Susan Naylor (formerly Moulton) is many things; a prominent owner, breeder, and Versailles, Kentucky farm owner, but it's clear that her philanthropic work is what most clearly defines her today.
The owner of the fan-favorite racehorse Manny Wah (Will Take Charge) has endured unimaginable loss in her life, losing both of her children in separate incidents nine years apart. On this week's Boundless podcast with jockey and veterinarian Ferrin Peterson, she talks about channeling her grief into something positive.
Naylor explained how she became exposed to racing as a child. “I'm from San Marcos, Texas,” she told Peterson. “My dad was a cattle rancher, had horses, dabbled with stallions. We raced at the bush tracks in Texas. Cattle supported the horses back then. Horses were a hobby. But I took it very seriously. I loved to ride. My dad fancied himself a cowboy. I rode hunters and jumpers. I galloped and breezed in the morning at Retama, up until I was 45, and we pinhooked.”
But tragedy brought all of that to an end.
“This all came to a crashing halt when we had that car wreck,” she said, of the accident that took her eight-year-old son's life in 2007 when an oncoming car veered into her lane and hit her car head on. “We were in Maui on holiday.”
In his memory, she created the Will Smith Foundation. “Will was a little boy who wanted to do everything for everybody,” she says. “He had the best heart. I learned from him. Our mission statement is to provide positive life experiences for children. Arts, sports, bereavement counseling. It was the drug that healed my heart.”
Moulton faced another tragedy when her older son Charlie died of a fentanyl overdose nine years after Will's accident. She appears on the podcast wearing his shirt.
Boundless is a podcast designed to tell stories of perseverance, personal struggle, and determination.
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