Board of Directors
Our board of directors is a group of highly dedicated individuals bringing a diverse set of skills and experiences to the table. We oversee the strategic direction of FTBOA, working closely with our staff to make decisions that will grow the industry. We are committed to transparency, accountability, and open communication, and we welcome the opportunity to work with our members and stakeholders to achieve our mission.
Bio
George Isaacs grew up with livestock on his grandparents’ Kentucky farms and started as a groom at Stanley Petter’s Hurricane Hall. In 1981, Isaacs worked for the late Joe Taylor at John Gaines’ Gainesway Farm as a stallion groom, assistant stallion manager and yearling manager.
“I have always loved being outside and when I first started working with horses, I immediately knew it was my calling,” Isaacs said. “Stanley Petter and Joe Taylor were both key Mentors in my development as a skilled horsemen and believed enough in me to give me the opportunity.”
In 1989, Isaacs became stallion manager at Arthur Appleton’s Bridlewood Farm in Ocala. In 1992, he was general manager for Allen Paulson’s Brookside South Farm. In 1996, Isaacs returned to Bridlewood as general manager, overseeing the farm’s operation ever since.
“I moved to Ocala to Bridlewood because the late Richard Hancock of the FTBOA called me and told me about the opportunity,” Isaacs said. “I decided to give it a shot and the rest of the story has been one chapter after another of working for the Appleton’s, Allen Paulson and now the Malone’s, with so many champion horses, wonderful people and experiences.”
During that time, more than 100 Florida-bred stakes winners and 12 Grade 1 winners have been bred by the farm, including Florida champions Jolie’s Halo, Wild Event, Forbidden Apple, Southern Image, David Junior and Eden’s Moon.
Isaacs helped manage the career of Kentucky Derby and Preakness-winner Smarty Jones for the Chapmans. Leading Florida stallions Skip Trial, Stormy Atlantic, Halo’s Image and Put It Back have all stood at Bridlewood.
Isaacs plans to continue to produce Florida-bred winners with new farm ownership.
“The Malone’s purchased Bridlewood in the fall of 2013 and it truly feels like it was yesterday,” Isaacs said. “Our goal for Bridlewood was simple. Have fun, try to raise good horses, be good to our people and take good care of the land. From my perspective, with that philosophy for stewardship, it is easy to see why the Malone’s are the number one private land owners in the United States.
Starting in 2013, with zero horses we have tried to develop a winning program for ourselves and our clients. Our training program, under the guidance of farm trainer Meda Murphy, has broke and trained Grade 1 winners and champions, Moonshine Memories, Tapwrit, Gun Runner, Catholic Boy, Maxfield, Proxy,
Matareya, Newspaperofrecord (Ire), Pretty Mischievous, Cody’s Wish and others.
“The industry has been very good to me. I would like to give back to Florida by having a small part in ensuring the next generation’s future legacy,” Isaacs said. “I enjoy getting up everyday and trying to make the farm a little better for it. In 2023, I was elected by my peers to be the President of the FTBOA. This experience has been challenging but very rewarding in so many ways. Led by CEO Lonny Powell, Lobbyist Matt Bryan and Jon Rees, a very talented dedicated staff, and dynamic board, we collectively are helping shape the vibrancy of the Florida breeding and racing industry through legislative efforts and good leadership decisions. This will go a long way in insuring a healthy industry for the future.”
Bio
FTBOA
CEO Lonny Powell was raised in a thoroughbred- and quarter horse-racing family, his father having been a jockey for more than 25 years.
Powell has literally spent every day of his life somehow connected to the horse and/or pari-mutuel industries. He may stand alone as the only person in the industry’s history to have served as a chief or senior executive of racetracks; a racing regulator, an industry academic, an account-wagering provider, a corporate track owner and as head of a breeders’ and owners’ association.
He has worked as a jockey valet, assistant starter and track maintenance worker at small tracks in Idaho and Arizona. He completed his collegiate studies at the University of Arizona, where he returned to serve as Director of its vaunted Race Track Industry degree program there.
