The exhilarating rush of adrenaline created when seeing your Thoroughbred soar across the finish line creates a sweet taste of victory that brings a sense of satisfaction and a touch of disbelief. That often-elusive flavor remains on one's tongue in a constant search for more. Taste of Victory Stable's founders Kyle Yost and Brian Richardson have reveled in that sensation, knowing it can be interspersed with bitter moments that only life and owning Thoroughbred racehorses can produce. The seeds of Thoroughbred ownership are typically planted by family and/or friends. Yost,...

From bustling cities to quiet rural towns, the potential for achievement and success knows no geographical boundaries. The same goes for Thoroughbred racing partnerships. Successful partnerships are not always born on major circuits like Kentucky, New York, or California. Sometimes they are born in a barn just south of a rural town in Minnesota called Elko New Market. For Rocket Wrench Racing's managing partner Justin Revak, what started out as a dream one summer while stomping divots on Canterbury Park's turf course has developed into a partnership group on a...

It is often espoused at business management seminars that having access to people smarter than you is a blessing and not a threat. We also know that having access to communities that share a common interest fosters social collaboration and belonging. But did you know having access to a guy affectionately nicknamed the "Italian Yoda" can lead to a graded stakes victory as a racehorse owner? This type of access has been thoughtfully curated by the powerhouse team at Belladonna Racing Partnership, which includes Paul Manganaro (the Italian Yoda), David...

The Midwestern sage, Mark Twain espoused, "The secret of getting ahead is getting started." Nothing could be more apropos when considering joining a Thoroughbred racehorse partnership. Getting started is the hardest part for most prospective owners. The world of Thoroughbred racing can seem as inaccessible as the Churchill Downs Turf Club on Derby Day. The good news is joining a partnership makes getting started easier. In the first part of this series, we provided basic information such as investment levels, tax considerations and the entertainment value partnerships offer. In Part...

If you are someone who always had the dream of owning a Thoroughbred racehorse and have room on your wall for a few coveted winner's circle photos, there are some important things to consider in order to maximize your experience and avoid some of the pratfalls that can leave a new owner's confidence crippled. As the Executive Director of the Minnesota Racehorse Engagement Project from 2019-2022, I was able to direct over 300 first time owners into Thoroughbred racehorse ownership. The secret sauce in making this happen was providing a...

The horse racing industry is a unique societal tapestry of people who approach each race day from a different perspective. You have your core glass half full optimists, who see every race and every horse as the key to a financial windfall, but we also know we can easily find those pessimistic half empty folks as well. If you happen to ask Kyle McGinty, Founder and President of the Blackout Group, how he perceived his glass, he would probably retort, "it doesn't really matter as long as his glass has...

In Yiddish, a mensch is a person who personifies integrity, morality, dignity and a sense of what is right and responsible. But mensch is more than just an old Yiddish adage, it is a word that best describes the managing partner of In Front Racing Stables, Howie Heiberger. Heiberger was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and that meant having Aqueduct as a beacon of fun and excitement just a few miles away. As a teenager in the late 70s, he and his friends would put forward the $1...

It is said that life is simply a series of memories you share with the people you love. For Tony Rallo and his brother Tyler, most of those memories include Thoroughbred racing and Crown's Way Farm. First exposed to horse racing by their grandfather, Ron Dicicilia (their original family name) and his brother Gene Cilio, both stalwarts of Illinois Thoroughbred racing, the Rallo brothers have resurrected the Crown's Way name and set out on a new path in racing, developing, and managing a racing partnership group. In fact, due to...