Page 87 - June 2021

“She didn’t give up on their career and she won’t give up on her horses, either.” – Brad Thomas
Margo and her horse racing partner Brad Thomas.
Photo Courtesy of Margo Schares
about racing. He ran two races and told us right away he wasn’t interested, and then after Clete passed away, Margo and I partnered again. We’ve been partners for 13 or 14 years. Basically, that partnership consists of her calling me and saying, ‘We had a board meeting’ (meaning she talked to John Hammes, our trainer). I always answer the same thing, ‘What are we doing and how much do I owe you?’”
RETIREMENT
When Clete retired in 2005, they went through the financials and he told Margo she couldn’t have both runners and reiners. “He hated those reiners, sitting there all day waiting for the perfect run,” she half jokes.
“So, I thought about it and I told him I’d quit the reiners and we’d go to the races. He asked me why and I said, when I score on the reining horses, they give me a ribbon and when I score with the racehorses, they give us a check! But I still love the reiners. I can watch them all day long.”
A LIFETIME OF LEARNING PAYS OFF
Margo’s dad played the largest role in setting her standard for excellence. “He was a Kentucky Colonel [the state’s highest distinction of honor across many industries] and he taught me more about the business than anyone I know,” she says.
She also holds Marvin Willhite, Tom Bradbury, Butch Wise and John Hammes in high esteem. “I’ve paid attention to what everyone else was doing and drawn from that,” she says.
But she has always known her own mind. Her sister-in-law, Linda Webster of Wellington, Colorado — who has used several of Margo’s
horses in barrel racing — describes Margo as very thoughtful and intelligent about how she breeds and produces and takes care of her horses. “She researches and she’s determined and she’s really wise about how she breeds her mares to get the best result,” Linda says. “Plus, she’s a lot of fun, kind and generous, and a really classy lady.”
“When I bred to Corona Cartel, some people thought I was crazy to book a junior stallion,” Margo says. “My only excuse was that I saw him up close and personal, and I’d seen the ads on him in Speedhorse, and I thought, that’s what a racehorse should look like.”
That breeding brought her Smokin Corona out of her Rocket Wrangler mare. Margo then bred Smokin Corona to Jess Louisiana Blue
(Mr Jess Perry-The Louisiana Girl, Louisiana Slew TB), producing Three Olives N Smoke. “Breeding back to Jess Louisiana Blue, with the Jumonvilles putting in the influence of Seattle Slew three generations back on his dam’s side, I think that’s really important,” Margo says. “And I got lucky; it just all came together. Somebody up there loves me, that’s the only thing I can say!”
Along with Margo’s foundation mare Smokin Corona (in 2002) and her offspring Smokin Brown Eyes (in 2010) and Midori N Smoke (in 2013), Three Olives N Smoke (in 2015) is one of four Schares-bred horses that have won the Cherry Creek Futurity-G3 at Arapahoe Park in Aurora, Colorado.
Smokin Corona earned multiple Graded stakes-winner status in her three-year track career, winning four of nine starts with two seconds and one third. She cashed checks for $85,861 including wins in the Mile High Derby trials and the Grade 2 final, a second in the
Dash For Speed Handicap, and a third in the Rocky Mountain Derby trials, placing fourth in the Grade 3 final.
Owned in partnership with Brad, Smokin Brown Eyes, by Mr Eye Opener, won two of six starts and Graded stakes winner status with $39,142 in earnings. In addition to his Cherry Creek Futurity win, he took third in his trials for the Rocky Mountain Futurity, Mile High Futurity and Rocky Mountain Derby.
Midori N Smoke, by Special Leader, became a Graded stakes winner with six wins, one second and four thirds from 13 starts in three years. She also won her Mile High Futurity trial at two, the Lucille Rowe Derby and her trial
to the Rocky Mountain Derby (running sixth in the final) at three and the Arapahoe Distaff Challenge at four. Also at four, she took third in the Dash For Speed Bonus Challenge Stakes.
Ranked 16th by Wins in 2015, Three Olives N Smoke, aka Hank — owned by Margo and Brad’s partnership — earned a 30-9-5-4 record and Graded stakes winner status with $285,635 in earnings over six years. In addition to the Cherry Creek Futurity, he won the Rocky Mountain Futurity at two. At three, he won his trial to the Lucille Rowe Derby, ran second in his trial to the Rocky Mountain Derby (placing fourth in the final), and fourth in the Arapahoe Derby Challenge and the Mile High Derby.
At four, he won his trial to the Remington Championship Challenge, running third in the Grade 2 final, and ran second in the AQHA Challenge Championship-G1. He came back
as a 6-year-old to win the Prairie Meadows Championship Challenge-G2, and at seven, he ran second in the Grade 3 Two Rivers Stakes at
“She researches, and she’s determined and she’s really wise about how she breeds her mares to get the best result. Plus, she’s a lot of fun, kind and generous, and a really classy lady.” – Linda Webster
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