for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com JUNE 6, 2013 • The queens Courier 35 ▶belmont stakes Westbury stable at Belmont started out small Horse racing has been called the king of sports, but not if you are a partner with the Drawing Away Stable (DAS). In late 2007, it was still a dream of Robert Markus and Ed Boden. They had one horse named Grey Number Five, a $35,000 claimer who never won for them. The owners reached out to a trainer, David Jacobson, to help them get back in the business. It did not take long to train a winning a horse, though Markus could not recall its name. Now the duo has more than 140 winners states, Boden said with pride. This is a major part of the “claiming game” DAS plays. The stable buys, or “claims” horses from other stables sells off horses in return. Horses come and go. New horses are greeted with carrots at the barn. Today, DAS has 49 horses and four top owners. DAS took on Sandy“Gov” Levine, who scouts for new talent, and Robert Hachmeister, who is a smart business partner. DAS, which started out with twenty smaller partners, now has about 100 partners. Markus said whether “you can own one horse, or twenty horses, you are in the family.” Sometimes this is a problem for a track photographer, who will have to tell the group he does not have a wide enough lens to get everyone in the winners’circle picture. “It’s a big love fest” Markus said. “Not in your wildest dreams,” he added. “I would never believe this. A horse called Saginaw who DAS claimed for $30,000 has earned the stable over $600,000. It was also named New York State Breed of the Year. This was a simple thing, Markus told me. Trainer David Jacobson, who Markus called “a great horsemen and conditioner,” knew a good one when he saw Saignaw. All he did was make a couple of equipment changes and boom. Saignaw did not let his following down on Showcase Day at Belmont. The horse muscled his way out to bring the trophy home in the Affirmed Stakes. Saignaw also added another $60,000 to his already large lifetime earnings. DAS took borrowed its blue and orange colors from the Mets. The stable’s crew was overjoyed at last week’s sweep of the Yankees. DAS has partners from all walks of life – blue collar workers, Photo courtesy NYRA grandmothers and major horse players. We started this partnership for the love of the game and no one expects to make a million dollars,” DAS said. The team likes having fun and using the racetrack as a gathering place. If interested in becoming a member, you will find the Drawing Away Stable on Belmont Stakes day at the track. – Michael Lipack
QC06062013
To see the actual publication please follow the link above