Beychok continues to share his experiences as part of promoting and advocating for horse aftercare, especially with Thoroughbreds.
Like many people to attend a racetrack, Michael Beychok was a bet-and-forget type of horseplayer. That was until one moment and one horse changed his perception.
Glorious Dancer was a claiming horse running for a $6,500 tag at Golden Gate Fields on Jan. 28, 2012. However, Beychok needed her to win on that day, especially since there was a lot at stake – the National Handicapping Championship with a $1 million prize.
It was a tight finish for both.
Getting up the final strides, Glorious Dancer won the race by a nose at 3-1 which helped Beychok win the tournament by a really slim margin – a dollar.
Many horseplayers would have forgotten about Glorious Dancer after that day. However, that became an epiphany for Beychok as he eventually found a way to claim her for $6,500 on Mar. 11, 2012.
“I was a bet-and-forget guy,” Beychok said. “Then I said to myself, ‘What if I don’t claim her? What would happen?’ I know what happens to $5,000 claimers or $3,500 claimers. Likely, it’s not a good outcome.”
An example of one of those not-so-good outcomes was 1987 Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand, whose fate likely ended at a Japanese slaughterhouse in 2002 which was reported in Barbara Bayer’s Bloodhorse story in 2003.
Glorious Dancer raced three more times with a first, second, and third after the claim. However, an injury and other persistent issues made Beychok, as well as trainer Steve Sherman, do what was best for her – retirement.
“She had an injury that could take six months [to heal]. She was also a bad bleeder,” Beychok said. “We could give her some medication. I said, ‘Nah. Let’s stop here.’’
Beychok brought her back to Louisiana, but he had a difficult time finding an aftercare program for her. Eventually, he found a small program that took the mare, though her story didn’t end there.
Dr. Lori Summers, a member of the New Orleans Polo Club, adopted Glorious Dancer and turned her into a polo pony. Over the last nine years, the mare has traveled to Brazil and Miami for polo matches.
“She has lived a great life. She has lived a life that I wanted her to have,” Beychok said. “She’s a horse and she can live a full horse life. Who knows? She may live another 10 years. I know Lori is going to take care of her.”
Even though this was Beychok’s first direct experience of horse aftercare, he comes from a family who has helped horses find a purpose after retiring from racing.
When Beychok was a teenager, his family owned a few horses, including Wilt who raced as a $2,500 claimer at Jefferson Downs. After winning just one race in 13 starts, Wilt was retired and became a show jumping horse for his late cousin Trina Bellak, who became a pioneer of Louisiana’s horse rescue and founder of the American Horse Defense Fund.
While Beychok continues to be a successful horseplayer, an award-winning creative director and advertiser based in Baton Rouge, LA. and accomplished chef, he also travels throughout the country to promote and advocate for horse aftercare programs.
Last week, Beychok brought his favorite New Orleans gumbo recipe to Saratoga Springs as part of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation fundraiser that made over $4,000 at Simply Foods by Maura.
The “Gumbo for the Horses in Saratoga!” was part of a plan that started early last year when Beychok and his friend, author, handicapper and award-winning podcaster Peter Fornatale, as well as TRF Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving Kim Weir, came up with the idea. However, the plan was put on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I wanted to do something. I wanted to make gumbo,” Beychok said. “Even before we got to the early stages, the pandemic happened. So, we reconnected this year. We raised over $4,000. It was great.”
Beychok suggested that he would like to do another gumbo event for the TRF with an additional element: the addition of Kendrick Carmouche’s gumbo as a cook-off. Last month, Carmouche cooked his gumbo for the Principessa Elena Society as part of another TRF fundraiser.
While Baton Rouge is about 1,500 miles away, this hasn’t been Beychok’s first visit to Saratoga.
In 1980, his father brought him the Saratoga Race Course during Travers week. For three of those days, Beychok set next to legendary jazz and scat singer Cab Calloway.
“My father used to come here during the 1950s, then never came back. He came back with me,” Beychok said. “I sat next Cab Calloway for three days, and Cab Calloway was a real thing. The Blues Brothers had just come out. That was awesome.”
Just like his father, it took Beychok some time to come back to Saratoga. He eventually came back to the area nearly 35 years later for, of course, the Battle of Saratoga Handicapping Challenge. He finished second in the 2016 contest.
“It took me a while to get back, but I haven’t missed it since then,” he said “I would come up when they had the handicapping contest. I’ll come back every year and stay the week. This place is resilient.”
Just like Saratoga being resilient, especially during last year’s COVID-19 pandemic, Beychok also believes people can have a flexible mindset to think differently about horse aftercare.
“We all have kind hearts, but we don’t think about it enough,” Beychok said. “If I could turn a couple of people with my voice, they won’t be a bet-and-forget person. Then, we can do the best for the horse.”
The TRF is holding its annual Summer Night BBQ at the Barn on Aug. 24 from 5-9 p.m. at the Saratoga Winery. Tickets are $45. For more information, call 518-226-0028 or visit the website at www.trfinc.org.
