Exuberant is not a word you’d associate with the owners of a horse who just finished fourth in a Breeders’ Cup race. But, that’s just what Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman were the moment Calgary Cat crossed the wire.
As the bulky field – there were 14 starters - in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint reached the half-mile mark in the ‘about’ 6 ½-furlong race, Ontarians Cory Hoffman and Stephen Chesney had a clear view as the horses, including theirs, attempted to track down Obviously, the unfettered leader and 7-2 mutuel favourite.
Calgary Cat, the six-year-old son of Cowtown Cat they co-own, was last at the half-mile call. A top-five finish for the multiple stakes winner was seemingly out of the question.
Canada’s champion male sprinter of 2014, under Luis Contreras, had other ideas.
One by one, Calgary Cat, claimed for $25,000 on November 15, 2013, methodically and meticulously began to pick off his rivals, launching a furious outside bid that left him fourth, just a hair over 2 ¼- lengths behind Obviously.
As Chesney recalls, absolute bedlam ensued in their owner’s box, a mix of jubilation, cheers and tears.
It was, he said with a laugh, perhaps the only time a fourth-place finish felt like a trip to the winner’s circle.
“People probably thought we were nuts,” offered Chesney. “We were hugging and cheering. My honest thought going into it was that this was going to be a tough race because there were a lot of good horses in it. I wasn’t expecting what ended up happening. We had an excellent vantage point to see him come running like a freight train.”
Just two good Ontario guys rubbing elbows with the sport’s elite.
“They treated us well - our box was literally on the finish line,” said Chesney. “Every time you turned around, there was Bob Baffert in his box, or Todd Pletcher in his box. You see those amazing trainers walking by, high-profile owners walking by – you sit there and ask yourself, ‘How did we get here? How did this all come together?’ You see all these people on TV and the next thing you know, you’re right there next to them.”
Hoffman was equally elated with the outcome of a 41-1 longshot, bred in Ontario, who outran his odds on a picturesque Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita Racetrack in California.
“We really did react like we had won it,” he recollected. “I knew he could close and when he started to, I thought, ‘Wow, we’re going to be there.’ And then you realize the finish line is getting closer. He was flying out there. If we had gone seven (furlongs), maybe we could have finished second. He didn’t embarrass anybody. He showed he could run with the best in the world.”
“The coolest thing was when Kevin (trainer, Attard) called his dad (fellow conditioner, Tino),” continued Hoffman. “They were both so emotional after seeing Calgary Cat come with that big rush. We were so happy, too.”
A game effort like the one Calgary Cat displayed at the Breeders' Cup is something the childhood friends have seen several times since they started buying horses together in 2013. Currently, Chesney and Hoffman have 12 horses, including Melmich, another stakes-winning standout, along with other sharp claimers that have helped add to their win total.
Scan the Woodbine owner standings and you don’t have to scroll down far to find Chesney and Hoffman, sitting fifth overall, to be exact.
Conquest Stables, Chiefswood Stable, Sam-Son Farm and Stronach Stables – heavyweights of horseracing ownership – comprise the top four spots.
Not bad company to be in.
“We’ve got something good going,” said Hoffman. “We’re just having a lot of fun doing this thing.”
For two friends, each with longtime ties to the sport, they hope the best – perhaps a Queen’s Plate starter – is still to come.
“I got into the sport through a relative who owned standardbreds,” recalled Chesney. “They would take me to Greenwood on Friday nights – they had their own box – and we would watch the races. That was about 35 years ago when I was in high school. I loved horseracing and I just loved the horses. I always said to myself, ‘Go to university, make something of yourself and then you can come back to this.’ I’m glad it’s worked out this way.”
So, too, is Hoffman.
“We’re supporting the industry and we’ve lucked out with Calgary Cat and Melmich,” said Hoffman. “Kevin has done a great job and we have a great partnership. It works. Going to the Breeders’ Cup was an amazing experience. That was just crazy.”
They’re hopeful their story can prompt others to join the thoroughbred ownership ranks.
“People will ask me if I play golf,” said Chesney. “I tell them that I don’t – I go to the racetrack. That’s where I want to be. For me, going to the track and bringing people breakfast, watching the horses, talking to people – that’s my golf. The backstretch is my tee-off time. I really like the idea of people getting involved in ownership. If I can be an ambassador that way, I’m happy to. We need to show people how great this sport is.”
Both Chesney and Hoffman will long remember that day in Santa Anita, a moment that will serve as a reminder of the thrills horseracing can deliver.
And while it won’t always net you top prize, it can certainly make you feel like you’re on top of the world.
Just ask Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman.
Written by Chris Lomon
Photo (Sovereign Awards) by Mr. Will Wong.
(C) Ontario Racing 2016. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without permission.
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