Jackson Family Wines’ Banke back with another Derby entry
Good Magic won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to earn the Eclipse Award as the nation’s champion 2-year-old of 2017, and comes into Saturday’s Kentucky Derby off of a victory in the Blue Grass Stakes.
Yet he is almost an afterthought at 12-1 in the morning line for the Run for the Roses as Justify (3-1), Mendelssohn (5-1), Magnum Moon (6-1), Audible (8-1) and Bolt d’Oro (8-1) command the prerace attention.
“I think that’s fine,” said Barbara Banke, whose Stonestreet Stables owns Good Magic in partnership with Bob and Kristine Edwards’ e Five Racing Thoroughbreds. “I don’t like going into a race 1-9. It’s not like it’s an insurmountable challenge. It’s going to be tough to win, but the accomplishment will be greater if we do.”
In addition to leading Stonestreet Stables, Banke also is the chairwoman of Jackson Family Wines. Jess Jackson, Banke’s late husband who died in 2011, founded both enterprises and she has overseen their expansion.
“My husband started it and he was like a rocket, tried to get to the top as fast as he could,” Banke said. “We started having good stakes winners in 2005, had Curlin in 2007-08 and Rachel Alexandra in 2009. I’ve tried to continue to do that.”
Curlin, a two-time Horse of the Year, is the sire of Good Magic as well as fellow Derby entrants Vino Rosso and Solomini.
Jackson Family Wines has grown exponentially to include boutique brands like Cardinale, Lokoya, Verite, Hartford and Anakita. Stonestreet Stables, located in Lexington, Ky., has become one of America’s top thoroughbred breeding and racing operations.
“Horses are probably 25 percent of my time and wine 75 percent,” Banke said. “Or maybe 80 for wine and 40 for horses because I don’t have enough time. I have great people who work for me, great people who make it easier.
“On horses, we’re trying to be at the top end of the business to breed Breeders’ Cup winners and Derby winners. Wine is just a pleasure to deal with the talent and vineyards we have, see what we can accomplish year after year.”
After Stonestreet-bred Good Magic, the colt was placed in a sale, and the Edwards paid $1 million for him as a yearling in 2016. Stonestreet then bought back half interest.
“I take all my colts to the sale and I like to stay in with some of the great colts,” Banke said. “Sometimes it’s good to have a partner, and I’ve had great partners. I’ve tried to race really good, well-bred fillies and make them into Grade 1 winners and also add to our broodmare barn.”
Banke divides her many horses among some of the nation’s best trainers, including Chad Brown (who has Good Magic), Todd Pletcher, Mark Casse, Steve Asmussen, Wesley Ward and Jerry Hollendorfer.
“Some of the trainers really are specialized, and we try to fit the horses’ style and stage of development to the trainer,” Banke said.
Among the Stonestreet horses Hollendorfer has trained are Grade 1 winner Tara’s Tango and Grade 2 runner-up Colonist.
“She is very responsive,” Hollendorfer said of Banke. “All the trainers feel like they can call her and talk about anything. She’s very talented and also very good to the folks who work for her.”
Good Magic finished second in his first two starts before winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but his stock dropped when he finished a dull third as the 7-10 favorite in the Fountain of Youth Stakes in his 3-year-old debut. Trainer Brown has been impressed with him since his workmanlike win in the Blue Grass Stakes.
“I’ve never seen the horse doing better,” Brown said. “He got a little behind this winter and was not at his best. He’s moving so well now and he wasn’t then.”
Said Banke: “There are some great goals out there yet to conquer and the Derby is one of them.”