BY SARAH WELK BAYNUM

Adam Parker, owner of the full-service T-Square Stud in Ocala Fla., was introduced to the Thoroughbred industry by happenstance.

“I moved to Gainesville from New York and attended the University of Florida with the intention of becoming a veterinarian. But three years into school, I met and worked with some equestrians at the University of Florida campus. And that’s when I got into horses,” Parker said.

After graduating college, Parker went to work for the original owners of T-Square Stud, Linda and Leverett Miller. 

“T-Square got its name because Mr. Miller is an architect. He even designed the FTBOA building, the Polo Museum and the [National] Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame,” Parker said. “I started out at T-Square night-watching broodmares from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.—and I thought it was the best job in the world. I had so much fun learning how to foal mares. When foaling season was over, I continued working there at the training barn, working under the farm manager there at the time.

“I was so lucky to start out working for the people that I worked for. We had great clients like Jerry Shields, who at one point had five Grade 1 winners all running at the same time. We also [have Tampa Bay Downs president] Stella Thayer, who is still a client of mine; and Wheelock Whitney, who [is the] former owner of the Minnesota Vikings. We sent horses to Allen Jerkens, Frank Alexander and Bob Connors. It was the perfect place to come into the racing business.”

But one day, the Millers told Parker they had decided to retire and that changed everything. 

“I thought, what am I going to do now? But Mr. Miller said he thought I should take over T-Square Stud—and I did. Eventually, we moved to a 40-acre farm by the World Equestrian Center, where we still are currently. We wanted to be closer to Nelson Jones Training Center where I keep a barn. Today, we raise foals, weanlings, yearlings and do breaking and training. My motto is we go the extra mile-and-a-sixteenth. So, we do everything from foaling to breaking them from the gate,” Parker said. 

Over the course of his career, Parker has been involved with four millionaires and 50 stakes horses, among other successful Thoroughbreds.

“Mr. Miller told me once we were going to put together a syndicate and go to Keeneland and spend a million dollars a year to see if we can’t get a classic winner. The syndicate was Mr. Shields, Mrs. Thayer and Martha Gary. We bought horses for three years and got several Grade 1 winners, but never made it to a classic. However, one of those fillies named Elective who we bought at Keenland, got EPM [Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis] at the racetrack. Mr. Miller asked me if I wanted her. This filly had an impressive pedigree, so we bred her and she turned out to be our best broodmare.” says Parker.

Elective later produced a horse that has recently proven to be special for Parker. 

“I sent a 2-year-old out of her to Maryland for the [2023 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two Year Old Sale] and he had the fastest work of the day. He galloped out faster than anything else and he was looking magnificent. However, the horse surprisingly didn’t sell. But I had high hopes for the horse, so I kept him and named him And UWish. He went to Gulfstream and when this horse broke his maiden, he was [three-fifths of a second] off the track record for five furlongs during his racing debut. Unfortunately, he hurt himself and ended up finishing fourth when we went to Tampa. So he is just now ready to go back to the races. But he’s the kind of horse that come around once and awhile.”

 

Parker said one of the secrets to his success is his passion for the Thoroughbreds. 

“I’m still doing it because I still love horses,” he said. “We teach our horses in a kind way to do the right thing in a way that they understand it’s the right thing to do. For example, when they put tack on a horse that I [train early], the horse stands still and he’s quiet not because he’s afraid to move, but because he knows right now, he’s supposed to be quiet. When I get him to go fast once, and I know a horse is fast, I’ll two-minute him three-quarters of a mile before I work him three eighths in thirty-sevens—it’s just a different outlook.”

“It’s really about the family of horses and the farm. My grooms, my riders—you take one of those things out and it all falls apart. It’s really such a true team effort to get our horses from the womb to the starting gate. We really do all of that. And I was just lucky enough to come up in the business with the right people that taught me how to do every one of those things the right way,” Parker said.

Return to the January 29 issue of Wire to Wire