Post by Isabelle on Sept 1, 2015 11:48:02 GMT -5
SEPTEMBER 2015 STABLE INTERVIW WITH VALKYRIE STABLES (KENREN)[/I][/u]
For the second installment of the stable interviews I got to pair up with the head trainer and manager of Valkyrie Stables (VS) for an inside look. As with many racing stables in the area, VS is one without full time owners involvement, but that doesn't mean they are any less a threat on the track. They started up just a few years ago, but have not only an impressive racing string but a freshly opening breeding division that is not to be dismissed. While you all grab yourself a drink, I'm off to look for some patches for my pants (if you want to know why, just keep reading). Please feel free to give comments and questions at the end of the article, I will be sure to pass them on to Mr. Mavecci to respond to.
Isabelle: Mr. Michael Mavecci, thank you so much for this inside look at Valkyrie Stables, I am very excited to be here. Before you show me around, would you mind telling me a bit about how VS got started? When was it opened, how long have you been here, and tell me a little about the owners?
Michael Mavecci: You're welcome, and thank you on behalf of the rest of the staff for giving us the chance to share our operation. As for the farm, it was established under its current ownership and management in September of Year 13. I and most of the staff have been here since then. It's owned by Naos Suhail and his family, though Mr. Suhail is travelling most of the time and more immediately pressing issues go through his wife, Mae, who lives here. They have two sons, Kailin and Ronan, who actually are co-owners of one of our juveniles, Monarch's Journey.
Isabelle: What are the core beliefs, values, and missions of Valkyrie? What type of horse training do you value and adhere to the most?
MM: I've always believed that horses are ready when they're ready, and patience is incredibly important when making them successful. I've always loved taking horses that might be . . . undrafted, per say, and making them something special. Any horse can do something great if given their day, and the Suhails have always backed our underdogs. I never look at the odds, but it does make a good story.
Isabelle: Do you recall some of the first horses that VS raced with, are any of them still around today?
MM: Most of our first horses are still racing, though some have moved to different farms. Grey's Wisdom is one, and we got him as a maiden I think. He's hit grade one now. Bowen Arrow came in the same sale as a grade five and he's reached grade one as well. Fifty in Front was acquired around the same time. Our own horses that are at other farms now that we had in the beginning are Handsome Tabby and Allouette Divine, both very successful in their own rights.
Isabelle: Will you give me some hard facts, how many racers are you campaigning, how many foals, and how large is your breeding stock? Do you have any horses that are completely retired from racing and breeding?
MM: We've got a pretty hefty string right now, though it's not as big as it was at the beginning of the year and not as big as it will be next year. We have twenty-six horses currently racing, a yearling crop of nine, and a weanling crop of ten. Our stud roster has nine stallions and our broodmare band is at eleven. We don't have any completely retired horses right now.
Isabelle: Will you tell me a little about the staff here in general, is it more of a serious place to work, or does everybody sort of act up and play all the time?
MM: -small laugh- I'm not going to lie, I'd love for our group to be a little more serious at times. Naos' cousin, Halexia, is one of our jockeys and exercise riders and she keeps everyone from taking anything too seriously. I can't really complain, though, since the job gets done and we get results. My son is the assistant trainer, and his group mostly consists of Hal and Mae Suhail's brother, Tigris. The three of them have known each other for a long time, so it's a pretty friendly atmosphere for the most part.
Isabelle: What would you consider the greatest assets of VS in terms of staff, training, facilities and general operations, not including the horses?
MM: Our breeding manager, Larsa Entlier, is some sort of genius and some sort of idiot. No, I'm sorry, that's not polite of me. Don't get me wrong, I really like him, it just seems sometimes that his common sense was traded in for shrewd business dealing and a great eye for a match. He's probably the unrewarded backbone. My son, Minske, has been a great asset for me as well since he's taken over the training of the youngstock so I can focus on the racing horses.
Isabelle: What makes you passionate about VS, what keeps you here year after year? What drives you in your career and how does VS support that?
