SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — From the signage to the flowers, purple signifies the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar, and nobody knows the Del Mar race track quite like thoroughbred owner Aron Wellman.
"I was born in the month of August, and as everybody local knows, that is prime time Del Mar, where the turf meets the surf season. My mom had me on August 18th and the next morning, rumor has it, I was in a nap sack on the backside of the Del Mar race track," says Wellman.
In fact, if you can believe this, the Rancho Santa Fe resident got his start working at Del Mar when he was eight years old.
"That is where I got my first real-world experience. I got to hot walk horses and groom horses, and by the time I was in my early twenties and in law school, I was all for all intense and purposes as an assistant trainer."
After practicing law for about six years, Wellman returned to the track and eventually started his ownership group, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. This weekend, the company will be well represented at the Breeders Cup, where five of their horses will be running.
"We've had just a great run of it. We've won several Grade 1 stake races here at Del Mar at the main meet in the summer and in the fall at the Bing Crosby meet. We were fortunate enough the first year Breeders Cup was here at Del Mar to we win the marathon with a horse called Destin."
As the owner of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, looking for the best horses is kind of like the job of a baseball scout. He's always looking to acquire and develop top-tier thoroughbreds and find the next Breeders Cup champion.
"I am out there scouring the globe looking for equine talent. These horses can't speak to us, so we have to try and pick up on little nuances and idiosyncrasies. We need to try and pick up on their athleticism and, their class and their intelligence. Hopefully, it culminates in being represented here in the pinnacle of the entire sport, which is our championship weekend at Breeders Cup."
