Our questions are answered by Stephanie Hronis, one-third of the Hronis Racing ownership team alongside husband Kosta and his brother Pete
As part-owners of the spectacular Horse of the Year Flightline, Hronis Racing – Stephanie Hronis, her husband Kosta and his brother Pete – are among the best-known ownership teams in US racing with a plethora of major stakes winners to their name.
California-based wholesalers by trade, the Hronis brothers claimed their first horse in 2010 before being introduced to trainer John Sadler; they enjoyed their first G1 winner within two years as Lady Of Shamrock won the 2012 Del Mar Oaks and American Oaks at Hollywood Park. Stellar Wind was champion three-year-old filly in 2015 and Accelerate brought them and Sadler their first Breeders’ Cup success in 2018.
Their next star, Flightline, was on another level. Owned in partnership with Siena Farm, Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing, he completed his unbeaten career with astonishing victories in the Pacific Classic (by 17½ lengths) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (by 8¼ lengths) in the green-and-white Hronis silks.
Stephanie Hronis married her husband in 2012. “Racing was new for me and we didn’t have a lot of horses then and the barn grew,” she explains. “I kind of joke and tease Kosta that I got swindled into it because before we’d have more weekends off than racing and, as the barn grew, our time at the track grew.”
She currently serves on the boards of the Thoroughbred Owners of California and Thoroughbred Owner and Breeders Association, as well as being heavily involved with the Horse Racing Women’s Summit and efforts to support the backstretch community.
Which racing figure past or present do you most admire?
I am relatively new to this sport but for me there are two. John Sadler has spent over four decades of his life as a trainer and he has always put the best interests of the horse first. Us and many others would have loved to have seen Flightline race more frequently, but with the style that he ran and how hard he pushed, he needed to be given breaks and when a couple of small issues came up he made sure to give him ample time. I respect his horsemanship, his history, his dedication and philosophy as a trainer.
On the female side, I have learned how much Marylou Whitney did for the backstretch community while being a prominent owner. I have great respect for the financial investment she made to improve their conditions and to advocate for them.
Which is your favourite venue, and race, anywhere in the world?
I can’t choose Santa Anita over Del Mar, which we consider our home tracks. It’s Del Mar in the summertime. It puts together such a great programme but we spend so many weekends at Santa Anita Park that it has to be a 50-50 split.
My favourite race is the Pacific Classic at Del Mar. It’s a very special race. Accelerate, Higher Power, Tripoli and Flightline have all won it for us. In the paddock area at Del Mar they have lawn jockeys where they paint them in the silks of whoever’s won specific races. It’s been fun to have ours for the Pacific Classic. I am humbly grateful for that.
Who is your favourite racehorse and why?
I have to pick a filly and that’s Stellar Wind. I loved to watch her run. She had such a nice balance of grace and grit. She ensured her athleticism and power showed up but she was also very feminine too. She won some really good races and lost the Breeders’ Cup Distaff by a blink and a couple of bumps at Keeneland. She helped move the barn forward and it was very exciting to see her race.
For the boys it has to be Flightline. For Accelerate’s Breeders’ Cup Classic win, I think my heart and my breathing stopped for a moment as he came down the stretch.
But, oh my gosh! The ride that Flightline took us on over a two-year period! A year ago we had no idea what 2022 was going to bring us with Flightline. For him to be number one in the world, I am getting chills just thinking about it. It was beyond special.
What is your fondest memory in racing?
Watching Kosta and John celebrate when those wins happen. I’ve seen John well up. Kosta is always the one that can stay seated and John and I are the ones on our toes, cheering and everything.
But during Flightline’s Breeders’ Cup, Kosta was standing on the chair. It was totally out of character. Seeing them, Juan Leyva, the grooms, really happy, ecstatic over the big wins, as well as the ones you don’t expect, are all bundled into my favourite moments at the track.
If you could change one thing in racing, what would it be?
Transparency and the ability to evolve. I say that because I came from education and in education you have to be transparent about how your students are doing and be honest about concerns. You are accountable to your principal, your superintendent, and at state and federal level.
I am used to seeing accountability and transparency. That’s a newer paradigm for racing and I hope we become more comfortable with it. For us to stay relevant and thrive we need to integrate that into our norms more. It’s all hands on deck right now – we have to work together and support each other.
Stephanie Hronis was speaking to Jon Lees
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