Marc Holliday - Blue Devil Racing Stables

What could possibly be better than winning a Gr1 stakes at Saratoga? Winning a Gr1 at Saratoga with a homebred. That’s exactly what Marc Holliday’s Blue Devil Racing Stables did when its five-year-old mare Come Dancing rallied from last to capture the Gr1 Ballerina August 24th by 3 ½ lengths.

“She was awesome,” Holliday said. “Winning at Saratoga on Travers Day, a Gr1, `Win and you’re in.’ I’ve been going to Saratoga for close to 35 years. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

The 53-year-old native of Huntington, Long Island, is the CEO and Chairman of SL Green Realty—New York City’s largest owner of office properties and the dominant landlord in Midtown Manhattan. He is also a member of the New York Racing Association Board.

He has deep roots in horse racing, and he and his family have become benefactors of Akindale Sanctuary, a rest, rehab, retrain and retirement program with more than 165 retired Thoroughbreds in Pawling, New York.

Holliday’s father, Morton, raced a stable of Standardbreds at The Meadowlands and campaigned his horses in the rich New York Sire Stakes. “Way back in high school, I fell in love with racing...with the action,” Holliday said.

He didn’t get involved in the action until 2006, when he began Blue Devil Racing Stable. While in high school, Holliday played lacrosse with the Huntington, Long Island, club team. “The mascot was the Huntington Blue Devil,” Holliday said. He wanted to call his stable “Blue Devil,” but The Jockey Club said he had to get approval from Duke University—home of the more famous Blue Devils. It probably didn’t hurt that legendary Duke Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski is a huge Thoroughbred fan who annually comes to Saratoga. The name was approved.

In 2007, with the help of trainer Dale Romans, Blue Devil Racing Stable and partner James O’Reilly purchased Honest to Betsy, a two-year-old filly who had raced twice at Churchill Downs and finished second in a maiden $50,000 claimer and second again in a maiden special weight.

Honest to Betsy didn’t wait long to put a smile on Holliday’s face. In her first start for him at Belmont Park on July 19, 2007, she won a maiden special weight by four lengths. She followed that up with a fourth in the Gr2 Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga. “The first race was a bit of a surreal experience,” Holliday said. “I wasn’t at the track. James was there. I watched it on TV, she showing our colors in front. She won convincingly. I was pretty shocked. It all came together quickly. Then she was fourth in the Adirondack. I immersed myself in the business.”

Come Dancing, a daughter of Malibu Moon out of Tizahit by Tiznow, has become the star of his business. Trained by Carlos Martin, Come Dancing won her first two starts. As a five-year-old, she won the Gr3 Distaff Handicap by 7 ¾ lengths, the Gr2 Ruffian by 6 ¾ lengths and then finished second by 3 ½ lengths in the Gr1 Ogden Phipps, before her sparkling performance in the Ballerina.

Holliday has achieved almost as much success with Thoroughbreds as he has in real estate, which is saying a lot. “I think there are a lot of similarities with real estate and horses,” he said. “With real estate, it’s about vision, planning, design, development, and if you do it right, there’s a payoff. Horses are a long-term investment. It takes a lot of careful planning. There are all the hands-on issues that come along the way. Then you forget everything...all the time and the setbacks...when you have those successful moments with these great equine athletes racing at the top level. It’s the payoff for five years of work.

He has a handful of racehorses, yearlings, weanlings and 10 broodmares.

“I’m very passionate about the business,” he said.

He’s also passionate about the Thoroughbreds who create the business, and their aftercare when they’re done racing. His involvement with Akindale came not long after the patriarch of Akindale Farm, John Hettinger, passed on September 6, 2006. Hettinger, the former president of Fasig-Tipton and a successful owner and breeder, led the racing industry in the battle to end horse slaughter in the United States. He won as horse slaughter in America came to a halt that very year. Hettinger set aside 1,000 acres of Akindale Farm to be used as a home for rescued Thoroughbreds.

Holliday’s niece, Michelle Woolf, did a research paper on Thoroughbred retirement and included Akindale. “That was right after Mr. Hettinger died,” Holliday said. Holliday’s wife, Sheree, and their daughter, Danielle, are equestrians, and they ride in charity events at Akindale.

“I started sending my lay-ups and yearlings to break there,” Holliday, who has received numerous awards for his philanthropy with people, said. “I sent a couple retired horses there. It’s always been a nice relationship. We built a showing ring for them and donated some equipment to them. They always can use the help.”