Maryland Horse® January 2021 Official publication of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association; Vol. 86, No. 1 Worth the Wait Maryland-bred Galerio provides a highlight for small breeder Marconi MARYLAND HORSE BREEDERS ASSOCIATION INC. Story and photographs by Sara Gordon 321 Main Street Reisterstown, MD 21136 410-252-2100 As Galerio crossed the www.marylandthoroughbred.com wire ahead of Tattooed in the sixth race at Laurel Park BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nov. 21, winning for the Michael Harrison DVM eighth time in 2020, the Mary- President land-bred shot to the top of Richard F. Blue Jr. the national leaderboard for Vice-president victories. The now 5-year-old 1 Kent Allen Murray was still there in mid-Decem- Secretary-treasurer ber, tied with three others as Cricket Goodall the calendar clicked down to Executive director its final days. Though the gelding had James Blackwell*, Ellen M. been claimed away from his Charles, Michael D. Golden DVM, Christy Holden, breeder more than a year ago, Michael Horning, TK Daniel Marconi couldn’t have Kuegler*, Louis Merryman, been prouder. The success Sabrina Moore, was another nod to the dream A. Leonard Pineau VMD, he’d developed as a child: to William Reightler, Thomas J. breed and own racehorses. Rooney, James B. Steele, David The 66-year-old grew up Wade, Theresa Wiseman in the Rockville area and de- *president appointed veloped a love of horses by DIRECTORS EMERITUS attending races all over the (served 18 years) country with his father Gale- J. William Boniface, rio John Marconi, an avid R. Thomas Bowman, King T. handicapper. Being there to Leatherbury, Donald P. Litz Jr., witness Dr. Fager, Buckpass- Ann Merryman, Michael Pons, er, Damascus and Secretariat Katharine M. Voss Daniel Marconi takes a moment with broodmare among other greats, coupled Congaree Princess, dam of eight-time winner Galerio. ADVISORY COUNCIL with his dad’s ambition to (past MHBA presidents) one day own a racehorse, fu- some horses that he was going owning a horse aside to earn J. William Boniface, eled Marconi’s passion for the to get us and we would fight a degree in accounting and William K. Boniface, Frank A. over the color and all that, business management lead- Bonsal, R. Thomas Bowman, sport and his love of horses. William G. Christmas, “There were five of us, I mean that’s how it got as ership from the University of Hal C.B. Clagett III, Kimball C. four brothers and one sister, kids.” Maryland, work his way up Firestone, King T. Leatherbury, and we all liked horses,” said But after spending his to the level of district manager J.W.Y. Martin Jr., Marconi. “[Dad] would drive teenage years taking riding for Giant Food, meet his wife Joseph P. Pons Jr., Michael us out to Gaithersburg, which lessons and mucking stalls at Star and start a family. Pons, Katharine M. Voss, was nothing but country back Wheaton Regional Park, Mar- Marconi and Star, along Robert B. White then, and he would point out coni pushed his dreams of with sons Daniel and Derek, relocated to their small farm she almost split both of us before going on to win an al- ting here watching it on TVG in Mt. Airy in 1992. up. She probably hadn’t been lowance and notching back- and damn if she doesn’t win “We kept on saying we girthed up in forever, and she to-back thirds in the Caesar’s by 2 lengths. It just broke our wanted a larger piece of land was a broodmare, but Brice Wish Stakes and Grade 2 hearts.” so we could keep a couple thought maybe she’d be a Black-Eyed Susan. Vee Vee “I know my neighbors horses, so we moved here, put good riding horse for me. Star made three more starts thought we were killing each up a barn, put up fencing and “He was always trying, before Ridgely retired her to other, I mean I screamed so bought ponies for the kids,” saying ‘You can have her for become a broodmare. loud,” added Star. said Marconi. “It was the best $1,000, you can start breeding Clever Rache and Vee Vee Starleena finished seventh Christmas we ever had, prob- some racehorses,’ but I didn’t Star produced their first foals in the Sorrento Stakes-G3 in ably because I always wanted bite onto it then.” in 2001, as Marconi’s mare her second start, ending her a pony when I was a kid and Ridgely kept Virginia-bred had a colt by Deposit Ticket 2-year-old year, and made just that never happened.” Sea Karma, an unraced and Ridgely’s mare foaled a three