Flying in a small plane just once over the 267 acres across from
Hayes Valley in the late 1950s was enough to convince Exxon oil
heiress Dorothy Pratt Barrett to purchase the property and
establish the thoroughbred race training facility known as Once
Over Farms.
Flying in a small plane just once over the 267 acres across from Hayes Valley in the late 1950s was enough to convince Exxon oil heiress Dorothy Pratt Barrett to purchase the property and establish the thoroughbred race training facility known as Once Over Farms.
Current ranch manager and head trainer Efrain Guzman was hired by Ms. Barrett in 1995 to run the operation that includes a half-mile exercise track with guard rail. Today, the ranch is owned by Richard and Lisa Wilde with Guzman’s highly regarded training and starting of young race horses attracting race horse owners whose horses run on most of the Bay Area’s major tracks.
The warm up on the track begins around 7am with the backdrop of tractors plowing the rows between the grape vines of Clos LaChance, cars moving quickly along Watsonville road, and the centuries-old oak trees lining the track. The sounds of a ranch waking up include the chewing of horses eating their breakfast hay, birdsong and the sounds of raking and hosing – the never-ending work on a ranch.
Guzman and a few brave men are willing to get on the back of a 1,000-plus pound young, hot-blooded equine, exercise and work with more than 20 horses a day using Guzman’s well known “light training.”
With the price tag of a race-quality thoroughbred headed for the track up to where most people’s eyes widen and their throat instinctively gulps, the “light training” is crucial to not “ruining” a good horse. The young horse first being introduced to the track is never taken for a “breeze” until Guzman feels the pupil is ready. The “breeze” is what is known as the all-out run on the track when the rider lets the horse go, comparable to “opening up” a car to see what it can do.
Other horses brought to Once Over may be recovering from injuries and require a “lay up” in one of the lush paddocks in the now-140-acre farm (some of the 267 original acreage was sold off over the years) or may be receiving reconditioning from bad track habits. With each new equine athlete brought to the farm, Guzman sets up a prescription of treatment and the owner or track trainer is updated over the phone on the horse’s progress.
Back out on the warm-up track Guzman’s men continue to work with the high-strung beasts bred for speed and endurance. The whip of Guzman’s men is light – the origin of using the whip is to simulate the claws of a pursuing predator. The race occurs when the horses feel a need to be in the front of the thundering herd and not in the back with the lion.
Psychology also comes into play in the training. Guzman was riding a gelding off the track one day wasn’t, in all honesty, going back to the track soon. But Guzman felt he should help the horse’s ego by allowing him to think he was doing his job and working. The horse did seem to be holding his head up and stepping lively when he was on his way back to his stall. Purpose invigorates us all.
Although not a full breeding facility, Once Over does play nursery to some recently born future track stars. A colt born March 29 sports the long legs of a thoroughbred, kicking and dashing about in a paddock with its mother. It will be a couple of years before Guzman works with the colt, and until then the young horse will enjoy the farm’s beautiful setting along with high-quality feed and mama’s reassurance.
One farm resident soon to be racing is a mare by the name of Cayhill Royalty. Guzman will be placing the call to trailer her up to Golden Gate Fields in time for the start of their race season. Just as one track finishes its season another picks up the start. In southern California the season ended at Santa Anita and continues at Hollywood Park. Soon the luxurious coast-side track of Del Mar will be running. That’s where, Guzman says, horseracing’s “hubbub” reaches its climax.
With the running of the 131st Kentucky Derby on Saturday, I couldn’t resist getting a tip from such an insider of the thoroughbred racing industry.
Without hesitation Guzman said, “Bellamy Road, all the way!”
Why, Efrain?
“I like the way he was lightly raised. The horse equaled a track record the other day that had been held for 50 years.”
At this point I was ready to call a bookie.
“Of course Bandini is one to keep an eye on.” Okay, two to pick from. I could run a trifecta.
“But there are 20 horses in the field. You just never know. The safest bet is keeping your money in your wallet.”
Do you bet on the horses, Efrain?
“No, I even missed betting on my own horse two times. I couldn’t get cell reception once, and the other time I missed getting the bet in on time. I then lost her in a claiming race.”
In case you are the betting kind or just like to see the horses race, the Kentucky Derby runs Saturday, May 7 in the 10th race at 3:03pm PDT.
The following is advice from George John Whyte-Melville in Riding Collections, 1878, “In the choice of a horse and a wife, a man must please himself, ignoring the opinion and advice of friends.”
As for me, I’m going with Guzman’s pick.
