California Split: Ford Moves Horses From Cassidy

Southern California Thoroughbred owner Jim Ford has moved five of his horses from the barn of his longtime trainer, Jim Cassidy, distributing four of them to Wally Dollase and one to Northern California-based leading conditioner Jerry Hollendorfer.

Ford and Cassidy are partners on four horses who will remain with Cassidy as well as two others who will stay with the New York-born trainer.

Ford and Cassidy have had considerable success in their years together, beginning in the late '90s. Katdogawn, who remains with Cassidy, has earned almost $600,000 and is a multiple graded stakes winner. Other stakes winners include Steelaninch and Alinga, and in 2002 Ocean Sound finished third in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I).

"We're just going in a different direction," said Ford, a real estate developer who lives in Rancho Santa Fe. "The success of the remaining six horses will determine my involvement with Jim (Cassidy) in future horses. It's been a symbiotic relationship-- neither of us had the success alone that we had together. I wish him the best; he's a close friend. But in any relationship with business, things happen and success affects people in different ways."

"What can I say?" Cassidy noted. "I would just thank him for all the nice things he's done for me and it's too bad things had to happen the way they did. He wanted more control over things and we couldn't work it out."

Typically, Cassidy bought European turf horses for Ford and various partnerships at the Tattersalls sale and brought them stateside to race. Ford said he has some 18-20 horses currently in training that he owns solely or in partnership.

The horses going to Dollase are all 3-year-old turf runners. They include Tractor Boy, a winner from two races in England; Brag, a filly who was one-for-six in England; Godsend, a filly bred by The Queen who was one-for-five in England and has hit the board four times; and Empire's Ghodha, a colt who was one-for-12 in England. Dollase said he hopes to race them on the turf in California and possibly at Arlington Park as well.

Hollendorfer will receive Noyac, a 4-year-old filly whose lone win came in England. Cassidy retains On the Acorn, an allowance winner at Del Mar last summer who has earned $94,000.