Page 77 - 13 April 2012

Bertran and Matt Baker. Both of those men helped the Flores brothers learn the ins and outs of Quarter Horse racing. In Texas, they raced in the pre-pari-mutuel days at tracks in Columbus, Goliad and Del Rio, venturing into Louisiana to race at Delta Downs. Eventually, Flores started buying a few horses on his own and using his own trainers. One of those was Heath Taylor.
“When I met Heath Taylor, he was living here in Texas and was training in California. I had a couple of horses with him, and we’d go to California to watch them run. I told Heath I was buying a ranch in Ledbetter, and he told me if I bought the ranch, he’d come over and train,” said Flores, who began looking at property after he and his brothers decided to sell the ranch in La Pryor following the deaths of their parents. “The day I bought the ranch was the day he moved in. That was 12 years ago. It’s been a good deal.”
Of course, the ranch is Stablewood Farm.
“The first time I visited this ranch I fell in love with it,” Flores said of Fulton’s ranch. “It looked much different back then, but I knew what I would like to do with it.”
What he has done with it is create a first- class facility that includes two exotic animal pastures, a classic car showroom and acres and acres of pastures filled with promising yearlings and productive broodmares. Three years ago, Flores had the rare opportunity to purchase a package of horses that included three spectacular mares—Eye For Corona, Katy Corona and Pure Flattery—the young stallion Swingin Jess, and 10 head of young stock. Until that point, Flores had intermittent success with horses such as Victory Defined, winner of the 2000 Bank Of America Texas Championship Challenge-G1, and $100,000-plus earner Kerrys Lil Jess.
“That was a big turning point for me as far as owning a bunch of horses and getting into the breeding deal. It really turned everything around for me,” Flores said of his group purchase of horses. “To get a stud like Swingin Jess and mares like that all at the same time is a little overwhelming. It was really exciting.”
Today, Flores breeds between 25 and 30 mares. Swingin Jess stands at Robicheaux Ranch in Louisiana, and Flores breeds a major- ity of his mares to have accredited Louisiana- bred foals. He has already bred two Louisiana
champions, including 2011 Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Coors Select.
“I bred most of my mares to Swingin Jess...not all of them, but probably 80% of my mares are bred to him. They’re bred because I believe in the horse,” said Flores. “I think he’s a good horse, and I’ll continue to breed to him until he proves me wrong, or proves me right, one of the two.”
One of the 2-year-olds Flores
has high hopes for is Glamour
Diva, a filly by Swingin Jess out of Eye For Corona. Flores has since sold Eye For Corona, and Glamour Diva is a filly he hopes will some day replace her dam in his broodmare band.
“Hopefully she can do good and put us on the map a little bit,” said Flores. “It’s all a game that we play
and sometimes success comes early and sometimes it comes late.”
But success will come if you are a good person, Flores believes.
“First of all you have to be a good person. You have to put others first and do what you know is right in every situation,” said Flores. “If you strive to do good to oth- ers, good will return to you.”
It’s easy to see how this theory has manifested itself in Flores’ life. He and Bonnie, his wife of 40 years, have raised two sons whom Flores is proud to work with in the drywall business. He was honored to become an AQHA Director on the same day he closed a major busi- ness deal. And he is thankful he has the opportunity to pursue his passion for horses at Stablewood Farm.
“We’ve had a good life. We’ve worked in our business very hard,
and our two boys are just wonderful people,” said Flores, who puts his family first foremost above anything else in his life. “It’s a good life. I wouldn’t trade it or do anything dif- ferent today. You have to dream every night and make your dreams come true every day.”
The covered round pen at Stablewood Farm.
Stacy Pigott/Speedhorse
Stacy Pigott/Speedhorse
The training track at Stablewood Farm.
The main training barn at Stablewood Farm.
Stacy Pigott/Speedhorse
Stacy Pigott/Speedhorse
In addition to fast horses, Chicho Flores also is passionate about classic cars.
SPEEDHORSE, April 13, 2012 75