Letter to the Editor: Stu Story #5

[Wandering Eyes]

“Robby, why don't we just take one?”

After a long delay sitting on a tarmac leaving Kentucky for the Timonium 2-year-old sale, Stuart Angus and I arrived to find an understaffed rental car counter, with a line that appeared to be hours long. He figured we could short-circuit the process by getting in a car and bluffing our way through the gate agent. It nearly worked; the agent's hand hovered over the button to raise the gate, before she said, “Oh, you need a rental agreement, not just a reservation.” Undeterred, as I sheepishly returned the car to where we found it, Stuart found a passing lot agent, put his arm around him, and practically dragged him to the preferred desk.

“My man Robby just needs a car. You can do it for us.”

Sure enough, we were soon on our way. It perfectly encapsulates Stuart: a little mischievous, but with the salesmanship to get any deal done.

What started out as a professional relationship, as Stuart was our account manager at Taylor Made, soon developed into something much deeper, as Stuart and I quickly bonded over our East Coast upbringings, interest in great food, and mostly importantly, a shared affection for good-natured ribbing. All of the mornings spent looking at horses at Watercress, shedrow observations at sales, and back-ring strategy sessions made me a better horseman, but it was the car rides, dinners on the road, and post-sale beers by the popcorn machine that made me a better man. I took every chance I could to introduce Stuart to my friends from outside of the thoroughbred business, who all were as captivated as I was. He became part of our family, joining us last Thanksgiving and serving as my daughter's emergency contact at school. He was a larger-than-life figure, one of those guys that whatever story you heard about him, you just assumed it was true.

On that same Maryland trip, I got to see Stuart not in his traditional Taylor Made role, but as a civilian. Walking around the sale grounds, it felt like I was with royalty. Pinhookers, agents, and barn staff alike, all were thrilled to see Stuart. It was because he had a way of making everyone feel like the most important person in the room when he talked with them. It's the same reason that his passing has not just affected those of us closest to him, but our spouses, children, and friends outside the business.

I am going to try to hold on to that piece of Stuart the most, especially when having a beer by the popcorn machine.

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