TDN Weekend December 2016 Issue 9
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/947139
mile and an eighth. Trainer Jonathan Thomas had told Hertrich from the start the colt had significant talent. It has, he acknowledges, been a great ride and an interesting journey breeding, raising and racing horses. "We produce the dream. We sell the dream," he says. "We don't carry through with the dream because that's a different business. You can't be everything to everybody. I enjoy watch- ing the success of the horses we breed. I get as big a high out of that as I do owning a winning horse–as ridiculous as that may sound to a lot of people. In our little realm of the business we get excited about what we do. We get a lot of gratification from it and a lot of pleasure. We spend a lot of time and energy in trying to figure out what will work; what mare will work with what stallion and why. In the end, if we don't produce horses that win races we'll lose customers." Duncan Taylor, President of Taylor Made Farms, which con- signs Hertrich and Fielding's Thoroughbred horses, says Her- trich's success is based on seizing an opportunity without blowing a lot of money. "He's in the car business and I'm sure it's cyclical, too, accord- ing to the economy," Taylor says. "I'm sure he's learned from that. I'm sure Fred is like that in the horse business. When it's going down, he knows it will get back up and he's willing to invest when most people are going the other way." Fielding says the team has found a formula that is starting to produce quality results. It's been 15 years in the making, but he also points to his partner's work commitment. "We produce the dream. We sell the dream."