GARY E. BISZANTZ
BIOGRAPHY
Gary Biszantz, a man with twin passions - golf and horse racing - has managed to master and become successful at both.
Born September 30, 1934 in Los Angeles, California, to Harry and Helen Biszantz, Gary first attended races with his father at Santa Anita in the 40's. His personal involvement in Thoroughbred horse racing dates back to 1956, when he bought his first horse, Affirm Miss, which went on to win that same year at Santa Anita, trained by Mel Stute. This was the beginning of Biszantz's success and love for the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing.
Biszantz received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Claremont Men's College in 1956 (now Claremont McKenna College). At Claremont, Biszantz was captain of the golf team and an All-Conference guard on the basketball team. As a senior, Biszantz was honored as Claremont's Athlete of the Year.
After graduating from Claremont, Biszantz went to work for his father at Biszantz Ford in Glendora, California. Biszantz began his career as a sales representative in 1957 and quickly became general sales manager. In 1969, Biszantz built his own dealership, El Rancho Ford in Poway, California and ran it successfully until the mid-80's when he sold it due to expansion of Cobra Golf, a small golf club manufacturing company he co-owned.
Biszantz continued his athletic involvement as an avid golfer, winning the El Dorado Country Club Championship from 1972 to 1976, Rancho Santa Fe Country Club Championship in 1972, and Glendora Country Club Championship in 1970. Biszantz served as Glendora Country Club President from 1967 to 1968.
Biszantz was one of the principal founders of Cobra Golf in 1978 and served as Chairman of the Board and a Director of the Company from its inception. As Chairman of the Board of Cobra, Biszantz provided strategic planning and general management services to the Company which grew into the country's second-largest manufacturer of premium oversized golf clubs. After the sale of Cobra to American Brands in January 1996, Biszantz was finally allowed the opportunity to spend more time with the racing stable he had been building throughout his career at Cobra.
Since 1992 and through the end of 2007, horses owned by Biszantz (some owned in partnership) have made 2,106 starts with 407 wins, 354 seconds, and 297 thirds, finishing in the money 50% of the time. Graded stakes winners include Old Trieste, Cobra King, Sensation, Admise, Running Flame, Savinio, Caesour, Sekondi, Three Peat, Mayflower Lass, River Rhythm, Turbo Fan, Olanthe, Complot, Just Tops, Lord Grillo and Praviana. Biszantz credits his success to his philosophy woven around quality and winning, believing that you must first have the product, give the horse the chance to show its ability and run it where it has the best opportunity for success. Biszantz horses now run under the name of Cobra Farm.
In 1995, Biszantz purchased the 82-acre Due Process Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, renaming it Cobra Farm. In 1999, and again in 2001, he was able to purchase adjoining land. Cobra Farm is now situated on approximately 345 acres intersecting Newtown Pike and Iron Works Pike in Lexington. Mike Owens is manager of the farm, which is the home of more than two dozen top-quality broodmares, their foals/weanlings and yearlings. Yearlings typically go to Florida and Kentucky for breaking training. When the horses are ready to run they will go to Thoroughbred trainers Stan Hough, Michael Stidham and others.
Committed to improving racing, Biszantz served four years as Chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA), as well as having served on the Graded Stakes Committee for six years. Biszantz has been an active member of the sub-committee to uniform racing drug rules. In 1999 Biszantz was elected into membership of the Jockey Club. Mr. Biszantz formerly served on the Board of Directors of the Breeders' Cup and was a past Director of the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC).
Biszantz is very active philanthropically through the Biszantz Charitable Foundation, with special emphasis on children's activities, particularly the Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA in North San Diego County, the George E. Barnes Family Tennis Center (Youth Tennis San Diego), the Idaho Youth Ranch, Claremont McKenna College (where he serves as a trustee), and the Rancho Santa Fe Community Center.
Through the foundation, Biszantz purchased a farm in Tehachapi, California, which he donated in order to retrain, rescue and give homes to retired race horses and rehabilitate injured race horses. The farm was recently renamed Tranquility Farm and is home to the Harry A. Biszantz Memorial Center. The Biszantz Foundation has also made major donations to C.E.R.F. (California Equine Retirement Foundation) a local ranch for retired race horses. The foundation is a supporter of the Equine Athletic Performance Laboratory, Center for Equine Health at UC Davis, the Piedra Foundation, The Helen Woodward Animal Hospital, the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and the Don MacBeth Jockey Fund.
In 1999, Gary and his wife, Betty, were honored by the San Diego Hall of Champions as the "Community Champions" for 1998. On March 11, 1999, the Association of Racing Commissioners International awarded Gary their annual "Animal Welfare" award. In April 1999, the K.T.O.B. awarded Biszantz with their "Humanitarian of the Year" award for 1998.
Gary and Betty split their time between Del Mar, California and Lexington, Kentucky.
Links to related sites:
http://www.ntra.com/ • http://www.toba.org/
http://www.equineline.com/ • http://www.toconline.com/
• http://www.breederscup.com/ •
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