Breeder Wheeler Tells Story Behind Turf Sprint Winner Imprimis
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ftboa.com • Thursday • September 17, 2020 FEC/FTBOA PUBLICATION FOR ADVERTISING Breeder Wheeler Tells INFORMATION or to subscribe, please call Story Behind Turf Antoinette at 352-732-8858 or Sprint Winner Imprimis email: [email protected] In This Issue: Imprimis is Keeneland Meet With Limited Participants Del Mar Increases Fall Meet Purses Editor’s Note – Winner of the Santa Anita to Postpone Opening Day Runhappy Turf Sprint G3 last Saturday, Florida-bred Imprimis has been on the radar at thor- $2M Tapit Colt Headlines Day Two of oughbred breeder Craig Keeneland Sept. Yearling Sale Wheeler’s alma mater for the last two years. After winning the Preakness Day Preview Jim McKay Turf Sprint in 2018 on the Preakness Stakes under- Kentucky Downs Stakes Recaps card and running on Breeders’ Cup day in 2019, the Hillsdale Collegian paper told the story of Stablemates Remain Out Front in Poll how the gelding got his name and Wheeler’s life with thor- Chase to the Championship oughbreds. Since the March 5, 2020 article was published, Track Results & Entries Imprimis now has lifetime earn- ings of $759,948 and a record of Florida Stallion Progeny List eight wins and two third place finishes in 15 starts. Florida-bred Imprimis/COADY PHOTO Florida Breeders’ List BY SOFIA KRUSMARK and economics. He always knew he would go right back to the “horse thing.” HILLSDALE COLLEGIAN IMPRIMIS Wire to Wire Business Place “On my way to the milk store, I would Imprimis isn’t just the name of the col- beg my mom to stop so I could run to the lege publication of Hillsdale College riding ring at riding school,” Wheeler said. Featured Advertisers where thoroughbred breeder Craig “Years later, I would clean up the stalls so Wheeler graduated from in 1978. I could be around the horses. I read every Florida Department of Agriculture book on horses. It was just me. It didn’t “Imprimis actually means ‘first on the FTBOA list,’ and I named him after Hillsdale come from my family.” because I love Hillsdale, and it did great While studying at Hillsdale, he owned Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. things for me,” said Craig Wheeler. a horse and worked at horse farms in Ocala Breeders’ Feed & Supply Virginia during the summer. After gradua- Wheeler began his thoroughbred man- Seminole Feed agement career right after graduating from tion, the Irish National Stud became home Hillsdale, where he studied philosophy Fred Burton Paving See IMPRIMIS on page 3 Back to Top Page 3 Imprimis Continued from COVER for a year — a top-class graduate school for thoroughbred race horse farm management with a 3% acceptance rate. Two Americans got in that year. Wheeler was one of them. Twenty-five dollars a week. That’s how much each student earned at the Irish National Stud. John O’Meara, longtime friend of Wheeler and now owner of Milestone Farm in Lexington, Ky., said the days consisted of chowing down quick meals, working long days out in the farm, and sitting in one lecture each day. “One day it could be on the quality of feed, lectures on how to take care of the horses, how to feed them, how to take care of their feet,” O’Meara said. “They’d be showing us how to present the horse for sale, how to walk the horse, how to make it look good, and the work that it took. There would be a veterinarian who would come in and give us a lecture on vaccinations, for example.” Wheeler came home one year later and became the assistant manager at Hobeau Farms, one of the largest thoroughbred farms in Florida. Twenty years later, he started his own. Wheeler’s farm is an anomaly. While most farms focus on one specific area — training, selling, racing, or breeding — Wheeler does all four. With 20 breeding mares, 30 horses in training, and 15 horses up for sale, Wheeler runs a family operation with more than 60 head total horses and 20 outside client horses. “We prefer to sell them as two-year-olds, but it’s time-con- suming,” Wheeler said. “If you can come up with one that can have great times on the track, this warrants them being looked at as a really, really good horse, and the opportunities are limitless. The top end of the market can sell through the roof, and the lower end is weaker. It’s a very bipolar industry.” The more horses, the greater the probability of raising a champion, Wheeler said. That’s how Imprimis came along. “He had an injury early on and he missed the sales, but we kept giving him plenty of time, and I knew we were going to have to race him because we already missed all the sales,” Wheeler said. “Then I named him. He won his first two races so easily, and we