BY CYNTHIA MCFARLAND

Standing in the winner’s circle of a Grade 1 race wasn’t something Susan Chu dreamed of as a child.

Growing up in Taiwan, she never rode as a girl and certainly wasn’t thinking about breeding and racing Thoroughbreds.

That she has become an owner and breeder of multiple graded stakes winners in the 21st century might seem like a fairy tale. But if you ask Susan, it’s more about putting in the effort and seeing her prayers answered.

GET STARTED

Susan Chen and Charles Chu married in 1991 in their home country of Taiwan. Charles is a mechanical engineer who soon started his own business. 

The Chus decided the best way to promote their business to the North American market was to have a presence in the United States so in 2000, Susan moved to the East Coast. The couple’s three children—Vicky, Leo and Jerry—are all U.S. citizens.

Although Chu’s interest in horses was sparked in Taiwan, it wasn’t until she was living in Massachusetts and her young children started riding that she followed her heart and joined them.

“I encouraged my children to ride and enjoyed watching them, so when they were taking lessons, I started riding with them,” Chu said. “We all took lessons together, first learning hunter and equitation and then moving on to show jumping.”

From the age of four, their youngest son Jerry was serious about riding; it wasn’t a passing phase. Jerry Chu became a professional rider who competes on the show jumping circuit. He lives in Massachusetts but spends show season at Wellington in South Florida from December through April.  

Chu did more than just support her children’s passion and enjoy her own riding. She is a member of the United States Equestrian Team Foundation and the United States Hunter Jumper Association.

In 2012, she created Tanma Corporation and as president, Chu has partnered with international riders and trainers at the highest levels of the sport, such as Olympians Kent Farrington, Eric Lamaze and Yann Candele.

She relishes the mission of finding and developing top horses. Tanma partnered in First Choice 15, a horse who made the Canadian show jumping team that placed fourth in the team jumping competition at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

INTRODUCTION TO RACING 

Susan was fully immersed in the show horse world before she ever got involved in racing. It just so happens that the first time the Chu family ever went to the races was on Kentucky Derby day in 2012.

“It was my husband’s idea,” Chu said smiling. “Our daughter had an internship in Louisville, so we went to see her and went to the Kentucky Derby. We didn’t know what a big event it was. I had no idea about Thoroughbred racing then. I was involved with horses, but not Thoroughbreds, so it was a totally different world.”

Before the race, Chu called their show jumping trainer, told him they were at Churchill Downs and asked for advice about betting on the Derby.

“He gave me 10 horses to bet on, and one was I’ll Have Another. We didn’t know you could bet $2, so my husband put $300 on I’ll Have Another,” Chu said. “After we won, he turned to me and said, ‘That was fun!’”

As they happily celebrated their win, Charles told his wife, “You love horses so much, why don’t you try doing this sport?” 

Susan took his suggestion seriously. “I thought, why not? They’re all horses,” she said.

From that point, she officially got involved in the Thoroughbred industry. She stayed active in the show world and still rides her own horses regularly, but the breeding and racing venture became a new way to enjoy horses.

RESEARCH AND RESULTS

Chu approached racing as a business and did her research to find the best contacts—starting with a trainer. As her first exposure to the sport came at the highest level, it made sense to start at the top.

“I went to visit Bob Baffert in the beginning; I got a good feeling when I first met him,” Chu said. 

It was Baffert who recommended Eisaman Equine near Ocala for breaking and training. 

“I asked Dr. Barry Eisaman to recommend someone I could trust as a place to stand my first stallion and he recommended Bridlewood Farm,” Chu said. “Our 2-year-olds still train with the Eisamans. We have our stallions—Valiant Minister and Tunwoo—and our mares at Bridlewood. We have a very loyal team with George Isaacs, who has helped me manage our breeding business.”

Tanma Corporation’s first graded-stakes winner was Super Ninety Nine, a Pulpit colt trained by Bob Baffert who won the 2013 Southwest Stakes (G3) and was twice graded stakes placed for earnings of $378,260.

Not long after getting into the racing game, Chu was watching her own horse run in the 2014 Kentucky Derby presented by YUM! Brands (G1). Chitu finished ninth, but the graded stakes winning son of Henny Hughes earned $597,800 before he retired and became Chu’s first breeding stallion.

MORE GOOD HORSES

Racing under Baoma Corp, the Chus have campaigned numerous graded stakes winners. These include Lord Simba ($224,842, Los Angeles Stakes (G3)); Varda ($362,500, Starlet Stakes (G1)); Himika ($260,822, Sorrento Stakes (G3)); Beautiful Gift ($180,100, Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3)); Private Mission ($405,300, Santa Maria Stakes (G2), Torrey Pines Stakes (G3) and Zenyatta Stakes (G2)); Tenma ($636,000, FanDuel Racing Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1), Fasig-Tipton Las Virgenes Stakes (G3), Starlet Stakes (G2) and Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita Oaks (G2); Eda ($689,600, Starlet Stakes (G1), Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3), Great Lady M Stakes (G2) and Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3); Bast ($852,200, Starlet Stakes (G1), Chandelier Stakes (G1), Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) and Santa Ynez Stakes (G2)); and Faypien ($444,775, Summertime Oaks (G2)).

Chu has already had the thrill of being a Breeders’ Cup winning owner twice and has also bred a Breeders’ Cup winner.

