Meet the owners of the 2020 Kentucky Derby contenders and see how they got so rich
If you want to compete as an owner in the “sport of kings,” you’ll probably need to command a great deal of wealth.
But overwhelming riches carry no guarantee of success in the hunt for a Kentucky Derby crown. Many well-to-do horse racing magnates have spend untold millions in pursuit of a Thoroughbred with the pedigree to win the most famous horse race on the planet, only to come up short.
That said, when it comes to the chase for Kentucky Derby glory, it helps to possess deep pockets.
Here’s a look at the owners of each Thoroughbred who’ll compete in the 2020 Run for the Roses and how they accumulated their wealth:
1. Finnick the Fierce (50-1)
Owners: Arnaldo Monge, Rey Hernandez.
Auction price: Never sold at auction.
Earnings to date: $191,290.
Best performance: Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (Grade 2), second.
About Arnaldo Monge: A Kentucky-based veterinarian who practices at the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington and is a board member of the Kentucky Equine Adoption Center, which rescues and re-homes horses, donkeys and mules.
About Rey Hernandez: A former jockey and exercise rider, Hernandez is currently a horse trainer. He practiced at WinStar Farm in Versailles.
2. Max Player (30-1)
Owner: George E. Hall.
Auction price: Never sold at auction.
Earnings to date: $373,500.
Best performance: Withers Stakes (Grade 3), win.
About George E. Hall: President of The Clinton Group, a New York City-based investment company that manages more than $6 billion. Established the George E. Hall Childhood Diabetes Foundation at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York after his niece was diagnosed with diabetes at 6 years old.
3. Enforceable (30-1)
Owner: John C. Oxley.
Auction price: Never sold at auction.
Earnings to date: $397,150.
Best performance: Lecomte Stakes (Grade 3), win.
About John C. Oxley: Founded Oxley Petroleum, an oil and gas firm based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1962. After selling the company in 2003 founded Oxley Resources, an oil and gas exploration and production company.
4. Storm the Court (50-1)
Owners: David A. Bernsen LLC, Exline-Border Racing LLC, Dan Hudock, Susanna Wilson.
Auction price: $110,000.
Earnings to date: $2,015,300.
Best performance: Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Grade 1), win.
About David A. Bernsen LLC: Manages Las Vegas-based Global Wagering Group, which specializes in the management and development of high-capacity connectivity software for businesses working in the horse racing industry.
About Exline-Border Racing LLC: Co-founder Justin Border is president of Titan Healthcare Solutions, which works to help hospitals and other medical organizations adapt to changes in the healthcare industry.
5. Major Fed (50-1)
Owner: Lloyd Madison Farms IV.
Auction price: Never sold at auction.
Earnings to date: $215,600.
Best performance: Risen Star (Grade 2), second.
About Lloyd Madison Farms IV: Owned by Jim Bakke, who is president of his family’s company Sub-Zero, a refrigeration outfit founded in the 1930s and based in Madison, Wis. According to the company’s bio, founder Westye F. Bakke invented the first free-standing freezer in 1943.
6. King Guillermo (Scratched)
Owner: Victoria’s Ranch.
Auction price: Not sold at auction. Purchased as a 2-year-old by Victoria’s Ranch for $150,000.
Earnings to date: $340,350.
Best performance: South Tampa Bay Derby (Grade 2), win.
About Victoria’s Ranch: Stable is owned by former Major League Baseball standout Victor Martinez, a five-time All-Star who played for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers.
7. Money Moves (30-1)
Owners: Robert LaPenta and Bortolazzo Stable.
Auction price: $975,000.
Earnings to date: $67,400.
Best performance: Allowance race at Gulfstream Park, first.
About Robert LaPenta: President and CEO of Connecticut-based Revolution Lighting Technologies, Inc., which designs and manufactures LED lighting products. Also founded private investment company Aston, along with several other business ventures. Bought his first racehorse in 1998 in partnership with former University of Kentucky and University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino.
About Bortolazzo Stable: Owned by Dr. Jerry Bortolazzo, a former emergency room doctor who founded ApolloMD, a company based in Atlanta that provides a multitude of medical services.
8. South Bend (50-1)
Owners: Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, Peter Deutsch.
Auction price: Last sold for $70,000 at 2019 Ocala Breeders’ Sale. Originally purchased for $47,000 at 2018 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale.
Earnings to date: $390,114.
Best performance: Ohio Derby (Grade 3), second.
About Gary Barber: Born in South Africa, Barber came to America as an accountant for Price Waterhouse and eventually became a citizen. He became a film producer and co-founded Spyglass Entertainment. Barber is credited as executive producer on films including “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” and “Bruce Almighty.” He was CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from 2010 to 2018.
About Wachtel Stable: Owned by Adam Wachtel, son of famed New York horse owner Ed Wachtel.
About Peter Deutsch: CEO of Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, an import business founded by his father, Bill Deutsch, in 1981.
9. Mr. Big News (50-1)
Owner: Allied Racing Stable.
Auction price: $95,000.
Earnings to date: $168,553.
Best performance: Oaklawn Stakes, first.
About Allied Racing Stable: Owner Chester Thomas is a western Kentucky native who lives in Madisonville. He grew up the son of an accountant/insurance company owner and eventually became involved in the coal industry. He’s the owner of Madisonville-based mining company Green River Colleries.
10. Thousand Words (15-1)
Owners: Albaugh Family Stables, Spendthrift Farm.
Auction price: $1,000,000.
Earnings to date: $327,000.
