Agave nectar is used to sweeten everything from cakes to tea, so it’s fitting that Mark Martinez’s Agave Racing has been a huge success. This year, Recount Agave, co-owned with rancher Sam-Son Farm, won Thunder Road Stakes (G3T) on February 5 and Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T) on March 5. Miss Bigly jointly owned by Agave, Living the Dream Stables and Rockin Robin Racing Stables, merged the Bayakoa (G3) Shares on February 12 and placed second in the March 5 Beholder Mile (G1) Shares.
Martinez is a resident of San Antonio, Texas, Michigan, and owns and operates M2, which sells technology solutions to the federal government. “In Michigan, it was the DRC, the Detroit Raceway, and the little harnesses like Northville,” he recalls, “but I was really passionate about the game when I lived in Northern California. I live in the Bay Area, and I frequent Bay Meadows and Golden Gate Field. ”
He added, “I came to the game through the betting window, not necessarily the cage. And so at work, we’d all pool our money together and we’d drive to Bay Meadows and bet Pick Six, come back when they got a card, and you’d have to color the dots for each one. races and they run them through and you can hear the results on the radio. “
While Martinez’s eldest daughter Stefanie was young, his wife, Mary, worked weekends. “I didn’t let that slow me down,” Martinez fondly recalls. “I’m going to grab a few bottles and pack a diaper bag and a stroller and head to Bay Meadows on Saturday.” He added, “We’ll watch the races and then I’ll pack her up and we’ll go home. And it’s funny; That night, I spread the blanket over her and watched the race. I always have race replays or replays; they always have a show, and when they blow the trumpet at the start of the race, she’ll raise her head, so she’ll recognize the sound. ”
“Fifteen years ago was when I got into the game from an ownership perspective,” says Martinez, “I read a lot of books and tried to be smart. And at least I’ve learned enough not to have to go around trying to buy a horse for myself. I felt like I waded into a pool; I didn’t rush in.” He did a thorough due diligence before buying a 10% stock called Goodwillambassador. “It was hard to get excited, seeing them standing on a maturing farm,” he said, “so I bought in a few other horses that were out on the track with that same organization. I like the organization and the people in it. And I remember the first horse I owned that ran was a horse called Ready To Live, and the first race she ran for us, she won a bunch of money. ”
Agave and Sam-Son owned Say the word won the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes (G1T) 2020 and the Hollywood Grass Cup 2021 (G2T) and the Elkhorn Stakes (G2T). The More than ready gelding finished second on January 30th San Marcos Stakes (G2T) at Great Race Place. The successful partnership began when Martinez privately purchased a pony named Ransom the Moon from the respectable farm. Campaigned with Jeffry Wilke, son of Malibu Moon captured the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) twice and brought his owner to the Breeders’ Cup 2017 Sprint (G1).
Ransom the Moon now stands on Calumet Farm, but Martinez doesn’t want to get too involved in livestock. “At the end of the day, what I’m passionate about is finding horses, sending them off to my trainers, hoping that we can change something or we’ve found something or we be able to improve something to take the horse high, and try and compete at the highest levels,” he explains.
Agave has 11 horses in training, all with Phil D’Amato. Until recently, Martinez also lobbied for cooperation Charmaine’s Mia , who racked up three consecutive ranking wins last year before finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) Sprint. She is now a broodmare.
Martinez, who expressed appreciation for the personal and professional guidance from those who support his activism, hopes to make it to the ‘Farmers’ Cup Winners’ circle. . “I think I’ve been in five Breeders’ Cup races now; I played the last game,” he mused. “My activity is not the kind that will take me to [Kentucky] Derby or Oaks, so I don’t really dream about Derby. So I think the realistic goal for me is to win the Breeders’ Cup race. ”
