THE SATURDAY POST

When I was a twenty-year-old college student, I paid a visit home to my mother one weekend.

It wasn’t your typical visit home from college.

The reason I had come home that weekend was because my mother had just undergone one of her many chemotherapy treatments in her fight to survive breast cancer.

When I arrived at her hospital bed, she had lost the fiery red hair that made her easy to spot whenever I looked for her as a kid. She was bald and pale as a ghost now.

She had also lost the joyful presence that she carries into any room. She was tired now. You could see the pain that she was suffering in her eyes and it was absolutely heartbreaking.

In my mind, she was dying of breast cancer. I remember being a young student walking up to the nurse station and saying to them, “Do Something.” Just do anything. But sadly, as many other families know, there is only so much that medicine can do in these moments.

Yet, thirteen years later, my wish for someone to “Do Something” has been answered in a beautiful turnaround of events.

As for my mother, she is among the lucky women that have been fortunate to survive breast cancer. I am happy to report that her joyful presence has returned and she has regrown her red hair that makes her easy to find in any crowd. And, my favorite place to find her today is in survivor walks to help find a cure for breast cancer.

However, she isn’t the only redhead who is doing something in the future for breast cancer.

Thirteen years after my mother became a “survivor,” a redheaded filly showed up. And, this filly is also hoping to “Do Something” that contributes to a cure for breast cancer in her own domain – the race track.

West Point Thoroughbreds currently plans to race a two-year-old chestnut filly that will be donating a share of her winnings to support finding a cure for breast cancer. When the filly begins racing, 2.5 percent of any of her winnings will be donated to a breast cancer charity. West Point will also provide a 2.5 percent matching donation whenever the filly wins a race.

So, you may wonder, what inspired West Point Thoroughbreds to race a filly for breast cancer? Simple.

It hit home at the company.

As Shannon Castagnola of West Point Thoroughbreds explained, “We are a small company. There are eleven full-time employees, but seven are women.” She continued, “Breast cancer awareness is something we must all confront at some point or another. It could be your mother, aunt, your sister, or your wife.”

Castagnola noted, “My mother was diagnosed 5 ½ years ago, in October of 2005.” After seeing the “Think Pink” Breast Cancer initiative on Oaks Day, Castagnola recognized that breast cancer awareness was a cause that racing could benefit. She explained, “I remember clearly looking out at the Oaks crowd last year, seeing an absolute sea of pink, and thinking ‘They get it, they want to embrace this cause.’”

And, in the end, West Point Thoroughbreds has embraced breast cancer awareness with the one beautiful filly. When I asked Castagnola about the filly’s demeanor, she said “She’s a big, strong filly and she has a great mind.”

In my view, there couldn’t be a more perfect way for a racehorse to start out a campaign to raise awareness for breast cancer.

The filly is currently nameless - just like many of the women in the statistics that we see about breast cancer. But, when she hits the home stretch in her first race, many racegoers will hopefully know her name and her reason for racing. She will be adorned with pink silks, according to Castagnola.

So, in the end, just like my mother in the survivor parade, there is one more redhead that I can spot in a crowd that answered my call to “Do Something.”

And, with her pink silks and strong build, I hope to spot the redheaded filly in the same place where a find my mother today.

I hope to see her in the winner’s circle.

To learn more about the breast cancer filly through West Point Thoroughbreds, please visit http://www.westpointtb.com or contact Shannon Castagnola at shannon@westpointtb.com.

In the past two decades, West Point Thoroughbreds has cemented its’ status as the premiere racing partnership for individuals who dream of owning a racehorse. The partnership currently manages nearly 400 equine portfolios and a stable of over 80 horses. Throughout the years, West Point horses have competed in many major racing outings, including the Kentucky Derby, allowing partners to experience ownership at the highest levels of the sport.

Terry Finley, President and Founder of West Point Thoroughbreds, graciously agreed to answer our questions about his inspiration to found a racing partnership, his memorable experiences throughout his tenure, and discussed West Point Derby hopefuls for this season.

SP: What was your inspiration to form West Point Thoroughbreds?

TF: I grew up not too far from the track. My father was a teacher, and we’d go to the races. When I became a teenager I ended up working on the backstretch mucking stalls. I saw how hard everyone worked. After I got out of the military I was selling insurance. My passion simply wasn’t there. My heart was with the horses. My wife and I decided we were going to go “all in.” We risk everything and started the company. In 1991, we scraped $5,000 together to claim a horse named Sunbelt. He won two weeks later for $6,500. That was the beginning. We put some small ads out there and more people began to buy in. Now, nearly twenty years later hear we are.

SP: In 2006, Flashy Bull became the first West Point horse to start in the Kentucky Derby. Can you describe the feeling of having a horse in the Derby?

TF: It’s what we all dream of. I remember walking over from the barn with my family and the investors and the women had to take off their fancy shoes. There they are walking barefoot on the track. I think that kind of symbolizes everything. It was our first time, but nothing was going to stop us. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that it’s a life changing day. Anyone that had a dry eye walking up from the paddock when they played “My Old Kentucky Home” doesn’t have a pulse. That feeling is what we get into the sport for. That feeling is the reason I started West Point Thoroughbreds. To bring that experience to others that couldn’t on their own.

