Reigning Sovereign Award-winning owner Bruno Schickedanz, who topped the standings during meets at Woodbine, Fort Erie, and Gulfstream Park last year, also finished first across a broader metric in 2023—by wins throughout all of North America.
His stable tallied 178 victories in 2023, finishing in front of End Zone Athletics by 23 wins. He also finished sixth in earnings, with his horses making more than $3.9 million, the most prosperous annual total in his over three decades of horse ownership. The Equibase website lists only his victories since 2000—2,633 through Jan. 4—though the owner says he has 3,512 career wins, counting those preceding 2000.
Godolphin, the global Thoroughbred breeding and racing operation founded by Sheikh Mohammed, was easily first in the North American earnings category in 2023, with its horses making more than $17.2 million, down slightly from its single-season earnings record of $17.4 million set in 2021. When including earnings from the Dubai World Cup and Saudi Cup Days, Godolphin's earnings for the year exceed $18.4 million.
Godolphin won 27 graded races in North America and a dozen grade 1 stakes to top both of those categories.
Schickedanz, a land developer and homebuilder who has built thousands of homes in Ontario and Texas, is similarly driven in his horse racing pursuits. He oversees a vast stable with more than 500 horses, counting unraced horses and broodmares. His red and white silks have been a familiar sight—in 2023, his horses made 1,185 starts, which is 385 more than his closest pursuer, Karl Broberg's End Zone Athletics.
Schickedanz, who has farms in Ontario and Florida, was second in 2022 to End Zone Athletics by wins and 23rd by earnings behind Godolphin. He cited "determination" for his stable's success in 2023.
"The players are always changing, and it just seemed like some of the leading players were getting out or (decreasing) or whatever, so I thought I'd take a run at being at the top," he said. "I bought more horses, did more claiming, and when you win, your adrenaline gets pumped up, and you wanna do it even more."
The 76-year-old continues his horse racing pursuits with the energy of a younger man.
"I feel like I'm 26. I don't know where the other years went," he said.
Rafael has lots of energy to party after a front running score on Bachelor Pad in the fifth on Saturday at beauty WEG pic.twitter.com/nddswvjLmm
— Bruno Schickedanz (@BGSchickedanz) November 21, 2023
By and large, Schickedanz tallied his numbers in 2023 with claiming and mid-level runners, though he did strike at the graded stakes level with War Bomber, who won the King Edward Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine on King's Plate Day, Aug. 19. The Norm McKnight trainee had captured the Seagram Cup Stakes (G3) the previous year.
Schickedanz employs many trainers, including Martin Drexler, Jose D'Angelo, Mike Dunslow, Julie Mathes, Elliot Sullivan, Elizabeth Dobles, Martin Hinckson, Richard Davis, Abraham Katryan, Kathleen O'Connell, and Marilyn Johnston.
"There are so many amazing trainers out there that never get a chance, and when you give them a chance, they begin to shine," Schickedanz said.
The owner, one of Canada's largest breeders, hopes to build upon his earnings in 2024. "It would be nice to gradually get to the top of that list someday," he said.
"As long as you get up in the morning and you see horses in your life, you're doing what you wanna do," he added.
