KATIE FISHER by EMILY SHIELDS Hudson to Hire Fisher Straight Away
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CTBA Member PROFILE KATIE FISHER BY EMILY SHIELDS Hudson to hire Fisher straight away. The instant Fisher showed interest in Hudson’s pro- atie Fisher gave the question some posal, he answered, “Great! See you tomorrow thought, then summed herself up with: morning at 7.” “Two farms and two kids. That’s me.” Thus began a 12-year partnership. KFisher can hardly be defined so succinctly. “Tom and his (late) wife, Gayle, were family COVERING She hails from a show horse and agricultural to me,” Fisher said. “They were the epitome background, worked alongside mentor Tom of perfection as far as running a horse farm. I ALL THE Hudson at Magali Farms for 12 years, and learned so much about health and cleanliness.” ANGLES FOR now has her own pair of farms just miles apart. “We taught her how to do things the right To top it all off, she is the mother of twin way,” Hudson said. “I’m so proud of her.” STATE-OF- toddlers, helping her children to grow while si- But then Fisher dropped a bomb: She want- multaneously helping some 40 horses through ed to start a family. THE-ART the rehabilitation process. “Tom said, ‘You want to do what?’ ” Fisher EQUINE R&R Fisher grew up showing Arabian horses and laughingly recalled. “I left Magali six years ago working at an Arabian farm. She was known now. I actually bought the Arabian farm where at the Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center I was working before I went to work for Tom, when Magali manager Tom Hudson put out and now I have twin toddlers.” the word that he needed an assistant. Hudson Fisher praised her “saint of a husband,” Tra- asked Dr. Ed Hamer if he knew anyone, and vis Burnett, for handling the children without the veterinarian confirmed that he did, urging question so that she could spend extra time with the horses if needed. “He never tells me no,” Fisher said, only half-joking. The rejuvenated farm has been christened Kingfisher Farms, after Fisher’s family’s farm- ing business. “I come from a fourth-generation farming family in Blythe,” she said. “The farmers have water rights to the river, so my family farms there, producing alfalfa, lettuce, broccoli, and melons. If you go to Costco, you can see the melons with the Kingfisher bird stickers that say Fisher Ranch. That’s my family. Their farm has been around for 100 years, so I named my farm in homage to my family. It’s really special to me.” Fisher had returned to showing Arabians, but still had one California-bred Good Jour- ney filly on the property. She called Hudson, asking if he would take the filly. “He kept saying ‘wow’ when he saw the property,” Fisher recalled. “I reminded him I had a good teacher.” Hudson showed mild interest in a second barn on the property, which stood empty. He said nothing for a month, then contacted Fish- er about using it for layups for his independent clients. “He said, ‘You know my program better than anybody.’ And I really did miss it,” Fisher said. COURTESY OF KATIE FISHER COURTESY OF KATIE “There’s something soothing to the soul about Rehabilitating horses properly is a priority for the multi-tasking Katie Fisher helping a horse to heal and making it better.” 36 CALIFORNIA THOROUGHBRED ❙ August 2018 ❙ www.ctba.com Around the same time, one of Fisher’s former Winners Magali co-workers knocked on the door, asking for a job. Her operation suddenly exploded, with JUNE 18, 2018 – JULY 22, 2018 Hudson delivering more and more horses in need 3-YEAR-OLDS & UP Don'tsellmeshort—Ez Money Honey: No of care and a total of six former co-workers joining Ez Money (23-5), g, 9 yo, Wyoming her team. Aragorn (IRE)—Unbridled Prayer: Pray Downs, ALW, 7/21, 4 1/2f, 50.46, “It all just fell together unexpectedly,” Fisher With Faith (24-15), g, 5 yo, Penn $3,300. National, AOC, 7/5, 6f, 1:10.77, Drum Major—Royal Life: Major Anthem said. $17,340. (3-1), g, 6 yo, Laurel Park, SOC, 6/22, 1 Hudson has been thrilled with Fisher’s sudden Benchmark—Desert Violet: Keith's Dessert 1/16mi (T), 1:43.33, $13,680. rise back into the Thoroughbred industry. (26-15), g, 7 yo, Marquis