North Haven racehorse owners have busy week despite no horse in Kentucky Derby
NORTH HAVEN — Businessman Ralph Durante and attorney John Buckley, local racehorse owners from North Haven who formed the DuranteBuckley Stable over 20 years ago, are in their fifth year as partners in the Donegal Racing syndicate.
Through the partnership, Durante and Buckley have owned a percentage of horses that Donegal Racing has entered in Triple Crown events, the Breeders’ Cup and high-profile stakes races at Saratoga each summer. The highlight at this point for Durante and Buckley was owning a percentage of Keen Ice, who competed in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes in 2015. Keen Ice finished third in the Belmont and went on to defeat Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga.
While Buckley and Durante won’t have a horse in the 2019 Kentucky Derby on Saturday, through Donegal Racing they own horses competing in high-profile races in the next eight days.
On Thursday, 4-1 favorite Ballagh Rocks competed in the 1-mile turf race Opening Verse Stakes at Churchill Downs, the site of the Kentucky Derby, and finished third.
On Friday, 3-year-old Green Fleet will compete in a maiden special weight race going 1 1/16 miles on the turf and 3-year-old Tony Small is being considered for a maiden special weight race at 1 1/8 miles on the dirt.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a horse in the Kentucky Derby this year,” Durante said. “Arklow was the horse we wanted to run at Churchill Downs (on Kentucky Derby day). But the race we were considering was only a mile and we need more (longer race) for that horse. So we will look at entering Arklow next Saturday at Belmont (May 11) in the $700,000 Man O’War going a mile and three eighths.
“For five years it’s been a great experience for me and John being involved with Donegal Racing. Previously we focused on owning claiming horses with our stable. But with Donegal Racing we’re competing at a higher level and the result has been a lot of great memories with Keen Ice the highlight so far.”