As NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) entrant Sequist fidgeted on a wash rack when receiving a bath on the Del Mar backstretch this week, her handler adjusted a shank and inspired her to be nonetheless.
Holding the 2-year-old filly wasn’t a hotwalker. It was coach Dallas Stewart.
Requested of his hands-on strategy, he responded, “I am the proprietor. I might higher.”
He’s—considered one of them. The graded-placed filly is owned by West Level Thoroughbreds, Gervais Racing, Charles Pigg, Stewart Racing Steady, Tom Andres, and Karen Kraft—or as Stewart describes Andres and Kraft, “my physician and my actual property neighbor.
“West Level’s acquired their very own deal, however I’ve acquired my very own individuals. I get ’em collectively,” Stewart mentioned.
In contrast to different outstanding trainers who practice however don’t personal horses, Stewart will often companion in possession or just personal a horse himself.
“You may’t make any cash coaching horses,” he mentioned.
However you’ll be able to by proudly owning horses, even with the game’s excessive monetary prices?
“Relies upon for those who get the appropriate one,” he mentioned.
Stewart acquired the appropriate one within the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2004, shopping for Lemons Perpetually for $140,000 from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. Less than two years later, she won the 2006 Kentucky Oaks (G1) with Stewart training and co-owning the filly with Leon, Willis, and Terry Horton.
A year later at Keeneland in 2007, she went through the November Breeding Stock Sale as part of the Eaton Sales consignment, selling to R. J. Bennett for $2.5 million.
Stewart, 62, also breeds to race. He owns the Sky Mesa mare Boy Crazy , whose foals include stakes winner Saint’s Fan (Tale of Ekati ) and the grade 3-placed Starrininmydreams (Super Saver ), with Stewart training both. He raced Saint’s Fan himself and co-owns Starrininmydreams with WinStar Farm. Starrinmydreams was most recently fourth in an allowance optional claiming race last month at Churchill Downs.
Sequist, a 2-year-old daughter of Vequist , is also graded-placed, having rallied for third in the Darley Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland Oct. 8, ending 4 1/2 lengths behind Juju’s Map . Before that start, she was a distant fourth behind Echo Zulu and Tarabi in the Sept. 5 Spinaway Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course and gained a maiden race when debuting July 20 at Colonial Downs.
Sequist trains Nov. 2 at Del Mar
West Level and Stewart purchased her for $100,000 from the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the consignment of her breeder, Clearsky Farms.
Although only some horsemen selected to ship their horses west to check Echo Zulu and Juju’s Map and the opposite favorites in Friday’s Juvenile Fillies—the race drew a discipline of solely six—Stewart did not hesitate together with his 15-1 outsider.
“I will race any horse for $2 million, would not you?” he mentioned. “It ain’t free, however they pay you again.”
Although it prices $60,000 to enter and race, Breeders’ Cup has picked up delivery prices for contributors. Each starter, even going again to final within the Juvenile Fillies, will obtain a paycheck. Sixth place is price $40,000, first place is $1.04 million.
Stewart is already a two-time Breeders’ Cup-winning coach, taking the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) with Roger Devenport’s Unbridled Elaine in 2001 and capturing it again with Charles Fipke’s Forever Unbridled —a daughter of Lemons Forever—in 2017.
Stewart’s overall record in the Breeders’ Cup is 2-0-1 with 18 starters with more than $3 million in earnings. Stewart has trained 917 winners for his career, and his horses have made nearly $58 million, through Nov. 3.
“You got to be involved to try to crush it,” Stewart said.
