Seale Family Affair thrives in Delaware Park * The Racing Biz

Trainer Chris Seale just had his best summer in Delaware Park.

“We had seven or eight runners [actually ten] And were seventh in the rankings for a time, “he remembers.” So it was quite exciting. ”

Moreover, the operation is a family affair. Both Seale and his wife, Margo, were born in racing tracking. Together with their younger son, cash, they are hands-on in all respects, they work together with the stable crew that shares in the success of Seale.

Buy and sell under the name Bird in Hand Stables, Seale has been a sales sender for more than a decade, but his first runners as a trainer came in 2017. To start with, he ran close to his home base in Florida. The following year they sent north for the summer, first to Monmouth, and finally Delaware.

He has been successful in the Stanton Oval, but this year his small but powerful stable lights ended. Of the 32 starts at the meeting, the barn noted seven victories with four different horses, with runners in the money 47 percent of the time. His barn earned $ 156,400, almost $ 5000 per start.

Among the winners at the meeting for Seale, the 2-year-old Blue was forty-two, which he planned earlier in the year. That did not happen, and so the Gelded Son of Audible broke his maiden first and asked in June before he became a solid third in the Dover Stakes for his owner-trainer on 14 August.

But although deployment runners are always exciting, the favorite moments of Seale came this summer with Hard-Knock Mare Compass Fire, which won three times in the course of the meeting, including back-to-back victories on July 11 and July 30.

Compass Fire, by Midshipman, there was one who tried to Pinhook, to buy her as a yearling and her as a two -year -old led through the sales ring again. But when she did not meet her reserve and generated a top $ 77,000 offer, Seale decided to train her. She has won six of the 22 career start and earns more than $ 120,000.

“She is the family horse,” he says. ‘She’s done pretty well for us, but we could never get her exaggerated [before this]. “

After a disappointing winter in Tampa struggling the board in four starting goods the seals ready to find 5-year-old a soft landing for her career after racing. But when her place fell through at the pension farm, Seale took her to Delaware for the season – and something just clicked.

Just on the bottom for its first Delaware start, Compass Fire took its first victory of the year 28 May. Released the ladder to Starter Toyance Company, she scored twice more.

“She just loves it so hard and gives you everything,” says Seale. “It’s really nice to see how she’s success.”

As far as he comes back to Delaware-Et, Seasons Credit The Management Team, including racing secretary Jed Doro, for their efforts to promote racing on the “horse-friendly” track, especially given the popularity of the adjacent casino.

“I think it’s nice to see that they are willing and able to put back in racing,” he says.

Seale and his horses have now returned to Florida for the winter, but the family will return to Delaware next summer. And if 2025 was an indication, their shed will be one to look at.