Erich Brehm, J. Keith Desmormeaux, Wayne Detmar & Lee Michaels

In the mid-1970s, Eric Brehm Sr. and his pal Wally would study nights, then take off for the harness track because they could get in free after the seventh race. They did well playing trifectas, made T-shirts saying “Trifecta Kids” and, some 15 years later, Brehm Sr. got to know Josh Pons, who won an Eclipse Award for his series in The Blood-Horse called “Country Life Diary.” Brehm Sr. asked Pons if he would check out a Seattle Slew mare, Seattle Queen, who was in foal to Malinowski in New Jersey. Pons gave his blessing, and Brehm bought the filly for $5,000. They named Seattle Queen’s second foal by Citidancer Fat Wally. He set a track record at Retama Park, winning a maiden race by 13 lengths. “Seeing my father’s expression as his colt crossed the finish line first had me hooked forever,” Brehm Jr. told America’s Best Racing.

Brehm Jr. wound up in the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program and was an intern at Lone Star Park.

In 2009, Brehm Sr. met trainer Keith Desormeaux, who wound up as trainer for Team Brehm and their friend/partner Dr. Gene Voss. Desormeaux purchased three horses from the 2013 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. One of them, Texas Red, was purchased for $17,000. Two more Brehm family members, Wayne Detmer and Lee Michaels, bought in. Lee’s husband, Paul, bought his share as a present for her. Texas Red is both the Detmers’ and the Michaels’ first Thoroughbred. “How great is that?” Brehm Jr. asked.