MM: Honestly, I've had other offers, but I can't really think of anything that would make me leave this place other than being fired. I have the power here to run the farm pretty much as I see fit. The Suhails give me rein as far as sales and acquisitions and let me make the decisions I want as far as the horses. That level of trust works both ways, and I would really do anything for them.
Isabelle: That's wonderful. Has VS won any stable awards? Do you have any HOF or BHOF horses residing with you? If so, where they ones you campaigned or did you acquire them once their status was already established?
MM: We won Most Improved Stable in Year 13 and the Stable Face-Off in Year 14. We don't have any Hall of Famers as of yet, though we have our eye on nominating some horses in the future, namely Trust Limits for the Breeding Hall of Fame.
Isabelle: I'd love to get a tour of the stables now, would you be willing to take me through the older racehorse barn first? Tell me about your stars, the ones who will be going to breeding in the next year or so. Which should be watched in particular and why?
MM: Sure, sure. Mind you keep your fingers away from Chiquato or he's likely to take them off. Really we've had a couple of horses doing well in the upper levels this year. Sweet Inferno's a lease from Stride of Perfection and she's been a pretty dominant force. Ode To Glory and Mourning Passion have been holding their own as well, though they've been a bit overshadowed of late.
Isabelle: -follows closely behind but gives cookies to noses behind back as she continues down the row-
MM: We have a few others that have done fairly well, but I think our biggest dark horse could be Beautiful Liar. She's begun to make a mark in the filly and mare turf HOTYs and I think she's going to be a very good competitor at the end of the year.
Isabelle: -squeaks as Beautiful Liar gives her a nip in the back pocket where the contraband cookies are hidden-
MM: Amarillo Sky was the horse we retired mid-season, but the rest will likely finish out the year. We haven't completely decided who's staying on next year and who's retiring, but we may see as many as half of the horses staying on. Most likely it'll only be a handful, though, with the number of horses we have coming up from their classic year.
Isabelle: -refills back pockets secretly before starting down next row- Now for the three year olds, do you have a favorite for this year? I personally have a little soft spot for Shenanigans. I'd love some sneak peak tid-bits about her if you're willing to dish.
MM: Yeah, Shanna's definitely proven herself to be something special. Actually, when we first got her from Intrepid, we thought she might follow in her sire's footsteps and be retired before she could really even race. She was a headcase at best. Absolutely neurotic. Tigris and Minske spent a ton of extra time with her though, and they eventually worked her quirks out enough to make a decent racehorse out of her.
Isabelle: -gives Shanna secret cookie- -hair blows and eyes go wide as Shanna lets out a huge neigh right at the side of face- -whispers- Well then fine . . . two cookies for you . . . -feeds secret second cookie and scoots to next stall-
MM: If she's handled just right, she acts like any other horse her age. And honestly, she's done better since the CTC finished than we could have hoped. She's really shaping up to be a dominant Distaff competitor. One of my other favorites is Passionate God, especially now that we've gotten him on the right surface. We see a lot of Mourn in him, and we really think he'll make a nice turn-around for next year. He's a nice colt.
Isabelle: What are your juveniles up to? Any threats for some of the triple crowns next season? I see you recently took Luminous Wave back, how is she doing since I sold her to you?
MM: I think this year's juvenile crop is the strongest we've had. Luminous Wave has adjusted pretty well, though I do think she's going to be more of the late-blooming sort. Not that she's doing bad now, but I wouldn't place her with the top juveniles at the moment. I think she'll be a major threat for the sprinting tiaras next year.
Isabelle: -attempts to stay on feet while being used as a scratching post by Lumi who obviously knows all the secret treat hiding places-
MM: Other than her, we have some incredibly well-performing horses in Optical Illusion, Aphrodite's Chant, and Santana's Legend, all who have won multiple HOTY races and are consistently running in that company. We've also had some of the first G3 juveniles in the year in Optical Illusion, Sweet Mimosa, and Wyvern.
