TDN Weekend December 2016 Issue 9
Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/816510
a little more than four years, I've heard a lot. And I'm learning a lot. I've found out that a lot of people, they just don't care beyond looking at the money. So that makes me even more want to find people to work with that are like us—we love our animals. Then we can be suc- cessful together. If I make a mistake, and learn that I've found the wrong per- son—I cannot go through with [a trans- action]. Absolutely not—no way—if I think that someone involved with my business is not acting in the best inter- est of the horse. So I really watch who is working with and for us. Of course, ev- erybody wants to win. I think Bob wants to win. But Bob also wants the horse to be healthy. Bob wants the horse at its best." The conversation segues into the topic of Thoroughbred aftercare and retire- ment. The Chus have been generous sup- porters of a number of such programs, particularly Old Friends Farms, but Chu politely asks that her donations not be a focal point of this story. "I think it's my job. I want to do what I feel comfortable," she said. "Yes, we do lots of rescue. When I was in Taiwan, I did international animal rescue, smaller ani- mals. And when I came over here, I said, 'I must do something for the horse.' I have to do that. You cannot imagine how much your horse tries to win for you. You cannot always win—you can't. But you still have to understand how much the horse does for you." Chu expresses this support in ways that go beyond just writing checks. For exam- ple, in 2012, when she read that John Botty, a blue-collar New England-based trainer, had gone to great lengths to rescue a mare he once trained that had ended up at a Texas slaughter auction, Chu tracked him down just to tell him how much she admired his efforts. The two struck up a friendship that eventu- ally led to Chu sending several horses to Botty's stable at Suffolk Downs in Bos- ton. This gave Botty some new business and enabled the Chu family to be able to watch their horses compete closer to home without having to travel. "I really encourage people to go to a track close to their home, even if it's a smaller track like Suffolk Downs, just to get the feeling," Chu said. "We really try our best. We really feel we have to be "When I came over here, I said, 'I must do something for the horse.' I have to do that. You cannot imagine how much your horse tries to win for you."