Known as an enthusiastic advocate, communicator and student of the sport, much of Powell’s career has been spent as president, CEO or COO over the operations of numerous successful racetracks (in locales as diverse as Longacres near Seattle, Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Multnomah near Portland, Ore., and Santa Anita Park in Southern California) while leading them to various all-time wagering and attendance records.
As Executive Vice President of Racing Operation, the first corporate officer hired for what was then-emerging Magna Entertainment Corp., Powell oversaw the presidents, facilities and budgets at all Magna tracks which, at the time, included Gulfstream Park in Florida; Santa Anita, Golden Gate Fields and Bay Meadows in California, Remington Park in Oklahoma and Thistledown in Ohio.
Much of Powell’s work has been on the regulatory and legislative front, including stints as CEO and President of the Lexington, Ky.-based Racing Commissioners International; cabinet member and Director of Racing, Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts for Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, and Government and Regulatory Affairs Senior Advisor for the NTRA.
Additionally, he was recruited to serve as a top executive for the publicly held corporation Youbet.com, the nation’s leading advanced-deposit wagering platform. While there he was also named Chief Compliance Officer and Chair of Policy and Internal Review.
He also has served as a registered lobbyist in California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Florida and has received a racing and/or gaming license in many U.S. jurisdictions.
As the proprietor of his own successful management and consulting company (Lonny Powell Strategy & Solutions of Lexington, Ky.) Powell has had the opportunity to advise a wide variety of CEOs in the racing, gaming, agriculture and business management spaces. His past clients include the NTRA, Multi-Media Games, Am West Entertainment and Bethlehem Farm.
Also a pleasure- and show-horse owner, he has been widely recognized by industry groups for his service to people, animals and industry. Such recognition includes the RCI William H. May Award, the University of Arizona John K. Goodman Outstanding Alumni Award, the UA-RTIP Distinguished Service Award, the University of Arizona President’s Club Award, the Arizona Racing Commission Award of Service and the AQHA Winners Circle Award.
He has also been recognized for his work with numerous charities and organizations, such as founding president of the Blue Grass Farms Chaplaincy, founding member of the UA RTIP Advisory Council, Vice Chair of the AQHA Racing Council, NTRA Director, TRA Director, RCI Director, Arizona 4-H State Board of Trustees Treasurer and National Secretary for the Race Track Chaplaincy of America.
Since coming to Florida, Powell has been appointed by Florida Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services Commissioner Adam Putnam to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of the Florida Horse Park, as well as the Equine Representative for the Florida Animal Industry Technical Council, and as Equine Technical Advisor for the Florida Farm Bureau.
He was recently elected by the state-wide association of CEOs to serve as Director of the Florida Society of Association Executives, in which he is the only elected representative of Marion County and the only representative of the equine, pari-mutuel and gaming industries.
He was also elected as the only equine industry representative for the Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership.
Bio
Immediate past president of FTBOA, Russell was born and raised in South Florida. He and his wife, Karen, visited the area and were impressed with the area’s beauty, the slower-paced lifestyle, and the beautifully manicured horse farms. In 1987 they purchased 158 acres on Hwy. 225A and established Rustlewood Farm.
Their initial purchase of four yearling fillies from neighbor Elmer Heubeck yielded Rustlewood’s first stakes winner. All Considered won the I Guarantee Stakes at Gulfstream Park and produced a number of winners for the Russells, including Consider the source, winner of the 2005 Florida Stallion Stakes My Dear Girl.
In addition to these black type winners, Rustlewood has also bred, raised and/or raced stakes horses All Milady, All in the Book, Blue Pepsi Lodge, Inside Affair, as well as multiple Grade 1 winner Chaposa Springs, Grade 1 winner You and I, Group 2 winner Distinctly North, Grade 2 stakes winner Mach Ride, Grade 3 stakes winner Prudhoe Bay and multiple graded stakes-placed Pat N Jack. He bred multiple graded stakes winner El Kabeir, with career earnings of $946,557.
Russell is the founder and current President of Russell Engineering, Inc. He is a past Chairman of the Board of the Florida Transportation Builders’ Association. He currently serves on Ocala Thoroughbred Racing Association’s Board.
Russell has been instrumental in FTBOA’s legislative role, governance, and racing program development, is past chair of the charity/social committee, and a strong advocate of Florida Thoroughbred Charities.
