From Eye of the Storm to the Kentucky Derby

Dell Ridge farm manager Des Ryan recalls the unusual quiet of a 2020 spring at the farm near Lexington, where workers stayed home to quarantine and he was reluctant to bring in any new help during the most uncertain of times.

Bobby Spalding, general manager at Summer Wind Equine near Georgetown, Ky., recalls quarantining in his truck to allow himself an opportunity to direct workers from afar. 

On one level, David Fiske, who manages the Winchell Family's breeding operation at Corinthia Farm near Lexington, recalls feeling blessed to be on a farm as opposed to in the city. He also recalls the psychological toll of COVID-19 and its protocols.

When the expected field of 20 Kentucky Derby (G1) horses parade to the starting gate May 6 at Churchill Downs—like every year—it will mean a lot to the humans connected to those runners. But this year figures to be even more special for the breeders and farms that brought these horses into a most uncertain world. In 2020, horse racing's season of hope—foaling season—collided with months of calamity, distress, and unknowns as COVID-19 took hold in the United States.

The contrast is not lost on the breeders and farms that foaled and raised this year's Derby horses through a spring that will never be forgotten.

"I think out of the doom and gloom came some life," said Ryan of a 2020 season when Dell Ridge would welcome a pair of eventual Derby starters into this world in Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Practical Move  and Withers Stakes (G3) winner Hit Show . "And the light for us is these two horses running in the Derby this year. It just shows that spring grows eternal. There was doom and gloom and we got through it all."

Dell Ridge Farm

On April 30, 2020, Dell Ridge welcomed Practical Move for breeders Chad Brown and Head of Plains Partners. On May 9 that same year at Dell Ridge, Hit Show was foaled for breeders Gary and Mary West. In most years these future Derby starters would have bookended that year's first American classic, but in 2020 as the Derby date was moved to September and Oaklawn Park found a way forward in terms of racing, the foals' arrivals bookended the Arkansas Derby (G1).

Ryan recalls that foaling season three springs ago as both physically and mentally taxing. Dell Ridge attempted to stay on top of protocols, protect staff, and still get the job done—part of which is ensuring the health of mares and foals.

"During that time I think it was kind of the unknowns and everybody was kind of scared. We had people getting COVID and people not being able to come to work when they were quarantined for 10 days at a time," Ryan said. "There was kind of a dark cloud over the country; over the world, I guess. It was that unknown.

"On the farm we were keeping our distance from each other. We were limiting the amount of people in each barn at the time. We were telling people just to stay away from each other. It was definitely a time to remember, for sure."

Ryan recalls gathering the information available and then finding a path forward. Completely stopping work at the farm was never an option.

"Even though we were in an outdoor environment, we just didn't know how bad this thing was spreading from person to person, and the unknown was scary because, especially on a farm, people have to be around each other leading mares and foals and stuff like that," Ryan said. "The vets would come and they had their protocol. We had our protocols and I think everybody was afraid of everyone getting sick at one time. Then we'd really be in trouble. Luckily enough, that didn't happen."

For foaling, Dell Ridge limited the people in the stall and in the barn.

"Everyone was wearing masks and keeping away from each other, but no matter what you do, it's hard to create that perfect situation that you would like," Ryan said. "Offices can shut down, stores can shut down; a lot of stuff can close down. But you can't close a horse farm down. You can't just shut it down for two weeks and say, 'Let's just come back in two weeks or work from home.' That doesn't happen."

Today the two Derby starters are a point of pride for the farm, especially considering the circumstances of 2020.

"We proved that we could work in adverse conditions. The team pulled together. People didn't quit; people didn't give up," Ryan said. "We tried to keep everybody positive and we came out of it with two Derby prospects. It shows a bit of light back on that dark time."

Summer Wind Equine

On April 23, 2020, breeder Summer Wind Equine welcomed Confidence Game . One day before the eventual Rebel Stakes (G2) winner was foaled, Johns Hopkins University would report that COVID-19 deaths in the United States had surpassed 50,000.

Summer Wind Equine general manager Bobby Spalding was never a big fan of masks, but he and his staff complied with protocols in an effort to keep things moving that spring. It's not as if a farm caring for Thoroughbreds has much of an option than to show up each day.

