Char-Mari Stable

2009 Record: (35-9-3-6)

2009 Earnings: $317,571

2009 Win %: 25% In-The-Money %: 51%

Owner(s): Marianne Hesse
Born: June 16, 1943 in Lakewood, N.J.
Residence: Leonardo, N.J.
Family: Children Lawrence and Laura ... husband Charles III passed away Nov. 13, 2006. Char-Mari is derived from the couples' first names
Professional Background: Charles Hesse had a long association with Monmouth Park. His father, Charles J. Hesse, constructed the racing surface at Monmouth Park in 1946 ... Hesse’s company also installed the new racing surface and parking lots during Monmouth’s renovation in 1978 ... Charles and Marianne were recipients of the Virgil “Buddy” Raines Distinguished Achievement Award in 2003, honoring them for their professionalism, integrity and service to New Jersey Racing ... Marianne is a former chairperson of the Monmouth Park Charity Ball ... She also is a partner in Double H Stable with Norma Hess, widow of former Monmouth Park and New York Jets owner Leon Hess ... The feature race of the New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival at Monmouth Park is named the Charles J. Hesse Handicap
Racing Background: Charles Hesse bought his first horse in 1972 ... Following the renovation of Monmouth Park, Char-Mari won the first stakes on the new dirt surface that Hesse's company installed when his homebred C.J.'s Boy triumphed in the 1979 Brookdale Handicap
Breeding/Racing Operation: Char-Mari has 41 horses under the care of trainers Jim Ryerson, Todd Pletcher and Jason Servis ... They have never had a Breeders’ Cup starter ... Park Avenue Ball, a graded stakes winner at 2, 3 and 4, most notably won the 2006 Philip H. Iselin at Monmouth Park ... Another of Char-Mari’s top horses was Storm Tower, winner of the Wood Memorial and Fountain of Youth in 1993 ... Other stakes winners include Navesink River, Special Mah, Feasibility Study, Twilight Time, Spin Zone, Selective and First Class Guy, winner of the 2005 New Jersey Futurity ... Marianne said that running in a Breeders’ Cup at Monmouth Park would be “bittersweet” without her late husband. “Charlie was looking forward to this,” she said. “It’s a wonderful thing that the Breeders’ Cup moves around and allows people to feel like it’s theirs. It’s like the Super Bowl. To showcase Monmouth Park is like dressing up your grandmother and showing her off.” ... Char-Mari has 12 broodmares, split between Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky and Greenfield Farm in Colts Neck, N.J. ... Were named the New Jersey Breeder of the Year in 2005, thanks to the success of homebreds Park Avenue Ball and First Class Guy ... Park Avenue Ball was named the New Jersey-bred Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old, and First Class Guy was voted the champion 2-year-old ... Park Avenue Ball’s dam Road to the Ball and granddam Miss Charity Ball, were both bred by Char-Mari ... “The (New Jersey) breeding program is very rewarding and relatively lucrative, look at Park Avenue Ball,” Marianne said. “Winning with any horse, whether you bought it or bred it, is wonderful, but it’s extra special if you bred it yourself.” ... Park Avenue Ball finished off the board in the Dirt Mile and has moved on to a new career as a stallion at Colonial Farm in Colts Neck, New Jersey.