In 2000, Stronach nearly doubled the earnings of his closest competitor, Juddmonte Farms, which had earnings of $6,096,951. Stronach's earnings in 2000 include two wins with homebreds on racing's richest day, the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs -- Macho Uno won the Juvenile (gr. I), and Perfect Sting won the Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT). He also won the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) with another homebred, Red Bullet, who defeated Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner and heavy favorite Fusaichi Pegasus.Besides Macho Uno, Perfect Sting, and Red Bullet, Stronach picked up major stakes wins in 2000 with Collect the Cash (Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, gr. IT); Golden Missile (Pimlico Special Handicap, gr. I); Milwaukee Brew (Ohio Derby, gr. II); Black Cash (Eclipse Handicap, Can-II); Euchre, (Bel Air Handicap, gr. II); Super Red (Connaught Cup Stakes, Can-II); Tap to Music (Barbara Fritchie Handicap, gr. II); and Luftikus (Lone Star Park Handicap, gr. III).Dan Hall, farm manager at Adena Springs Kentucky, said Stronach's success on the track can be attributed to the entire Adena Springs team. "Over the years, Mr. Stronach has developed a solid and sound program with the way we do things on the farm. He has also developed a strong team, personnel wise, from the bottom to the top." Perfect Sting, who earned $1,367,000 while winning five of six starts, led the Stronach Stable last year. Besides the Filly & Mare Turf, Perfect Sting scored on the grass in the Diana and New York Handicaps, both grade II; as well as the Beaugay Handicap and the Just a Game Breeders' Cup Handicap, both gr. IIIT. She placed second in the WinStar Galaxy Stakes (gr. IIIT). Perfect Sting, who has a lifetime record of 13-3-0 from 19 starts and earnings of $2,082,042, will continue her career as a 5-year-old, with an eye on repeating in the 2001 Breeders' Cup. Golden Missile, who will be standing his first season at Adena Springs Kentucky in 2001, became a millionaire twice over in 2000, earning $1,261,700 as a 5-year-old. Besides his win in the Pimlico Special, Golden Missile won the grade II Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs to finish the year with a 2-3-1 slate from 10 starts. Golden Missile retires with lifetime earnings of $2,194,510 and a record of 7-7-4 from 25 starts.Tap to Music also hit millionaire status for Stronach. The 5-year-old mare ended the year with a 1-3-2 record from nine starts and $386,545 in earnings. She became a millionaire with her third place finish in the Gardenia Handicap (gr. III) at Ellis Park. Her lifetime earnings are $1,052,526 from a career record of 6-4-4 from 21 starts.
Grooming this many stakes winners takes more than patience and money. It takes a farm, or in Stronach's case, multiple farms. He owns three: the 160-acre Adena Springs near Newmarket, Ontario, Canada; the 1,800-acre Adena Springs Kentucky, which involves parcels near Versailles and Midway; and the 3,000-plus acre Adena Springs South near Ocala, Fla. He has a total horse population of around 900, with 200 to 250 horses currently in training, 70% of which are homebreds. On the track, Joe Orseno trains the East Coast string, with Bobby Frankel and Vladimir Cerin handling the West Coast duties. Tino Attard keeps a string at Woodbine, and Malcolm Pierce has a stable at Fair Grounds in Louisiana. Danny Vella preps the 2-year-olds.Hall said Stronach has contributed a lot of time and resources to the industry, but "money doesn't buy success on the racetrack."
