The Buss name has been synonymous with sporting victory for decades. For most people, the mind immediately goes to the National Basketball Association’s Los Angeles Lakers, the team under owner Dr. Jerry Buss, and the “Showtime” teams that featured Hall of Famers Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy and made the team’s colors—purple and gold—ubiquitous. Their streak of success continued with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, and more recently with LeBron James.
But now one of Buss’s children, Janie, is trying to build her own winning tradition. Sitting in the front row as co-owner of the team after her father’s death in 2013, Janie Buss knows a thing or two about winning. Eight years ago, she launched the Purple Reindeer Race.
“In the ’80s with the Lakers, Prince released the song ‘Purple Rain’ and it was like a modern song during that time. And the reins are what you use to hold the horse, so when it’s time to naming the stable, it took me a minute to fill out that paperwork,” she said.
Buss also served as president of the Lakers Youth Foundation and remains on its board of directors. It is her passion for giving that inspires her approach to racing.
She discussed the summer in Del Marwinning your first bet this year, the importance of giving back and more.
Blood Horse: How did you first get into racing? How did you feel when you first encountered this sport?
Janie Buss: (My parents) bought a house Del Mar in the early ’60s. So when I was old enough to really understand what was going on, we went to Del Mar every day. It’s our summer vacation. I’ve just been around (racing) my whole life. I have always loved horses since I was a child. … We could hear Harry Henson calling the races. We just love it. My brother Jimmy and I are just horse racing fanatics.
BH: Do you have any particularly favorite memories of Del Mar?
JB: One thing I remember is when we walked in, we didn’t have a box at the time, and we would walk out, and that little front area had tables and chairs, and we used to play on the chairs. They’re probably from the ’60s or ’50s and they’ll bounce around. And you can do races on the lawn. Children are trying to entertain themselves as their parents read the racing form. And then I discovered the electric recliner system when I was about 7 years old. I would walk out there like there was no one to stop me, and I’d get on the tram and go through—Charles Whittingham was the first barn—and I made friends with all the pony riders. … I asked if I could help and they let me give them the carrots. The jockeys, they had a fence, and there was a guy named Andy, who used to let me sit on his horse between races, and I’d just sit there.
BH: When did you decide you wanted to start a racing stable?
JB: I’ve always been involved in horse racing. My brother Jimmy is a horse trainer so I love watching what he does and I’ve always wanted to do that. I had my own show horse. I was showing off competitively, and so it wasn’t until after my dad passed away (in 2013) that … I thought, ‘Okay, I’ll do it.’ And I believe my first horse was Air Vice Marshal, and he is the winner. So, a great, great thing. Have I had any real luck since then? Not until Mucho Del Oro Right now, I’m a little lucky. I had a call Find shelter. But he’s nothing spectacular, but at least he’ll win some races. And then I had my mare Magical thinkingWho won at Golden Gate Fields, but I retired her and now she is a mother. She has her child standing from Idolthen I took her home Corniche, because I saw Corniche run at Del Mar and I thought, “Oh my God, this horse is amazing.” He ran as a 2-year-old, and I think he’s going to be a Kentucky Derby hopeful. I just like the way he runs. So I bred my mare back to the Corniche to foal the following April. It’s a whole different ball game to do livestock work. I’m not sure I would stay in it. Taking care of them is almost as expensive as having a horse on the track.
Janie Buss with Mucho Del Oro after winning the San Simeon Stakes at Santa Anita Park
Everyone has a mission statement and our mission is being achieved one step at a time. And that’s what I did with every dollar they earned going right back—to the horses that earned it, in their honor. … I think we’re trying to show him something at Del Mar, but they don’t have that particular turf field that he likes, so we’re not sure what his next step is yet but what that’s very interesting. There’s no doubt you always want a winner in your stable, and I’m very lucky and grateful that he’s done so well.
BH: What have we not mentioned that you think would be important for our readers to know about you and the Purple Rain race?
JB: The truth is I’ve been doing nonprofit, philanthropic business for Lakers community relations for 35 years. I just love the nonprofit sector. I tried to combine the two. I feel like paying it forward is almost good karma. I can pay my own bills. I don’t expect my horse to win, to pay for its own food. I can take care of them. So it’s important to me that I always give back to the community.
My silks have JB patches on them because if it weren’t for my dad, I wouldn’t even have some of the money I have. So I have to fulfill this dream, but I always want to remember where it came from. It’s on Purple Rein’s sleeve. I’ve always been fascinated with Pegasus and it’s the back of our racing silk, like how beautiful the horses are when they run. I feel like I have a free spirit; My dad died, then Kobe (Bryant) died too. It’s a tribute to that part – to heaven. That is my personal gratitude.