In 2016, Drefong won the TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup Spint (G1). Chu’s multiple graded stakes-winning son of Gio Ponti, trained by Baffert, retired with earnings of $1,538,385.

In 2025, Nysos captured the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). Also trained by Baffert, Nysos is the best horse the Chus have raced to date.

Currently his sire Nyquist’s leading earner with $4,738,500 in earnings, Nysos has hit the board in all nine starts thus far, winning seven times and running second twice. In his latest start, the Saudi Cup (G1) in February, Nysos ran second. 

“He is strong and healthy and will keep racing this year,” said Chu.

BREEDING GAME

As much as she loves racing, Chu has also enjoyed learning the breeding aspect of the Thoroughbred industry. When it was time to stand her first stallion, Chitu, she had a plan.

“She’d done her homework and felt Bridlewood would be the best place for her horse in Florida,” said George Isaacs, Bridlewood Farm’s general manager. “Susan does things one-thousand percent the right way. She puts all the proper resources in place to try and be successful.” 

Chu’s next stallion prospect was Valiant Minister. 

The Candy Ride (Arg) colt out of Spooky Minister by Deputy Minister was a $680,000 purchase out of the Eddie Woods consignment at the 2015 OBS June sale. He only had one start for Baffert, which he won convincingly, before injury sent him to the breeding shed earlier than hoped.

“When I watched the video of Valiant Minister breaking his maiden, it was so compelling and brilliant that I am not surprised at all that this horse has come full circle and passed that brilliance on to a horse like Bentornato,” Isaacs said.

As a breeder, Chu has been rewarded with a Breeders’ Cup winner in Bentornato, the Florida-bred son of Valiant Minister. 

Chu sent Bentornato to the 2022 OBS October Yearling sale in the consignment of Stuart Morris where he sold for $45,000.

Trained by Jose D’Angelo and owned by Leon King Stable Corp., and Julia and Michael Iavarone, Bentornato is a multiple graded stakes winner of $2,322,180. He has been on the board in all 11 starts and counts among his seven wins the 2025 Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) and the Gallant Bob Stakes (G2). He was nominated as one of three finalists for an Eclipse Award as 2025 champion male sprinter.

“Bentornato was the 15th horse off Bridlewood Farm that has started in the Breeders’ Cup and the first winner,” Isaacs said. “Getting to know trainer Jose D’Angelo has been a pleasure; he’s a class act and it’s easy to see why he’s having success.

“It’s nice that with all the time and energy Susan has put into this process that she’s been rewarded. She remains a good client of Bridlewood with her Florida breeding operation here—two stallions, mares and resulting progeny.”

PRACTICAL FAITH 

Chu makes a point of prioritizing what is most important. That includes her faith.

A committed Christian, she found faith in Christ after moving to the U.S. She has no doubt she’s doing exactly what she’s meant to be doing in life—and horses are reaping the reward. 

“The Lord gave me this love for these beautiful creatures and put me in this business,” she said.

“My office is in Massachusetts; I have a very good team there who handle things when I’m traveling,” Chu said. “Every morning—it doesn’t matter if I’m in Massachusetts or traveling, whether I’m in the office or online—the first thing we do is pray together. Then we go about the day’s business, which is the horses. It’s such a blessing and we are so thankful for all we are doing.”

Every horse—from breeding stock to show horses to those in the racing stable—is monitored closely on a daily basis.

 

WELFARE MINDED

Chu’s two current riding horses, Hero and Shark, are her son Jerry’s former show jumping champions.

Riding is her main exercise—but being with her horses is much more than a physical workout. She’s at the barn six to seven days a week unless she’s traveling.

“When I have a lot of pressure and am very busy, I drive to the barn and just spend time with my horses. It makes my whole mood different; then I can return to work,” she said.

“Horse welfare is very important to me because I got into this initially for the love of the horse, so I’m doing all I can to promote horse welfare,” Chu said.

“For financial reasons I know you can’t keep all of them. I work with New Vocations and Old Friends and a couple private training centers to retrain horses for second careers. I’m very happy with the resources I have now if a horse can’t make it as racehorse.”

Should a horse get injured, Chu does everything possible to provide care and rehab that will return the horse to full health. If a horse can’t return to racing afterwards, she puts in the effort to find them a second career and good home.

In 2020, Chu was elected to the board of directors of Old Friends, the non-profit Thoroughbred retirement facility based in Georgetown, Kentucky. Given her dedication to equine welfare and especially to horses’ post-racing lives, being involved with Old Friends made perfect sense.                                                                   

“The racing business is so tough; you can have a Kentucky Derby contender one day and the next day everything changes,” Chu said. “Bob Baffert always told me, ‘Don’t look back, always look forward,’ and I remember his words to me.” 

LOVE OF THE HORSE

Whether Susan Chu is at the sale looking at racing prospects, going to the racetrack, visiting her breeding stock, or riding her own horses at home, it’s always personal for her.

“My horses are much more than a business; I want to do the best for these beautiful animals who do so much for us,” she said. “It’s very important to me that my horses are happy. I treat them just like family members and always want them to know they are loved.”

Susan Chu may be playing at the top of the game now, but her motivation remains simple–a genuine love of horses.

Return to the March 17 issue of Wire to Wire