Thoroughbred Racing

As an owner, my one overriding goal is simple and straightforward: to breed and develop an extraordinary horse, the kind that comes along once in a lifetime, one whose name will live on for generations. That’s what drives me.

My first thoroughbred was a horse named Miss Scooter, a chestnut-colored filly that cost $700. She won a couple of cheap claiming races and the money from those purses went toward buying additional horses so I could start building up my own stable. I’ve always believed that great horses carry great names—names that are unique, grab hold of your imagination and stick in your mind: Macho Uno, Awesome Again, Red Bullet, Perfect Sting, Glorious Song. More times than not, my horses have lived up to their billing.

The late 1990s were magical years for our stable. Our horse Touch Gold won the 1997 Belmont Stakes, the last leg of the Triple Crown. Touch Gold had some Northern Dancer blood in him, and he upset Silver Charm, a fan favorite that looked to be a lock on becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Secretariat. Winning the Belmont Stakes was a terrific feeling—a photographer captured the look of joy and triumph in a photo of me punching the air in victory.

The next year, another of our horses, Awesome Again, won the $5.1 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs. It was, at the time, the richest stakes race ever run. The Breeders’ Cup Classic is known as the Super Bowl of thoroughbred horse racing—the best of the best. But this particular race in November 1998 is still considered by many in the sport to be the strongest field of all-star horses ever assembled—virtually every horse in the race was a proven winner, a fierce competitor. When you listen to a recording of the track announcer calling the race, shouting uncontrollably as Awesome Again bolts up the middle to grab the lead just before the finish line, it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.


Awesome Again ran in a lot of tough races, and never lost once during that entire year. From the moment I saw him and gave him his name, I felt he had greatness in him. Around the time that Awesome Again was born, Magna had gotten back on its feet after a brush with bankruptcy and was starting to make tremendous strides. The company was setting new sales records and expanding rapidly into Europe. Magna had become “awesome again,” and so, in hindsight, it was fitting that I had given that name to a horse that had all the markings of a great champion.

One of our best horses over the last few years—perhaps our greatest horse ever in terms of pure talent and power—was Ghostzapper, the son of Awesome Again. He went undefeated in 2004 and again in 2005 and, like his dad, he won the Breeders’ Cup Classic. After he won the race, a number of reporters asked me about the meaning behind his name. I knew the Cup Classic was going to take place close to Halloween, and it got me thinking about ghosts, so Ghostzapper struck me as a perfect name. He could sprint or go a long distance. He could come from behind or take a commanding lead. And unlike his dad, who was not physically striking, Ghostzapper was an intimidating presence at the track, with a powerful physique and muscles that bulged beneath his sleek coat. He destroyed most of his opponents. No horse in the history of the world has been clocked at a faster speed.

Adena Farms

We founded Adena Ranch nearly twenty years ago and have been farming the land ever since. Here you’ll find more than 95,000 acres (38.4 hectare) of wide-open pastures, ponds and woodlands that provide a stress-free environment where our animals roam and live naturally.
A lot of businesses say they are “farm to table” – we truly are! Unlike most farms, Adena Ranch is a completely vertically integrated farm operation. That means we carefully control the entire supply chain from field to table. We raise and harvest our own animals. And we sell our exclusive meats to retail outlets and restaurants that we also own and operate. That allows us to provide you with the highest levels of quality every step of the way.

GoTo: Adena Farms official homepage

Adena Golf & Country Club

 

Frank Stronach envisioned a place where families could share experiences. Where time spent together was of the highest quality. A place that could be admired, not only for its masterful craftsmanship, but its respect for the natural surroundings.
Nestled on a beautiful parcel of emerald-green grassland in the Horse Capital of the World, the Adena Golf & Country Club quietly takes in everything Ocala, Florida has to offer.


