® BUSINESS O F H O R S E S RO PARRA In tech and horses, people come first Ro Parra of Millennium Farms carries his philosophy and success into the Thoroug hbred business by Don Clippinger mer partner leased land in Austin Cup Handicap (G2). This year, he in 1999 and named it Millennium made perhaps his most notable pur- RO PARRA’S life story reads like a Farms in honor of the approach- chase when, on Brown’s insistence, latter-day Horatio Alger novel, with ing millennial change. Also that he bought Student Council from a thoroughly modern international year, Parra bought a 320-acre farm William S. Farish. Eight days after twist. Born in Ecuador, he immi- on Paris Pike, north of Lexing- the purchase, Student Council won grated with his mother and stepfa- ton, now known as Millennium the Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) and ther in his early teens, quickly learned Farms Kentucky, and he owns a subsequently won the Hawthorne a new culture, graduated from col- 427-acre farm in . Gold Cup. Eighth in the lege, and launched a successful busi- Parra’s philanthropic work Dirt (Jpn-G1), the horse ness career, rising to the top level of started not long after his venture will remain in training in 2008. one of the world’s leading technol- into the Bluegrass. In 2004, the advised Parra to ogy companies and becoming a phi- Parra Family Foundation and then buy Will He Shine, who won this lanthropist. University of Kentucky men’s bas- year’s True North Handicap (G2) at And, in a development that cer- ketball coach Tubby Smith . Parra was reluctant tainly would not have been a part of launched Tubby’s Clubhouses to to spend big money for the Silver Alger’s 19th-century success stories, provide computers and computer Deputy horse in a private purchase he quickly became a major player in training to at-risk middle-school because of his breeding. “But Steve the Thoroughbred industry. students. Smith departed for the said, ‘Ro, this horse is gorgeous,’ ” But Parra’s rapid rise in the indus- University of Minnesota this year, Parra said. try has not been a matter of a wealthy but the program continues. Retired after finishing fourth in business executive finding a new the Frank J. De Francis Memorial world to conquer. His affection for Too many too soon Dash Stakes (G1), Will He Shine ar-

Thoroughbred racing was planted oto As his participation in the sport rived at Millennium Kentucky on No- long ago, when Parra accompanied F increased, Parra made a common vember 30 and will stand his first

