Page 40 - 25 May 2012

Hands-on Horse owners
Mark and Mary Parsons spend as much time with their horses as possible.
by Tracy Gantz
Mark and Mary Parsons personify the “hands on” owner. They visit their horses almost from the moment of foaling, and while
they love to win as much as anyone who has a racehorse, they probably enjoy spending time with their animals even more.
Homebred Kobe is their current star.
The 3-year-old colt already this year has won the Los Alamitos Winter Derby-G1 and the Holiday Handicap as well as finishing second in the El Primero del Ano Derby-G2. In seven lifetime starts, all at Los Alamitos, Kobe has won four, finishing second once and third twice. Trained by Paul Jones, he gave the Parsons their first Grade 1 win in the Winter Derby.
Jones, the all-time leader among Quarter Horse racehorse trainers, has conditioned plenty of Grade 1 winners. But he never takes those victories for granted, especially when it means so much to the owners.
“Those moments make it worth it, much more than the money,” Jones said.
The trainer has been an integral part of Kobe’s development, harking back to 2003, when he recommended the purchase of Rubiate, Kobe’s dam, after she had won two races.
Mark and Mary had owned horses many years ago, but like many young couples, once the kids began arriving, they spent time raising their family. Daughter Jennifer showed horses as a kid. She and her siblings, Mark and Allissa, are now grown and have given Mark and Mary seven grandchildren.
“We had horses in the backyard,” said Mary. “Then about 10 years ago, we got back into the racehorse business.”
Mark selected Jones to train their horses before Jones became the huge success he is today. It is a business arrangement that has morphed into a friendship between them, extending to Jones’ wife, Marin.
“He’s helped guide us through everything,” said Mary. “I adore him, Marin, the kids, and his mother, Joyce. It’s almost like they’re our family.”
Mary also pointed to Jones’ integrity and how well he treats all of his horses, from the lowliest claimer to the big futurity winners.
“He knows all the horses and their idiosyn- crasies,” she said. “He works hard. We got here because of Paul.”
They began their return to horse owner- ship by claiming Indigodash for $6,250 in 2003. When Blane Schvaneveldt put Rubiate, a daughter of the Thoroughbred stallion Red and the Quarter Horse mare First Down Macarena, into his dispersal later that same year, Mark bought her for $15,000 with advice from Jones.
“She was a nice mare,” said Jones. “She had a pretty good kick at the end.”
That kick was enough for Rubiate to place in the 2004 La Pacifica Handicap and the 2005 California Breeders’ Matron Stakes-RG3.
40 SPEEDHORSE, May 25, 2012
Los alamitos