Racing's Future: Liam Benson

“Racing’s Future” is a Q&A series in which I aspire to help everyone in the industry. In addition to shining a spotlight on youth who plan to have a career in horse racing, I hope that the opinions expressed in their responses will offer industry leaders insight into what a younger audience believes the sport should improve upon.

Meet Liam Benson

Born in New York City, 19-year-old Liam Benson grew up near Monmouth Park in New Jersey, where the grade one Haskell Invitational Stakes was always a big outing for his family and friends. He has been involved in the Thoroughbred industry for the past ten years since his family moved to a breeding and training farm in Morriston, Florida. Liam is currently an Equine Business and Accounting major at the University of Louisville with a minor in Entrepreneurship. He is also a licensed trainer.

How did you become interested in horse racing?

I grew up going to the Haskell every year. I always loved going to the track but never knew much about it. My family decided to jump into the industry at the beginning of 2005 by purchasing a farm just outside of Ocala. I spent my weekends and summers working in the barn with the horses. It’s hard not to fall in love with the sport when it’s part of your everyday life.

What do you love about horse racing?

Our first year foaling mares on the farm, I think we had thirty or so foals born. It was one of the coolest things to see these foals make their way to the track and eventually the winner’s circle.

What career are you pursuing in the horse racing industry and how are you currently pursuing it?

I want to train horses full time. I’m currently an Equine Business & Accounting junior at the University of Louisville with a minor in Entrepreneurship. I spend a lot of time on the phone with my parents who are looking after things on the farm. My parents handed me the reins (pun intended) in regards to managing the racehorses. We have a pretty small stable of usually four or five horses running at a time.

Why have you chosen to pursue that career?

I’ve been involved in most aspects of the industry including breeding, racing, and sales. I have found training to be the most gratifying experience of all because the results are very black and white. You do something and you either win or lose. If you win, great. If not, then you try something different.

Who are some of the people you admire in the industry and why?

My parents have been a massive influence on my career. They’ve allowed me to grow and learn as a trainer with their horses. I really can’t ask for any more from them. Derek Ryan, who trained our horses for years, has also been a big influence on me. Derek has the best eye for a horse that I’ve ever met. He manages to get the best out of his horses and I’ve learned a great deal from him. He’s a top-notch horseman.

What aspects of horse racing do you wish you knew more about?

Pedigrees. I spend a lot of time at the sales in Kentucky and I’ve been working on it but I’m still trying to nail down the intricacies.

What racetracks have you been to?

Aqueduct, Ballinrobe (Ireland), Belmont, Calder, Capannelle (Rome), Churchill Downs, Colonial Downs, Delaware Park, Finger Lakes, Gulfstream Park, Indiana Grand, Keeneland, Kentucky Downs, Laurel Park, Monmouth Park, Mountaineer, Parx, Pimlico, San Rossore (Pisa), Saratoga and Tampa Bay Downs

What is your favorite racetrack? Why?

Monmouth Park. I grew up in that area and to be able to go back there during the summer, now as a trainer, is the coolest feeling in the world. I used to be the kid leaning against the rail of the paddock watching the jockeys get a leg up and now I’m the one giving the leg up.

Of the racetracks you have not been to, which one do you want to visit most?

Del Mar. The beach and horse racing… What more could you ask for?

What are your favorite moments in your “horse racing life” thus far?

Winning my first race at Colonial Downs with a horse named Gtmeoutahereseamus

Who are your favorite racehorses of your lifetime? Before your lifetime?

My lifetime? I loved watching Musket Man because he was such a gutsy horse. Before my lifetime? Citation. His streak of consecutive wins is unbelievable considering that he never ducked competition. I think the best part of his story is actually about his dam Hydroplane (GB), who was shipped the wrong way around the world to avoid German U-Boats in 1941.

If you could change something about the industry, what would you change?

If this were a perfect world, I would say that a National Racing Commission would be ideal. I don’t actually see this as being a viable proposition, though, because there are too many independent interests in the sport.

What do you think is preventing horse racing from being a more popular sport?

Apart from the main issues (medication policies, small fields, etc.) that this sport faces, I think the marketing scheme is flawed when it comes to racing.  For years, this sport has focused almost entirely on the horses. That plan works well when there’s a horse like Zenyatta or California Chrome but this doesn’t really work on an everyday basis. If you go to Santa Anita then, you’ll see ninety horses run. If you go to Santa Anita the next day, then you’re going to see ninety different horses. It’s difficult for someone who doesn’t go to the track regularly to get hooked onto one horse that might run every three or four weeks. It’s a lot easier to build a relationship with the jockeys as athletes who are competing five to six times per day. Focus on the horses but don’t forget the jockeys.

What do you think is the most common misconception about horse racing?

I’m going to sound like a broken record player but there’s a very large portion of the general population that believes that the horses on the backstretch are abused. This is a result of major news outlets (New York Times, I’m looking at you) hooking onto a few bad stories. They basically ignore the other 99% of horsemen on the backstretch who wake up before sunrise to go and look after their horses. The majority of horse people spend more time at the barn than they do at home. Truth be told, horse people pay way more attention to their horses than they do to the humans in their life.

How would you convince someone who is not an avid follower of horse racing to begin following the sport?

I try and bring as many people back to the barn as I can. I try to show them some of the basics of what goes on in the shedrow. People love meeting the horses. Most of them don’t care whether it’s a $5,000 claimer or a horse about to run in a stakes race; they just love getting to pet the horses and see them in the stall. Most sports, the general public has to watch from a distance. They can’t go watch practice or talk to the players hanging out in the locker room. Horse racing is a sport that everyone can be a part of.

What is one thing you aspire to personally accomplish someday in the horse racing industry?

I’m trying to win a Kentucky Derby just like every other trainer out there. On a personal level, though, I want to be in a position that I can help out the generation after me. I’ve been given a lot of great opportunities by some fantastic people and I feel like it is my responsibility to do the same.