Obit: Siena Farm's Manganaro Reached Racing's Heights

Siena Farm chairman and founder Anthony Manganaro died Aug. 20 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. at the age of 79.

"If the world had more Anthony Manganaros, the world would be a better place," said Terry Finley, president and CEO of West Point Thoroughbreds, which was partners with Manganaro in Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Always Dreaming   and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner and Horse of the Year Flightline  . "He was a dear friend and a guy I respected. He wasn't afraid to study and dig into things and get involved in important industry issues. On behalf of the St. Elias team, the Bonomos (Brooklyn Boyz Stable and MeB Racing Stables), and West Point, we shared the joy of winning the Kentucky Derby with Anthony and we share our grief in his passing. He was a philanthropist, thinker, and a great guy."

Manganaro graduated with a degree in civil engineering from Northeastern University, where he sat on the institution's board of trustees. He also received an honorary doctorate degree for public service.

Along with Siena Farm, Mangarano was a successful businessman. Among his business ventures were Siena Corporation, a commercial real estate business in the Baltimore-Washington D.C. area; ezStorage Corporation, one of the nation’s largest regional self-storage companies; and Boston Medical Corporation, a nationwide distributor of disposable medical supplies.

Manganaro founded Siena Farm as a 225-acre cattle farm in 2007 and built it into Siena Farm, one of the top breeding operations in Kentucky. Manganaro owned Siena Farm, located in Paris, Ky., in partnership with Ignacio Patino and David Pope.

"Anthony Manganaro was a remarkable person whose energy, passion, and thirst for new ideas was like no other," said The Jockey Club president Jim Gagliano. "We were very lucky to have Anthony in our sport and he will be sorely missed. Our deepest condolences to his family and his many friends."

Manganaro had been a member of The Jockey Club board since 2021.

Horses raced by Siena Farm in partnership include grade 1 winners Flightline, Always Dreaming, Emmanuel , Catholic Boy  , Dayoutoftheoffice , and Royal Ship . Graded stakes winners include We The People , First Captain , and Messier .

Horses running solely in the Siena Farm colors include the homebred Angela Renee  and Isabella Sings . Angela Renee, a daughter of Bernardini, won four of 14 starts and bankrolled $578,250. Trained by Todd Pletcher, she scored her biggest victory in the 2014 Chandelier Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park. Siena Farm later sold Angela Renee for $3 million to Don Alberto at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale.

Isabella Sings, by Eskendereya, collected earnings of $648,170 in 21 starts with a record of 8-4-3. She won the Mrs. Revere Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs in 2015, the Eatontown Stakes (G3T), My Charmer Handicap (G3T) the following year, and landed the Endeavour Stakes (G3T) her last year racing in 2017.

"While a lot of people get in this business to win races and breed really great horses his commitment went way above and beyond that," said Breeders' Cup President Drew Fleming. "Anthony's passing is a tremendous loss to horse racing and much more beyond that. He was a fantastic, very caring individual that touched the lives of many, many people in our industry. He was truly a visionary in improving our sport for generations to come and also touching the lives of many individuals that worked on this business in all aspects of this business.

"(Manganaro)'s insight of adopting best practices, technology and innovation in other business sectors and incorporating those in the Thoroughbred business was truly unique and will be impactful for generations to come."

Manganaro served on the Breeders' Cup Board of Directors from 2018-2021, though Fleming said Manganaro remained an active participant with the Breeders' Cup and all aspects of the industry until his death.

"(Manganaro) was someone who really, really cared. And he did what he did for non-selfish reasons," Fleming said. "One of the horses he co-owned was Always Dreaming and not only was Anthony always dreaming but he was always acting out of the best interest of the sport and making very innovative and forward-thinking changes."

Manganaro's family issued the following statement on his death:

"The Manganaro family is grateful for the outpouring of support we have received from the Thoroughbred racing community. It was Anthony's lifelong dream to be a part of international horse racing. Hearing that he had such a positive impact on so many people in the sport has warmed our hearts and brought us happiness in the face of this immense loss. Thank you to everyone for their kind words and heartfelt condolences."

This story will be updated.