were in business. The beauty of it is, I sold him to good friends of mine, and I’ve gotten to enjoy his success all along the way.” His current owner, Mike Hall, friend of Wheeler and owner of Breeze Easy farms, said he knew Imprimis would be a good horse primarily because of his trust in Wheeler. “First of all, Craig wasn’t even at the sale, but I just bought the horse,” Hall said. “I knew Craig never would have sold me a bad horse. He’s just not that type of person. He’s like a legend. And on top of all that, he’s a hard worker. This guy goes from daylight to dark and then some. He just doesn’t quit, and I trust him so I knew this would be a good horse.” It’s a horse that’s won seven races so far and more than $440,000 in prize money. He’s traveled the world, from finishing third in the Fountain of Youth race, a prep race for the Kentucky Derby, to racing in front of The Queen of England in the Royal Ascot. He finished fifth, only a little more than three lengths behind Battaash — the world’s top rated sprinter for 2019. It’s been two years of surprises, and some of the very best, Wheeler said. Imprimis proved everyone wrong at the Shakertown Stakes in Kentucky. After picking Wheeler up in his private jet and enjoying cocktails in the sky, Hall and the team arrived at the races. The gates opened, and Imprimis fell See IMPRIMIS on page 5 Back to Top Afleet Alex 2005 Gate Dancer 1984 Affirmed 1978* *Triple Crown winner Codex 1980 Aloma’s Ruler 1982 Carry Back 1961 Silver Charm 1997 FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FLORIDA THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS’ AND CONSUMER SERVICES AND OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION Nicole “Nikki” Fried, Commissioner Lonny T. Powell, CEO For Information: Jacqueline Basha, Tammy A. Gantt, Associate Vice President Division of Marketing and Development Membership Services & Events (850) 617-7286 – Direct Line 352-629-2160 • Fax: 352-629-3603 [email protected] 801 SW 60th Ave. • Ocala, FL 34474 www.FDACS.gov www.ftboa.com • [email protected] Back to Top Page 5 Keeneland Fall Meet to be Held with Limited Participants Due to COVID-19 Pandemic KEENELAND PRESS RELEASE _______________________ LEXINGTON, KY - Keeneland announced Tuesday that its 2020 Fall Meet, to be held Oct. 2-24, will be closed to the public due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Only a limited number of participants and essential personnel will be permitted to attend the live race meet. Keeneland conducted its five-day Summer Meet in July with- out spectators but did allow a limited number of owners and essential personnel to attend. “The safety of our employees, our participants and our fans remains Keeneland’s top priority,” Keeneland president and CEO Bill Thomason said. “We have the most loyal fans in the world and we cannot wait for the day when we can welcome them back for live racing. The decision to close the meet to the public was made after consulting with local and state government officials and public health experts and monitoring how various sporting venues and events around the world have operated during the pandemic. With the guidance of these experts and lessons learned from recent events, we know this is the responsible course of action.” “Sunday’s kickoff of the 12-day September Yearling Sale, which is followed by the Fall Meet, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships and the November Breeding Stock Sale, marks the beginning of a significant three months of business for Keeneland and the horse industry as a whole,” Keeneland presi- dent-elect and interim head of sales Shannon Arvin said. “It is paramount that we conduct our sales and racing operations in a safe and responsible manner that promotes the health and success of everyone involved. “We will remain flexible and vigilant leading up to and Racing at Keeneland/KEENELAND PHOTO throughout our Fall Meet to ensure that we observe the most cur- • Participants include those with a competing horse, including rent health and safety protocols and respond to any changes in a a limited number of owners and trainers. Keeneland also will timely and thoughtful manner,” Arvin added. allow limited access to sponsors, box holders and Club members. To combat the spread of COVID-19, strict compliance with the • Keeneland will not permit any general admission or walk-up following health and safety protocols will be required for partici- attendees. Credentialed participants will be assigned a seat for the pants and employees while they are at Keeneland. Similar proto- race day. cols were in place for the Summer Meet and are in effect for • Keeneland will maintain records to allow for contact tracing.