Bio
Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck, along with their sons Arthur and Andrew, base their Summerfield Sales Agency in Williston, Florida. Summerfield is located on 80 acres where the Vanlangendoncks offer boarding, sales prep, bloodstock consulting, pedigree analysis, mating recommendations, evaluations, appraisals, sales recommendations and pinhooking partnerships.
Francis and his team annually attend all major yearling and mixed auctions, conducted at Ocala Breeders’ Sales, Fasig-Tipton and Keeneland in Florida, Kentucky and New York. They are habitually among the leading consignors in North America with nearly $12.6 million in sales in 2018 and among leading overall consignors with more than $15.1 million in sales.
Among the sales highlights of 2018 was a colt by Curlin that commanded a final bid of $1.8 million at the Keeneland September Sale and a colt by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah who dropped the gavel at $1 million at the Saratoga Select Sale.
Plenty of Summerfield’s graduates go on to show talent. Summerfield’s current progenies include Gamine, a multiple Grade 1 winning filly by Into Mischief who broke the stakes record in the G1 Acorn at Belmont and dominated the G1 Test tying the stakes record at Saratoga. Speech, a GSW filly by Mr. Speaker and a Florida-bred broke the stakes record in the G1 Central Bank Ashland at Keeneland. Uncle Chuck, a colt by Uncle Mo won the G3 Los Alamitos Derby in his second start for Bob Baffert.
Some of the more outstanding horses sold by Summerfield include Shang Shang Shang, a G2 Norfolk Stakes winner at Royal Ascot; successful pinhook, Champagne Room, G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and 2 year old Eclipse Champion; MGSW and new sire Upstart, earner of $1.7 million; Xtra Heat, Eclipse Champion winner and Hall of Fame inductee and MG1W of $2,390,000; and MGSW sire Lion Heart who earned $1.3 million.
Successful homebreds for the Vanlangendoncks include Multiple Stakes Winner and Graded Stakes Placed Yorkiepoo Princess with earnings of $551,177, current Graded Stakes Placed winner Proven Strategies with $144,943 and Multiple Stakes Winner and Graded Stakes Placed Cor Cor with $189,247.
He currently serves on the FTBOA board.
Bio
Joseph M. O’Farrell, III is a native of Ocala, Florida. His passion for thoroughbreds comes from growing up on the family farm, Ocala Stud. In his early years, O’Farrell worked on the farm mowing fields and feeding and caring for the farm’s yearlings. A member of the Boy Scouts of America, he earned his Eagle Scout award in 1994. After high school in Ocala, he went off to Erskine College in Due West, South Carolina where he was a student athlete on the tennis team. In 1999, O’Farrell graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with emphasis in Accounting. After college, he went to work for The South Financial Group and Carolina First Bank in Anderson, South Carolina.
In 2004, he moved back to Ocala and became a manager at Ocala Stud, handling the financial side of the farm. In late 2004, O’Farrell purchased the broodmare Lady Discreet along with his brother David and Ocala Stud as partners. In 2009, Lady Discreet became the producer of Calder Oaks winner Chary, by Montbrook.
Ocala Stud has been a perennial leading Florida commercial breeder and has either soley or in partnership bred more than 100 stakes winners, including Eclipse Award winning Musical Romance, and current graded stakes winners Turbulent Descent, Tackleberry, Rigoletta, Gourmet Dinner, and Shadowbdancing. Ocala Stud currently stands popular stallions High Cotton, Montbrook, In Summation, Gottcha Gold, Adios Charlie, and Silver Tree.
Joseph married Alicia W. O’Farrell in 2007. Their son Joseph “Michael” O’Farrell, IV was born in 2008.
Bio
Nick grew up in England, showing ponies as a youngster and graduating to three-day eventing and point to pointing when he turned sixteen. After graduating from Bradfield College, he worked as a journalist in London for the Field Magazine, before studying Rural Estate Management at Cirencester Agricultural College in Gloucestershire. After this he did stints with English trainers R. C. Sturdy, Brian Swift and Roger Stack before moving to Australia and working for the legendary trainer Tommy Smith. Later he became interested by North American racing and sales, and in the early 1980s worked for Clay Camp, Lee Eaton and Fred Seitz before settling in Ocala by way of Louisiana, where he met his future wife, Jaqui.
