Martin Stables South

Owner(s): Eddie Martin
Born: November 19, 1957 in Indianapolis, Ind.
Residence: Martin Stables South in Reddick, Fla.
Family: wife, Becky; children Samuel and Will
Education: Graduated from Indiana University in 1980
Professional Background: Served as chief executive officer of Martin Automotive Group, a collection of car dealerships in Indianapolis, before selling his interest to family members in 2003
Web site: www.martinstables.com
Racing Background: First became interested in horses at age 16 while visiting his girlfriend at the calvary barns at Indianapolis' Ft. Benjamin Harrison ... In order to visit with her, he had to muck stalls and hotwalk horses ... A few months later he watched Secretariat's sweep of the 1973 Triple Crown and decided he wanted to be more involved with racehorses someday
Racing Career: Started racing in 1979 with modest success ... Went into breeding not long after that, acknowledging that "breeding helped me pay for my racing habit."
Breeding/Racing Operation: Began as a small breeder in Indiana and had some success with what usually turned out to be four foals per year ... Bought his first Florida farm near Ocala in 1989 and ran it until 1995 when he returned to Indiana full-time to tend to the family business ... Was named TOBA's Indiana Breeder of the Year for 1994 ... Also served on the Indiana Horse Racing Commission, was chairman of the Indiana Thoroughbred Development Fund and Indiana Horse Racing and Breeding Coalition ... Developed the Indiana-bred program ... In 2003, with his goal of proving a stallion fresh in his mind, he bought Marablue Farm in Reddick, Fla., and began Martin Stables South in earnest ... He has 74 broodmares of his own and stands four stallions – Spanish Steps, 2002 Belmont Stakes winner Sarava, The Daddy and Conscience Clear – on his full-service farm ... His goal is to prove the stallion Spanish Steps, a full brother to major sire Unbridled's Song ... Spanish Steps was unraced, but Martin is treating that as the same kind of challenge that faced spectacular sires Danzig and Fairy King, who had brilliant pedigrees but only three races between them ... He took a major step toward that goal on August 22, 2007 when a son of Spanish Steps was the second highest-priced colt for that day's session during the Ocala Breeders' August yearling sale, bringing a final bid of $200,000 ... Among his broodmares is Ms. Cuvee Napa, dam of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies hopeful Tasha's Miracle ... "This is my first time to be so close to being in the Breeders' Cup," he says ... In addition to Thoroughbreds, Martin Stables South also breeds Quarter Horses ... In May, 2008, it was announced that Ocala-based trainers Carolina and Rob Webster purchased 55 acres of Martin Stables South that includes a five-furlong dirt track and a half-mile turf course. The Websters break, train, and rehabilitate horses for trainer Barclay Tagg and for longtime owners on the East Coast, in Chicago, and the Middle East. Since Eddie Martin had no long-term plans to operate a training division, the Websters had been leasing the training operation. Martin will retain approximately 285 acres it currently utilizes.