more starts for Hughes And then, as Marconi said, daughter of El Gran Capitan filly by Partner’s Hero. When before she was claimed away “along came Brice Ridgely.” (Arg) who had already pro- it came time to breed them for $50,000 by Naveed Chow- Ridgely and his wife Mary duced four foals, and bred her back, a new stallion caught han and trainer Bernie Flint. Anne, who lived behind the to Clever Champ. The mating Ridgely’s eye. Starleena finished fourth in Marconi family, quickly be- produced a filly, born May 5, “Brice kind of stumbled the 2005 Safely Kept Breeders’ came close friends as they 1995. over a freshman sire at Coun- Cup Stakes-G3 and second in bonded over their passion for A couple years later, with try Life Farm, standing for the 2005 Squan Song Stakes horses. And Ridgely, ever the Sea Karma’s 2-year-old filly $2,500 at the time, and that before retiring the following opportunist, continuously Clever Rache in the barn, Rid- horse was Malibu Moon,” year with a record of 5-1-0 tried his hand at pulling Mar- gely had found another horse said Marconi. “So we took from 17 career starts, earning coni into Thoroughbred own- to offer Marconi: a Mary- both of the mares to Malibu $132,474. She later changed ership. land-bred yearling filly by Moon.” hands six times in the Keene- “Brice was a deal maker,” Norquestor out of the Some- Vee Vee Star produced a land auction ring, the last to Marconi said. “His big thing thingfabulous mare Fabulous colt, Declan’s Moon, who sold Korean interests in 2012. was farming, but he was in Vee. as a yearling for $125,000 to Declan’s Moon moved cows, he was in horses, he Ridgely’s sales pitch, “You Jay Em Ess Stable at the 2003 right up to graded stakes com- was in everything, so he can have her, all you have to Fasig-Tipton Midlantic fall pany as he scored consecutive would buy a couple horses do is give me $1,500 and trail- sale. Ridgely tried to convince wins in the Del Mar Futuri- and try [to] make a deal and er her out.” Marconi to do the same with ty-G2, Hollywood Prevue-G3 one day he brought home two Marconi talked it over with Clever Rache’s Malibu Moon and Hollywood Futurity-G1 2 yearlings: One Sock and his wife. “Star, you want to do filly, named Starleena after the to win the Eclipse Award as Cookie.” that?” breeder’s wife, but Marconi champion 2-year-old male Ridgely called one day “No, we probably stayed the owner until Coun- of 2004. The gelding made 14 with a simple, “Hey, come up shouldn’t do that.” try Life made a private offer. more starts over the next four here and see what I’ve got.” Marconi would get “That’s still a sore spot. years, winning the 2005 San- Marconi arrived pretty “grounded,” but was “chomp- Up until that point, I didn’t ta Catalina-G2 and finishing quickly. ing at the bit” to get into rac- know how to sell a racehorse, third in the 2006 Vernon O. “He knew he had a fish on ing. I didn’t know what the heck Underwood-G3, before re- the line, so he reeled me right Clever Rache, trained by was going on, [but] Country tiring in 2008 with a record in,” Marconi said. “Best $1,000 John Tammaro III, won her Life wanted to buy her from of 6-2-2 from 18 starts and I ever spent when I bought second start at Pimlico in me, so I sold her,” said Mar- $705,647 in earnings. One Sock.” 1998, but ended her career coni. “But I wasn’t selling her By 2006, Malibu Moon had The Thoroughbred/Quar- three starts later. This time, to Country Life, not at all, I been moved to Kentucky and ter Horse, entirely chestnut Marconi jumped. was actually selling her to B. his stud fee was $20,000, but except for his one white sock, “I bought Clever Rache Wayne Hughes, the owner of Marconi managed to work out became Marconi’s hunter/ from Brice for $2,000,” he said. Spendthrift [Farm]. a deal and bred Clever Rache jumper and eventually his “She showed enough in two “What I learned from Brice back to him. That Decem- foxhunting partner as a mem- or three races that she looked early on, when he’s playing ber, she sold in foal to Malibu ber of the Howard County pretty good and I liked part baseball, [is that] the foul line Moon for $50,000 to Cindy Iron-Bridge Hounds. of her bloodlines – Icecapade in the first inning is different Tucker (agent for Maggie Ridgely sold Marconi a was in her bloodlines.” from the foul line in the ninth Bryant) as the second-highest couple more riding horses, Just before Clever Rache inning, it’s always moving.