Schwartz Savored Homebred Bango's 'Unexpected' Journey

Churchill Downs has been the centerpiece of Louisville, Ky. since 1875, yet no horse has ever crossed the finish line first more than Bango. Age finally caught up to the 8-year-old son of Congrats, and he was officially retired following a last-of-seven finish in a Nov. 6 allowance optional claiming race. However, that performance did little to undo the legacy his 12 victories over the famed dirt oval created. Prior to the eighth race Nov. 16, Churchill Downs hosted a special ceremony honoring their track's winningest horse. Churchill Downs Racetrack president Mike Anderson presented Bango's owners, Fred and Debbie Schwartz of Tamaroak Partners, and trainer Greg Foley with a framed collage of all 15 of Bango's lifetime wins—which included two at Ellis Park and one at Turfway Park. They also received custom Woodford Reserve bottle engraved with Bango's name. "It's really special," Fred Schwartz said. "To have bred and owned the all-time winningest horse in Churchill Downs history, 150 years, a couple of bumpkins from Wisconsin. It's incredible." Bango is out of the Smart Strike mare Josaka, who they bought for $75,000 at the 2008 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. She showed early promise in her career, hitting the board in all three starts. However, an injury after her maiden victory led to her being retired to the broodmare band. Living near Madison, Wis., Schwartz keeps their mares and foals at Alex Rankin's Upson Downs Farm just outside of Louisville. When Josaka joined the broodmare band there, they received interest from an individual who was looking to buy her. However, they denied both offers they made. "We just said, 'We're not interested,'" Schwartz said. "We held out, and look what we got. We got Bango." In addition to making history, Bango was simply a top competitor on the racetrack. He was victorious in nine stakes races, placed in grade 2 company, and earned $1,644,979. "It was very unexpected," Schwartz said of the ride Bango took them on. "He won one, then he'd win again, and win again. He just knew where the wire was. He was just a hard-knocking horse. It came to be that, when he was here (at Churchill Downs), you'd expect him to win. It's been a pleasure having him. Twelve wins, I don't think that's going to be broken for a long, long time." Josaka also produced Eton Ridge, himself an 11-time winner who won a Puerto Rican grade 1. Schwartz said he believed Bango outran his pedigree, but that having the success they had with a homebred made it extra special. Schwartz has had success in the past at the sales, notably with multiple grade 3-winning millionaire Champali who was purchased for $75,000 by Lloyd Madison Farms—the operation of his brother-in-law, Jim Bakke. However, Schwartz said he currently prefers to only breed for racing prospects. Through Lloyd Madison, he was involved with multiple graded stakes-winning homebred Sconsin and 2020 Kentucky Derby (G1) starter Major Fed. "I used to buy at the sale, we've just had better luck out of the broodmare shed," Schwartz said. A common denominator for all those horses is Foley, who currently has just under 10 horses in training for Schwartz. "This guy here is a horse trainer's dream," Foley said of Schwartz. "He goes along with just about anything I ever told him. We've had a lot of good horses, hopefully some more coming along."