Page 81 - May 2018 Speedhorse

Danny says the fastest horse he ever raised was Designer Red.
Q: What do you do as a breeder that you would say is unique and how does it play into Victory Farms’ success?
A. I buy the mares that everyone else has bred on a while and have been flushed some. Some of these mares, for lack of a better term, have become “infected.” They have trouble producing and I take a lot of pride in buying two or three of these mares every year that are still in their middle ages, haven’t had a baby for a year or two, but have already produced. They can’t get them back in foal, but my vets and I take pride in getting these mares back in foal.
I think Victory Farms has a reputation that if their mare doesn’t get into foal they bring her to us. Usually in May, I get bombarded with mares that haven’t gotten in foal at other places, both barrel and race mares, and we get them in foal. We work very diligently with those hard to breed mares. I bought one of these mares, a $400,000 stakes producer, at Heritage for $800 and we’re going to get a baby out of her this year. She hasn’t produced in nearly three years.
Q: You’ve been a breeder for much of your life and have seen much change. Is there anything you would like to see change about today’s industry?
A. I’d love to see the barrels continue strong. I think the racing industry fluctuates quite a bit, and the market doesn’t seem to stay as steady across the board, but the thing I like about the racing industry as a breeder is, as I usually say, “all I’ve got to do is feed them and lead them.” That means I just raise these babies up to yearlings and lead them into an auction and sell them. That is a plus to me because I’m turning my money over so much faster on the racing side than I do the
Q: What has been your favorite horse to come from your breeding program and why?
A. Designer Red. Although I didn’t breed him, I did raise him and he is without question the fastest horse I’ve ever ran in the barrels. The one we’re running this year, VF Chasing Cans by Eddie Stinson, who I did breed and raise, we’re really ecstatic with her. Another horse, VF A Sporty Design by Designer Red that
I bred, raised, and sold has won every major barrel race there is in the U.S. He’s a multiple World Champion and it’s a joy to watch those kind of horses run.
Q: Do you approach breeding barrel horses differently than racehorses?
A. Absolutely. I like to buy mares that I think I can “double dip” with. For example, my Chasin Cans mare is out of an Ivory James mare that I raced when she was two and three and
I think she’s a dual-purpose mare. I can raise
a race baby or two by flushing her, and then
go back and raise a couple of barrel babies out of her. I love those mares because it gives me a double shot at both disciplines, using only one mare. That’s the uniqueness in our program. I watch and shop for those mares. My number one producing race mare is Wheely Quick, who currently has five babies running at Remington Park, but she also has a three year old that was a juvenile at the BFA this past year. It won 5th in the slot race, won in both go’s as a juvenile, and has won probably $40-$50,000 this year. She was sold for six figures and she was out of my best producing race mare.
Q: In your opinion, what is the most essential and crucial part of the breeding process?
A. It’s good mommas. Good mares will make you or break you. The cheap mares aren’t going
to make your stallions popular. I don’t get to buy the highest dollar mares in the industry because I’m not in that position financially, but I buy the best mares I can afford every year. I try to buy one or two really, really good mares that I feel are good and young. Two years ago, I bought a mare named Gunsight Peak that produced Political Attraction, who won the Speedhorse Futurity-G3, won the Black Gold 350 Championship Futurity-G3, and holds the fastest qualifying time for the Remington Derby this year.
One of the many horses Danny bred, raised and sold is multiple World Champion VF A Sporty Design.
SPEEDHORSE, May 2018 79
THE BACKSIDE
Ray Paul Photography