September 2016 Member of the Month: Dennis Drazin

Though classic winners Nyquist and Exaggerator revived their rivalry in the July 31 betfair.com Haskell Invitational (gr. I) at Monmouth Park, it was another name on the tote board that caught racegoers’ eyes. Finishing in third place, a mere 3 ½ lengths behind Preakness victor (gr. I) Exaggerator, was Sunny Ridge, a New Jersey homebred for attorney Dennis Drazin.

In the Haskell, Sunny Ridge outfinished Kentucky Derby (gr. I) hero Nyquist for third. others. “He ran a super race—very impressive to run third in the Haskell against a really top field,” said Drazin, who was particularly impressed by the fact Sunny Ridge didn’t have a pre-Haskell prep. The gelding is now pointing to the September 24 Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) at Parx.

A well-known face on the Garden State Thoroughbred scene, Drazin was thrilled to have his first Haskell runner. He said, “Although I’ve won a lot of races here in New Jersey and throughout different places in the country, this was the first Haskell horse I had, and it was kind of a thrilling day.” An attorney based out of Red Bank, Drazin is best known to local horsemen as a longtime member of, and consultant for, the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association. Drazin also served as chairman of the New Jersey Racing Commission; currently, he is an advisor to Darby Development, LLC, which runs Monmouth for the NJTHA.

Drazin began his fascination with Thoroughbreds from a young age. “My father was involved in racing horses back in the late ’50s, and he took me out to the racetrack and it was love at first sight,” he remembered. Drazin entered the business with a friend in 1980 and hasn’t looked back since; at one point, he owned 150 horses, but has since streamlined his operation to about 30 head, including broodmares and runners. He boards his mares with Sharon Biamante in Morriston, Florida; in Kentucky with Three Chimneys Farm and Denali Stud, in Midway and Paris, respectively; and in Wall Township, New Jersey with Jan Laszlo of Hunters Run Farm.

Sunny Ridge (Holy Bull – Lignum Vitae, by Songandaprayer) has been grinding away since his first stakes win last year at two, a triumph in the historic Sapling Stakes at Monmouth. After a runner-up trip in the Champagne Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park, Sunny Ridge placed in the million-dollar Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes (gr. III) behind Exaggerator. In 2016, Sunny Ridge took the Withers (gr. III) before a fourth in the Gotham (gr. III), both at Aqueduct, then got a break before the Haskell.

“I wanted to make sure that we made the Haskell, so we decided to give him a little break,” recalled Drazin. “We never intended to run in the Derby, but we considered the Preakness. But he had a little wear and tear coming out of the second stake in New York.” From eight starts, Sunny Ridge has visited the winner’s circle three times and earned $659,752.

Drazin’s roots with this female family run deep. He co-owned Sunny Ridge’s third dam, saucily named grade II winner. Drazin (and longtime partner John Kimmel) bred her to Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, in whom Drazin owned a share; “Tatas” foaled Slewdacious, who in turn produced Lignum Vitae, the dam of Sunny Ridge. Sadly, Lignum Vitae died a year after foaling Sunny Ridge.

Drazin began his involvement with the NJTBHA in the late 1990s, “doing legal work and guiding their legislative and political agendas.” During his second term as president of that organization, New Jersey’s then-governor asked him to serve as chairman of the statewide racing commission, a position he held until the state government decided to privatize tracks.

The past few years have been difficult for New Jersey racing, with the issues of alternative subsidies and casino gaming rearing their heads. But Drazin has helped Monmouth turn itself around in recent years, which he called “a good effort to demonstrate that racing can stand on its own two feet,” and forecasts a bright future for the track. He said, “So I’m optimistic about New Jersey’s future and I’ve dedicated myself to making a reality here—to preserve Monmouth Park, to make racing stronger.”

“I think I’m a lucky man,” Drazin mused. “I have two loves aside from my family—I have a law practice that I love, and I love doing the racerack work. A lot of people ask me which comes first, and I guess my first love is practicing law and my second love is the racetrack, and then I have a close family, so certainly family is an important part of my background. It’s all interrelated. But I think without any one component I wouldn’t be as happy as I am.”