and visitor's bureau, is a 14-year veteran of the tourism industry, sought-after speaker on marketing topics and trends, and was selected in 2021 as one of the “Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization” by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI). Borden has served on the board since 2019.

“As we move into the next era of Visit Horse Country, Gathan's marketing prowess, vision and strategic approach is the perfect fit for this position,” said Bell, Jr. “He's an expert in the tourism field and as we seek to attract new fans to our sport, he lends invaluable perspective on how to leverage our experiences to the leisure traveler.”

“Visit Horse Country has been a game-changer for the Lexington tourism product,” said Borden. “The outreach from the horse industry into the community has been powerful and has allowed us to truly share the Bluegrass in a way we never could before. I'm excited to be a part of helping Horse Country continue to develop fans of the industry and further cement Lexington as the Horse Capital of the World.”

Along with the change in leadership, Visit Horse Country board members Heather Higgins, VP Corporate Partnerships for Breeders' Cup, and Harold Palmer, President, The Jockey Club Technology Services, were unanimously elected to service during the organization's annual meeting, held virtually in December 2020.

The post Borden Succeeds Bell As Visit Horse Country Board President appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

New Horse Country Board President is VisitLEX’s Borden

Gathan Borden, the vice president of marketing for VisitLEX, Lexington's convention and visitor's bureau, has officially been named the new board president of Visit Horse Country. Borden succeeds founding board president Price H. Bell, Jr., who served in the position for the first seven years of the organization.

“Visit Horse Country has been a game-changer for the Lexington tourism product,” said Borden. “The outreach from the horse industry into the community has been powerful and has allowed us to truly share the Bluegrass in a way we never could before. I'm excited to be a part of helping Horse Country continue to develop fans of the industry and further cement Lexington as the Horse Capital of the World.”

Borden is a 14-year veteran of the tourism industry and has served on the Horse Country board since 2019. Borden, who was selected in 2021 as one of the “Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization” by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), is a sought-after speaker on marketing topics and trends.

Bell, Jr. worked alongside his father, Headley, and with Brutus Clay and Dr. Luke Fallon to form the industry initiative that would grow into Visit Horse Country. All have been on the board with Dr. Fallon recently rejoining.

“No doubt the organization would not be what it is, or at all, without Price's generous dedication of time, contribution of boundless energy, and sheer will,” said Executive Director Anne Sabatino Hardy. “He's been a mentor and a tremendous leader. His fingerprints are all over the initiative, which has opened the gates to completely new fans over these last years.”

In handing over the reins, Bell, Jr. said, “As we move into the next era of Visit Horse Country, Gathan's marketing prowess, vision, and strategic approach is the perfect fit for this position. He's an expert in the tourism field and, as we seek to attract new fans to our sport, he lends invaluable perspective on how to leverage our experiences to the leisure traveler.”

In additional Horse Country news, Heather Higgins, VP of corporate partnerships for Breeders' Cup, and Harold Palmer, president of The Jockey Club Technology Services, were unanimously elected as board members.

The post New Horse Country Board President is VisitLEX’s Borden appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights