From the start, Chris Baker sought to turn into the very best all-around horseman he may very well be within the Thoroughbred trade. He wished to grasp not solely breeding and gross sales but additionally totally perceive the racetrack so he might comprehend what was requested of the athlete on the sport’s highest degree. In his 40-plus years of working within the trade, from the coast of California to the hills of New Zealand, Baker encapsulates his expertise into his personal enterprise enterprise, Baker Thoroughbred Advisory. After spending the final 11 years because the COO of Three Chimneys Farm, Baker welcomes the chance to additional share his equine experience with the world by means of his advisory agency.

Baker speaks with BloodHorse about his new enterprise, his tenure at Three Chimneys Farm, and the way his multitude of experiences within the trade have made him the horseman he’s at this time.

BloodHorse: Are you able to speak about your new enterprise? What are the completely different companies you’ll supply to shoppers at Baker Thoroughbred Advisory?

Chris Baker: I am providing recommendation in all features I’ve expertise in—breeding, racing, and gross sales. Those that I can see being are those that are new to the enterprise and need to construct a program or established individuals who need to enhance their program to get higher outcomes. Whether or not they need to purchase a farm and set it up for themselves or board at a farm in addition to purchase the correct mares, breeding these mares to the correct stallions, get the very best practices in place to boost their horses to satisfy their targets. Whether or not that is as a industrial breeder or a breed-to-race operation after which comply with that by means of to the correct pre-trainers and proper trainers, geared to show pedigrees and practices on the racetrack and return these confirmed performers to their bloodstock base that simply will get higher and higher over time. All very client-centric and client-specific based mostly on the wants of the consumer in regard to their targets, the dimensions they’re snug with, and their finances. I can help with the budgeting course of.

I am going to present them with recommendation based mostly on the experiences I’ve had, which is 40 years within the trade at a excessive degree. I used to be concerned within the coaching and racing a part of the trade for 10 to 12 years after which spent the final 25-plus years concerned in farm administration. So I might like to make use of that have to assist information and advise folks to succeed in their targets.

BH: What made you resolve to take that leap to begin your individual enterprise?

CB: I am at a profession stage and a life stage the place I very a lot need to preserve working and do significant issues with good folks within the enterprise and function on the excessive degree as I’ve. However I need to do it in a manner the place I’ve just a little extra freedom in using my time. That work that I’ve loved through the years that usually hasn’t felt like work, managing 50 to 60 staff, 1000’s of horses, and acres of land, there is a big-time dedication to managing a big breeding farm. I simply need to have extra management of my time at this stage in my profession. 

BH: You have been at Three Chimneys for a very long time (11 years). What are you able to say reflecting in your tenure at Three Chimneys? What are a few of your achievements there that you simply’re most happy with?

CB: Three Chimneys was an awesome 11 years. We have been in a position to accomplish so many nice issues with the crew there, Gun Runner being the head of it. Being concerned with him throughout his profession as a champion racehorse and now a high sire is clearly the high-water mark for that, however we additionally had loads of grade 1 winners and champion-caliber horses like Carina Mia, Guarana, Unstable, and now homebred Gun Pilot getting his grade 1 this yr. Marvel Wheel was a champion 2-year-old we bred and bought as a yearling. Early Voting was a basic winner from Gun Runner’s first crop.

There are a lot of, many issues to mirror on there, however I believe in all probability what was most satisfying was working with the Torrealba household to mould and form Three Chimneys from what had been a service mannequin for the Clays to an fairness mannequin for the Torrealbas. Being part of that course of was very difficult however very rewarding to get proper. Being a part of that profitable transformation was extremely satisfying. And all these horses I named have been the results of that profitable transformation.

BH: And now you’ll have Three Chimneys as your first consumer. What does that imply to you?

CB: I am very glad to have Three Chimneys as my first consumer. Taking over an advisory position for them exhibits how our relationship has modified however stays excellent and optimistic. I admire their assist in my new profession path as a lot as I did once I was their full-time worker.

BH: You’ve got had a mess of various experiences within the horse racing trade in number of capacities. How have these experiences formed the horseman that you’re at this time?

CB: Again to the start, as a younger man born and raised in Washington, D.C., I had a grandfather who had a beef cattle farm in Southern Maryland. My father had an awesome curiosity in horses that developed into an curiosity in Thoroughbreds which is one thing I used to be uncovered to at 8 or 9 years outdated. So Thoroughbreds turned one thing of curiosity to me early in life. Once I graduated from the College of Maryland in 1986 I went to work at Lane’s Finish Farm for 3 years, from ’86 to ’89. After which I went abroad to New Zealand, Australia, and England, all working in racing there. Once I got here again to the States in ’90-91 I used to be very racing-focused and spent six years in Southern California on the racetrack. I spent a yr as an assistant to Neil Drysdale after which 4 years as an assistant to Richard Mandella earlier than coaching by myself and shifting out to Kentucky in ’97.

I used to be very lucky on the racetrack. I used to be in Drysdale’s barn when he had A.P. Indy as a 2-year-old when he broke his maiden earlier than he went on to win the Hollywood Futurity after which went on to his 3-year-old championship yr. I went to work for Mandella at a time after we had Kotashaan and Cellphone Chatter within the barn. We simply had a protracted checklist of good horses throughout my time there—from Dare and Go, Sandpit, Siphon, Gentleman, Soul of the Matter, and Afternoon Deelites.

It was great expertise for me. I very deliberately sought out the racetrack as a result of I felt to be as full as potential as a horseman I wanted to grasp the breeding aspect, perceive gross sales, and perceive racing. I felt being snug in all features and being literate in all features of the trade was the easiest way for me to problem myself and turn into the very best horseman I may very well be.

BH: Because you spent a good period of time on the racetrack, what in the end drew you again to the breeding aspect of the enterprise?

CB: Coaching by myself was going OK, however then I met my spouse and shortly after we had a daughter. I did not assume it was the easiest way for me to assist a household at that stage economically, in addition to the nomadic nature of it. So in 1999 I returned to farm administration—first at Vinery Stud when it was acquired by Tom Simon. Then I acquired recruited to Ned Evans’ Spring Hill operation in Virginia and I used to be there till the tip of 2011. Sadly, he handed away (in 2010) and we needed to have that dispersal. From there, I spent two years as common supervisor at WinStar earlier than going to Three Chimneys for 11 years.

My expertise on the racetrack made me a significantly better farm supervisor and significantly better at serving to breeders attain their targets as a result of I had a greater understanding of the athlete and what was requested of that athlete on the excessive degree on the racetrack. Mr. Evans was primarily breed to race however we did promote half the yearling crop yearly. That have was nice for me as a result of the breeding and racing have been so interconnected there. We stood stallions in Kentucky. It was a 360-degree enterprise mannequin within the trade.

For me, beginning at Lane’s Finish and seeing the enterprise straight out of school at a excessive degree, I simply all the time tried to place myself with folks that have been profitable that I might be taught from and turn into a greater horseman alongside the way in which.

Each principal I’ve labored for within the enterprise, from my father to Richard Mandella to Mr. Evans to Mr. Torrealba, has been an awesome alternative for me to be taught—to adapt, and mould my abilities to assist the principal attain their targets. What I will do as Thoroughbred Advisory is de facto an extension of doing that as a sole proprietor.