Tapit Colt Represents Aptly Named Relentless Racing

Louisianans Chad and Misty Dugar have come a long way in the Thoroughbred business after a most inauspicious start.

The New Orleans residents first became acclimated to racing by going to Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots with a friend. After having a successful betting season in which they bankrolled $30,000 from wagering, they decided to take the plunge and start racing.

"It took us eight years and we were 0-for-40 before we won our first race," said Chad Dugar. "Most people would have dropped out, but then we won two races back to back. We changed trainers three or four times."

At the suggestion of yet another friend, they made the foray into breeding, and now the couple are represented at The Saratoga Sale by a rare item for Fasig-Tipton's selected yearling sale: a Louisiana-bred son of Gainesway's leading sire, Tapit . The colt, Hip 204 consigned by Gainesway and named Primetime Predator, was bred by the Dugars' aptly named Relentless Racing and Tapit Syndicate.

"We raced for 10 years and had spent a lot of money and got about half of what we put in," Dugar said, sitting near the covered outdoor show ring at Fasig-Tipton's Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion. "A friend said, 'You ought to start breeding and instead of competing with millionaires, start selling to millionaires.'"

Their first mare purchase was Pentatonic, a grade 3-winning and multiple grade 1-placed daughter of Cure the Blues who won or placed in 19 of 29 starts and earned $601,861. Though she produced several winners, the mare was not represented by a black-type winner or stakes-placed horse until she was acquired privately by the Dugars. Her produce included two stakes winners and three stakes-placed runners before she died while in foal to Bodemeister .

"It was sad; she was our first mare," Dugar said of the loss of Pentatonic, who was the Louisiana broodmare of the year in 2016, the same year the couple were honored as that state's top breeders.

In an effort to improve the quality of the Relentless Racing broodmare band, the Dugars went in search of mares who had a propensity to throw durable offspring as a result of their breeding, leading them to Dakota Wind, a daughter of Tiznow  who produced their Saratoga sale Tapit colt. To afford the mare, purchased after an extensive search and negotiations with the owner, the Dugars needed additional resources, which were provided by a silent partner.

The mare, who is in foal again to Tapit, is a half sister to Canadian champion Delightful Mary, grade 2 winner and track record holder Delightful Kiss, as well as grade 3-placed Honour the Deputy and stakes-placed Trust the Deputy.

While they have had good success with their Louisiana-breds to date, the Dugars have changed focus and will be represented by Kentucky-breds going forward. Their three mares are now located at Jay Goodwin's Good Win Farm in Kentucky.

Chad Dugar was born in New Iberia, a section of Louisiana that has produced many successful North American jockeys. With an uncle who was a trainer and a cousin who was a jockey, the initial plan was for Dugar to also pursue a jockey career. Although he was 5 feet tall and weighed 87 pounds at age 16, Dugar decided to take a different career path.

He and Misty both work for New Orleans-based Reliable Industries, which sells parts for large mining equipment throughout the world. The couple has traveled to 38 countries, seeking out local racetracks whenever they can. They work together in planning which mares to buy and in making mating plans.

"She's the conformation person, and I'm the pedigree and stats person," Chad said.

The Dugars have been smitten by their first visit to Saratoga and vow to return.

Like other breeders with yearlings in the selected sale, they have high expectations but realize there are a lot of variables at play.

"He's getting looks from the right people," Dugar said. According to Dugar, the record for a Louisiana-bred yearling sold at auction was $375,000, with another horse bred in the state bringing $400,000 as a 2-year-old and grade 1 winner Big World, also bred in Louisiana, fetching a price of $725,000 when she was sold as a broodmare.

"He could end up being the highest-priced Louisiana-bred ever," Dugar said. "Our fingers are crossed—it still has to happen. We remain optimistic."