Case Clay Joins TDN Writers’ Room Podcast

[Wandering Eyes]

After years as the COO of his family's Three Chimneys Farm, which was bought by the Borges Torrealba family in 2013, Case Clay was ready for a change. So in 2022 he moved full-time to his own business, Case Clay Thoroughbred Management Since then, he has also become the racing manager for Wathnan Racing, which is the Emir of Qatar's stable. On the racetrack, Wathnan is one of the fastest-growing racing operations in the world. Racing in the U.S. for less than two years, Wathnan has won the GI Dubai World Cup with Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) and the GI California Crown with Subsanador (Arg) (Fortify).

This week at the Keeneland September Sale, Clay has already purchased 19 yearlings representing a number of clients, including two Into Mischief colts, which both sold for $900,000, and a Flightline colt for $850,000. To discuss his new enterprises, the huge numbers coming out of Keeneland September and even his brief fling with trying to become a standup comic, Clay joined this week's TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland. He was the Gainesway Guest of the Week.

Clay believes that the robust numbers coming out of Keeneland are due to a number of factors-the huge purses in Kentucky and, in particular, Kentucky Downs, the new tax regulations which allow for 100% bonus depreciation and the overall amount of wealth in the U.S.

As the son of Robert Clay, he was exposed to racing at a very young age.

“My first foray into racing was when I was in the fourth grade,” Clay said. “My father was in the fertilizer business and the horse business at the time. He told me, 'I'm going to get out of the fertilizer business and do the horse business full time.' I told him that I thought that was a really bad idea, that he had a family to support. His first big horse was Slew o' Gold. Fortunately, it all worked out. We would go to New York and see him run and win races like the Marlboro Cup, the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Woodward. At that time, I thought, 'Well, this is easy.' You know, you just go up to New York, you watch them win and then you go to Wendy's on the way to the airport. The reason I'm bringing that up is I've always just really loved the racing part of it, even though that wasn't my day-to-day business and the family business at Three Chimneys. But what an absolute pleasure it is for me now that the racing part of it is part of my business.”

 

 

Wathnan represents deep pockets and the Emir has a desire to win at the highest level. What are the stable's goals?

“The idea from the beginning has been to try and buy horses that the Emir and his family would enjoy and be proud of,” Clay said. “That's what we're trying to do-what I'm trying to do in America and what Richard Brown is trying to do in Europe. And, of course, the goal in America is not only to buy horses that the Emir and his family would enjoy and be proud of, but to win the Kentucky Derby, just like everyone else out there at Keeneland right now. ”

Had things broken a little bit differently for Clay, he might be on Saturday Night Live right now. His then girlfriend, who is now his wife, took him to a Second City comedy show. When it was done Tina Fey came out on stage and said that they had a training center and invited him to take classes.

“That's what I wanted to do, get a day job and try to do the comedy at night,” he said.

His classmates included Seth Myers and Jason Sudeikis. He remains good friends with Myers. It didn't work out, but he has nothing but fond memories about that part of his life.

“I did love it and I wouldn't trade it for anything the world,” Clay said. “W.T. Young told me when I was 17, take a big risk before you're 30, because if it doesn't work out, you're still young enough and you can go do something else. I had that in my mind. I thought I'm going to take a risk and try this. I'll never kick myself for trying it. I made some great friends and it was a great adventure. I obviously was not funny enough because here I am in the horse business and I'm not in Hollywood or New York.”

The Fastest Horse of the Week was Bentornato (Valiant Minister), who got a 108 Beyer in his win in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes at Churchill Downs. The Fastest Horse of the Week segment is sponsored by WinStar.

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by 1/ST TV,  the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders' Association, the KTOB and West Point  Thoroughbreds, the team of Bill Finley, Zoe Cadman and Randy Moss reviewed the major races from last weekend and took a look ahead at Saturday's card at Parx, which includes the GI Pennsylvania Derby and the GI Cotillion S.  They also discussed the phenomenal year Paco Lopez, who leads the nation in wins, is having and whether or not he is an elite talent or someone who wins a lot of races only because he doesn't face off with the best jockeys in the sport on a daily basis.

To watch the Writers' Room, click here. To view the show as a podcast, click here.

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