Isabelle: -is slowly transforming into some odd horse hair and froth covered creature- -rethinks the whole back pocket treats right next to my behind hiding place as it becomes too late to change original tactic- Can you select a favorite yearling and weanling to bring into the spotlight-I know how hard that can be to choose!
MM: Yeah, it definitely isn't an easy thing. For me, since I don't pay a whole lot of attention to pedigree, I have to look at how they're progressing. That said, it's a coincidence that one of our best-bred is one of my favorites as well. Wings of Jayde is probably my favorite yearling, especially given that she's maturing very well. We've got some very promising weanlings, but my favorite would probably be Chetory. I don't work with them a lot, but if she's anything like Sweet Mimosa, she's going to be a gem to work with.
Isabelle: -speaking of, Chetory gets loose and digs nose into back pocket gobbling up cookies- -still makes weak attempt to hide not so perfect hiding place for horse cookies- How is your breeding stock filling out over the years, what would you consider to be your foundation VS lines that others might look to for future reserves? -extricates self from Chetory and makes grand decision to use front pockets for cookies during breeding barn visit-
MM: We've got an interesting blend of lines, and probably have a pretty good corner on turf sprinting stallions and original lines. We're getting a pretty big boost to our stallion string after this year's retirement. Our foundation is likely to be based off of All To Glory and Pyrotechnics on the stallion side and Feline Frenzy, Native Harlot, and Castle Siege on the mare side. Lots of original lines and successful ones to help us to establish a unique edge. That's what Larsa tells me, anyway. Most of our horses are open for reserves, and we're definitely pretty open with them. Our foundations are going to be more difficult to get foals from, but offspring of those horses are generally open to the public. Plus all of the non-foundation horses, and we love getting them attention.
Isabelle: I shall be eager to expand my bloodlines as the years pass with some VS stock. -climbs on top of a hale bale pile as Chetory is loose again and is following her around trying to get more cookies- Is there a certain special horse around here that perhaps hasn't won major races or bred exceptional foals necessarily, but holds a special place for you or VS? -scoots down and around as a groom nabs Chetory-
MM: That would probably be Fifty in Front. We got him unraced as a two-year-old back when the farm first opened, and he's been with us nearly his entire career. He's kind of symbolic of my journey as a trainer, and of the kind of horses I have always enjoyed training. Finn's just a hardworking, grinder of a horse, with no lines to speak of but enough heart to make up for it.
Isabelle: Please let us know which horse has made the greatest contribution to VS and why. -discovers she no longer has back pockets and wonders where they could have gotten to . . . -
MM: That's a hard one, but I'd have to say that Dare To Impress really put us on the map as far as being a quality racing stable. Of course she had the lines to be great, but when she came to us she'd done very little as a two-year-old and we were able to turn her into the winner of two legs of the turf triple crown. For us, still within our first year of existence, that was a really big deal. Of course, Mourning Passion and National Treasure were also part of that same scenario. It was just a very good classic year for us in Y14.
Isabelle: Which horse are you personally the most proud of, and why?
MM: Bowen Arrow and Grey's Wisdom have come on leaps and bounds this year, and to have them both be HOTY winners and competitors is indescribable for me. I never could have seen them getting to the level that they're at now.
Isabelle: What are the plans for the rest of this racing season, any special campaigns or horses being retired before the end of the year?
MM: Not anything particularly special, really. We take things as they come, and the horses tend to tell us where they want to be. Beautiful Liar is going to continue campaigning to the Filly and Mare Turf, and Aphrodite's Chant and Santana's Legend are going to keep going in the Youth Challenge and Turf Challenge respectively. We have an idea of who our Breeders' Cup competitors are going to be, but things can change in the next few months.