He and Jaqui rode for a number of farms in the Ocala area before marrying in 1983. Nick and Jaqui had their first two-year-old consignment that year and the fledgling business quickly grew into a major two-year-old training operation. Their graduates include You and I, Chaposa Springs, Smokin’ Frolic, Wallenda, Forty One Carats, Ask The Moon, Capo Bastone, Currency Swap, Materiality, Annals of Time, War Story, Practical Joke, and Separationofpowers. Nick has also served on the board of OBS since 2001.
In 1992 they bought Eclipse Training Center adjacent to their Manuden Farm, now an accredited facility totaling 240 acres. Both their kids, Ali, now a member of the Rice clan, and Tris, who with his wife Valery, have become crucial partners in the operation, have children of their own and are full time trainers in their own right.
Bio
Valerie Dailey has a long history serving both the agriculture and business markets in central Florida. She has a B.S. in Food and Resource Economics and a Masters in Agricultural Operations Management, both from UF. She led the UF/IFAS College of Agriculture computer teaching labs and was the IT Director for the UF/Health Science Center Vice President’s Office. She also has been the Business Development Director for the Ocala/Marion County Economic Development Council.
Valerie has been a Florida Licensed Realtor with Showcase Properties of Central Florida since 2005, where she specializes in listing and selling commercial and agricultural equine properties. She is the incoming president of the Ocala/Marion County Realtor Association. She is also on the board of the College of Agricultural, Life Sciences Alumni Board and the State of Florida 4-H Foundation Board. Valerie utilizes her agricultural background and leadership positions to protect the property rights of breeders in Ocala.
Valerie has been a small breeder since 1985 with multiple stakes winners including a Breeder’s Cup qualifier. Together with husband Hugh and daughter Samantha, she operates a successful thoroughbred breeding farm. Valerie is a member of the Ocala/Marion County CEP, and has belonged to the FTBOA for 13 years.
Bio
Brei established the Ocala-based Jacks or Better Farm in 1997 with his wife Jane. Brei bought his first broodmare in 1972 and was actively involved in the Illinois breeding and racing industries before moving to Marion County. A native of the Chicago area, Brei was a builder and real estate developer for 30 years. He also served as chief executive officer of Canterbury Corporation, a long-term retirement facility located in Crystal Lake, Illinois.
The Breis primarily breed to race on the 88-acre Jacks or Better Farm and enjoyed quick success. Jacks or Better Farm’s Midas Eyes, named the Florida-bred champion sprinter of 2004, marked the first Florida-bred champion for the Breis and many more have followed. In 2001 and 2004, the Breis received the FTBOA Needles Award as the outstanding small breeding operation.
In addition to Midas Eyes, the farm has been represented by Florida-bred multiple graded stakes winners Jackson Bend, Fort Loudon, and 2010 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly and Eclipse Award winning champion Awesome Feather. Additional stakes winners include Awesome Banner, Bayou’s Lassie, C. Zee, Dogwood Trail, Radical Riley and Shivaree. His racing program is strongly supported by horses he runs in the Florida Sire Stakes series including winners Ballet Diva, Best Plan Yet, Fellowship, Garter and Tie, Redbud Road, Sing Praises and Twotwentyfive A. Three of his horses have swept the series including Awesome Feather, Fort Loudon and Jackson Bend. The Breis own Florida-bred stallion Awesome of Course. Jacks or Better was the leading owner in 2014.
Brei currently serves on the FTBOA board as a past president and was most recently on the executive committee as treasurer.
Bio
An entrepreneur in various industries, Paul Bulmahn grew up with a love of horses. He opened GoldMark Farm, a 2,600 acre commercial thoroughbred training center with a three-quarter mile track, barns designed to stay cool, an equine saltwater spa, and Equivibe vibration plates in Ocala in 2006. His homebred, Soutache, won two legs of the 2017 Florida Sire Stakes and top graduates of breaking, training, and rehabilitation include Cross Traffic, Mylute, Shackleford, Dullahan, Karlovy Vary, Pluck, Gypsey’s Warning, Mr. Sidney, Backtalk, Elusive Lady, Timber Reserve, It’s Tea Time, Silver Max, and Private Zone.
