By Steve Sherack
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Michael Dubb's Saratoga meeting kicked off in style this past weekend, highlighted by an authoritative win by the brilliant Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks. Dubb's yellow-and-pink silks were also carried to a very troubled third-place finish by A Raving Beauty (Ger) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in Saturday's GI Diana S. TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack caught up with the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Beechwood Organization for a Q&A session as he aims for his fifth straight owner's title at historic Saratoga.
Q: Monomoy Girl helped kickstart your Saratoga meeting with another tremendous performance this past weekend as you seek a fifth straight owner's title. What were your thoughts on opening weekend, which also included a very unlucky third from A Raving Beauty in the Diana?
MD: It would be nice, obviously, to win another title, but I've been so fortunate and so lucky all winter and spring with a fantastic Belmont meet and also a win in the Kentucky Oaks, that I'm more than prepared for the luck–the ebb and flow of the game. So, if I happen to win a fifth title, it would be great. If I don't, I won't be the slightest bit disappointed.
Q: What makes Saratoga such a special place for you? What do you enjoy most?
MD: I'm 62 now and when I started coming to Saratoga when I was 17, I was sleeping in my van. What makes it special is the beauty, but also the dreams achieved… Winning races at Saratoga and being front and center and trying to make a difference on the backside through my NYRA position [on the Board of Directors]. It's such a special place that it kind of overwhelms you with its beauty and charm.
Q: How did you celebrate Monomoy Girl's big win Sunday? Do you have a favorite restaurant up here?
MD: I went to 15 Church with Stu Grant of the Elkstone Group and Brad Weisbord, who was instrumental in the purchasing of Monomoy Girl as a yearling [Liz Crow of Weisbord's BSW Bloodstock signed the ticket on Monomoy Girl for $100,000 as a KEESEP yearling]. There were about 15 of us–they're so accommodating and nice at 15 Church. It's a great place to celebrate.
Q: Beside the racing, obviously, what else do you enjoy up here?
MD: I play tennis in Saratoga National Park and I enjoy going to breakfast at Country Corner Cafe or Sweet Mimi's [Cafe & Bakery] as much as I can. I also enjoy the golfcart experience around the backside and chatting with and seeing all our racetrack brethren in the morning and watching the horses breeze.
Q: You've campaigned plenty of top horses and won your first Breeders' Cup race with Wavell Avenue in the 2015 Filly & Mare Sprint. How does this amazing run that Monomoy Girl has been on-including the Kentucky Oaks–stack up?
MD: I've owned top fillies like Wavell Avenue, Condo Commando, Grace Hall and Belle Gallantey, but Monomoy Girl is far and away, in my opinion, the best filly that I've ever been fortunate enough to own. It's surreal–everyday I look at the pictures from the Kentucky Oaks. Brad Cox has done such a masterful job. He laid out a plan and he's never had one slight deviation from it. He's just handled her incredibly. It's truly been a gift for anybody who loves the game as much as I do.
Q: Is this one of the first horses that you've had with Brad Cox? He's really established himself quite quickly as a leading trainer and has made a huge statement with this filly.
MD: I've had a handful of horses with Brad and continue to try and send him horses. It's really a pleasure to be involved with the 30-somethings in the game and watch the poise and the smarts that they bring–be it Brad, or Chad Brown. It's really great to see the next generation evolve and I think Brad is destined to be one of the top trainers in the game if he isn't already.
Q: Any young or unraced horses to watch out for this meet that you're excited about?
MD: I have a horse named Call Paul (Friesan Fire) that Gary Young purchased for us at the Timonium Sale [$210,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Old]. The horse broke his maiden at Delaware by design (video)-the plan was to give him an easy race and run him in the [GII] Saratoga Special Aug. 11. We're looking forward to seeing what he can do. We're very high on him.
Q: You were among the first of the rapidly growing list of high-profile owners to embrace the concept of campaigning horses in partnership. Talk a little about the Monomoy Girl ownership group of Monomoy Stables (Sol Kumin), Elkstone Group (Stuart Grant) and Bethlehem Stables (Michael Caruso) and how it all came together.
MD: Sunday, in the winner's circle, Stu and I had our arms around each other for probably five minutes or so and we were standing there just arm and arm. My partnership is really a handful of friends and people that we've been with for a long time. It's not in any way a syndicate-we don't do this for business, we do it for pleasure.
When you take a guy like Mike Caruso, one of the best collegiate wrestlers to have ever lived and just a completely classy guy, and a guy like Stu Grant, who has put so much into the game-he owns farms, he breeds horses, etc.–and you take the relationship between the three of us, it's just great.
When Sol got in the game, he was with Chad from the get-go. I met him early on and we've partnered on yearlings and some of our European horses, and we get along fine, too. I'd be remiss if I didn't give Brad Weisbord credit because he continually perseveres and reminds all of us to make prudent business decisions opposed to emotional ones.
This is really about friendship. You're supposed to run it as a business and we try to, but it's the friendship first and foremost.
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