Isabelle: -still attempts to evade the ever escaping Chetory- -whisper hisses to him that she doesn't have any more cookies despite what he may want- As a longer standing stable around GHF/TW, do you have any suggestions or advice for those older than you, those who are your peers, and those up and coming stables who are just getting into the business? -Chetory is wrangled once more-
MM: Anyone who's been around longer than us has a pretty good handle, in my opinion. To new stables, my advice is not to overstretch your horses. Look at them critically and really think about where their niche is. Experiment, of course, but if things aren't going the way you'd like, it's best not to force the issue. Not every horse is cut out to be the best of the best, and you can't shape them into something they're not. Also, always keep asking questions - we're a fairly open industry. Of course, we all have our secret formulas that we'll keep to ourselves -laughs-
Isabelle: Like Chetory here -is now being licked with rough horse tongue all over by Chetory trying to grasp any last speck of cookie crumbs-, he'll have a secret formula I'm sure . . . -whispers to self: like a bottle of soft cookie dough- Which stable do you admire the most, and why? Do you have any particular business friends that have inspired you or lifelong friendships that have supported you?
MM: That's a hard one, but we've got a very good working relationship with Intrepid Racing and their breeding division. Stride of Perfection and Witch Creek have also been very good to us as far as sales and acquisitions, and many of our better-bred foals come from those three. Really, those are the farms that really got us up and moving in the beginning and continue to support us as we move on.
Isabelle: Do you have any closing remarks you'd like to say about yourself, your staff, the horses, or VS itself? -Chetory is finally extricated from her for good, but his loud cries from the barn are heard loud and clear expressing his disapproval at losing his new favorite treat-
MM: Just that we're grateful for all of the help and support we've had over the years, and that we look forward to doing the same for others down the road. Our breeding division, especially our stallions, are pretty open to the public and we'll rarely turn down a request for breeding. And thanks to you and the readers for giving me the opportunity to share.
Isabelle: Well Mr. Mavecci, I sincerely thank you again for allowing me this exclusive access to VS. It was so exciting to hear about everything you have done, are doing, and secrets in the works. I can't wait to see what you do with little Chetory there . . . -big smile- I'm sure he'll be quite the interesting one. Great to know you are one of the newer up and coming breeding stables out there, everyone will need to take a close look at your stock next chance they get for some new crosses. Best of luck with the end of the year races, and for next season!
For the second installment of the stable interviews I got to pair up with the head trainer and manager of Valkyrie Stables (VS) for an inside look. As with many racing stables in the area, VS is one without full time owners involvement, but that doesn't mean they are any less a threat on the track. They started up just a few years ago, but have not only an impressive racing string but a freshly opening breeding division that is not to be dismissed. While you all grab yourself a drink, I'm off to look for some patches for my pants (if you want to know why, just keep reading). Please feel free to give comments and questions at the end of the article, I will be sure to pass them on to Mr. Mavecci to respond to.
Isabelle: Mr. Michael Mavecci, thank you so much for this inside look at Valkyrie Stables, I am very excited to be here. Before you show me around, would you mind telling me a bit about how VS got started? When was it opened, how long have you been here, and tell me a little about the owners?
Michael Mavecci: You're welcome, and thank you on behalf of the rest of the staff for giving us the chance to share our operation. As for the farm, it was established under its current ownership and management in September of Year 13. I and most of the staff have been here since then. It's owned by Naos Suhail and his family, though Mr. Suhail is travelling most of the time and more immediately pressing issues go through his wife, Mae, who lives here. They have two sons, Kailin and Ronan, who actually are co-owners of one of our juveniles, Monarch's Journey.
Isabelle: What are the core beliefs, values, and missions of Valkyrie? What type of horse training do you value and adhere to the most?
MM: I've always believed that horses are ready when they're ready, and patience is incredibly important when making them successful. I've always loved taking horses that might be . . . undrafted, per say, and making them something special. Any horse can do something great if given their day, and the Suhails have always backed our underdogs. I never look at the odds, but it does make a good story.
Isabelle: Do you recall some of the first horses that VS raced with, are any of them still around today?
