Alexander Haber: The aim of every owner is to win the Derby, and I'm no exception. - FILE
LESS THAN three years ago, when the Owners' Association was fighting for a substantial purse increase, Alexander Haber was having second thoughts about continuing as a racehorse owner at Caymanas Park.
Happily, the Government approved a $100 million purse increase in June of 2003 and Haber not only had a change of heart, but his perseverance was rewarded with the champion owner title last year.
A successful businessman (CEO of Alex Import), Haber nosed out Barbadian owner Elias Haloute for the title when his imported filly TASSY'S WHIP won the penultimate race on December 31, the $1 million Sweet Ruckus Trophy in post-to-post fashion.
He topped the standings with $12.6 million in stakes from 32 wins among the 10 horses he owns, nearly all conditioned by the champion trainer, Wayne DaCosta.
They include the crack American-bred sprinter LIL' COUNTRY BOY, FORMALLY GOLD, METEOR MAN, BULLET TRAIN, HIDALGO, the 2005 Oaks winner ALL FOR PLEASURE from the Philip Feanny stables, and, of course, TASSY'S WHIP.
Haber, 38, also owns horses in Miami, Florida, and they are conditioned by Florida-based Jamaican trainer José Pinchin who trained for him locally prior to migrating in 2002. One of his horses, MISSY TASSY, finished second in the Calder Oaks in 2003.
Haber is married with four children - all girls. OneOnOne caught up with him at Caymanas Park last Saturday.
QUESTION: What is it like to become champion owner for the first time?
ALEXANDER HABER: Boy, it's a great feeling ... Everyone aspires to be a champion, so I would say it's a sense of accomplishment. The fact that I had to work hard to win on the last day, coming from behind in the penultimate race of the year, makes it even sweeter.
Q: When did you first become an owner?
AH: I have been owning horses since 1997. My first winner, MASTER BLASTER, came that year over 6 1/2 furlongs with Brian Harding aboard and it provided me with a lot of thrills.
Q: How did you acquire Master Blaster?
AH: He was claimed by trainer José Pinchin for $110,000 on my behalf. It turned out to be a wise investment as MASTER BLASTER proceeded to win nine races for me.
Q: During those early days as an owner, who were some of your other horses?
AH: TASSY WASSY and SHION ONE who were named after my two daughters. The Pinchin-trained filly TASSY WASSY went on to win the 1000 Guineas in 1998 and that was one of my happiest days in racing. This encouraged me to own more horses and I had another good year in 2001, thanks to the filly STORMONTHELOOSE who won eight races as a two-year-old which I believe is a record.
Q: Outside of Pinchin, Wayne DaCosta and Philip Feanny, which other trainers have conditioned horses for you?
AH: Paul Campbell trained a horse named PRINCESS NERAK for me some years ago and managed to win with her.
Q: What's your main objective as an owner?
AH: To win the Derby with one of my horses. I have already won two classics, the first with TASSY WASSY and the Jamaica Oaks with ALL FOR PLEASURE last year, and the owners' championship for the first time as well. But the aim of every owner is to win the Derby and I'm no exception.
Q: Who is your favourite jockey?
AH: It's hard to separate Trevor Simpson, Brian Harding and Charles Hussey. Harding won my first race with MASTER BLASTER and I think he's a very good jockey. But Simpson has won more races for me than any other jockey, especially with horses like LIL'COUNTRY BOY. And Hussey enabled me to win the championship with an impressive front-running ride on TASSY'S WHIP.
Q: Favourite horse?
AH: LIL' COUNTRY BOY. He loves to sprint and has won a string of trophy races for me in the top class over the past two years.
Q: You usually do well with American-bred horses, what gives?
AH: I am lucky with foreign horses, When you look at LIL 'COUNTRY BOY, FORMALLY GOLD, METEOR MAN, CHANTIE PRINCESS and TASSY'S WHIP and the number of trophy races they have won for me, it is testimony to the prowess of the imported horses.
Q: Given all your success as an owner, do you think you are ahead of the game at this stage?
AH: Few large owners manage to make a profit and I would say it's more of a break-even situation for me. Still, last year was a particularly good one for me, but the only man I can think of who consistently makes money as an owner is Joseph 'Fudgie' Duany. In 2000, he had a Triple Crown winner in I'MSATISFIED and last year MIRACLE MAN earned more than $7.7 million in stakes for him.
Q: Do you think purses are inadequate?
AH: Yes. Since we got the last purse increase in 2003, inflation has nullified the effect and we are back to square one. Purses need to be upgraded as a matter of urgency and I think it should be pegged to the U.S. dollar for creeping devaluation of the Jamaican dollar continues to erode the returns. Without owners there would be no racing ... We are the lifeblood of the industry, but get little if any recognition from the powers that be.
Q: What is your take on divestment?
AH: This could be the saviour of the industry and should have come on stream by now. The Government has too many commitments and cannot effectively move the industry forward. Racing needs private capital to develop in a meaningful way and only divestment can provide this.
- Orville Clarke
