Page 43 - August 2021

“To me, that’s success: basically, client trust and appreciation.”
they do well. We’ve had pretty good luck doing that.
“I’m fortunate because I go to farms during the year and see the babies. Sometimes I see a really special one when it’s born and follow it along hoping to go to the sales and try to buy one that we know a little bit about. Megan goes to most of the sales with me; she likes to pick them out. She’s got a pretty good eye for a horse, but she likes more of them than I do,” he says, smiling. “She came from the show horse world, and she likes the pretty, outstanding ones — the ones that are a little more robust. I like them a little more racy.”
At one time he had 11 horses in training from California to Florida. “That’s just too many for me,” he says. “We’re trying to get down to just two or three and concentrate on them. If they do well, we keep them.”
In their pasture, he and Megan still
have Sure Shot B (Stoli-She A Miracle,
Dean Miracle), who won the Texas Classic Futurity-G1, and Big Dashing Perry (Mr Jess Perry-Marcys Dashin Bye, Dashin Bye), who had the fastest time of all All American Derby trials in 2014, crossing the wire fourth in
the Grade 1 final. Together the geldings have earned close to $1 million.
HIS BIGGEST SUCCESSES
With more than 200,000 surgeries under
his (Superman) belt, Dr. Hays says it’s hard to choose those who have influenced him most in a positive way. “Scoop Vessels — I enjoyed him,” he says, “but there are so many. There are a lot of really good, talented trainers and owners and horsemen out there and I respect all of them. Probably every decade I’d name another person who influenced me more than others.
“But I’d also say the horses,” he continues. “I’ve operated on a lot of those really good horses at two that have come back and won derbies at Ruidoso. I’ve been very fortunate. They give me the drive to be in the horse business and they’re all really special to me.
“In the veterinary world, I’ve been involved with some good guys, good horsemen and good veterinarians and I’ve strived to be better than them. I think in a lot of ways I am, but my success has been having the clientele I have now, nationwide, that send me their horses. It takes a lot for people to trust me enough to take a horse from California or a horse from New York and bring it to Texas for me to work on. To me, that’s success: basically, client trust and appreciation.
“In the racing world, the horse I had the most fun with — my most successful horse — was Open Me A Corona [by Coronas
Leaving You and out of In The Open, by Mr Eye Opener]. He was just a monster. He won and won and won; he won at every distance. He was an incredible horse and one of those that you knew, when you went to the races, that you had a pretty good chance of winning. He’s great and just started out his stallion career at Robicheaux Ranch. We’ve had
stakes winners his first crop that were really impressive and it looks like there are a few more coming.”
OUTSIDE OF WORK
Dr. Hays’ twice-a-year goal is to travel somewhere he’s never been, usually with Megan, and usually to hunt and/or fish. “I’ve been to Africa quite a bit and to New Zealand,” he says. “I think that’s one of the most beautiful countries and the people are very, very nice there. And I love Alaska.
“I like to be in the wilderness sometimes where there are no computers and no phones, just to get away from the stress of all this for about 10 days to reset my compass of life,” he adds. “We just like to get out in the real world.
“And as long as I’m healthy and happy doing what I’m doing, I’ll keep doing it.”
“And as long as I’m healthy and happy doing what I’m doing, I’ll keep doing it.”
Tommy Hays and his fiancée Megan Wenzel
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