Golf

The 18-hole “Ocala Meadows” course at the Adena Golf & Country Club facility in Ocala, Florida features 7,068 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72 . Ocala Meadows golf course opened in 2015. It’s supposedly one of the most beautiful golf courses worldwide, set well integrated into the surrounding landscape.

Linkt to Adena Golf & Country Club


Restaurant
At Adena Grill it is the fundamental truth that a truly unforgettable dish can only be achieved by using the best ingredients. That’s why only hand selected, organic produce is used, as well as ethically raised lifestock coming from Adena Farms. It’s all done to give customers a farm-to-table experience they can savor long after the meal is finished.

Link to Adena Ranch


Residence
Looking to fully immerse yourself in the serenity of the Adena lifestyle? Adena offers exclusive opportunity to own a piece of property on the estate. Enjoy the beautiful vistas from the comfort of your very own custom-built, eco-friendly home.

Linkt to Adena Residences


 

Magna

Magna International


The early years
In 1957, three years after arriving to Canada as a young toolmaker, Frank Stronach had saved up enough money to start his own small tool and die shop. It was located inside an old one-storey building in the heart of Toronto’s manufacturing district. The shop had a wooden floor and was the size of a four-car garage. Frank worked sixteen hours a day, seven days a week, and slept on a small cot he kept next to his lathe inside the shop.

While out looking for orders, Frank would win new business by promising his customers that he could solve their problems. He backed up his promise with an iron-clad guarantee: if the customers were not satisfied, they would not have to pay him. It was the beginning of what would become the hallmarks of Magna’s business reputation: innovation, customer satisfaction, and a commitment to make a better product at a better price.

Tony Czapka, an old friend from Weiz, Austria, would join Frank during the weekends during those early years and work alongside him. By the end of that first year the hard work had begun to pay off. Multimatic, the small firm started by Frank, had $20,000 in sales and ten employees. Every single of those original employees went on to become future Magna plant managers.

In 1959, the growing company landed its first auto parts contract: an order from General Motors in Oshawa, Ontario to produce metal-stamped sun visor brackets. Frank Stronach’s small tool and die shop never looked back.


Magna today employs more than 155,000 people in 312 manufacturing operations and 98 product development and engineering centers in 29 countries. Magna manufactures a wide range of vehicle systems, including: seating systems; closure systems; body and chassis systems; vision systems; electronic systems; exterior systems; powertrain systems; closure and roof systems; as well as complete vehicle engineering and contract manufacturing. Magna had sales in 2015 of US $32.1 billion and is listed and traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange in Canada (MG) and the New York Stock Exchange in the US (MGA).


One of Frank Stronach’s most significant accomplishments is the creation of a Corporate Constitution that governs Magna International Inc., the company he founded in 1957.

The Corporate Constitution is much more than a mission statement – it is the cornerstone of Magna’s unique entrepreneurial culture. At the core of the Corporate Constitution is a clear-cut formula – or economic charter of rights – that allows each of Magna’s key stakeholders to participate in the Company’s growth and profitability.

Magna is believed to be the only company in the world with such a document. The Constitution basically pre-determines the amount of annual profits shared among Magna’s key stakeholder groups, including employees, management, shareholders and society, and it makes every stakeholder a partner in profitability.

GoTo “Magna Charter

 

 

Pegasus World Cup Invitational

Pegasus World Cup Invitational

Here is what Franks says:

” We wanted to create a classic race, like the Triple Crown or the Breeders’ Cup, that would attract the best horses in the world. But we also wanted to do something very innovative that had never been done before.

That’s where we came up with the idea of having 12 horse owners each kick in $1 million for a spot at the starting gate, with all of the owners sharing in the profits from the race and one of us going home with the biggest purse in history.

Finally, we wanted to enhance the entertainment around the race and offer not just great live racing but also great music and food and great fun—an overall unforgettable day at the racetrack.”

