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Everything’s rosy
Youngstown businessman Bruce Zoldan enjoys involvement with Kentucky Derby-caliber horses
By Tom Williams
YOUNGSTOWN
With Summer Soiree running in today’s Kentucky Oaks and Animal Kingdom in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, Youngstown businessman Bruce Zoldan has cultivated quite a hobby.
About 15 years ago, Zoldan, the chief executive officer of B.J. Alan Company, joined a horse racing ownership syndicate called Team Valor International. The owner, Barry Irwin, finds between six-to-10 partners for each of Team Valor’s strongest horses. The goal is to produce a championship-caliber race horse.
“I was in [Team Valor] for 10 years and I always said, ‘Barry, do you ever think we’ll have a horse in the Derby?’” Zoldan said.
“He responded, ‘Stick with me, you’ll have a horse in the Derby.’”
Irwin was right. In 2008, Visionaire competed in the Kentucky Derby, finishing 12th. Lightning struck again for Team Valor in March when Animal Kingdom won the Spiral Stakes to qualify for this year’s Run for the Roses.
“My dream as being an owner of a horse or being in a partnership, as every other horseman has, is to be in the Kentucky Derby and obviously to win it,” Zoldan said. “What I thought was a once in a lifetime experience when Visionaire was in it ... To be in it [again] is unbelievable, sensational.”
Zoldan says his participation with Team Valor is about money, but within reason.
“It’s just a very, very rewarding hobby as long as you know that it’s a hobby and you’re not in it for gambling reasons or with expectations that you are going to make a lot of money,” Zoldan said.
“Certainly if you win a Derby or a miracle would happen and you win a Triple Crown, then of course, you can always look back and say it was a great monetary move,” Zoldan said. “I’ve had plenty [of] horses where we’ve made a nice profit, I’ve had other horses where we didn’t.”
Zoldan said Irwin has estimated the cost of producing Animal Kingdom as approximately $100,000.
“That’s based on breeding, raising and all the other things from getting the horse from foal to fully grown,” Zoldan said.
Winning the Stakes race and qualifying for the Derby has increased Animal Kingdom’s value to $2.5 million.
The value will grow for horses that finish in the top three.
“That’s the reason we’re in it,” Zoldan said. “The people in our business are not the addicted gamblers. We’re there for the breeding rights, we’re there for the enjoyment of the sport.”
On Wednesday, Animal Kingdom drew the 16th position for Saturday’s race. Oddsmakers list the horse at 30-to-1.
Zoldan also is a partner in Team Valor’s Summer Soiree, the filly who will race in today’s Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.
Team Valor purchased Summer Soiree after she won a race on the same day Animal Kingdom qualified for the Derby.
“[Irwin] saw her and was very impressed,” Zoldan said. “We made an offer and they accepted.
“She’s training very well and is ranked in the middle but somewhere in the Top 10. She is a very, very talented horse ... our trainer [Graham Motion] and our manager like what they are seeing of her.
“Our group has not seen a filly work out, I should say a horse period, so well since we had Cashier’s Dream about five or six years ago,” Zoldan said. “This horse is maybe the fastest filly our group has ever had and we’ve had a lot of horses.
“[Irwin] feels she’s the best quality horse we’ve ever had, capable of winning the Kentucky Oaks.”
Zoldan said Summer Soiree would have been interesting to watch if Team Valor had decided to qualify her for the Derby.
“She probably would have done great, but he’ll never run a filly in the Derby,” said Zoldan of Irwin.
As for the Kentucky Derby, Zoldan said he’s only missed one in the past 25 years.
“Being in the Derby is a dream ... knowing that you have a one in 20 chance of winning,” Zoldan said. “Most of the Derbys I’ve gone to, the favorites have not won. It’s always been a horse that’s been 8-to-1 to 20-to-1 that has come in and won.”
One reason is because there are so many horses entered.
“A Derby race is unlike any other race, much different than the Preakness, much different from the Belmont, much different than any Breeder’s Cup,” Zoldan said. “In those races, you usually see anywhere from eight to 12 horses. In the Derby, it’s 20 horses, it’s a stampede. So the position means a lot.”
Zoldan won’t be surprised if Animal Kingdom doesn’t break out in front.
“It seems our style of horses are always come from the back to the front,” Zoldan said. “Visionaire finished right in the middle of the pack but he was driving at the end. Visionaire passed seven horses to finish 12th.
“I suspect that Animal Kingdom will have a good run at the end. The question is will he have the power and the drive to pass 19 horses,” Zoldan said with a laugh.
Zoldan suggests his friends should bet wisely.
“Don’t bet a lot on it because I’d rather you be mad that you didn’t bet enough than mad that you bet too much and he didn’t come in,” Zoldan said.
“Enjoy the race, have fun but make sure you are not upset if he finishes 20th out of 20 horses, which is a more probable than finishing first.”