At GoldMark Farm, Bulmahn created a Triple Crown Museum with memorabilia from each of the 13 winners. He pioneered the invention of a biomass reactor to turn horse manure into energy and is working to make the process useful for large and small horse farms alike. He supports many equine causes and community events, including hosting the Ocala Symphony at the farm and a Florida Horse Park fundraiser featuring Kate Chenery Tweedy. He has also contributed a positive industry voice to television interviews and is producing a documentary movie about the living Triple Crown jockeys.
He presently serves on the Texas State University Board of Directors of the College of Business Foundation and also on the Skywave Network LLC board. Paul earned a J.D. from University of Texas School of Law; and an M.B.A. from the Graduate School of Business, Texas State University, which in 2000 named him a Distinguished Alumnus.
Bio
Veteran banker and longtime thoroughbred owner/breeder, Jerry is the chair/CEO of the bank holding company, New South Bancorp, Inc. in Tampa and was founder/has served as COB of HomeBancorp, Inc., and COB at Republic Bancorp since 1986.
Campbell taught finance, banking and investment courses at Wayne State University. He has a B.S. degree in liberal arts from Central Michigan University, a M.B.A. degree from Wayne State University and The University of Michigan where he later served 10 years on the Dean’s visiting committee for the business school. Campbell has served on the Board of Trustees for Central Michigan University. Campbell was Michigan Entrepreneur of the Year in 1993. Campbell previously served as a director, president/CEO of Magna Entertainment, Inc.
Campbell has been breeding and racing thoroughbred horses for more than 55 years. He currently owns 25 thoroughbreds, including race horses, mares and foals. All of the breeding is in Florida. His trainer is Kathleen O’Connell.
Among the horses raced by Jerry are stakes winners Crash Pad, Diamond Gate, Mont Ridge, Post It, Proud Ridge, Sea Legs, Terko Bates, Axe of Courage, I Match Too, This Cats on Fire, Wave Pool, Charlies Fire, and Valley Loot. The latter, a daughter of Demaloot Demashoot, was named Michigan’s Horse of the Year and top 3-year-old filly in 2007.
He roughly has two dozen racehorses at Tampa Bay Downs and launched Team Equest, a Florida-based syndicate initiative designed to attract new owners to racing via a fractional ownership plan in 2014. He races under Volar Corporation and owned Florida-bred Indy Lyon, a winner on Florida Cup Day at Tampa last year.
Bio
Beckie Cantrell graduated from the University of Florida in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education and she went on to teach school for two years.
She then joined Hugh Dailey at Sun Bank as an agriculture lender trainee. After several years of training and continuing education, Beckie started her own loan portfolio specializing in agriculture and Thoroughbred farm loans, as well as equine lines of credit.
She worked at Sun Bank/SunTrust Bank for four years, then rejoining Dailey at Community Bank and Trust from 1999 to 2006 as she continued her banking career at Gateway Bank until 2011.
Cantrell retired from banking to concentrate on her Thoroughbred breeding farm and raise her daughter Reece with her husband Kent Cantrell. Kent is an equine veterinarian and a partner in Ocala Equine Hospital.
Since 1998, the couple has pinhooked weanlings to yearlings and bred a few mares each year. All of their foals are registered Florida-breds and Cantrell is hands-on as the caregiver for each foal. She plans each breeding and foals out the mares.
The couple started in the Thoroughbred industry being partners with two good friends, Beth Bayer and Brett Brinkman, and throughout the years have continued a close relationship with Beth Bayer who occasionally partners with them on horses.
Recently, Cantrell became a licensed realtor with Showcase Properties of Central Florida. Cantrell is an active board member of many youth organizations including the Southeastern Youth Fair and she serves as the president of the Marion County 4-H Foundation.
Top horses the Cantrells have bred include Lindsey’s Wish, Wildcat Wish, Evolution Rocks and Violent Turbulence.