SP: Of the many exceptional horses in your stable, Quiet All American has begun to stand out as a strong Derby hopeful. In lieu of his recent win in the Ocala Breeder’s Sales Championship, describe the strengths that you see in this colt after watching his performance against the other contenders in the race.

TF: Quiet All American is all heart. Nine times out of ten a horse will lose a race when they get passed in the stretch, but this colt just kept fighting. When the leader weakened he found another gear. He showed the same determination in his maiden win. He also looks like a colt that wants to go a distance of ground. He does not have an explosive turn of foot, but he just keeps going and going. He’ll give you the same fractions late as he does early.

SP: You also have two other Derby hopefuls in your stable – Middle of the Nite and Boulder Creek. What do you believe are the strengths of each horse and where do you anticipate their next races to be held?

TF: Middle of the Nite threw a bit of a clunker in on us in the Sam Davis. He’s immensely talented, but I think he’s still learning how to be a racehorse. We’ll probably look for an allowance race for him this month and see where we go from there. It’s a long year, so we want to do the best for the horse.

Boulder Creek is set to run in the $150,000 Sham Stakes(G3) this weekend at Santa Anita. He’s an exciting colt that really is finally figuring it out. He still has not run a complete race. He didn’t even change leads properly in his last race and still won. When he puts it all together he might be special. We hope it’s in his next race. He looks like he’ll run all day.

SP: The dream of owning a racehorse draws many individuals to invest in a racing partnership with your company. What are the specific benefits of being a West Point partner and how much personal involvement is each partner given with their racehorse?

TF: We are very successful, but we can’t guarantee our partners wins each time their horse runs. Wouldn’t that be nice? What we do guarantee is an unparalleled experience. Our goal is to run in the biggest races in the world. What horse racing enthusiast would not love to be in the paddock on Derby day or at the Breeders’ Cup? We want to give you that experience. It might be a cliché, but if you’ve dreamt of owning a horse we want to make that dream a reality. It’s an amazing social experience that really can change people’s lives even if their horse isn’t the “big horse”.

We encourage all our partners to visit the barn, meet the trainers, and watch their horses train. This is their opportunity to be inside the paddock and not the person looking at everyone else. Hopefully at the end of the day we’re all smiling for the camera in the winner’s circle. Ask anyone who’s been there with us how that feels. I still feel the rush 20 years after my first time.

SP: West Point works with many well-respected trainers and jockeys. How have you been able to secure this level of talent?

TF: I think it’s mutual respect. We let them do their job. We’re not going to meddle. They are on the front lines day in and day out. We don’t micro manage, and the trainers know that they have our full support. Things are not going to go perfectly in this sport. We are not going to pull our horses if one thing goes wrong. Trainers cannot operate out of fear. These are excellent horsemen that want to do the best job possible, but as importantly they are real proponents of the sport. They work well within our partnership model and understand how we do business. It’s about finding that balance that makes us able to attract such top conditioners.

As a company, we use technology extensively. You do not have to go to the track to expose someone. Bring racing to them. We just went over 100,000 views on our YouTube channel. Bring the visuals to people’s living rooms. Let them experience the majesty of the sport on their computer screen. Be proactive. Use technology. Use social media. Put yourself out there. This is a bottom up movement. If you’re not part of the solution then unfortunately you’re part of the problem.

SP: How does your company determine which horse should be purchased?
TF: We do our homework. Our buying team is on the ground well before a sale. We don’t just watch the horses the day they breeze. We see them beforehand. We know exactly what’s going on with each horse and that helps us stay out of the traps. We know the players. We know who will give us the straight scoop. We’ve been around a long time. That’s to our advantage. We bring a vet, Dr. Bill Baker, to the sale to vet all the horses we are looking at. He’s not working for a seller or the sales company. He’s there for us, and we know that his expertise will really help us find both the standouts and the diamonds in the rough waiting to polished. We put all that into the equation along with their breeze, conformation and way they carry themselves. Add in some good old fashioned intuition during the heat of the moment and you get the horses that will eventually carry the black and gold silks.

SP: Do you favor any specific bloodlines when determining whether to purchase a horse?
TF: We tend to buy a lot of young sires. You can get excellent value before a sire gets white hot, but at the end of the day we focus on buying the best athletes. When you look for certain pedigrees or other intangibles you can fall into a trap. It’s not that paper that runs in the afternoon. It’s the horse, so that’s where put our focus. I think the results of doing things this way speak for themselves.

SP: What has been your most memorable moment as President and Founder of West Point Thoroughbreds?
TF: It’s hard to pick just one. I prefer to think of the notes I get from partners telling me of what horse ownership has meant to them. Something as simple as one of our clients thanking us for having their child meet a jockey brings a smile to my face.

Of course, if you are looking for events, certainly the Derby sticks out because I could share it with my family, but I tell people that this sport creates a new memory each and every day. That’s what gets me up each morning. I’d like to think my most memorable moment when I look back someday will be a collection of all the faces I saw throughout the years. That will be what makes me smile.

Finley has been involved in the thoroughbred industry for over 25 years and currently serves on numerous boards, including the Breeder’s Cup Board of Directors, NTRA Horse PAC Board of Directors, and the NYTHA Board of Directors. In 1998, The Thoroughbred Times named Finley one of “The Top Ten to Watch in the Thoroughbred Industry.” For more information about West Point Thoroughbreds, visit the West Point Thoroughbred Website.