Downs, WCL, Eddington—Mistical Dream: Easter Dream 6/22, 6f, 1:14.76, $2,360. (42-12), f, 3 yo, Oak Tree At Pleasanton, “It is the best layup farm in the state of Califor- Benchmark—Hazen: Jackson Sundown WCL, 7/8, 5 1/2f, 1:4.75, $7,200. nia,” he said. “By next year it will be state of the (26-15), g, 7 yo, Assiniboia Downs, English Channel—Shellys Terms: Hogan art, with a lot of things coming in the near future. WCL, 7/6, 1mi, 1:42.00, $4,920. (148-59), g, 4 yo, Assiniboia Downs, WCL, 6/27, 1mi, 1:42.40, $4,980. She has six of my very best guys, the guys I taught Bertrando—Beaulena: Mr. Takahashi (11-7), g, 6 yo, Grants Pass, STK, Ez Dreamer—Plus Ultra: Dreaming Ez and ‘raised.’ Katie is a very fair employer, offers all Grants Pass Mile S., 7/8, 1 1/16mi, (20-7), f, 3 yo, Assiniboia Downs, WCL, of them tremendous benefits that not many peo- 1:49.87, $5,500. 6/23, 7f, 1:28.80, $5,040. Ez Dreamer—Plus Ultra: Dreaming Ez ple do anymore, and treats them all like family. Bold Chieftain—Neon Princess: J T's A. T. M. (27-11), g, 3 yo, Oak Tree At Pleas- (20-7), f, 3 yo, Assiniboia Downs, WCL, “The horses are as good or better than when anton, STR, 6/23, 6f, 1:11.30, $12,240. 7/7, 6f, 1:12.80, $5,820. we had Magali Farms. Katie cares about every Bold Chieftain—Miss Rainier: Chief Global Hunter (ARG)—Excessive Susan: Barbara (27-11), f, 4 yo, Sacramento, Cool Green (4-2), g, 6 yo, Santa Anita individual horse. She looks at every horse herself, Park, AOC, 6/23, 1mi (T), 1:34.74, STR, 7/22, 1mi, 1:38.95, $12,240. $36,600. every day. But most importantly, she’s a very loyal, Bushwacker—Angela's Love: Love a Grace Upon Grace—Passionate Kip: longtime friend.” Honeybadger (13-4), f, 4 yo, Los Alami- London Legacy (17-6), g, 6 yo, Fisher explained that the joke around the farm tos Race Course, AOC, 6/28, 5 1/2f, Canterbury Park, AOC, 7/5, 6f, 1:9.85, 1:3.51, $35,100. became, “Where should we put that horse? On the $18,000. Champ Pegasus—Quick Approval: Red Grace Upon Grace—Radiant Belle: Marty roof!” Glitter (36-6), f, 3 yo, Oak Tree At Pleas- McDougle (17-6), g, 3 yo, Arapahoe “Pretty soon we filled up the back barn and the anton, STR, 7/6, 1mi 70yd, 1:46.04, Park, ALW, 7/7, 5 1/2f, 1:4.53, $7,500. $12,240. front barn, and we had to build pens to fill those, Grazen—Stash: All of a Sudden (31-21), f, Coil—Paint It Black: Uncoil (31-17), g, 4 4 yo, Los Alamitos Race Course, AOC, too,” Fisher said. “Around the same time, a farm yo, Marquis Downs, ALW, 6/29, 7f, 6/29, 5 1/2f, 1:3.68, $27,000. came for sale just three properties down. The 1:26.37, $2,220. Grazen—Bluegrass Belle: Catfish Hunter numbers just kind of worked, so I bought it. Now Comic Strip—Honoree Lady: Peaked (31-21), c, 4 yo, Los Alamitos Race (22-11), f, 4 yo, Los Alamitos Race Course, AOC, 7/4, 5 1/2f, 1:3.06, we have two farms running together as one.” Course, STR, 6/28, 5f, 57.45, $10,800. $27,000. She couldn’t be happier. “I keep pinching my- Council Member—Playful Sara: Council Heatseeker (IRE)—Sang: She Sang Rules (18-8), m, 6 yo, Arlington, SOC, (55-14), f, 4 yo, Oak Tree At Pleasanton, self,” she said. “It’s been fun, building up the new 7/8, 6 1/2f, 1:17.13, $9,000. WCL, 6/24, 6f, 1:13.03, $5,225. property. We put in a vibration plate stall at both Creative Cause—Dover Crossing: Creative Heat Shield—Gorgeous Goomah: Hot properties. We put in comfort stall flooring in all Crossing (105-47), g, 4 yo, Marquis Rodin (9-1), g, 5 yo, Assiniboia Downs, my barns and are putting in rubber floors for the Downs, ALW, 7/7, 6f, 1:12.06, $2,280. WCL, 6/27, 6f, 1:11.80, $6,420. Cyclotron—Tuner: Tune to Win (35-13), Heat Shield—Gorgeous Goomah: Hot aisleways. We are trying to do it all the right way.” g, 5 yo, Sacramento, STR, 7/21, 1mi, Rodin (9-1), g, 5 yo, Assiniboia Downs, Fisher has a total of 30 acres between the two 1:37.14, $12,240. AOC, 7/20, 6f, 1:12.00, $7,020. farms and a lease of some neighboring paddocks. Decarchy—Jen's New Chapter: Jens de He's Tops—Castle Bet: John Paul's Bet Ville (39-15), g, 6 yo, Oak Tree At Pleas- (19-6), g, 5 yo, Sacramento, STR, 7/13, She has more than 40 horses under her care, anton, WCL, 7/8, 5 1/2f, 1:5.16, $5,225. 5 1/2f, 1:4.68, $6,300.