Twin Creek Racing Stables LLC

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Multi-faceted Steve Davison, a 47-year-old native of Ruston, La., owns both Twin Creeks Farm and Twin Creeks Racing Stables. He is an attorney who also is the principal owner of Genesis Energy LP, a publicly-traded energy and transportation company. He developed Squire Creek Country Club, a residential golf course community where his family lives in Choudrant, La.; and recently bought “The Sheets” handicapping service. He remains close to his alma mater, Louisiana Tech University, and is a radio broadcaster for its football games.

Davison got involved in racing when his farm manager and best friend since kindergarten, Randy Gullatt, began his career as a trainer in 1985. Davison bought a couple of horses for him to train. One was La Paz, whom was eventually sold as a broodmare for $1.6 million in 2000. Eight years later, Twin Creeks purchased her colt for $200,000, Mission Impazible, who went on to win a pair of Grade II stakes, the Louisiana Derby and the New Orleans Handicap.

Twin Creeks is the co-breeder of multiple Grade I stakes winner To Honor and Serve, who was sold as a weanling for $250,000 and then re-sold as a yearling for $575,000. Twin Creeks also sold his dam, Pilfer, for $650,000 in 2008.

Twin Creeks raced graded stakes winner Graydar, whose victories included the Grade I Donn Handicap and the Grade II New Orleans Handicap and Kelso Handicap.

Gullatt, who trains in Louisiana, Arkansas, California and Kentucky, is responsible for selecting the horses Twin Creeks purchases and managing their racing careers, while Davison handles the organization of the partnership and the evaluation and purchase of yearlings. Twin Creeks also race horses with trainers Todd Pletcher, Mike Maker, Dale Romans and Steve Asmussen. Gullatt’s wife Kim, a former jockey, handles marking and client relations.

Twin Creeks Farm, which opened in 1992, features 180 scenic acres in Nonesuch, Ky., and is home to 25 broodmares. Twin Creeks consign horses they want to sell commercially under its own name or with Taylor Made Sales Agency.

Davison and his wife, Sara, have twins, Joe and Kate. He also has two children from a previous marriage.

Crossed Sabres Farm

Carolyn Vogel, an experienced equestrian who races in the name of Crossed Sabres Farm, has teamed with a fellow New Englander, trainer Marcus Vitali, to become a power in South Florida. Crossed Sabres was the second leading owner of the 2013 Calder Summer Meet with 14 victories from 50 starts. The stable is doing even better this year. Through early February, Crossed Sabres is the leading owner of the 2014 Calder Winter Meet with five wins from 14 starters. And Vitali is the leading trainer.

Winning the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap with 39-1 longshot Lochte was a major coup. “She encouraged me to start him,” Vitali said. “She said, `Go for it.’ She’s a wonderful lady and she’s good for the industry. She’s put me in a great position.”

Crossed Sabres also has horses with Dale Romans, who trains Pick of the Litter, a four-year-old colt who was a $150,000 yearling purchase at the 2011 Keeneland September. Following a 7 ½-length maiden victory in his second career start, Pick of the Litter became Crossed Sabres’ first starter in a Grade I stakes when he finished sixth to Orb in the 2013 Florida Derby. Pick of the Litter then finished third to Winning Cause in the Grade III Lexington Stakes at Keeneland and fifth in the Grade I Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park to Verrazano.

On Feb. 9 at Gulfstream, Pick of the Litter won an allowance race by 2 ¼ lengths, boosting his career earnings to $175,530.

Earlier this year, Crossed Sabres Farm’s Jay Eye See, who is trained by Vitali, finished third in the $65,000 Thrillin Discovery Handicap at Calder, Jan. 25.

Claiborne Farm & Adele B Dilschneider

It’s hard to believe there is a more iconic farm than Claiborne in Paris, Ky., which celebrated its 100th year of operation in 2011 and was honored that year with an Eclipse Award of Merit for outstanding achievement in Thoroughbred racing. “It’s more of a tribute to my grandfather and father,” Seth Hancock, the 64-year-old owner, partner and manager of Claiborne, said. “My grandfather (Arthur B. Hancock) started all this over here in Kentucky, and my dad (Arthur B. “Bull Hancock Jr.”) built it up into what it was, and I’m just trying to keep it going.”

Hancock, who graduated from the University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture in 1971, and his wife Dell have done more than keep it going. They have continued a standard of excellence at the historic farm whose most recent stars include 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame, who began his stallion career at Claiborne in 2011, 2012 graded stakes winners Cease and Rumor and 2013 triple graded-stakes winner Departing. All three were campaigned in partnership with Adele Dilschneider.

Many of the sport’s greatest champions preceded them, none more accomplished than Triple Crown Champion and two-time Horse of the Year Secretariat, whom Seth Hancock syndicated for a then record $6 million in 1972, the same year he took over Claiborne following his father’s death. Blenheim II, Bold Ruler, Conquistador Cielo, Damascus, Danzig, Easy Goer, Triple Crown Champion Gallant Fox, Mr. Prospector, Nasrullah, Nijinsky II, Princequillo, Round Table, Sir Gallahad III, Sir Ivor, Tom Rolfe and Unbridled are among the long list of Thoroughbred royalty tied to Claiborne.

Hancock has long been an industry leader. He is a director of Keeneland, a member of The Jockey Club, vice chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and a member of the American Graded Stakes Committee. He was on the board of directors at Churchill Downs from 1973 to 2008.

Hancock’s brother, Arthur, owns and operates Stone Farm adjacent to Claiborne.

Dilschneider is a native of Alton, Ill., across the river from St. Louis, Mo. Her great grandfather, William E. Levis, was the founder of Corning-Illinois Glass, a prominent maker of beer bottles in the middle of the 20th century. Her grandfather, John Olin, bred and owned Cannonade, who won the 100th Kentucky Derby in 1974 for Hall of Fame trainer Woody Stephens and Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr. She owns approximately two dozen racehorses and 30 broodmares in partnership with Claiborne, and frequently travels from Missouri to watch her horses race. “I wouldn’t be in this business if I can’t watch my horses race,” she said.