Q&A: Machowsky Talks Harris and September Fasig-Tipton Sales

[Wandering Eyes]

On Wednesday came the news that Fasig-Tipton will offer a digital auction, to run Aug. 14 through Aug. 19, of 90 horses owned and bred by the late John Harris, who passed away in July aged 81.

Harris leaves behind a towering legacy of Thoroughbred breeding and ownership in the state. The sale signifies a major reduction of Harris Farms' bloodstock and not a total dispersal, however, with the operation expected to continue with a smaller footprint going forward.

Harris's reduction sale will take place just over a month before Fasig-Tipton's annual yearling sale, at Pomona, on Sept. 23. Given the seismic shifts over the past 12 months that has seen racing in the state consolidated in the South, this sale constitutes an important barometer of industry health.

To discuss these developments, the TDN spoke with Mike Machowsky, Fasig-Tipton's California representative, a position he has held since 2019 after handing back his trainer's license. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.

TDN: Before we dig in, tell us a little about your personal history with John Harris.

MM: I met John Harris many years ago when I was just starting training. I never had the opportunity to train for him or anything like that, but I just have so much respect for what he did for so long, the way he raised a horse, and how he just loved the game. And he took care of people. I have a lot of respect for that.

Mike Machowsky | Fasig-Tipton

TDN: The Harris auction includes 26 2-year-olds, 13 3-year-olds and two 4-year-olds. Quite a few of the mares sell with foals at their side. What more can you tell us about the horses on offer?

MM: I think everybody has to take a look. John always raised a good horse, had some nice mares and everything else involved with his operation.

He has a couple mares that are in Kentucky that are in foal, and he has a couple that are in training in Kentucky as well. He is going to be selling some mares with foals by their side, and those mares are back in foal, too. So, I think a lot of our breeders need to be looking at that, should be looking at that, because there's an opportunity to pick up some nice mares and babies.

His [200-acre plus] Kings River Ranch is, as you know, outside of Fresno. The Kings River runs directly through or basically behind it and has these beautiful paddocks, plenty of water, a lot of trees. That's where he raises his foals and yearlings—it's just beautiful.

TDN: What can you tell us about the restructuring going on at Harris Farms?

MM: I think, you know, John wanted to keep his name going and horse racing going for many more years, as far as what I've been told. And that's great. John loved the horse racing and breeding. He was very supportive of a lot of people throughout the whole state, Northern and Southern California. They just want to have more of a manageable number.

TDN: The loss of John Harris—at such a critical juncture for California racing—has obviously rattled a lot of stakeholders both personally and professionally. How do you frame the loss of such a stalwart of California breeding against the backdrop of the industry's broader issues?

MM: He was an icon for California racing. He has bred a lot of great horses through the years and he has created a lot of good things for racing. He's going to be a tough person to replace, but hopefully, we get others that come in with the same passion that John had, support the California breeding program and racing program.

You know, we still have plenty of top breeders out here in California, and top people involved.

TDN: The September sale is a critical sale for California racing for all sorts of well documented reasons. What can you tell us about this year's consignment?

MM: It's a solid group of horses. I've seen quite a few of them at the farms through the past few months. A lot of the Kentucky-sired Cal-breds as well as the good sires in California are being represented in sale.

We're just looking for strong support of our sale. For guys that enjoy racing in California, it's a very important thing to have a good quality Cal-bred in your barn.

TDN: Talking of which, it's been a good run for Cal-breds at Del Mar this summer.

MM: Yeah—just look at the results.

We've had a Cal-bred [Kantharos filly, Pushiness], owned by Mike Repole—he's supported our sale out here for the last few years—go and win the Daisycutter Handicap.

Then came the GI Bing Crosby winner, Lovesick Blues. He's another Cal-bred [by Grazen].

There's the filly Bit's Tiger Magic [Smiling Tiger]. She's won four in a row, gone through her conditions on both dirt and turf. In just five starts, she's made $180,000. [Bit's Tiger Magic cost $30,000 at the 2022 September sale].

All of this emphasizes why owning a Cal-bred is so important.

TDN: For as long as you've been doing this job (including just a moment ago), you've emphasized how important it is that local support of the sale is strong.

MM: Yeah, it's always important. We need local support in any sale we put on throughout the country, and national support. being with Fasig-Tipton we're fortunate—we've created over the years a great clientele that support our sales. And, you know, we're always looking to grow on that.

Over the years, look at the great Cal-breds that have come out of the state, from Tiznow to California Chrome. Just come out and support it and hopefully you get the next Tiznow.

TDN: You raised the idea recently of a Western regional breeding program, covering many of the states in the West and South West. Have you had any discussions about that since?

MM: Nothing seriously. The guys I have approached and mentioned it to, they liked the idea. It's something we'd need to talk about.

As I'm passing out the yearling catalogues—which'll be coming up here pretty soon—I'll make sure I contact our clients in New Mexico and Arizona, Washington and others. Try to get them down here to the sale, maybe get together and sit down and figure something out to help the whole industry out on the West Coast.

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