Bio
Marilyn, along with her late husband Gil, established the 600-acre Williston–based Stonehedge Farm South in 1988. Since then, the farm has been a perennial industry leader. Consistently in the top three producers for more than two decades, the three-time Florida Breeder of the Year led all Florida breeders by earnings in 2023 with $3,338,867 under her Stonehedge LLC banner. Stonehedge LLC ranked third on the leading owner list in 2023 with $853,886 in earnings with 141 starters, 17 wins, 14 seconds and 13 thirds. The farm tied for second in number of stakes wins by Florida breeders with two.
In 2020, the farm had a banner year with $1,789,857 in earnings, ranking 25th nationally.
Grade 2 winner Ivanavinalot, dam of Songbird, is among the farm’s top Florida-bred stakes winners. Black-type stakes winner Well Defined and Always Sunshine, a dual stakes winner were added to their list of stakes winners along with millionaires Marlin and Blazing Sword among many others. The farm has have approximately 200 head of horses on the property, including Florida stallion Cajun Breeze, a son of Congrats.
Marilyn and Gil first became involved in the sport in 1982 as co-owners of the Florida-bred stakes winner Shananie. The horse was the first stallion to stand at Stonehedge. She currently stands several leading Florida stallions as part of syndicates.
For decades, Marilyn has been supportive of Florida-breds and the Florida program. Her late husband is a former FTBOA director and Marilyn continues that passion for improving Florida racing and by supporting programs like the Florida Sire Stakes in which they have been perennial leaders. Stonehedge has also been a significant sponsor of many Florida Thoroughbred Charities events.
Bio
Involved in the Florida Thoroughbred industry for more than 45 years, Brent Fernung and his wife Crystal own and operate Journeyman Stud, which is home to Florida’s leading sire Khozan.
Fernung’s career began at Lasater Farm during its heyday in the late 1970’s through 1984. Fernung also served as Franks Farm/Southland Division farm manager and Cloverleaf Farm General Manager. In 1989, the Fernungs established Journeyman Bloodstock Services. Fernung purchased Eileen’s Moment (dam of Lil E. Tee) just months before he won the 1992 Kentucky Derby.
As agent for Cloverleaf Farms II, Fernung purchased I’ll Get Along for $130,000 at Keeneland in 2001. Her weanling that year would become 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness-winner Smarty Jones. In 2004, Fernung, as agent, sold I’ll Get Along for $5 million, the highest priced broodmare at public auction that year. In 2006, Fernung, as agent, purchased Congrats as a stallion prospect for Cloverleaf Farms. Congrats went on to be the leading first crop sire in North America in 2010. Fernung also stood Wildcat Heir at Journeyman through his many years as Florida’s leading sire.
Fernung is a past president of FTBOA, having served the maximum of three years in that position. He was also named the 2004 Florida Farm Manager of the Year.
Bio
Laurine has devoted her entire life to thoroughbreds and the racing industry. She’s a third generation horsemen, and as a child, spent every moment possible in the barn or at the racetrack. She learned everything from picking feet, walking hots and rolling bandages to rehabbing injured horses and galloping racehorses. At age 12, Laurine became Massachusetts’ youngest licensed owner and in 2008 her dreams came true when she saddled Ask Queenie, the richest Massachusetts-Bred in racehorse history, to her first win as a licensed trainer. From that point on there was no looking back… she knew she would never go a day without horses in her life.
Laurine moved to her family farm in Florida in 2006. Her duties included all aspects of the industry including breaking/training babies, sales prep, breeding mares, foaling, race training and racing horses year round in Florida to aftercare of retired racehorses.
Today, after many years of devotion and leadership, her grandfather’s legacy, the 65 acre Cedar Lock Farm is still a successful and thriving farm home to over 25 thoroughbreds. It is also home to the local beloved Run for the Ribbons. In 2014, she founded Run for the Ribbons Inc., a 501c3 program dedicated to improving the lives of OTTBs after their racing careers.
Laurine truly cares about the horses and the integrity of the industry and feels she has a lot to offer the FTBOA & its members. She lives in Morriston with her husband Jorge and their three children.
