Conley Bloodstock: Leading With Heart

The horse bug bit Spokane, Wash., native Carolyn Conley as a child, lending to a daisy chain of jobs on the West Coast, ultimately landing the lifelong horsewoman in the Bluegrass State, where she has set up Conley Bloodstock. Recently, Conley had a $400,000 success during the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale with a colt by Triple Crown hero Justify for client Justice Stables. The avid foxhunter spoke with BloodHorse about her goals for the blossoming bloodstock agency and what the Thoroughbred has meant to her.

BloodHorse: How and when did you get into horses?

Carolyn Conley: I was 10 years old when I went to a riding stable and rented a horse for an hour. The light bulb came on. I thought, 'This is it!' I couldn't think about anything else. Everything was horses from that moment forward. I cleaned out the school library; they couldn't keep enough books in front of me. I begged, borrowed, and pleaded to go riding, but I came from a family of six, and if you wanted to do something, you had to pay for it. I would mow lawns and an extra lawn to pay for my brother to go because he had a driver's license. 

I did anything and everything I could do to get to the barn. I started lessons, and fortunately enough, I started eventing. I did every job on the farm to pay for my lessons and board for the horse I leased for a dollar. 

I was utterly intrigued when someone told me they would pay me to take care of horses at the racetrack. At 17, I started grooming horses at Playfair Race Course, and I did that for three summers. I was also modeling for Nordstrom, doing runway shows in Seattle, and I wanted to start galloping. I managed to work it out and got a job breaking colts on a farm in Seattle, and then I started galloping at Longacres. 

I would gallop eight or 10 at the track and then to a farm and gallop eight or 10 more. I saved up my money, bought a pickup, and moved to Santa Anita Park, where the best racing in the country was. 

My dad and I went to Clocker's Corner, and someone immediately took us to meet Charlie Whittingham. He said if I could gallop the horses in Seattle, I could gallop these, and I was hired. I rode for Charlie for a while, then went to work for Bill Spawr, spent a year with Bill, and then got to ride for legends like Bobby Frankel, Richard Mandella, and D. Wayne Lukas. 

I rode for 10 years, and around 1996, I became interested in television. I had already done every afternoon job at the track, like working as a steward's aid and in the racing office. A friend was working behind the scenes at ESPN when they came down to cover the Pacific Classic and asked if I'd like to help. I became a runner and would get the coffee and do the impossible—and I realized I could be on camera. I started working really hard to find opportunities and, ultimately, was hired at Santa Anita in their simulcast department starting there and then went on to host the morning show RaceDay America. I covered racing live in South America and traveled to the Middle East for documentaries, including a historical documentary on Santa Anita during World War II called "The Lost Years." I stayed in broadcasting for 12 years.

In my next chapter, I represented jockeys. I had an outstanding English female apprentice, Laura "Midge" Werner, who won a race for Bob Baffert and Godolphin when no female apprentice had ever succeeded in Southern California. We broke down some barriers. I also picked up Stewart Elliott and won 78 races with him, including the American Stakes, and Brice Blanc, who won several nice stakes races.

BH: When and why did you travel east and hang your shingle here in the Horse Capital of the World?

CC: I'd always imagined living in Kentucky, and my son graduated high school and went on to college at Chapman University in 2019. As a jocks' agent, I had been buying and selling horses because it would naturally come up when somebody was looking for a horse, or a horse would come up for sale, etc. 

When I came to Kentucky, Mongolian Stable was a prior client of mine and asked me to look in on their breeding stock. Ultimately, they asked me to sell their breeding stock for dispersal because they had trust and confidence in me. Through several avenues, including digital sales, I had a physical consignment at the 2022 Keeneland April Horses of Racing Age Sale. Mongolian Stable trusted me to go on and prep and sell their yearlings that September.  

BH: What sets Conley Bloodstock apart from other outfits, and what are your goals this year?

CC: We are a boutique consignment; my goal and passion are to have a 10-horse consignment at the significant Kentucky sales. I like having a top-notch, caring, professional staff of showmen and grooms. It is essential that we not only have a disciplined approach to how we handle the horses but we lead with heart. When we have them, we give these horses everything we've got, and we do our very best for them while they're in our care to make that small difference in their lives as they go forward.

Having spent so much time physically with horses, the energy around horses is vital. They are sensitive, and you can see it in their eyes, whether they're engaging with you or a bit shut down.

Engaging the horses is essential so you're on the same page and working in synchronicity with them. I think anxiety in horses is always counterproductive. We aim to address and mitigate the source of stress, whether it's a different stall assignment, a particular handler, perhaps extra attention, or maybe using another horse to lead the way. It's imperative that we make these horses feel as secure as possible so they can show themselves at their best. 

BH: During the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, you had a terrific result for your client Justice Stables. What did that mean to Conley Bloodstock selling the $400,000 Justify colt?

CC: Justice Stables (Bill Justice) entrusted me to sell his yearlings, starting at the September Sale, where we topped the fifth session with a Mendelssohn   colt, now named Lemon Sohn. We knew this Justify colt would be exceptional. He was born with a beautiful hip, gorgeous conformation, and was very confident. It was an incredible opportunity to work with a high-caliber horse. This horse solidified in my mind how horses can separate themselves, even at a very young age, in terms of their innate sense of their quality. 

It was a pleasure to work with him, and it launched my company into a different chapter and level. It set us up so clients can trust us with their best stock.

BH: You mentioned that Thoroughbred aftercare for horses who pass through your program is important to you. Tell me more about what Conley Bloodstock is trying to do.

CC: As a child, my first horses were off-the-track racehorses, and I've had a love and passion for them always, especially since I galloped racehorses for so many years. One of my favorite things is taking a horse off the track, riding the buck out of him, getting him going happily on the trails, and then handing them over to someone who wants to go on and perhaps show the horse. 

I've always had a compassionate approach to aftercare for horses. During care is equally important, and I'm glad we're taking steps to ensure that horses aren't ruined while they're racing and have an opportunity to go on to aftercare. 

I keep an eye on any horse that goes through my hands. One horse in particular that I bought for a client for $70,000 went on to win stakes, set track records, and earn $454,000. Most recently, Limonite  has been running in $4,000 claiming races at Delta Downs. We worked with a local trainer, and with the support of Justice Stables, Conley Bloodstock was able to arrange to have the horse claimed. We look forward to his retirement and the next chapter.