Link to official Pegasus World Cup website

Pegasus & Dragon the Monument

Origin & Background

  • In 2011, Frank Stronach, Founder and Honorary Chairman of The Stronach Group, drafted the initial rough sketch of a massive horse sculpture to honor the great contributions that horses have made to human civilization throughout history.
  • Five years later, the result of Frank Stronach’s tribute is Pegasus and Dragon, an iconic monument that pays homage to the courage, speed and power of the horse. The monument features Pegasus, the winged horse of Greek mythology, standing triumphantly over a fallen dragon.

Structural Dimensions & Key Facts

  • Located on the north side of Gulfstream Park, Pegasus and Dragon is the world’s largest horse sculpture and one of the largest bronze statues ever made.
  • The sculpture is a marvel of modern-day engineering, cast in Germany and built by more than 500 workers, then shipped to Gulfstream in 1,250 bronze sections and 4,740 pieces of steel, where it was assembled piece by piece.
  • Measuring 110 feet in height and 115 feet in width, and weighing more than 450 tons, the sculpture is supported by a highly complex internal steel skeleton with massive steel girders anchored deeply into the rock formations below and is designed to withstand hurricanes.
  • The sculpture’s outer bronze layer, fastened to the steel structure in sections measuring six feet by nine feet, weighs more than half a million pounds and was fitted together with microscopic precision.
  • The entire bronze surface of the sculpture was then sandblasted, cleaned and given a patina application that involved heating each section with a gas torch to create an oxidation process, giving the metal its distinguished color.

Frank Stronach, Pegasus & Dragon

An Enduring Landmark & Tourist Attraction          

Already established as a major landmark, the majestic Pegasus and Dragon sculpture will greet visitors to Gulfstream Park for generations to come and is destined to become one of the Sunshine State’s most famous tourist attractions.

Magna Charter

One of Frank Stronach’s most significant accomplishments is the creation of a Corporate Constitution that governs Magna International Inc., the company he founded in 1957.

The Corporate Constitution is much more than a mission statement – it is the cornerstone of Magna’s unique entrepreneurial culture. At the core of the Corporate Constitution is a clear-cut formula – or economic charter of rights – that allows each of Magna’s key stakeholders to participate in the Company’s growth and profitability.

Magna is believed to be the only company in the world with such a document. The Constitution basically pre-determines the amount of annual profits shared among Magna’s key stakeholder groups, including employees, management, shareholders and society, and it makes every stakeholder a partner in profitability.

A case study published by Harvard Business School in the late 1980s analyzed Magna’s Corporate Constitution and described the economic charter of rights at the heart of the Constitution as Magna’s “success formula”.

Hurricane Kathrina Rescue


Rescuing Evacuees from the Hurricane Katrina Disaster

In September 2005, Frank Stronach initiated the evacuation of hundreds of victims of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. The following is an article published in the Fall 2005 Special Edition of Magna People, Magna’s employee newsletter, which describes the events surrounding the rescue:

Magna founder and Chairman Frank Stronach was sitting in a hotel room watching TV news reports of the worst natural disaster in US history. Hurricane Katrina caused flooding and damage that left close to one million people along the Gulf Coast homeless and in need of food and shelter. Most of the hardest hit victims were seniors and the very poor. Watching images of homeless and helpless people trying to flee New Orleans, Frank remembered his own upbringing in war-torn Austria – a time when he was poor and hungry. Those experiences, said Frank, “are burned right into the soul.”

He picked up the phone and got in touch with some of Magna’s senior executives. He asked them to put together an emergency rescue plan to move hundreds of evacuees by bus and plane to a Florida horse training facility in West Palm Beach.

The very next morning, a team from Magna was on the ground organizing supplies of food, water and clothing and arranging transportation for the evacuees. Working with the US Army and Air Force, as well as the American Red Cross, the Magna team successfully evacuated 250 people.

One of those people was Harold Brooks, who lived in the Bywater district of New Orleans, just six blocks from the Mississippi River and close to one of the two main canals that broke, leading to the massive flooding that left hundreds of thousands of people homeless. Just before Hurricane Katrina reached shore, Harold made sure that his mother, his two sisters – one of whom is handicapped – and his nieces and nephew left town in the one car they all shared. Harold gave them the last few dollars he had for gas money.