his father to the races in his home- ooted mistake. He quickly ended up with season in 2008. F town of Guayaquil. He was only six too many racehorses and too many Good advice also led Parra to his our or seven at the time, but the after- F noons at Hipodromo Santa Cecilia made a lasting impression. Rosendo “Ro” Parra “They only raced on Sunday, and it was always the same horses,” said Birthdate: November 12, 1959 Parra, who still remembers some of Birthplace: Guayaquil, Ecuador Residence: Austin, Texas their names, such as Mar Negro, Former position: Senior vice president, Americas, for Dell Inc. Marron, Fariseo Baby, and Idaho FAST TRACK TO THE WINNER’S CIRCLE Farms: Millennium Farms Kentucky, 320 acres, Lexing ton, and a 427-acre farm in Texas Venture. Ro Parra leads Student Council and jockey Richard Mig liore after the Best horses raced: Student Council, Super Frolic, Will He Shine The next 40 years held discovery, 2007 Hawthorne Gold Cup Best horse bred: Wilko the exhilaration of growing with a Kentucky stallions for 2008: Even the Score, Littleexpectations, Scrimshaw, Shaniko, Will He Shine, Woke Up Dreamin once-struggling company known as come a technology leader, Parra part-time workers in the call centers, Family : Wife, Cheryl Parra, M.D., a retired patholog ist; and four children Dell Inc., which became the world’s thought he had made a losing bet for which took consumer order calls, Notable: Co-founder with colleg e basketball coach Tubby Smith of Tubby’s Clubhouses, to largest computer manufacturer for a couple years. and Parra found that the part-timers provide computers and computer training to at-risk middle school students in Lexing ton. several years, and more than a little “For the first two or three years, who wanted full-time work were not Director, Brinker International Inc., a restaurant chain whose properties include Chili’s Grill good fortune. it didn’t look good,” he said. “The being promoted. Turnover had bal- & Bar and Romano’s Macaroni Grill The lessons he learned in busi- company was losing money, and it looned from 30% a year to 300%. It ness have carried over into his Thor- was on the brink of not making it in was a lesson in rewarding produc- broodmares. The racing stable grew most notable achievement as a breeder, oughbred ventures. Get the right 1995. It looked for a while like the tive people and establishing a strong to 120 horses, and he had approxi- 2004 Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup product, price it properly, and pro- worst decision I had ever made.” base of human assets. mately 150 broodmares. Juvenile (G1) winner Wilko. Andy vide service to your customers. But But Dell turned around and estab- “I went too fast too early on, espe- Stronach of Adena Springs advised first and foremost, it is the people. lished a model for American manu- Family considerations cially with the racing stable,” he said. him to breed Native Roots (Ire) to Awe- “It’s no different from any other busi- facturing efficiency, turning out Parra’s active participation in Thor- “I didn’t really learn the basics and some Again. Wilko was sold for $35,000 ness,” he said. “It begins with hav- computers by the thousands every oughbred racing resulted partly from went faster than my knowledge dic- as a weanling at the 2002 Keeneland ing the right people.” day, many of them based on customer a family accommodation. When work- tated.” November breeding stock sale. orders. In 2001, Parra was named ing for Tandy’s Pittsburgh operation, The broodmare band is now half Parra retired from Dell earlier this Path into the sport senior vice president, Americas, Parra and his wife, Cheryl, lived well that siz e, and Parra has approximately year to devote full time to his horse Thoroughbred industry partici- which encompassed all Dell activi- south of the Western Pennsylvania 20 horses in training in addition to activities, and his wife also has re- pants find their way into the sport in 40 weanlings and 20 yearlings. tired from medical practice. He said many different ways, but Parra’s path A corollary of too many horses he was uncomfortable as an absen- certainly is one of the more original. was the human element. Parra found tee owner, especially with his Ken- Parra’s stepfather was a NASA em- The lessons Ro Parra learned in business have carried that it takes time to put together the tucky investment ramping up to ployee, and the family relocated to over into his Thoroughbred ventures. Get the right right team of advisers and thus re- multimillion-dollar levels. Maryland in 1974. He attended the ceive the proper advice. The life change also will allow him University of Maryland’s Robert H. product, price it properly, and provide service to your “Take your time in choosing your to spend more time marketing Mil- Smith School of Business and grad- customers. But first and foremost, it is the people. “It’s no advisers,” he said. The team now in- lennium’s six Kentucky stallions. His uated with a degree in marketing in cludes trainers Steve Asmussen, goal, he said, is to “provide breed- 1982. different from any other business,” he said. “It begins Vladimir Cerin, James Jackson, and ers with an opportunity to breed to He found his future in a Radio Dale Capuano; Cash Asmussen, who good bloodlines and great-looking Shack store. He managed a retail out- with having the right people.” breaks the young horses at his fam- individuals.” let in Washington, D.C., just as the ily’s training center in Laredo, Texas; In an industry where years or even personal computer boom was begin- Kentucky farm manager Bobby decades may separate major victo- ning. At that time, Radio Shack and ties except the consumer market in city to shorten her commute to Mor- Miller; business manager J. Ted Neel; ries, Parra has enjoyed considerable its parent Tandy Co. were leaders in a territory extending from Canada gantown, West Virginia, where she and Jerry Brown, owner of Thoro- success, but he is well aware that his personal computers. He recalled sell- to Chile. Over his tenure, Dell be- was a medical resident in pathology. Graph sheets service. acumen has not been the only reason ing the Radio Shack Model 100, a came a major supplier to business, When they moved to Texas, they Brown has been giving Parra in- for the winner’s circle celebrations. precursor of the modern laptop, to industry, and government. settled south of Dell’s suburban sights into racehorses’ abilities and “We’ve had great success with Brit Hume and other journalists. Dell’s business has had some re- Austin headquarters because his tendencies since 2003, and Parra said some horses,” he said. “Ultimately, Radio Shack paid a small salary versals in the past few years, and physician wife had a position in a San he should have hired him sooner. I make the final decisions, but we’ve and a percentage of store profits to Hewlett-Packard has overtaken it as Antonio hospital. As chance would Brown’s figures have helped Parra been successful because we have a its managers, which honed Parra’s the country’s largest computer man- have it, Retama Park was built all but and Millennium to refine their horse great team of people.” business skills. “It was a great com- ufacturer. As Dell’s consumer sales across the street from where they purchases. “When we buy race- pany,” he said. “That’s where I learned flattened in 2005, Parra was given lived. Retama opened in 1995, and horses, we buy them with stallion po- ______to run a business.” the task of finding out why the growth Parra claimed his first horse there tential in mind,” he said. Don Clipping er, editorial He worked for Tandy and then had stopped. He found the problem for $5,000 in ’96. Since his first purchase, Parra has director of THOROUGHBRED GRiD Systems, a company that Tandy not in the products or Dell’s highly Parra, his wife, and their four chil- raced more than 40 stakes winners, TIMES, has written on acquired in 1988, before moving to efficient manufacturing and delivery dren subsequently relocated to including several Texas champions. business topics for more Dell in ’93. Although the company systems, but in its call centers. Austin, and the Dell executive was He bought Super Frolic before his than 30 years. founded by Michael Dell was to be- The company had decided to use literally off to the races. He and a for- victory in the 2005 Hawthorne Gold ______

62 THOROUGHBRED TIMES December 22, 2007