Thoroughbred Horse Racing
Gene Klein entered the thoroughbred horse racing business in 1982. He established Del Rayo Racing Stables, a 237-acre (0.96 km2) stables, breeding operation, and training center in Rancho Santa Fe, California. He hired D. Wayne Lukas to train his horses.
Among Klein's famous Thoroughbreds:
- Tank's Prospect - 1985, won the Preakness Stakes
- Lady's Secret - 1986, voted the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year. Inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1992
- Winning Colors - 1988, became only the third filly in history to win the Kentucky Derby. Voted 1988 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Three-Year-Old Filly. Inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2000.
- Open Mind - 1988, won Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, voted Eclipse Award for Outstanding Two-Year-Old Filly. 1989, voted Eclipse Award for Outstanding Three-Year-Old Filly
Gene Klein had horses win seven Breeders' Cup races:
- Breeders' Cup Juvenile:
- Capote (1986) (partnership)
- Success Express (1987)
- Is It True (1988)
- Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies:
- Twilight Ridge (1985)
- Open Mind (1988)
- Breeders' Cup Distaff:
- Life's Magic (1985)
- Lady's Secret (1986)
In just seven years of racing, Gene Klein raced six champions, two of which are in the Hall of Fame, and earned a total of eleven Eclipse Awards, including being personally voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder three years running from 1985 to 1987.
In the mid 1980s, Klein also undertook an offshoot business near his stables property in Rancho Santa Fe. He developed two luxury residential real estate projects called Del Rayo Estates and Del Rayo Downs. Forbes.com ranked its 92067 as the second most expensive ZIP code real estate market in the United States for 2005
In poor health, in 1989 Gene Klein retired from racing, selling off his 146 horses just a few months before he died. In 1995, his stables at Rancho Santa Fe, California were sold to Sidney and Jenny Craig of weight loss fame.
Gene Klein was a benefactor to a number of charities and was a major donor to the The Scripps Research Institute. He was also active in the San Diego Hall of Champions, the San Diego Museum of Art, the American Cancer Society and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Read more about this topic: Eugene V. Klein
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