Klarman, Lawrence Secure Walk-Off Eclipse as Top Owner

A horse of Bricks and Mortar's stature does more than make an extraordinary season for an owner; he's a horse of a lifetime.

The five-time grade 1 winner propelled longtime partners and hedge fund managers Seth Klarman and William Lawrence to the top of the North American owners' standings with an undefeated season that netted $6,723,650 in purses and earned them an Eclipse Award as Outstanding Owner of 2019.

"I mean, what a nice story for horse racing," said Lawrence after Bricks and Mortar won the Nov. 2 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T), the 5-year-old son of Giant's Causeway getting his sixth graded stakes victory of the year. "There are a lot of tough stories. This is the guy that the owners were patient with, the trainer was patient with, they brought the horse back, and he ran the table. I mean, he took on every big race. We're just proud of him and so thankful to have him."

Bricks and Mortar, bred by George Strawbridge Jr., was bought as a yearling for $200,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale by agent Mike Ryan under the name Oaks Bluff Partners. The colt was sold through Stone Farm's consignment.

Trainer Chad Brown was on the podium conducting Klarman and Lawrence's championship season. Besides Bricks and Mortar, he campaigned Sword Dancer Stakes (G1T) winner Annals of Time; Pan American Stakes (G2T) winner Focus Group, who also placed in the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes (G1T); and black-type winner Build to Suit, who won the Hudson Handicap.

"He's been just dynamite," Lawrence said of Brown after the Turf. "And the work that he's done with some of the horses and the thrills that we have had on this guy, and now you're talking about a (possible) Horse of the Year title, what more could he do?"

For 2019, Klarman's Klaravich Stables and Lawrence won 17 races and placed in 13 others out of 41 starts. The partners, who have raced together since 2006, bankrolled $8,178,845 in total purses for the year. By graded stakes wins, Klaravich and Lawrence were the co-ranked third-leading owners with eight alongside Gary Barber. Klaravich Stables on its own won another 66 races, five of them in graded stakes, out of 243 starts and collected an additional $4,968,082 in purses.

At the Breeders' Cup, Lawrence said he and Klarman were winding down their partnership. They capped it on a perfect note Thursday night.