"We just tried during that time to be as careful as we could—we didn't have that much information about it at that point," Spalding said, recalling workers social distancing and masking up on the front end and taking tests every two weeks on the back end. "I tested positive—even though I had no symptoms. I stayed away but some days I would pull up to the barn and stay well away but yell out my windows to make sure everything was OK."

Despite the challenges, that spring would provide its usual rewards of heavy doses of hope. Spalding recalls Confidence Game, a son of Candy Ride  —Eblouissante , by Bernardini, being one of the foals that year to foster some optimism during a difficult time.

"His legs kind of went everywhere but he was a good-looking fella," Spalding said. "He was a good-looking yearling."

Corinthia Farm

Just weeks after the Feb. 28 foaling of eventual Louisiana Derby (G2) runner-up Disarm , the world would become a different place.

"We were in a good spot, living on a 350-acre farm where you could easily social-distance while still walking the dogs or going for a bike ride—we could get out of the house," Fiske said. "Then we'd watch the horror on the news every night and just marvel at how fortunate we were to not live in an apartment on the 15th floor of some major metropolitan area."

Life would continue on the farm, horses would continue to be born. With fewer cars on the road, wildlife would thrive. 

"That's life on the farm each spring," Fiske said of nature, before adding that a lot of people faced mental challenges. "I think that it damaged or impacted a lot of people psychologically, I just call it the COVID crack-up. People were just losing their minds, spending eight hours on a Peleton, or drinking too much, or getting divorced. Whatever it was."

Hunter Valley Farm 

Hunter Valley Farm near Versailles, Ky., welcomed Verifying  May 11, 2020. Co-bred by Hunter Valley and David Fennelly's Mountmellick Farm, the eventual Blue Grass Stakes (G1) runner-up arrived five days before the originally scheduled date of the 2020 Preakness Stakes (G1), which was moved to October and won by the filly Swiss Skydiver .

"We were very fortunate during those times because we could still go out and do a day's work on the farms," said Hunter Valley Farm managing partner Adrian Regan. "Everyone was aware and socially distanced. We did our due diligence with everything. The vets came in and were masked. Everyone was understanding about the whole situation."

The farm did face some staffing challenges.

"The biggest change with us was that we get a couple of university students from Ireland every year and they were not able to come because they couldn't travel," Regan said. "That left us down a couple of staff members."                    

Woodford Thoroughbreds 

Eventual Holy Bull Stakes (G3) winner Rocket Can  was born April 28 at WinStar Farm, where Woodford Thoroughbreds boarded most of its mares that year. That same day the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it had worked with more than 380 test developers working on tests to detect the virus.

"Our bloodstock adviser, Lincoln Collins, and I look at the foals at 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days," said Woodford's Shannon Castagnola. "I remember being incredibly thankful that I worked in an industry that allowed us to continue to function and have interaction with other people, which at the time was hard.

"Before COVID, Lincoln and I would ride together to go see the horses because they got moved around as they got older and then there was no more of that. You stayed in your individual car. When you got out, you put your mask on to prevent anyone from being at risk. Everyone was willing to do whatever you needed to do to keep working." 

Taylor Made Farm

Bred by Colts Neck Stables, eventual stakes winner Jace's Road  was born April 25 at Taylor Made Farm near Nicholasville, Ky. That same day, the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University said there had been 2.8 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide.

"It was a tough time; we were scared and looking for this stuff to end," said Frank Taylor of Taylor Made Farm. "The horse business is stressful enough as it is and then you throw that on top of it. The only time I was more freaked out and scared was during MRLS (Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome), when we had 90 mares lose their foals and 10 dead foals born in a row. Those caterpillars were so thick it was like we had velvet fences. We cut down 750 cherry trees in a week. That was by far the worst and COVID was second."

In the back of the mind, the possibility of foaling a Derby winner can provide some motivation. Taylor recalls optimism from the start surrounding eventual Gun Runner Stakes winner Jace's Road. 

"Jace's Road was one of the horses on the farm we always graded toward the top. He was a big beautiful horse and athletic with a good walk and plenty of scope," Taylor said. "You never know which one is going to run but he was certainly one we were high on."

On May 6 one of those foals of 2020 that provided some measure of hope in that difficult spring will emerge as a Kentucky Derby winner. All 20 Derby starters—thanks to the commitment of farms and workers that found a way—cleared a significant hurdle from the start.