After the hurricane flooded his home, the search-and-rescue operations were temporarily suspended and all water and gas were cut off. In the days that followed, Harold would make his way up and down the flooded streets, taking food to families that had been stranded in their homes and checking in on his neighbours. He remembers seeing bodies floating past him down the street: “I didn’t look too close because I didn’t want to see who it was.” When he was rescued, he was wading through the flood waters and trying to coax a mother and her three children to leave with him. She didn’t want to abandon her damaged home.

More than 1,000 volunteers, doctors, nurses and chefs were waiting at the Florida training facility to lend a helping hand as the New Orleans evacuees arrived. Among the evacuees were many families with small children, seniors and disabled people. Some were wearing nothing more than shoes and a blanket. Many were carrying all of their possessions in a garbage bag.

“Helping people, feeding them and giving them temporary shelter – that’s the easy part,” said Frank. “The challenging part is what we do to get them back on their feet again.”

Finding shelter for hundreds of Louisiana evacuees was only the first step. The next, and more difficult step, was finding a way to help them rebuild their shattered lives. And to do that, Frank came up with the idea of buying some land and building a community from scratch for the hundreds of Magna evacuees on a 1,000-acre parcel of land in Simmesport, Louisiana, north of Baton Rouge.

According to Frank, the community gave evacuees “a fresh start and a new life.” More importantly, he added, the community gave the hurricane survivors a chance to become self supporting. “We feel responsible for the evacuees,” said Frank. “They’re our adopted community.”

Source: Fall 2005 Special Edition of Magna People, Magna’s employee newsletter

The B’nai Brith Award of Merit for Humanitarian Service

The following are comments made by U.S. Consul General Jessica LeCroy at the B’nai Brith Award of Merit dinner in Toronto on September 13, 2005. Magna Founder Frank Stronach was named the 2005 recipient of the Award of Merit for his humanitarian contribution to the evacuation of victims of the flooding and damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.

 “While you in Canada know Mr. Stronach as a modern-day success story and a titan of industry, it is his most recent gesture of extraordinary philanthropic vision for which I would like Mr. Stronach to be acknowledged tonight.

We have heard that when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast two weeks ago, Mr. Stronach saw people in need and immediately looked for a way to help. Last week he was in Florida visiting with the nearly 300 evacuees he had already airlifted from Louisiana who now call his new training facility in Palm Beach home.  There they receive medical attention and clothing, are being housed in comfortable quarters, fed in a modern cafeteria, and then, in a short while, will be offered permanent housing in a new 1,000-acre mobile home village back in Louisiana.

Being from Mississippi – from a region where Hurricane Katrina hit – and having spent most of my professional foreign service life in devastated countries filled with desperate, displaced persons, I admire the efforts of Mr. Stronach and am very touched to participate tonight in this event to honor Mr. Stronach.

Ambassador Wilkins in his Open Letter to Canada thanked all Canadians for their generous outpouring of relief assistance to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. He asked me to repeat our gratitude to this audience to tonight. You were there for us after 9/11 when 26 Canadians also lost their lives, and you are there for us now when Canadian lives were thankfully spared.

A million people have been displaced in my country  – not since the Dust Bowl of the 1930s have so many Americans been on the move or living in the rough. From my work I know that a basic human need – perhaps stronger than finding food or finding shelter – is finding a home. What more noble endeavor can there be than helping those who have lost home find home.

Frank Stronach has said that his own experience as a kind of displaced person is ‘burned right into the soul.’  It is his special spirit of optimism and faith in the goodness of life which evoked such a powerful and immediate response to help my people displaced by Hurricane Katrina find home.

And it is people like Frank Stronach who make Canada such a great country, such a great neighbor, and such a great friend. Thank you.”