The Tabulator Takes 'Risk-Taker' Wilson to the Top

Thoroughbred owner Carolyn Wilson probably could put away some money in safe investments, but what would be the fun in that for the Tampa, Fla. area woman who has a hot, new downtown cocktail bar and restaurant and a popular event space in the city's arts district.

"I'm a risk taker. I'm used to living on the edge and that's what it is," Wilson said Oct. 27, on her way to a charity event at The Vault Tampa—that arts district event space—before adding with a laugh, "It's a good thing I can afford it!"

Wilson said she's owned horses for nearly 20 years and made a commitment to compete at the highest levels 15 years ago. Her first graded stakes winner arrived in 2011, the Bill Mott-trained Arena Elvira, who won graded stakes races in New York and Kentucky that year. Her first trip to the Breeders' Cup came last year with the Larry Rivelli-trained Wellabled, who finished 10th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T).

Wilson and Rivelli are back for this year's Breeders' Cup with grade 3 winner The Tabulator, an undefeated 2-year-old son of Dialed In  who will try to pick up his fourth win in as many starts in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). Wilson's understanding of risk helped her stay in the game through lean years ahead of her recent success.

"We've had a little luck the last couple of years after being in it for a long time," Wilson said. "I'd usually been the queen of bad luck, so we're grateful and thrilled to have some success. It's very hard to do.

"I probably (appreciate success) as much as anybody. It's just mind-boggling—it's not easy. You have to have the right horse, the right trainer, luck, and the whole bit."

She and her late husband, developer Jack Wilson—who helped bring the Super Bowl to Tampa before his death in 2005—used to attend Breeders' Cups as fans. Wilson said it meant a lot to have her own starter there last year. She's looking forward to traveling to Del Mar this year.

"I'm excited about going," Wilson said. "We had Wellabled last year, he got us out to Santa Anita Park for the first time as a participant. We've always gone to the Breeders' Cup because we enjoy it. Then I was so excited to have one in there. Then this one; I have no expectations, but I'm nervous."

Wilson credits Tampa Bay Downs president Stella Thayer for piquing her interest in horse ownership. Her enjoyment for racing horses at nearby Tampa Bay Downs is one reason she moved her horses to Larry Rivelli, who races there in the winter and the Chicago area in the summer.

"She's a great, great owner. She's really into her horses and is a wonderful person," said Rivelli, who credits fellow trainer and friend Wesley Ward, who had some horses for Wilson, with an introduction to Wilson over lemonade on her porch. "He introduced me to her and I was going to Tampa Bay Downs and he wasn't going to race at Tampa. So he put us together."

With Wellabled and The Tabulator, Rivelli and Wilson are off to a nice start.

"Some people you're lucky with and we get along great; we're really good friends aside from doing the business stuff," Rivelli said.

In a deal that surpassed $560 million, The Wilson Company, for which Wilson serves as president, last year sold nearly 8,500 apartment units throughout Florida. She called that deal, "a present to myself," and has since opened CW's Gin Joint cocktail lounge and restaurant. And, at this year's Ocala Breeders Sales' March sale of 2-year-olds in training, Wilson went to $460,000 to land The Tabulator from the Wavertree Stables consignment.

Rivelli, who picked out The Tabulator, enjoys assessing horses who work at the 2-year-olds in training sales, and Wilson's investment has allowed him to increase his spending.

"She lets me pick out the ones I like. Our prices have been on same the page; if we like them, we like them," said Rivelli, who finished atop the Arlington International Racecourse standings for the fifth time this year—this time with 51 more wins than his closest rival. "We try to get the ones we like; it's an opportunity she has provided me—as opposed to having just $50,000 to spend. It's definitely been a breath of fresh air for me."

Wilson said she and Rivelli are on the same page and the only disagreement she recalls came early on when he dropped one of her horses into a claiming race.

"I was kind of notorious for not liking my horses to be claimed, and I'd even go and claim them back for more money," Wilson said, chuckling in acknowledgment that this may not be the most practical approach to horse ownership.

Wilson also credits the efforts of all of the workers involved in her racing and breeding operations. She has a farm for breaking and training as well as breeding in Reddick, Fla., named Bay Tree Farm. Former Mott assistant David Lively oversees operations at that 109-acre farm that includes a five-furlong training track.

Wilson's love of horses extends beyond their racing careers as 30 of her retired horses live on her Tampa area farm. She loves waking in the morning to see the mix of her horses and wildlife—including alligators—on the farm.

"They're 30 beautiful, well-bred horses who couldn't run," Wilson said. "Now we've been winning and it's just sort of hard to believe. It's thrilling and we really appreciate it; I mean we appreciate all this attention. We've never had this attention before; we'd never earned it before I don't think."