Page 10 - March 2008 The Game

10 The Game, February 2008
Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
What does it take to be a successful Thoroughbred breeder? Most of them will likely tell
Twins Tyler & Trevor with Dad John Carey and stallion Cryptograph
you it takes hard work, dedication and horse savvy... with a bit of luck.
Foresters’ offspring as well.
The sport of kings it is called and while fortunes can be made, they can be lost. The business of breeding, raising and training Thoroughbred racehorses is a risky business. Superstitions are rife in the clubhouse, the grandstands and in the breeding sheds. Anyone involved will tell you that luck plays a role, both good and bad.
The Thoroughbred breeding operation is nestled amongst picturesque rolling hills near the town of Shelburne, Ontario. They have 3 sons, Ryan 21 and twins Trevor and Tyler, soon to be 18. This is very much a family run operation and you feel right at home from the moment you enter the comfortable country home of the Carey’s. The horse themed wall- paper border leads you into their cozy kitchen where the coffee is always
on and visitors are welcomed by various brands of dogs clamouring for attention. 14 stakes plaques grace the walls, not including the stakes
winners raised for their clients. This busy family welcomes you to join them at the kitchen table and to share their passion for the business they love.
John’s lovely Irish lilt will charm you as he spins the tale of his life that began as a seventh generation Irish horseman in his birthplace in County Westmeath, Ireland. His family has been standing stallions and raising horses since the eighteen hundreds. John came to Canada in 1977 on a six- week vacation that has stretched into 30 years. “It is the longest six weeks I’ve ever had” he jokes.
John recounts some of the stallions that have graced their facility along with their pedigrees and progeny. A few stand out, such as Crown Attorney, a champion racehorse that was rst and second at the Hong Kong Cup and multiple stakes winner of $994,000, and Tethra who was born and raised at T.C. Westmeath and who also made a name for himself on and off the track. Tethra was the sire of Mighty Quinn and Parisia.
One Way Love, owned
by John and Marilyn
Hillier, is standing at
T.C. Westmeath and was
recognized as Most
Popular Stallion in Canada
in 2006. “One Way Love
stands out in Ontario as a
racehorse and as a Sire”
John points out. He speaks
proudly of the depth to
this stallion’s pedigree with Vice Re- gent and Northern Dancer on top and Geiger Counter and Mr. Prospector on the bottom. John points to his success- ful daughter You Will Love Me as a shining example of what this stallion can produce. This promising lly is owned by Bill Jones and was born, raised and broke at T.C. Westmeath.
John and Doris Carey can tell
you all about the ups and downs associated with breeding Thorough- bred racehorses. They established
T. C. Westmeath Stud Farm in 1993.
Doris & John Carey with stallion Old Forester
Ireland’s loss is Canada’s gain.
He got his start as broodmare manager for Gardiner Farms in Caledon, Ontario upon his arrival.
The wonderful stallion Great Gladiator stood at Gardiner Farms under John’s care and the owner Tom Campbell often referred to him as “your stallion”, John reminisces. When the owner passed away, it was revealed
Cryptograph only raced in Ontario for a short time but won 2 stakes, beating the Queen’s Plate winner Niigon both times before returning to the US to continue his success on the
The Game February 2008.indd 10
1/28/08 11:16:27 PM
Luck o’ the Irish?
that the stallion had been signed over to John.
By Brenda Badger
is one of the nicest horses to come into this country in a long, long time.” Out of 22 starts he was rst, second or third 19 times. His sire, Forestry, is hugely popular in the US. A Forestry 2-year old sold last year for a world record $16 million at sale and the Carey’s are very optimistic for Old
John’s future wife Doris also worked at Gardiner Farms galloping horses. They married in 1985. In 1998 this tireless team set up their breeding operation with the top class stallion Great Gladiator drawing quality brood- mares. John fondly acknowledges that this stallion put T. C. Westmeath Stud Farm on the map. John Carey was named Breeder of the year in 1999 with four stakes winners, including Great Defender. A son of Great Gladiator he was bred by the Carey’s and won the 1999 Kennedy Road Stakes race, and he still holds the track record.
He laments the fact that the Canadian thoroughbred industry is
not what it was in the ‘80’s. “We were yin’” he recalls. “When the slots and casino came in to Woodbine in early 2000, everybody bought broodmares thinking you could sell yearlings for mega-dollars” he laughs ruefully, “including myself.” With everyone
in the breeding business, the markets were ooded and at the end of the
day nobody wanted them. But there was a silver lining. They kept only the best mares when they cut back their numbers. These days, the challenge is the sales. He credits the Ontario Sires Program for keeping the breeding business in Ontario alive. “Without it, we would have no reason to be stand- ing stallions up here” he asserts. Even in the early stages of the OSP it has generated more Sires Stakes races with incentives that keep the good stock racing here. The money is distributed to everyone in the business and it is good business.
track.
According to John, “Old Forester’s
John and Doris agree the next challenge for Ontario will be to entice the bloodstock with the deep pedigrees from the south to breed and to foal in Ontario. You need a good race record for sires and the Carey’s have brought in Old Forester and Cryptograph for just this purpose.
Is there a sure- re formula for producing winners?
“This is a great horse” he softly asserts as he runs the dandy brush through the stallion’s unruly mane. John admires not only his temperament, but also his stamina, both of which he passes along to
his progeny. One Way Love was a Champion Sprinter, Champion Older Horse, and a multiple stakes winner with 11 stakes wins. John marvels that after 44 races he is still sound as a dollar.
“He was a tremendous sprinter but he also has stamina. I believe he is just knocking on the door to be a top sire in Canada. He is doing well now, he has 2 stakes winners born and raised here and 4 stakes horses, 3 of which were born and raised here.” These numbers would lead you to believe that the Carey’s are doing something right. The youngsters at T.C.Westmeath are raised in run-in sheds 24/7. John strongly believes that this is more natural and produces a better horse, speculating that it enhances the bone develop- ment in youngsters and contributes to prolonged soundness. The Carey’s will not knowingly pass on a bad horse. One lly they raised was returned on her warranty due to a minor disclosed injury that made her buyers nervous. Dancing Doris has proved to be a Class lly and was second in a stakes race this year as a two year old. Out of a third generation Westmeath mare and by One Way Love, the Carey’s have
Stallion One Way Love
from the never-ending chores that
are associated with running a farm, John and Doris look at each other and pause. It has been a while since the last vacation, they admit after giving it some thought. Does he have a hobby or interest outside of horses? “Well, I thought at one time that I would like to take up gol ng” he says seriously. “But those guys spend all day out there, I need someone to pick up the slack here. Fill in for me.” And that is not an easy thing.
“Luck” laughs John heartily. As any breeder will admit, you can breed a hard knocking mare to a hard knock- ing stallion and get a champion or you can breed the best to the best and get mediocre. The Carey’s will also tell you the long hours and hard work are worth it when you watch your horse win a race, with maybe a nod from Lady Luck every now and then. Maybe, just maybe, the Irish know her better than some.
high hopes for her future.
When asked if they ever get a break