MM: Most of our first horses are still racing, though some have moved to different farms. Grey's Wisdom is one, and we got him as a maiden I think. He's hit grade one now. Bowen Arrow came in the same sale as a grade five and he's reached grade one as well. Fifty in Front was acquired around the same time. Our own horses that are at other farms now that we had in the beginning are Handsome Tabby and Allouette Divine, both very successful in their own rights.
Isabelle: Will you give me some hard facts, how many racers are you campaigning, how many foals, and how large is your breeding stock? Do you have any horses that are completely retired from racing and breeding?
MM: We've got a pretty hefty string right now, though it's not as big as it was at the beginning of the year and not as big as it will be next year. We have twenty-six horses currently racing, a yearling crop of nine, and a weanling crop of ten. Our stud roster has nine stallions and our broodmare band is at eleven. We don't have any completely retired horses right now.
Isabelle: Will you tell me a little about the staff here in general, is it more of a serious place to work, or does everybody sort of act up and play all the time?
MM: -small laugh- I'm not going to lie, I'd love for our group to be a little more serious at times. Naos' cousin, Halexia, is one of our jockeys and exercise riders and she keeps everyone from taking anything too seriously. I can't really complain, though, since the job gets done and we get results. My son is the assistant trainer, and his group mostly consists of Hal and Mae Suhail's brother, Tigris. The three of them have known each other for a long time, so it's a pretty friendly atmosphere for the most part.
Isabelle: What would you consider the greatest assets of VS in terms of staff, training, facilities and general operations, not including the horses?
MM: Our breeding manager, Larsa Entlier, is some sort of genius and some sort of idiot. No, I'm sorry, that's not polite of me. Don't get me wrong, I really like him, it just seems sometimes that his common sense was traded in for shrewd business dealing and a great eye for a match. He's probably the unrewarded backbone. My son, Minske, has been a great asset for me as well since he's taken over the training of the youngstock so I can focus on the racing horses.
Isabelle: What makes you passionate about VS, what keeps you here year after year? What drives you in your career and how does VS support that?
MM: Honestly, I've had other offers, but I can't really think of anything that would make me leave this place other than being fired. I have the power here to run the farm pretty much as I see fit. The Suhails give me rein as far as sales and acquisitions and let me make the decisions I want as far as the horses. That level of trust works both ways, and I would really do anything for them.
Isabelle: That's wonderful. Has VS won any stable awards? Do you have any HOF or BHOF horses residing with you? If so, where they ones you campaigned or did you acquire them once their status was already established?
MM: We won Most Improved Stable in Year 13 and the Stable Face-Off in Year 14. We don't have any Hall of Famers as of yet, though we have our eye on nominating some horses in the future, namely Trust Limits for the Breeding Hall of Fame.
Isabelle: I'd love to get a tour of the stables now, would you be willing to take me through the older racehorse barn first? Tell me about your stars, the ones who will be going to breeding in the next year or so. Which should be watched in particular and why?
MM: Sure, sure. Mind you keep your fingers away from Chiquato or he's likely to take them off. Really we've had a couple of horses doing well in the upper levels this year. Sweet Inferno's a lease from Stride of Perfection and she's been a pretty dominant force. Ode To Glory and Mourning Passion have been holding their own as well, though they've been a bit overshadowed of late.
Isabelle: -follows closely behind but gives cookies to noses behind back as she continues down the row-
MM: We have a few others that have done fairly well, but I think our biggest dark horse could be Beautiful Liar. She's begun to make a mark in the filly and mare turf HOTYs and I think she's going to be a very good competitor at the end of the year.
Isabelle: -squeaks as Beautiful Liar gives her a nip in the back pocket where the contraband cookies are hidden-
MM: Amarillo Sky was the horse we retired mid-season, but the rest will likely finish out the year. We haven't completely decided who's staying on next year and who's retiring, but we may see as many as half of the horses staying on. Most likely it'll only be a handful, though, with the number of horses we have coming up from their classic year.
Isabelle: -refills back pockets secretly before starting down next row- Now for the three year olds, do you have a favorite for this year? I personally have a little soft spot for Shenanigans. I'd love some sneak peak tid-bits about her if you're willing to dish.
