Southern Equine Stables LLC

2009 Record: (251-45-33-23)

2009 Earnings: $1,822,682

2009 Win %: 17% In-The-Money %: 40%

Owner(s): Michael Moreno
Born: July 25, 1968
Residence: Moved to Houston, Texas, in mid-2007 from Lafayette, La.
Family: wife, Tiffany; and daughter, Gabrielle (Elle)
Education: Holds a M.B.A. from University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Professional Background: Dynamic Industries, Inc. [dii], which was founded in 1985 as an offshore service company specializing in interconnecting piping fabrication, associated pipe installation-commissioning and offshore maintenance services ... In 1998, dii was purchased by current CEO, Mike Moreno ... Under his leadership dii has transformed itself into a full-service construction company sharing the same core values of safety and quality as its customers
Web site: www.dynamicind.com
Racing Background: When Moreno was owed money from a business dealing, the man paid him with three 2-year-old Thoroughbreds purchased at a sale in Ocala, Fla. All three horses were sent to trainer Eric Guillot, who he had met through a mutual friend at a housewarming party, and won ... His fourth horse, which he owned in partnership with Guillot and Brian Cain, was Show Me the Stage, the winner of 13 stakes with earnings of $679,059. "I got hooked right away having a classy filly like her," Moreno said.
Breeding/Racing Operation: Owner Michael Moreno partnered with Guillot in forming Southern Equine Stable LLC in the late 1990s. The pair started out a with a farm and training center in Sunset, La., that has grown to a couple of hundred acres. They’ve been active at 2-year-old sales, yearling and mixed sales, with many high-priced purchases. One of those was 2007 Breeders' Cup Juvenile ninth-place finisher Salute the Sarge, who cost $300,000 at the Barrett’s March 2-year-old select sale. As a freshman, Salute the Sarge won or placed in four graded stakes and set a Hollywood Park track-record of :58.29 for five furlongs in his debut. He stood his first season at stud in 2009 at John T.L. Jones III’s Walmac Farm near Lexington, and has shuttled to stand in Brazil over the winter. He is named after Nick Hines, Southern Equine’s Racing Manager. ... “This (2009) was a breakout year for us,” said Hines. “We won our first G1 with Santa Terisita on Valentine’s Day [the $300,000 Santa Maria Handicap at Santa Anita], and won the G1 Debutante with Mi Sueno [Sept. 5 at Del Mar]. She was our flagship horse this year, and was going to one of the favorites in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. But, she sustained an ankle fracture in a work in September. She’s retired, and as long as she’s healthy and sound, we can live with it. It really took the wind out of our sails though.” ... Southern Equine will run Champagne d’Oro in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. “It would have been nice to go into the Breeders’ Cup with a G1 winner big dog, but I’d rather be a longshot than have no shot,” said Hines. The daughter of Medaglia d’Oro out of the Saratoga Six mare Champagne Glow, a $210,000 yearling purchase, has a second and third [in the Cinderella S. June 11 at Hollywood] to her credit. She did break her maiden at Del Mar in August, but was disqualified for a steroid positive. ... Mike Smith, a friend and associate of Moreno’s, recently bought into Champagne D’Oro. “He’s a super nice guy,” said Hines. “He was in the business before, got out for awhile, and how he’s back in.” ... One of Southern Equine’s main goals is the acquisition of top shelf broodmares, which they’ve been adding to in recent years. They partnered with John Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms on several purchases, including Better Than Honour, the dam of Belmont Stakes (Gr. 1) winners Rags to Riches and Jazil. That partnership dissolved last November with the dispersal of their joint holdings. Better Than Honour then set a world record price of $14 million for a broodmare or broodmare prospect at the 2008 Fasig-Tipton November Sale when the partnership dissolved and Southern Equine purchased her. She is currently carrying a Street Cry filly. ... Maryfield, winner of the inaugural Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in 2007 and the inaugural female sprint Eclipse Award winner, was a $1,250,000 purchase at 2007’s Fasig-Tipton November select mixed sale. She produced her first foal, an A.P. Indy colt, this year. Southern Equine also purchased Irish Cherry for $2.7-milllion to top the opening session of the 2008 Keeneland January horses of all ages, the highest price at the Keeneland January sale since Desert Stormer, winner of the 1995 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), sold for $3.6-million in 2002. ... Southern Equine was the leading buyer by gross at that sale, spending $3,862,000 for 10 horses. They were sixth by gross in November, 2007, at Keeneland, with 10 head costing $5.625 million. They also were the leading buyer at the 2009 Keeneland January Sale, taking home eight horses costing $1.7 million. Giant’s Causeway daughter Almonsoon, at $950,000, was the top-priced mare of the group. “I love the game,” said Moreno. “I felt in order to be successful, we were going to have to play at the highest level. It’s extremely difficult to make money in this business, especially at the level where we were doing it.” ... Moreno said his goal is to acquire, or retire from the racing string, 30 high-end mares over the next few years. “We’ve certainly stepped up [our purchases] and we’re more than halfway there,” he said in 2008. “We started in that direction in 2006. Acquiring Better Than Honour has certainly given us a fighting chance. It’s been proven that to create sustainability, the breeding end is the way to go.” Hines said the broodmare band currently numbers 46, with “about half of them the higher-end. We’re getting close to the number we’re looking for in foundation mares,” he said. The operation also has 30 yearlings, all homebreds, 32 weanlings and 34 horses in training, with the majority at the Fair Grounds in Louisiana. ... Southern Equine last year purchased Parrish Hill Farm in Midway, Kentucky, and will make that facility their headquarters for the breeding end of the business. “We should be able to move the broodmares onto the farm by the end of the year,” said Hines.