Bill Mack & Bob Baker

Bill Mack, the founder and chairman of AREA Property Partners, chairman of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, and chairman of the board of directors of the Mack-Cali Realty Corporation, and Bob Baker, who is the chairman and CEO of National Realty and Development Corporation in Purchase, New York, have been winning Grade 1 stakes races for 16 years, all with D. Wayne Lukas as trainer.

In 1997, their colt Grand Slam won the Grade 1 Futurity and Champagne before suffering a leg injury in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. They sold a half-interest in Grand Slam to Coolmore Stud for $5 million. Grand Slam recovered from his injury and finished second in the 1998 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Mack and Baker also campaigned stakes winners Proud Citizen (with David Cornstein), who finished second in the 2002 Kentucky Derby and third in the Preakness, and 2009 Hopeful Stakes winner Dublin.

Strong Mandate didn’t indicate he would join their elite company of Grade 1 winners when he finished fifth by 12¼ lengths to Big Sugar Soda in his Saratoga debut six weeks before the Hopeful, which Big Sugar Soda would also enter.

In the interim, Lukas added blinkers, and Strong Mandate won a maiden race wire-to-wire by 4¼ lengths. In the Hopeful – Lukas’ 78th birthday – he blew past the leaders and won by a jaw-dropping 9¾ lengths under wraps for the final sixteenth of a mile. “Blinkers usually help with my horses,” Lukas said in a joyful winner’s circle. “These guys, Bill Mack and Bob Baker, have been with me for 25 years. We’ve gone through a lot. We’ve had Grand Slam and Dublin down through the years and Scorpion and Proud Citizen. We had some nice horses, but I don’t know if we’ve had one this good.” When jockey Jose Ortiz returned Strong Mandate to the winner’s circle, Mack put his arm around Baker and said, “This is what it’s all about.”

Willis Horton

Willis Horton, who at the age of 73 is five years younger than his Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, is a native of Marshall, Arkansas, who developed D.R. Horton Custom Homes, which became the nation’s largest builder of single-family homes. Horton retired when the company went public in 1992. That allowed him to pursue his passion: horses. He’d had them growing up, and he became the managing partner of Horton Stable, which included his brother Leon, his son Cam, and his nephew Terry. Among their best horses were Kentucky Oaks winner Lemons Forever, and Partner’s Hero.

Horton fell in love with Will Take Charge, a colt in the 2011 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. “I liked his pedigree, his size, and his conformation is terrific,” Horton said. “I’ve been in this business for about 50 years, and not on a big scale. I did it on a small scale. But this was the best-looking horse I’ve even seen in a sale.”

Another bidder was also impressed, but then stopped bidding. Why? It was Lukas. “I looked out and saw Willis bidding and I thought, ‘Whoa, I better back off here,’” Lukas said. “We’ve been friends forever.”

“It’s the most wonderful feeling to be able to get somebody put up the money, stay by you, believe in you, to give them that moment,” Lukas said. “Three strides before the wire, the only thing I thought of was him (Willis) and his wife.”

Asked what it meant to win the Travers, Horton said, “Well, it’s hard to describe, you know? I’m so happy.”

Calumet Farm

As Oxbow neared the finish line of the Preakness Stakes, Calumet Farm’s Manager Eddie Kane, watching the race at home with his wife and children, couldn’t believe it. “We didn’t envision it to happen so quickly,” he said. “People try all their lives and never accomplish this. Doing it under the Calumet Farm banner made it even better.”

Immediately, Kane was on the phone with his boss, Brad Kelley, the man who had taken the challenge of re-inventing one of the storied farms in racing history. “As soon as they hit the wire, I was on the phone with him,” Kane said. “He was pretty emotional. He said his mom and dad watched the race from his home. Mr. Kelley was the guy who ultimately picked Oxbow out at the sale.”

Understandably, the mood at Calumet Farm went off the charts following the Preakness. “Everybody was excited,” Kane said. “I think I was the only one of the farm who didn’t bet the horse. My money would stop a herd of buffalo.”

Fortunately, Kane and Kelley deal with Thoroughbreds.

Kane had worked for Will Farish for 20 years at Lanes End Farm before accepting a job with Kelley. “I wasn’t going to leave Lane’s End for any other job,” Kane said. “I had to know it was the right job. After talking to Mr. Kelley, he seemed like and is a very good guy to work for. He’s a regular guy.”

A very wealthy, regular guy. Kelley’s estimated net worth is reported to be $1.9 billion and he is also reportedly the fourth largest landowner in the United States. Kelley, 56, had already accomplished more than several men when he decided to buy Calumet in May, 2012, more than three years after Kelley hired Kane to help his breeding operation. “We never really started talking about Calumet until much later,” Kane said.

Now, thanks to Oxbow, people are talking about Calumet again. The farm is relevant again. Thanks to Kelley. “He’s got a pretty good vision,” Kane said. We’re starting to get stallions on the farm. We’re talking about what type of mares he wants. He knows what he wants to do, and he knows how to get it done. I’m just glad to be part of it.”