MM: Yeah, Shanna's definitely proven herself to be something special. Actually, when we first got her from Intrepid, we thought she might follow in her sire's footsteps and be retired before she could really even race. She was a headcase at best. Absolutely neurotic. Tigris and Minske spent a ton of extra time with her though, and they eventually worked her quirks out enough to make a decent racehorse out of her.
Isabelle: -gives Shanna secret cookie- -hair blows and eyes go wide as Shanna lets out a huge neigh right at the side of face- -whispers- Well then fine . . . two cookies for you . . . -feeds secret second cookie and scoots to next stall-
MM: If she's handled just right, she acts like any other horse her age. And honestly, she's done better since the CTC finished than we could have hoped. She's really shaping up to be a dominant Distaff competitor. One of my other favorites is Passionate God, especially now that we've gotten him on the right surface. We see a lot of Mourn in him, and we really think he'll make a nice turn-around for next year. He's a nice colt.
Isabelle: What are your juveniles up to? Any threats for some of the triple crowns next season? I see you recently took Luminous Wave back, how is she doing since I sold her to you?
MM: I think this year's juvenile crop is the strongest we've had. Luminous Wave has adjusted pretty well, though I do think she's going to be more of the late-blooming sort. Not that she's doing bad now, but I wouldn't place her with the top juveniles at the moment. I think she'll be a major threat for the sprinting tiaras next year.
Isabelle: -attempts to stay on feet while being used as a scratching post by Lumi who obviously knows all the secret treat hiding places-
MM: Other than her, we have some incredibly well-performing horses in Optical Illusion, Aphrodite's Chant, and Santana's Legend, all who have won multiple HOTY races and are consistently running in that company. We've also had some of the first G3 juveniles in the year in Optical Illusion, Sweet Mimosa, and Wyvern.
Isabelle: -is slowly transforming into some odd horse hair and froth covered creature- -rethinks the whole back pocket treats right next to my behind hiding place as it becomes too late to change original tactic- Can you select a favorite yearling and weanling to bring into the spotlight-I know how hard that can be to choose!
MM: Yeah, it definitely isn't an easy thing. For me, since I don't pay a whole lot of attention to pedigree, I have to look at how they're progressing. That said, it's a coincidence that one of our best-bred is one of my favorites as well. Wings of Jayde is probably my favorite yearling, especially given that she's maturing very well. We've got some very promising weanlings, but my favorite would probably be Chetory. I don't work with them a lot, but if she's anything like Sweet Mimosa, she's going to be a gem to work with.
Isabelle: -speaking of, Chetory gets loose and digs nose into back pocket gobbling up cookies- -still makes weak attempt to hide not so perfect hiding place for horse cookies- How is your breeding stock filling out over the years, what would you consider to be your foundation VS lines that others might look to for future reserves? -extricates self from Chetory and makes grand decision to use front pockets for cookies during breeding barn visit-
MM: We've got an interesting blend of lines, and probably have a pretty good corner on turf sprinting stallions and original lines. We're getting a pretty big boost to our stallion string after this year's retirement. Our foundation is likely to be based off of All To Glory and Pyrotechnics on the stallion side and Feline Frenzy, Native Harlot, and Castle Siege on the mare side. Lots of original lines and successful ones to help us to establish a unique edge. That's what Larsa tells me, anyway. Most of our horses are open for reserves, and we're definitely pretty open with them. Our foundations are going to be more difficult to get foals from, but offspring of those horses are generally open to the public. Plus all of the non-foundation horses, and we love getting them attention.
Isabelle: I shall be eager to expand my bloodlines as the years pass with some VS stock. -climbs on top of a hale bale pile as Chetory is loose again and is following her around trying to get more cookies- Is there a certain special horse around here that perhaps hasn't won major races or bred exceptional foals necessarily, but holds a special place for you or VS? -scoots down and around as a groom nabs Chetory-
MM: That would probably be Fifty in Front. We got him unraced as a two-year-old back when the farm first opened, and he's been with us nearly his entire career. He's kind of symbolic of my journey as a trainer, and of the kind of horses I have always enjoyed training. Finn's just a hardworking, grinder of a horse, with no lines to speak of but enough heart to make up for it.
