Family and horses, that’s always been the
way for Paul Manganaro. Hailing from a family of very well-known in
horse racing circles, he joined forces with David Ingordo and trainer Cherie DeVaux
to form Belladonna racing. Coming off of a very successful 2019 season,
now he looks forward to what 2020 may bring. I was about nine years old, and it was a family
affair. My uncle was a plasterer by trade, as was
my father and my grandfather. When my grandfather retired, his only interest
was horseraci
ng. So we started claiming horses at Suffolk Downs
in the early 1970s. It definitely starts with the love for the
horse and the animal. I remember going to the track in the morning,
hear the pounding of the hooves and the nostrils flaring. Then it just developed from there into the
competitive nature of the sport, the people you get to meet from a diverse background,
and the thrill of going to an auction and on race day. I remember my summer before my senior year
at the University of Massachuset
ts, my good friend and roommate, Ned Toffey, who's now
the General Manager at Spendthrift Farm, we decided we didn't have any girlfriends, we
didn't have a job, so we came down and lived in Lexington for the summer. I took a class at UK, and we toured all the
farms during the day. And we really had a good opportunity back
then to see horses like Alleged, Affirmed, and Alydar and Seattle Slew. And unfortunately we were just greenhorns
at that time, and I remember we have a book of notes, physical
notes on these horses,
and most of it just says, "Nice big brown horse." So it evolved from that to now my buddy, like
I said, is the General Manager of Spendthrift Farm. And from racing a few horses to breeding a
few, now I own about a portfolio of about 25 stallion shares. I do multiple foal shares and mare shares
during the course of the year. Small broodmare band, and now I'm at an all-time
high with my racing stable. I've learned in this business over the years,
you see people from the mos
t successful businesses in the world at the highest point, they've
had everything go right in their lives, still turn into little children when their horses
win. There's nothing like it because the lows are
pretty low, but the highs are extremely high. And you really have to be humble and respect
the opportunity you’re given. Without a doubt, the most pleasure I get out
of being in this industry is the common bond it provides between different generations
of families, the friendships you make, t
he people you meet. Like I said, I remember growing up, I'd call my grandfather on race day and we'd talk about races. And then he passed away, I talked to my father
about it, my Uncle Frank about it, and my Uncle Anthony, who now is the owner of Sienna
Farms. He and I are the last two left. But just that common bond that we were able
to share either after a win or loss was very special. That’s been the biggest reward I’ve received.
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