Inside the Owner’s Box with Auerbach, Restrepo and Seitz

Thoroughbred owners Harris Auerbach, Ramiro Restrepo and Anna Seitz take readers inside the owner's box in 2015. Auerbach, Restrepo and Seitz will give readers insight into race day habits, their favorite race track and their biggest accomplishment, plus things like what kind of music, fashion and vacations they prefer. 
Read on to find out their favorite app, who's friends with Snoop Dogg and who counts English Channel as a horse that impacted their love for racing. 

How many horses do you currently have in your stable?
AUERBACH: We have 15 at the track and about 70 overall, including stallions, broodmares, babies and retirees. Most are in California, but we do have a farm string in Kentucky of about a dozen or so horses. That’s actually down from the 100 or so we had a couple of years ago and a far more manageable number.
RESTREPO: 10
SEITZ: Three, and a couple babies coming up the pipeline.
Which horse really solidified your love of racing?
AUERBACH: I loved Vigors, the big gray horse, as he really was fun to watch with his style. He and Affirmed were around in the same time period and were the stars I gravitated to.
RESTREPO: From my childhood through high school in order: John Henry, Chief’s Crown, Easy Goer, Fly So Free and Lure cemented my love of the game.
SEITZ: Rags to Riches and English Channel. I worked with them when I was working for Todd Pletcher. To be around such great horses and to see what they accomplished had me hooked for life.
SEITZ AND RAGS TO RICHES

Photo courtesy of Anna Seitz
What app do you use the most?
AUERBACH: Today’s Racing by Equibase. It’s my lifeline to the racing aspects of what I do.
RESTREPO: Twitter
RESTREPO AND FRIENDS AT GULFSTREAM PARK

Photo courtesy of Ramiro Restrepo
SEITZ: Horse Races Now is fantastic, and my camera app. I probably have a million photos of horses. 
What keeps you awake at night?
AUERBACH: Excitement over things to come.
SEITZ: I never sleep, so I guess worrying about all the projects I am working on.
What racetrack that you’ve never visited would you most like to see?
AUERBACH: Sha Tin and Ascot
RESTREPO: Royal Ascot, Meydan, Sha Tin, and Tokyo are on the bucket list.
SEITZ: I’d love to go to the Melbourne Cup at Flemington in Australia. I’ve been to the track on a dark day, but the big race is always during our Fasig-Tipton November sale, so I’ve never been. I’ve heard it’s unbelievable. It’s definitely on my bucket list.
My friends think it’s weird that I …
AUERBACH: I’ve never solicited that kind of input from my friends, so I have no answer to your question.
SEITZ: … have homemade deodorant.
What is the quality you most like in a spouse/partner?
AUERBACH: My wife and I are great together and don’t have to pretend or put on a show for one another. We can be ourselves and love each other the way that we are. We love and trust one another. These are wonderful qualities to have in a relationship.
RESTREPO: Sense of humor and wit.
SEITZ: My husband lets me be me. I don’t know many men who would let me travel all over the world and work as much as I do, but he supports me and that is a great quality to have in a spouse.
Who are your heroes in real life?
AUERBACH: My parents are my heroes. They gave me a chance to become the man that I am today and taught me invaluable lessons on how to lead my life. For that, I am forever grateful and continue to learn from their examples.
AUERBACH AND FAMILY

Photo courtesy of Harris Auerbach
RESTREPO: My parents. My mother’s work ethic and my father’s words of wisdom are exemplary.
SEITZ: My dad and brothers were Marines. I admire them for their service to our country. Also, the Woodford County firemen who saved our house last year.
How do you want to be remembered?
AUERBACH: As a good person, a good father, a good husband, a good horseman and somebody who loves what he does and gives back as much as he gets out.
RESTREPO: As a loving family member and loyal friend.
SEITZ: As the woman who often had a smile on her face and made people feel like she appreciated them. I have a long ways to go, but I’m working on it. 
What celebrities are you friends with? Have you done anything cool with them, either at the racetrack or away from the track?
AUERBACH: I keep a very close circle of friends, none of which are celebrities.
RESTREPO: I’ve gotten to know Snoop Dogg over the years. I’ve been back stage at several concerts/festivals and got to be on set for the “All I Do Is Win” video shoot.
SEITZ: I actually get to meet a lot of celebrities because of my job at Fasig-Tipton and also when I was working for Mr. [Todd] Pletcher: Bobby Flay, Avery Johnson, Chris Mara, Rashard Lewis. They are all nice, normal and love horse racing. One of my friends had Vice President Joe Biden at his home for a lunch and invited me. I sat with him for a while and while everyone else wanted to talk politics with him, we talked about horse racing. It was fun.
SEITZ AND VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN

Photo courtesy of Anna Seitz
It’s easier to have fun when …
AUERBACH: … you can just live in the moment and not worry about the past or future.
RESTREPO: … you have zero stress. Cut loose and worry later.
SEITZ: … I’m around fun people.