Isabelle: Please let us know which horse has made the greatest contribution to VS and why. -discovers she no longer has back pockets and wonders where they could have gotten to . . . -
MM: That's a hard one, but I'd have to say that Dare To Impress really put us on the map as far as being a quality racing stable. Of course she had the lines to be great, but when she came to us she'd done very little as a two-year-old and we were able to turn her into the winner of two legs of the turf triple crown. For us, still within our first year of existence, that was a really big deal. Of course, Mourning Passion and National Treasure were also part of that same scenario. It was just a very good classic year for us in Y14.
Isabelle: Which horse are you personally the most proud of, and why?
MM: Bowen Arrow and Grey's Wisdom have come on leaps and bounds this year, and to have them both be HOTY winners and competitors is indescribable for me. I never could have seen them getting to the level that they're at now.
Isabelle: What are the plans for the rest of this racing season, any special campaigns or horses being retired before the end of the year?
MM: Not anything particularly special, really. We take things as they come, and the horses tend to tell us where they want to be. Beautiful Liar is going to continue campaigning to the Filly and Mare Turf, and Aphrodite's Chant and Santana's Legend are going to keep going in the Youth Challenge and Turf Challenge respectively. We have an idea of who our Breeders' Cup competitors are going to be, but things can change in the next few months.
Isabelle: -still attempts to evade the ever escaping Chetory- -whisper hisses to him that she doesn't have any more cookies despite what he may want- As a longer standing stable around GHF/TW, do you have any suggestions or advice for those older than you, those who are your peers, and those up and coming stables who are just getting into the business? -Chetory is wrangled once more-
MM: Anyone who's been around longer than us has a pretty good handle, in my opinion. To new stables, my advice is not to overstretch your horses. Look at them critically and really think about where their niche is. Experiment, of course, but if things aren't going the way you'd like, it's best not to force the issue. Not every horse is cut out to be the best of the best, and you can't shape them into something they're not. Also, always keep asking questions - we're a fairly open industry. Of course, we all have our secret formulas that we'll keep to ourselves -laughs-
Isabelle: Like Chetory here -is now being licked with rough horse tongue all over by Chetory trying to grasp any last speck of cookie crumbs-, he'll have a secret formula I'm sure . . . -whispers to self: like a bottle of soft cookie dough- Which stable do you admire the most, and why? Do you have any particular business friends that have inspired you or lifelong friendships that have supported you?
MM: That's a hard one, but we've got a very good working relationship with Intrepid Racing and their breeding division. Stride of Perfection and Witch Creek have also been very good to us as far as sales and acquisitions, and many of our better-bred foals come from those three. Really, those are the farms that really got us up and moving in the beginning and continue to support us as we move on.
Isabelle: Do you have any closing remarks you'd like to say about yourself, your staff, the horses, or VS itself? -Chetory is finally extricated from her for good, but his loud cries from the barn are heard loud and clear expressing his disapproval at losing his new favorite treat-
MM: Just that we're grateful for all of the help and support we've had over the years, and that we look forward to doing the same for others down the road. Our breeding division, especially our stallions, are pretty open to the public and we'll rarely turn down a request for breeding. And thanks to you and the readers for giving me the opportunity to share.
Isabelle: Well Mr. Mavecci, I sincerely thank you again for allowing me this exclusive access to VS. It was so exciting to hear about everything you have done, are doing, and secrets in the works. I can't wait to see what you do with little Chetory there . . . -big smile- I'm sure he'll be quite the interesting one. Great to know you are one of the newer up and coming breeding stables out there, everyone will need to take a close look at your stock next chance they get for some new crosses. Best of luck with the end of the year races, and for next season!
