Cover image courtesy of Kick Collective
It has been an Australian honeymoon to remember for Rick and Linda Greenberg, who will return to Kentucky in a week’s time with a pair of Australian-bred fillies to add to their small and select portfolio of 10 racehorses in America.
Having tied the knot in September last year, the newlyweds decided to add a trip to the Gold Coast to their honeymoon itinerary and were not prepared to leave empty handed, signing for a filly from the first Australian crops of two shuttle stallions in Wootton Bassett (GB) and Admire Mars (Jpn) for a combined total of $650,000.
The first of their purchases, Lot 28, hails from a family littered with black type. Consigned by Bhima Thoroughbreds and secured for $500,000, the Wootton Bassett filly is out of a sibling to an almost endless list of stakes winners, spearheaded by the hugely successful former Coolmore shuttler High Chaparral (Ire).
Gallery: Images courtesy of Magic Millions
While there was an element of spontaneity to securing the Wootton Bassett filly, Greenberg’s second purchase, however, was very much on his radar. An Admire Mars filly offered as Lot 86 by Longwood Thoroughbred Farm and purchased for $150,000, she is a direct descendant of multiple Group 1 winner and Horse of the Year Let’s Elope (NZ) (Nassipour {USA}).
Both horses will head to America in due course to be trained by Kenny McPeek, and it was impossible to wipe the smile off of Greenberg’s face when reflecting on his pair of purchases.
“We have a few horses and I'm very interested in bringing back several Australian fillies with no inbreeding to America for breeding after racing,” he told The Thoroughbred Report.
“I live in Lexington and I wanted to mate these fillies from Australia with these top Kentucky sires.
“I wanted one of them to be part of the gift that keeps on giving - the horse that got away from America, Sunday Silence, so one of the horses I purchased today (Tuesday) was by Admire Mars.
“I was thinking I’d go away with two by Admire Mars, but that Wootton Bassett kinda took away a lot. I couldn’t resist her, she kinda fell into my lap and was within my budget by a hair. I lucked out and my trainer is going to go bananas when he looks at that pedigree, I just can’t believe how lucky I was. It was serendipity.
“...that Wootton Bassett kinda took away a lot. I couldn’t resist her, she kinda fell into my lap and was within my budget by a hair... I just can’t believe how lucky I was. It was serendipity”. - Rick Greenberg
“I’m very happy with the Admire Mars and I’m very happy, times a million, with the Wootton Bassett. I’m going back to America at least 1000 feet higher than the aeroplane.”
Greenberg has been involved in racehorse ownership for almost two decades and has enjoyed plenty of success, courtesy of the likes of Grade 3 winner My Baby Baby (USA) (Bernstein {USA}), Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf placegetter House Of Grace (USA) (Limehouse {USA}) and recent dual Listed winner Dash Attack (USA) (Munnings {USA}), the latter of which was named after his wife Linda’s grandson.
Despite that success, Greenberg, an infectious disease physician at the University of Kentucky, is well aware of the highs and lows of racing and breeding, something which makes the sweet taste of success even sweeter when he watches one of his horses salute the judge.
Dash Attack (USA) | Image courtesy of Coady
“I’ve been in the business as partners with my trainer’s horses since 2007 - one day you’re up and the next five years you’re down,” he said.
“We put in a lot of hours. It’s a little bit of science, witchcraft and luck, but you’ve got to put in the sweat to come out with what you think is best for you.
“I have a saying, and I’m not so sure I’m a little pig, but little pigs get fed and big pigs get slaughtered, and if I just go outside my budget then I’m sure there would be a price to pay later.
“The industry has taught me a lot of humility. Every day is another day and your wishes are eternal, but when that moment happens and your horse wins a race, whether it be a claimer or a graded stake, that feeling is hard to put into words.”
“The industry has taught me a lot of humility. Every day is another day and your wishes are eternal, but when that moment happens and your horse wins a race, whether it be a claimer or a graded stake, that feeling is hard to put into words.” - Rick Greenberg
Tip of the iceberg
Greenberg, who fell in love with the story of Phar Lap (NZ) (Night Raid {GB}) on his first and only previous visit to Australia many years ago, was buying under the banner of Catalyst Stable in conjunction with Craig Rounsefell’s Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA).
It was his US-based trainer, Kenny McPeek, who introduced Greenberg to Rounsefell after he made his intentions to buy, and Greenberg could hardly be more effusive in his praise for one of the industry’s most decorated bloodstock agents.
“I told Kenny that I wanted to go to Australia and bring back a couple of fillies and he said, ‘Rick you’re crazy’, so I said, ‘Well, you’re not telling me anything I don’t already know’,” Greenberg said.
“We eventually worked it out and he set us up with Boomer. I can’t tell you how happy we are with Craig, he’s the best of the best, and I happen to know a couple of other people in the industry who say the same thing.
“I’m thinking I should name one of the fillies I bought today 'Boomher'!”
Greenberg fell in love with the story of legendary racehorse Phar Lap (NZ) | Image courtesy of Melbourne Museum
One of the major draw cards for the pair of fillies Greenberg secured on the opening day was the lack of inbreeding in their pedigrees, something which he believes is vital to ensuring the health and diversity of the global thoroughbred population moving forward.
Plenty more Americans will follow suit and descend on the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in search of outcrosses according to Greenberg, whose passion and adoration for the thoroughbred was plain for all to see.
“I live in the horse capital of America, I might say the horse capital of a larger place like the world, but here I am in Australia and your horse racing is just amazing, it’s a throwback to America 100 years ago,” he said.
“I’m very interested in the health and wellbeing of my foals and mares. I love going out to the farm every week or two and talking to my babies, feeding them carrots and watching them grow up, and I just think there has been a lot of inbreeding in various countries. It’s time to mix and match.
“I’m very interested in the health and wellbeing of my foals and mares. I love going out to the farm every week or two and talking to my babies, feeding them carrots and watching them grow up.” - Rick Greenberg
“I believe you’ll see more Americans at these sales, it’s inevitable. They’re already going to Europe and buying like crazy, but they’ll be racing here and bringing horses back in a big way. Australia is a country where the public comes first. It’s clean, it’s beautiful, the people are friendly and there are opportunities here to both enjoy your life and see some beautiful horses.
“I’m just the tip of the iceberg and my iceberg is pretty tiny.”
