IEAH Stables, a subsidiary of International Equine Acquisitions Holdings, has welcomed Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens to its team, it was announced Jan. 10. Effective immediately, Stevens will assume a newly-created position of Senior Advisor – Racing and Bloodstock Affairs at IEAH Stables.
Stevens’ position will encompass a variety of strategic roles, including an appointment to the investment committee and a position as corporate spokesperson. He will also play a pivotal role in the bloodstock acquisition process, and will be heavily involved in a newly-established “Investment Partnership” to be managed by IEAH Stables. This one-of-a-kind fund will be offered to the public in the near future, and its characteristics are unique. Stevens will be active in the equine selection process, capital funding, and overall management of the fund that is expected to be in excess of $100 million.
Stevens, 44, retired from riding in 2005 with many accomplishments. He won three editions of the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), eight Breeders’ Cup races, and important races such as the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) and Japan Cup (JAP-I). In 1997, he became the second-youngest ever elected to racing’s Hall of Fame. He won 5,005 races and his $221,207,064 in overall purses placed him fifth all time by earnings. He also earned acclaim for his role in the Oscar-nominated motion picture “Seabiscuit,” released in 2003. Upon his retirement from riding, Stevens joined NBC Sports as a racing analyst and is also currently employed by HRTV as an analyst.
Stevens will be joining IEAH following a record year for the stable. In 2007, IEAH Stables and its partners had gross purse earnings in excess of $4 million and won multiple stakes races with several different horses, including Eclipse Award finalist and NetJets Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. IT) winner Kip Deville. In 2008, IEAH Stables will campaign graded stakes winners Adagio, Frost Giant, Gran Estreno, Irish Smoke, Sharp Susan, and Subtle Aly, as well as the aforementioned Kip Deville and Benny the Bull.
In addition to its success on the racetrack, IEAH Corporation, another subsidiary of International Equine Acquisitions Holdings, Inc., will own and operate a world-class equine medical facility currently under construction at Belmont Park. The facility, aptly named for the great Ruffian, is expected to be completed in May 2008 and IEAH has retained the services of top equine practitioners Dr. Patricia Hogan and Dr. James Hunt.
