Small owners and breeders are the lifeblood of the Thoroughbred industry. They eat, drink, and sleep everything about their horses. Being a Thoroughbred lifer in places such as Kentucky, New York, and California presents one set of challenges, but being that lifer somewhere like New Mexico, like Robert and Del Rae Driggers, presents other challenges—such as developing contenders that can thrive in high-end competition.
Robert Driggers grew up on a cattle ranch in New Mexico that had non-racing horses. Now, he and his wife's Bar Y Equine in Barino, NM, not far from the state's border near El Paso, Texas, has five quarter horses and three Thoroughbreds in its racing stable. That is in addition to 15 broodmares and one quarter horse stallion.
This year has been a very good one for the Driggers, as their 3-year-old filly Bella Dona went 7-for-7, all in stakes races. For her career, she is 12-1-0 in 13 starts with $750,068 in earnings. The Driggers, along with a cousin, Ben Ivey, own her. She is trained by Simon Buechler. Todd Fincher has also trained horses for the Driggers.
"Small breeders can have big success," said Del Rae Driggers. "We have a handful of mares, some breeders have 25 mares or more. It gives people some hope that, 'Hey, I can have one of those runners.'"
MarketWatch: Tell us about your operations at Bar Y Equine.
Robert Driggers: We're breeding Thoroughbreds and quarter horses and we run quite a few of them. ... I used to train, I trained for several years started. I haven't trained for about eight or nine years now. So I started out in the horse business back in the mid '70s. Owned some horses and started breeding some mares, so I have been in it for a while.
MW: How did you get into the industry?
RD: When I was training, they had mixed meets in New Mexico—they'd run quarter horses and Thoroughbreds on the same card. I just got a hold of some Thoroughbreds in some claiming races. I bought a Thoroughbred and entered him one time when I was in Albuquerque and he was moderately successful. I like running horses; I like Thoroughbreds and quarter horses. When I was training, I really loved Thoroughbreds because you can do so much more with them. You can stretch them out or spread them. When you are in quarter horses, it's just all-out from the gate to the finish line. With Thoroughbreds, there's a little more strategy to it.
MW: Bella Dona had a great year on the track. What are your plans for her next year?
RD: We're going to keep running her as long as she's successful and sound, and of course she's made some money—she's made $750,000. ... We're kind of running out of places in New Mexico and we're thinking about going elsewhere. I talked to some trainers on the west coast. ... We certainly feel she can go anywhere, what level we don't know, of course.
MW: Does the prospect of stiffer competition excite you?
Del Rae Driggers: Definitely. I think she needs a chance to prove what she is against different competition.
MW: What does her success mean to you as an owner and breeder?
RD: It means a lot to me; I'm horse minded. A horse gets in your blood, it's hard to get them out. It got in my blood years and years ago. It means everything to my wife, DelRae, and myself. This is the best Thoroughbred we ever had. We own her mother (Charlotte's Drone, by B. G.'s Drone), she's back in foal (to Right Rigger).
DD: It's been out of this world. You don't get these runners; you might get one in a lifetime and that's it. We know you better appreciate what you have when you have it and not expect it every year.
MW: What makes Charlotte's Drone so special?
DD: Charlotte was not a runner. She probably had some type of injury, so she made $300-and-something. She's had five foals, all to race, three stakes winners, and two winners. Her foals have made $1.7 million, so we think she's kind of special.
MW: How old is she?
DD: She's getting some age on her. She's 17.
MW: How long have you had her?
DD: We've had her since her first foal to run (Tilla Cat). She's had one other (stakes) mare, Tilla Cat. She's won $369,369; (stakes-placed) No Pasa Nada, he won $360,139; Lariat, he made $170,513; and the winner (Que Pasa)—no stakes—made $102,922. All her foals who have gone to the race track have been successful ... She's very kind, just easy to get along with. Her foals, and this sounds strange, we've taken precautions to breed her to horses with Storm Cat bloodlines because she's so kind and sweet, she needs a stallion that will give her foals a little more grit than what she has.
MW: When her racing career is done, are you looking to have her join your broodmare band?
RD: Yes, we would. I don't know if this filly is capable ... Whatever stakes she's run, she won. She hasn't been tested. I'm not bragging, that's just the facts. If she ever did get tested, I don't know how much better she would be. Nobody has run within daylight of her. It would be nice to take her someplace and possibly get some kind of grade 1, 2, or 3. That would mean everything in the breeding business and then you can really get to some nice stallions.
