TDN Q&A: Michael Wallace

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Considering they are the co-owners of phenom Justify (Scat Daddy), GII Tampa Bay Derby winner Quip (Distorted Humor) and GII Holy Bull S. hero Audible (Into Mischief), the likely favorite in the upcoming GI Florida Derby, no one is more stacked in the 3-year-old male division than the China Horse Club. In this week's TDN podcast, presented by Taylor Made, we caught up Michael Wallace, the head of bloodstock and racing for a group that is taking racing across the globe by storm. Some excerpts from the podcast appear below. To listen to the full podcast, click here.

TDN: Though he has yet to win a stakes race, Justify is getting more attention than even Audible and Quip. He has looked nothing less than sensational. What are the limits to his potential?

MW: Who knows at this stage? It is hugely exciting. We're dealing with Bob (Baffert) and we all know how great he is and the great horses that have come through his yard, especially the last couple of years with great colts like Arrogate and American Pharoah. The vibe and the discussions we have had with Bob, it's been hugely exciting. I think the world is his oyster. Time will tell how good he is, but at this stage he looks to have untold ability.

TDN: He never raced as a 2-year-old and there is the fact that no horse since Apollo in 1882 has won the Derby without a 2-year-old start. He also didn't begin his career until Feb. 18. Normally, horses on that sort of schedule show they don't have the experience and seasoning to win the GI Kentucky Derby. Is the feeling among the connections that this one is so special he can overcome the obstacles?

MW: I think the feeling is that we will give him the opportunity to at least try. Obviously, his next race is critical. But there is no panic to get to the Derby. If it's not to be, he can still be a very good horse on the back end of the year. If that's the case, that's the case. If he's a good horse he'll always be a good horse. Whatever happens after his next start we'll do the best thing by him and go from there.

TDN: The first big win on US soil for the China Horse Club came in the 2017 GI Kentucky Oaks with Abel Tasman (Quality Road). Beyond the obvious, winning a large purse and a Grade I, what did that win mean for the China Horse Club? It's easy to imagine that your answer will include things like credibility and legitimacy?

MW: Absolutely. It's not lost on anybody how difficult it is to win a Classic and such a prestigious race. We were blessed to be able to do that with a wonderful filly and a wonderful team. It helped engage us within the U.S. racing industry and it also helped engage the Chinese based participants so far as showing interest in horse racing. It helped show them potentially what can be done, the scale and the size and the joy that it brings when you win such a prestigious race.

TDN: The China Horse Club has become heavily involved with WinStar Farm, which is a partner in all three of your potential Derby horses. How did this connection with WinStar come about?

MW: The connection came about through Tom Ryan of SF Bloodstock. We've done some work with SF Bloodstock and Newgate Farm in forming these colt syndicates down in Australia, that have been immensely successful down there. When we decided that we wanted to come to America we felt that participating in yearling colts is what we wanted to do. But everyone knows the risk associated with that. It's nice if you can find some like-minded partners that can share that risk and allow you to buy a group of horses. We all know you're going to get your share of slow ones and ones with problems. You need a few soldiers to go to war. It was brought about through Tom Ryan and the instructions were made. We were lucky enough to have some discussions and put some plans in place with WinStar.

TDN: The China Horse Club has had success in Europe, but seems more focused right now on the U.S. and Australia. Will the operation eventually become bigger in Europe?

MW: We'll probably see an expansion in Europe, but more in a breeding role than a racing role. Everybody knows the difficulties of economy and racing horses there. It's not as attractive as what the U.S. is or what Australia is. That has a bearing on it. We still have a racing team there. We currently have a very good filly over there called Gold Rush, a Frankel filly out of Alexander Goldrun She is unbeaten, three for three. She appears to be one of the more valuable fillies in training in Europe. It's more of a boutique style racing operation over there. But we've bought a few yearlings and Mick Flanagan, our European representative, is overseeing that. The operation there looks good and I am sure we will see some racing stock coming to the fore in Europe in the coming months.

To listen to the full podcast, click here.

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