Four Scores for Owner Schwartz in Beverly D.

Usually when a connection is holding up fingers in a winner’s circle photo, it’s a jockey indicating he’s won four or five races on the day. Not so at Arlington International Racecourse Aug. 13, when owner Martin Schwartz posed for pictures after Sea Calisi’s victory in the Beverly D. Stakes (gr. IT). Schwartz’ four digits indicated the number of Beverly D.’s he’s won in the race’s 26-year history.

Schwartz, a commodities trader and bestselling author, attended the New York-area tracks in his youth, watching Kelso, Forego, and Gun Bow compete. After sending his two children to college, he started buying yearlings and 2-year-olds and “got rolled along the way.” Modifying his M.O., Schwartz found prices in Europe to be more reasonable, and the turf runners more accomplished.

After more trial-and-error, he found bloodstock agent Michel Zerolo of Miami-based Oceanic Bloodstock. Zerolo, who had for years identified European prospects for trainer Bobby Frankel, brokered the deals that brought Stacelita, Zagora, and Sea Calisi, among others, Schwartz’ way. Specializing in turf fillies from Europe, it is no surprise that Schwartz points for the Beverly D. whenever possible, especially with its current $700,000 purse. Still, four victories is a bounty. Angara took the 2005 running for Schwartz, followed the next year by Gorella, Stacelita in 2011, and now Sea Calisi.

“Michel has a very good eye for horses,” said Schwartz. Zerolo performed one other service for Schwartz: recommending trainer Chad Brown. “I’ve had 12 or 15 trainers because I don’t suffer fools well,” Schwartz said. “I told Chad he was going to be my last one.”

Brown conditions Sea Calisi and also handled Stacelita, who won the Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes (gr. IT) in addition to the Beverly D. Brown and Schwartz combined to win the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (gr. IT) with Zagora as well.

The Beverly D., which was begun in 1987 by Arlington chairman Richard Duchossois and named in tribute to his wife, has had just one other owner win multiple runnings—Gary Tanaka, who took the 2000 edition with Snow Polina and two years later scored with champion Golden Apples.

“It’s a great place, a great race, and great people here,” Schwartz said of Arlington. “It’s a beautiful racetrack, a fair surface, and we couldn’t be more overjoyed.”

Sea Calisi, a French-bred daughter of Youmzain, won the Prix de Malleret (Fr-II) last year, then ran third behind Treve in the Qatar Prix Vermeille (Fr-I). Imported to the U.S. this season, she won the Sheepshead Bay Stakes (gr. IIT) in May, then fell just short when second to the Brown-trained Dacita in the New York Stakes (gr. IIT) before winning the Beverly D. She has four wins from 10 lifetime starts and earnings of $825,513 to date.

Schwartz, who has averaged a grade I win per year for his 15 years in Thoroughbred ownership, has hit on a winning formula with his European imports, dovetailing nicely with his business plan for horse ownership: “I try to make sure I don’t run out of cash,” he said.