Keeneland's Inside the Winner's Circle: Sailor's Valentine

“Inside the Winner's Circle, Presented by Keeneland” is a new series showcasing graduates of the Keeneland September sale that have gone on to achieve success on racing's biggest stages.

Ron and Ricki Rashinski of Homewrecker Racing are no strangers to the Keeneland winner's circle. In 2006, as relative newcomers to the game, their filly Bushfire (Louis Quatorze) delivered a breakout performance in capturing the GI Ashland S. at odds of 15-1, kick-starting a memorable sophomore campaign that saw her annex the GI Acorn S. and GI Mother Goose S. before ultimately selling for $1.85 million to Japan's Shadai Farm at the following year's Keeneland November Sale.

When the Rashinskis journeyed from their Chicagoland home to visit Keeneland for this past Saturday's blockbuster 11-race card, they were prepared to call the day a success after Schivarelli (Montbrook), their hard-knocking 6-year-old gelding named for a family friend, won the third race, an optional- claiming sprint. But some 3 1/2 hours later, when the gates opened for the 80th Central Bank Ashland, the day became considerably sweeter.

Sailor's Valentine (Mizzen Mast), owned by Homewrecker Racing in partnership with Louise Lally and Dana Lally Haugli's Semaphore Racing, was dismissed as a 22-1 outsider, but managed to secure an ideal spot stalking a decidedly moderate pace. When the Eddie Kenneally trainee struck the front turning for home and held off a late bid from Daddys Lil Darling (Scat Daddy) by a half-length [video], the couple was once again summoned to the Keeneland turf course to celebrate their remarkable Ashland double.

“Going into the Ashland with Bushfire, we thought she was going to be overlooked, but she had some credentials,” recalled Rashinski, a business owner who is also actively involved in the Illinois motorsports scene. “We had to reach a little deeper for Sailor's Valentine…Eddie said she had trained very, very well over the track, and since some of these horses, unfortunately, had to drop out, we said let's take a shot–and obviously it worked out.”

The Rashinskis and Haugli were joined in the winner's circle by Haugli's mother, Louise, the Kenneally family and Peter Kirwan, who helped Haugli pick out Sailor's Valentine as a $100,000 Keeneland September yearling [click here for sales ring video]. Rashinski characterized Sailor's Valentine's triumph as a culmination of a carefully planned search for “diamonds in the rough” in the sales ring, while Haugli added that she “couldn't get the filly out of [her] mind” after viewing her at the consignment of Highclere's Jeffry Morris.

“For the kind of horses we spend money on, I don't think we've ever spent more than about $110,000 or $120,000, and in our partnerships, I think the most we've spent is about $150,000,” Rashinski explained. “They have nine or 10 graded stakes wins [combined]. At the level we're playing at, I'm not sure how much more we could ask for.”

Considering how Rashinski became interested in horse racing, that may be an understatement. After coming across a book list recommendation for Jane Schwartz's “Ruffian: Burning from the Start,” he purchased and read the story of the iconic, ill-fated filly, and ultimately decided that he wanted to learn more about the game.

“I just kind of became smitten with the whole story of her and how great she was,” Rashinski said. “I love animals, and I had heard about Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure as a sports guy back in the 70s, when horse racing was covered a bit more…After reading this book, it piqued my interest.”

Rashinski credited his wife Ricki with becoming the driving force behind the development of their racing stable following the couple's first trip to Saratoga. Soon after they returned, the Rashinskis accepted a friend's invitation to attend a small

2-year-old sale in Illinois and entered their first partnership. They quickly developed more connections and formed a partnership with Chicago-based trainer Hugh Robertson.

As their involvement in the game expanded to a larger scale, they paired up with Kenneally, who Rashinski said served as a middle-man for the formation of further partnerships. Aside from the rapid development of Bushfire, their greatest success came with Custom for Carlos (More Than Ready), who won three graded stakes events for Homewrecker Racing and Avalon Farm before going to stud in Louisiana.

According to Rashinski, Kenneally also deserves credit for connecting Homewrecker Racing with the family of Jack Lally, the owner of 2007 G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen winner Kelly's Landing (Patton)–who in retirement serves as a Kenneally stable pony. Dana Haugli is a relative newcomer in the ownership game, following in the footsteps of her father after his passing in 2015. She takes an active role in identifying yearling prospects with Kenneally and Kirwan, and named Sailor's Valentine–a daughter of Mizzen Mast–after a traditional seashell gift from mariners to their loved ones. Fittingly, Haugli said the filly's success is testament to her father's commitment to the game.

“I just wish my father could have been there, because he was so instrumental in moving a couple of people forward in that direction,” Haugli reflected. “It seemed like, with this horse, we all came together. Everything he wished for all came together on that day.”

Rashinski added, “Jack Lally was a really nice gentleman. His wife, Louise, and Dana, his daughter, are keeping it going. We just really hit it off with them. I always try to get a hook up with people who I think are going to get lucky, and I thought they were due, and I liked how they were going about buying their horses. So we got on their coattails…We obviously hedge our position, as far as not taking the full brunt of the expense. We're happy to share it–it's more fun when you have one or two people involved anyway.”

Rashinski noted that, in most cases, Homewrecker Racing retains a 50% stake in their partnerships. A calculated approach to ownership allows them to enjoy the ride while strengthening ties with people who are fully immersed in the industry.

“We're not horsemen, we've just been very lucky to align ourselves with people who are good horsemen and honest people,” Rashinski asserted. “Any success attributed to us is from them. We found people who know what they're doing, and we don't interfere too much…We let them do their thing, and sometimes it pays off.”

As for the future, Rashinski said Homewrecker Racing is “re-booting” after retiring and re-homing some of its older horses, but the couple expects to be active once again during the autumn yearling sales season. But for now–for the second time in 12 years–they are proving that a moderate investment in the sales ring can produce success at the highest level and a spot in the GI Kentucky Oaks starting gate.