Page 93 - Speedhorse March 2019

“It has been over 20 years since I started the long journey that hasn’t stopped.”
Leite put his business knowledge to use. He and his trusted advisors began analyzing where Haras Portofino was currently, where Leite wanted it to go, and what it needed to get there.
“We did many studies, from the analysis of our herd, the characteristics of our mares, our main headquarters and the characteristics of the Brazilian market. We were looking for an animal that had all the qualities needed to succeed and to take over the responsibility to continue the legacy of Apollo VM,” Leite said. “After many studies, the options we had and the market,
the decision devolved upon Teller Cartel. Teller Cartel, in our vision, meets all conditions.”
A proven racehorse and sire, Teller Cartel earned more than $1.2 million after winning
the All American Futurity-G1 and finishing in the top three in eight of nine starts. He is the all-time leading money-earning son of Corona Cartel and hails from a strong maternal family, as his second dam is AQHA Champion Jaime Jay.
As a sire, Teller Cartel has more than $10 million in get earnings thanks to horses such as millionaire Llano Teller, who won the All American Derby-G1, Teller Baja, who won the Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity-G2, Grade 1 winner Llano Cartel and Ruidoso Futurity-G1 winner Cartel Quick.
“First, he was an extraordinary racer. Secondly, he was a horse that had few opportunities in reproduction, but still a great breeder,” Leite said. “He is the most successful son of Corona Cartel in terms of racing, and he is the perfect match with the main mares of Haras Portofino. Therefore, the decision could only be Teller Cartel.”
As Leite approaches Quarter Horse breeding with a renewed vigor thanks to Teller Cartel, he is also building new relationships worldwide. While Teller Cartel has a new owner in Haras Portofino, the stallion still has semen available in the U.S. at Burns Ranch, Royal Vista SOuthwest
and Zerlotti Genetics.. In Brazil, Haras Portofino also stands Grand Eagle Azz (One Famous Eagle- Paint Your Lips, Corona Cartel), a multiple stakes winner of more than R $206,000.
Many of the mares Leite is counting on
to produce the next generation of Champion runners were bred and born in the U.S., including proven dam Dashin Follies, Champion producer In The Open and Dashing Executive, a half-sister to AQHA Racing Champion 2-Year-Old and 3-Year-Old Colt KVN Corona.
“With the resumption of Haras Portofino operations, we needed to bring back the herd
of mares and stallions. It was in the American market that we acquired the main mares and the main stallions,” Leite said.
But Leite isn’t the kind to simply scoop up the best horses in the U.S. and take them back to Brazil. His respect for the Quarter Horse racing industry has led him to form some bigger goals for Haras Portofino and its horses.
Appreciation And Respect
CSU’s final value statement speaks of the importance of people, and in this case, horses, to Leite and his business associations. It says: “CSU’s everyday operations are based on ethical principles for people, because it believes that appreciation and respect for human beings is the route to the progress of its business and society.”
The breeding program at Haras Portofino has gained a decidedly American influence, which Leite says is by design. His appreciation for the horses and people at the heart of the U.S. racing industry have led him to draw up a new business plan for Haras Portofino – one that spans two continents.
“I raise horses on both continents; I raise
them in Brazil and in the USA,” Leite said. “We are working on a Teller Cartel relaunch in the American market so that he will once again occupy one of the top positions among the top stallions.”
While Leite certainly isn’t the only breeder to compete in two countries, his program is unique in that his Brazilian breeding farm doesn’t just follow the traditional South American breeding season dates. Instead, Haras Portofino follows the U.S. breeding season, too, which allows him to produce horses for both markets.
There is no doubt, Leite’s international aspirations have been aided by his background in global finance.
“We export and interact with the American market, and my previous experience in doing international business with certainty is a factor
that helps us in the horse market,” Leite said.
“My businessman background has undoubtedly influenced the ease with which Haras Portofino behaves in the horse market. I have more than 30 years of experience running financial and technology companies in the electronic payment market with international operations. All of this facilitates the construction of a business such as Haras Portofino, which now has an international side.”
No business plan is complete without some goals, and Leite’s are lofty. In Brazil, he aims
to maintain Haras Portofino’s position as the leading breeder. Someday, he’d like to be among the top breeders in the U.S., too.
“This year, we were the leaders of the statistics at the Jockey Club of Sorocaba and
of Brazil. We always want to continue with this role of being predominant in the Brazilian industry,” Leite said, adding of his U.S. goals, “Little by little, we want to conquer our space and relevance, and in the future, we want to play a significant role among the main breeders in the American market.
“We are immensely proud of our herd, our history, our brand and everything that we have been renewing and doing. Haras Portofino has a great ability to reinvent itself and, perhaps even with more audacity, to go even further than where we are today.”
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