TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
An early-morning visit to the barn at Churchill Downs provides an opportunity for friends and family to meet the Legion Bloodstock team and their trainer, Whit Beckman.
After being told how “lucky” he was to have a horse in the derby, Alan describes the seven “lucky breaks” that led him from an occasional spectator at Oaklawn Hot Springs to owning a derby starter... 1. Meeting Bess Sanders and Kelly Lassiter in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Once we mentioned we wanted to get involved at Oaklawn, they set us up with box seats and started introducing us to their friends at the track. They introduced me to jockey Terry Thompson, who recommended our trainer if we wanted to buy a horse. 2. Having David Vance be our trainer and Lynn Vance as our guide to ownership of horses. They showed us how much fun it was to own a winning horse and led us through the ins and outs of ownership. 3. Meeting my friend, Gary Elmore, who told me to talk to Kyle Zorn about getting a “Saturday” horse. If Gary hadn’t told me his name, I never would have noticed his name tag at the Saratoga auction. 4. Meeting Kyle Zorn. He was most gracious to meet two strangers from Arkansas for lunch and start explaining the many different avenues of horse ownership.
is beyond my comprehension. It bothers me that anyone would think their ability to buy good horses at decent prices is luck. They have all spent many years learning to spot a potentially good horse and that ability should be recognized. 6. Luckily, Kyle Zorn, Travis Durr, and Kristian Villante knew Whit Beckman and recognized his ability and chose him as a trainer for our horse, Honor Marie. I don’t think any other trainer would have taken that horse and given him a chance to be great. 7. I am so lucky to have Kerry as a partner in life and this horse-owning adventure. Not many people have a wife who will plan a trip around lunch with some “horse guy” in Lexington or vacation to a four-day horse auction and spend hours each day watching the guys look at horses. Having someone to share the highs and lows of this business is a priceless gift. I think that if I gave her perfume that smelled like old hay and fresh manure, she would tell me she loves it. She has made this adventure so much more enjoyable than it could ever have been alone. Looking back on these lucky breaks, next time someone tells me how lucky I am to have had a horse in the derby, I’ll just smile and say, “Yes, I Am.”
5. Lucky for me, Kyle was a partner of Travis Durr and Kristian Villante. Their expertise with horses
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