From a thoroughbred perspective, the announcement Gene Klein is selling all of his horses is tantamount to Wayne Gretzky suddenly telling the hockey world that he`s hanging up his skates.
No owner in thoroughbred history has done so much so much fast as this California entrepreneur who earlier in his sporting life owned the San Diego Chargers.
Klein entered racing in 1982 after meeting trainer D. Wayne Lukas through former Bears linebacker Dick Butkus.
Three years later, Klein earned the first of his three consecutive Eclipse Awards for being North America`s leading owner.
Five of his horses-Lady`s Secret, Life`s Magic, Family Style, Winning Colors and Open Mind-have won a combined total of seven Eclipse Awards.
Lady`s Secret was Horse of the Year in 1986, a rare feat for a female runner, and last year Winning Colors became the third filly in history to win the Kentucky Derby.
In the five years the Breeders` Cup series has been held, Klein has turned it into a personal gold mine with seven triumphs.
In 1988, his stable won 28 stakes races and earned $6 million.
No slump is in sight. In fact, Open Mind is on the verge of what would be another milestone for Klein.
Her triumph in Sunday`s $227,200 Grade I Mother Goose left her only one victory away from becoming the seventh horse to sweep the New York Racing Association`s Triple Tiara series for 3-year-old fillies.
But last week, Keeneland announced that Klein was selling all of his horses as part of a breeding stock auction at the Kentucky track`s sales pavilion Nov. 6, two days after Breeders` Cup VI at Gulfstream Park.
More than 140 thoroughbreds will be involved in what is described as a
”complete dispersal,” including about 50 runners currently in training, among them Open Mind and Winning Colors.
En route to Europe for a vacation, Klein and his wife, Joyce, stopped at Belmont Park to watch Open Mind win the Mother Goose in record time. In the paddock before the race, he was asked about his decision.
”I thought about this for a long time and made a very personal decision to back off, take it easy and do a lot of traveling with my family and friends,” Klein said. ”My 69th birthday is coming up, and racing has been taking all of my time. It has simply gotten too big.
”Last year I had about 200 head and I tried to cut back by selling some and not going to the sales. But I still have 60 mares and they`ll have 60 foals and, by the law of averages, half of those will be fillies.
”I sold the football team because it was taking up too much of my time, and here I am with racing dominating my time.
”We`ve have done extra well in racing and it`s due to Wayne Lukas`
efforts. All the credit for what we`ve accomplished should go to Wayne. We`ve won seven Breeders` Cup races and the next closest owner has won two.
”But unquestionably the Kentucky Derby transcends all of them. There are 50,000 foals born every year, only 20 of them can run in the Derby and only one can win. Winning it means more to me than winning the Super Bowl would have. Twenty-eight teams can win the Super Bowl. You`re not 1 in 50,000.”
Klein said he doesn`t know if the November retirement from racing will last forever. ”At my age, I know myself well enough to realize that nothing is forever or out of the realm of possibility,” he said.