Best performance: Los Alamitos Futurity (Grade 2), win.
About Albaugh Family Stables: Owner Dennis Albaugh mortgaged his home to found Albaugh Inc., an international pesticide company which is now worth billions.
About Spendthrift Farm: Owner B. Wayne Hughes founded storage company Public Storage, turning a $50,000 investment into a company worth billions.
11. Necker Island (50-1)
Owners: Raymond Daniels, Wayne Scherr, Greg Harbut.
Auction price: $250,000.
Earnings to date: $199,730.
Best performance: Indiana Derby (Grade 3), third.
About Raymond Daniels: A Lexington resident who owns a Waffle House franchise and is a member of the Fayette County School Board.
About Wayne Scherr: A resident of South Dakota who is a masonry contractor.
About Greg Harbut: A bloodstock agent whose great-grandfather, Will Harbut, was a member of the team that cared for legendary champion Man o’ War. Greg Harbut founded his agency a decade ago and counts several international operations among his clients.
12. Sole Volante (30-1)
Owners: Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Andie Biancone.
Auction price: Last sold for $20,000 at 2019 Ocala Breeders’ Sale. Originally purchased for $6,000 at 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Earnings to date: $323,310.
Best performance: Sam F. Davis Stakes (Grade 3), first.
About Reeves Thoroughbred Racing: Formed in 2009 and owned by Patti Reeves and her husband, Dean. Patti Reeves is president of Reeves Media, a firm specializing in outdoor advertising throughout southeastern America. The Reeveses owned a majority interest in graded stakes winner Mucho Macho Man, who finished third in the 2011 Kentucky Derby and won the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
About Andie Biancone: Andie Biancone is the daughter of trainer Patrick Biancone, who gifted Andie Sole Volante as a 22nd birthday present. Andie Biancone is pursuing a degree in equine science from the University of Florida.
13. Attachment Rate (50-1)
Owners: Jim Bakke, Gerry Isbister.
Auction price: Last sold for $200,000 at Keeneland 2018 Yearling Sale. Originally purchased for $100,000 at Keeneland 2018 Breeding Stock Sale.
Earnings to date: $143,732.
Best performance: Ellis Park Derby, second.
About Jim Bakke: See Major Fed.
About Gerry Isbister: President of Bradlee Distributors, Inc., which sells luxury kitchen appliances and has bases of operations in Canada and Seattle, Wash.
14. Winning Impression (50-1)
Owner: West Point Thoroughbreds.
Auction price: Last sold for $77,000 at 2019 Ocala Breeders’ Sale. Originally purchased for $17,000 at 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Earnings to date: $98,552.
Best performance: Arkansas Derby (Grade 1), third.
About West Point Thoroughbreds: Largest Thoroughbred partnership management company in the world. Founder Terry Finley graduated from military academy Army in 1986 with a degree in mechanical engineering and served for eight years as an artillery officer. He named the stable after his alma mater. Company is partial owner of 2017 Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming and outright owner of Commanding Curve, who finished second in the 2014 Kentucky Derby.
15. Ny Traffic (20-1)
Owners: John Fanelli, Cash is King LLC, LC Racing, Paul Braverman.
Auction price: $27,000.
Earnings to date: $565,470.
Best performance: Haskell Stakes (Grade 1), second.
About John Fanelli: Executive manager at a Nissan dealership in New Jersey and a former professional poker player.
About Cash is King: Owned by Chuck Zacney, owner and CEO of The Sirrus Group, a medical billing company based in Pennsylvania.
About LC Racing: Stable name of Glenn Bennett, owner of New Jersey company Tru-Fit Frame and Door.
About Paul Braverman: A Boston-based investment manager. His horse Soldat finished 11th in the 2011 Kentucky Derby.
16. Honor A. P. (5-1)
Owner: C R K Stable.
Auction price: $850,000.
Earnings to date: $382,200.
Best performance: Santa Anita Derby (Grade 1), win.
About C R K Stable: Owned by Lee and Susan Searing of Claremont, Calif. Lee Searing is president of Searing Industries, the steel-tubing business founded by his father more than 30 years ago. The company’s products are primarily used in construction and heavy equipment manufacturing.
17. Tiz the Law (3-5)
Owner: Sackatoga Stable.
Auction price: $110,000.
Earnings to date: $2,015,300.
Best performance: Belmont Stakes (Grade 1), win.
About Sackatoga Stable: Operating manager Jack Knowlton and marketing director Ed Mitzen are high school friends who founded the operation together in 2006. Mitzen has built four marketing companies that total more than $200 million in revenue.
18. Authentic (8-1)
Owners: Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables, Starlight Racing.
Auction price: $350,000.
Earnings to date: $1,011,200.
Best performance: Haskell Stakes (Grade 1), win.
About Spendthrift Farm: See Thousand Words.
About MyRaceHorse Stable: Founded in 2018 by CEO Michael Behrens, a former marketing and advertising executive. MyRaceHorse is an ownership platform that sells microshares of Thoroughbreds around the country. Investors are essentially buying stock in a horse.
About Madakat Stables: Primary owner is Sol Kumin, an American businessman who in 2014 founded hedge fund Folger Hill Asset Management after raising more than $1 billion from investors. Part owner of Triple Crown winner Justify.
About Starlight Racing: Founded by Jack and Laurie Wolf. Jack Wolf worked as a professor before founding a hedge-fund company, Columbus Partners. The Wolfs founded Starlight with the purchase of six horses in 2000.
This story was originally published September 2, 2020 at 5:32 PM.