Bio
Founded in 2016, Breeze Easy has rapidly established itself in thoroughbred racing, breeding and sales and has campaigned graded stakes winners on both sides of the Atlantic and presented top quality offerings at leading weanling and broodmare sales. In just a few years, Breeze Easy horses have visited the winner’s circle at both Royal Ascot and the Breeders’ Cup. Hall maintains an elite band of around 25 mares, among them Shoppers Return – the dam of Imprimis – champions Academic and Paquita Coqueta, grade 1 winner Belle Gallantey, and graded stakes winners Call Pat, Lady Sabelia, Miss Sunset, Selcourt, and Yahilwa, among others at two farms – one in Ocala.
Mike has been involved with horses his entire life. He grew up on a family farm in West Virginia where his love for horses began. Later, Mike became involved in team roping, a passion that led to becoming a co-owner of Classic Rope Company, and subsequently the formation of Equibrand, a group of companies that continue to play a vital role as a supplier to the equine industry. Mike is a successful entrepreneur, owning multiple other businesses, with a primary focus in the oil and gas industry.
He bought his first thoroughbred at Ocala Breeders’ Sales in 2016 and has purchased Florida-breds out of the Ocala Breeders Sales. He also owned Florida-bred Ascot winner Shang Shang Shang. He stands Curlin’s Honor at Pleasant Acres Stallions.
Bio
Mary is a licensed trainer from a well-regarded, longstanding thoroughbred family based in Williston. The Lightner family owns and operates their broodmare farm in Williston and they break and train 20-30 yearlings each year at Oakridge Training Center in Morriston.
Mary, and her father Mike, are active participants at the sales, and have purchased a couple of standouts in the past few years, including eventual Grade 3 winner Island Commish and multiple graded stakes winner Kathleen O. Their burgeoning broodmare division at Oak Glen Farm in Williston focuses on Florida-breds.
Mary established Shooting Star Thoroughbreds with the awareness that there is a growing interest and passion for thoroughbred ownership. The syndicate, focusing on Florida bred/Florida sires, has brought well over 100 new owners to the business. Shooting Star affords the access and opportunity of ownership at a reasonable price point and engages individuals with a curious interest to make their dream become a reality.
Experiencing the thrill and excitement of ownership and the ability to share those moments within a racing community and other like-minded members is the cornerstone of Mary’s vision for Shooting Star Thoroughbreds.
Formed in 2019, the syndicate had a 92% in-the-money strike rate in their first 12 starts, partly due to Florida-bred and Florida 2 Year Old Champion Chance It, a dual winner in the Florida Sire Stakes. They now stand Chance It at Journeyman Stallions in Ocala. She has been a speaker at a Tampa TOBA seminar and to an FTBOA bus trip group at Gulfstream sharing her expertise in the industry.
Bio
A retired Pennsylvania steel executive, Kosanovich got involved with thoroughbreds more than 30 years ago purchasing his first broodmare as a graduate school business project. Kosanovich owns a 40-acre farm in Ocala and eight mares. A highlight came in 2009 when broodmare, Go Donna Go produced Grade 1 performers, Macho Again, winner of more than $1.8 million, and Be Fair.
That year, his Florida-breds won more than $1.6 million, comprised of 16 starters with 18 wins, 27 seconds and 21 thirds (four stakes winners). His success led him to be honored with the FTBOA Needles Award, bestowed annually to outstanding small breeding operations. Macho Again won the Jim Dandy (G2) and New Orleans (G2) and placed in the Whitney (G1) and Woodward (G1). The daughter of former Florida stallion Exchange Rate, Be Fair won the Lake George (G3). His 2009 stakes winners included Pray for Action and Izzy Rules.
His other stakes winners include Kays and Jays, a 3-year-old filly by Macho Uno, Darley OBS Sprint winner Praying for Cash, and Its True Love.
Kosanovich has experience serving on nearly a dozen corporate and charity boards and previously served on the FTBOA board along with the governance and audit committees. He holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.
Thank you
to our dedicated staff
They bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to their roles, and they are passionate about supporting the equine industry and the sport of horse racing in Florida. Their tireless efforts and commitment to excellence at FTBOA have contributed to the success of our organization, and we are grateful for everything they do.
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