Rich Mendez has gone from fielding calls about platinum-selling recording artists to a sudden stream of offers for his potential Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve starters. The Puerto Rico native, a music mogul through his successful record company, Rich Records, has leaped head first into the world of Thoroughbred racing. He has hardly had the time to come up for air after scoring his stable’s first graded stakes victory with No More Time, by Not This Time, in the Feb. 10 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

Founding Morplay Racing alongside his son Josh and partners Randy Hartley and Dean DeRenzo, Mendez talks to BloodHorse about his venture in racing, No More Time’s progression from $40,000 purchase to graded stakes winner, and the surreal possibility that he could be a partner of a second Kentucky Derby contender in Victory Avenue.

BLOODHORSE: As someone coming from the music industry background, how did you get involved with horse racing?

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MENDEZ: I’ve always loved horses. My uncle (Victor Sanchez) used to be a jockey back in the day and my mom used to walk horses at Saratoga. I just always loved watching the races on TV. I live in Orlando and my offices are in Miami. I would drive over to Ocala just to see all the farms and Thoroughbreds and used to always dream about having it. A few years ago, we purchased our first property in Ocala — 20 acres — and then I met Randy (Hartley) and we just kind of hit it off, and I just started buying and selling horses with them. Randy and Dean (DeRenzo) let me be a part of their pinhooking operation. And then we just started racing.

BLOODHORSE: What were your goals coming into the sport?

MENDEZ: I truly enjoy racing. It’s a passion and I love being around the horses. I don’t know if there’s a specific goal. Growing up watching TV you always saw the white-haired guy on TV (Bob Baffert) and you see the big races. I didn’t even understand how the racing dynamic was. I didn’t understand the route to the Derby. I just truly enjoyed it. It wasn’t about ‘Oh man, one day I want to win the Kentucky Derby.’ I think just being able to be involved in the sport has been the dream and now it’s taken on a life of its own.

BLOODHORSE: Before diving into No More Time, how did you become involved with Victory Avenue? (Victory Avenue was scratched from a scheduled start in the March 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Prior to Saturday, the son of Arrogate was an impressive runner-up in his Jan. 27 debut.)

MENDEZ: We bought him as a yearling (for $150,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September sale) to pinhook. He got cast very badly in his stall as a yearling. He was able to go to the hospital and he was able to stand up. That horse had such a will to live — we didn’t think he was going to make it.

He got started late after everything and we went to the June sale after only 30 days of real, serious training. But the son of a gun went in :10 flat. Ramiro Restrepo came up to us after the breeze show and said he loved the horse and we decided to stay in as partners on him after he sold. (Restrepo signed the ticket as Marquee Bloodstock for Victory Avenue for $325,000 at the 2022 Ocala Breeders’ Sales June 2-Year-Olds and HRA Sale.)

No More Time winning Sam F. Davis Stakes. (SV Photography)

BLOODHORSE: It’s not often you see an Iowa-bred on the Derby trail. I saw Hartley and DeRenzo picked out No More Time for only $40,000 as a yearling. What did they like about him?

MENDEZ: They thought he fit their program, so to speak. They have a certain horse that they like. It just so happens that when they were bidding, for whatever reason the horse didn’t sell. Dean went back to the consignor and offered $40,000 and the horse was sold.

It’s odd; I bought Urban Legend (a 3-year-old colt by Into Mischief ) for $1.3 million (at the 2023 OBS April Sale) and I still think he’s going to be an amazing horse, and to know this little guy that cost $40,000 is leading us to where we’re going is ironic.

BLOODHORSE: When No More Time earned his maiden win last October at Gulfstream Park was he the first official winner for Morplay Racing?

MENDEZ: Yes. So, the day before I was in California because Urban Legend started with Bob (Baffert). Of course, that was our bad luck we started against Nysos that day. I had thought it would be the other way around where Urban Legend would’ve won and No More Time would finish second. Urban came in second. We flew back to Miami. So yeah, that was our first official win. It was a great feeling and to see how he won as well.

BLOODHORSE: After that nice maiden win, he looked like he had a bit of a troubled trip in the Mucho Macho Man with that start and running wide. What gave your team the confidence to try stakes company again in the Sam F. Davis? Were you confident heading into the race?

MENDEZ: If you go back and look at the video, he pops up. And then he’s what — 10 lengths back? And then Jose (Ortiz) took him wide because the dirt was hitting him and he didn’t like it. And then he started to come on. He never quit. I got a bunch of calls after that race where people said that’s a nice horse. The Mucho Macho Man was just an odd trip.

We knew that we had a good horse. And so, when (trainer Jose D’Angelo) said, ‘Look, we could go to the Holy Bull or the Sam F. Davis,’ Jose thought he needed another breeze and to skip the Holy Bull — and when we saw that breeze he looked like a totally different horse. And we took him to Tampa and he was able to do what he did.

BLOODHORSE: He won the Sam F. Davis wire-to-wire by 1 1/4 lengths and earned 20 points on the Road to the Derby. What were your thoughts watching his performance?

MENDEZ: I was scared. I thought it was very bold to go to the lead. Especially with some graded stakes winners in the field. But he showed a lot of determination and a lot of heart. A couple of times horses got close to him but he showed he wasn’t going to let them pass him. We were ecstatic, to say the least. He impressed us tremendously.

BLOODHORSE: What do you think of No More Time’s chances in his next race, the March 9 Tampa Bay Derby? He seems like a horse that has only improved with more distance.

MENDEZ: Of course, Agate Road was coming at us (in the Sam F. Davis) but when we saw the gallop out afterward, he just kept on going and that impressed us as well. We’re excited. I like our chances. Wherever the chips may fall, they fall, but I think we have a great chance.

Rich Mendez, left, with trainer Jose D'Angelo. (SV Photography)

BLOODHORSE: What’s your relationship like with up-and-coming South Florida trainer Jose D’Angelo? Is No More Time the only horse you have with him?

MENDEZ: I have another horse, Zeke’s Heart, with him. We have several other nice horses we want to put with him this year, too. He’s done an amazing job. He’s a young kid but the passion and the knowledge he has is crazy. It’s not a common thing for a 31-year-old. Giving No More Time that extra week was everything that horse needed. I love his confidence and I love his work ethic. I truly feel that he’s going to be one that’s going to be around for a long time and people will have to reckon with him as well.

BLOODHORSE: And now after getting your first graded stakes win with No More Time, you have two horses on the Derby trail. What does that mean to you and your family?

MENDEZ: It’s been surreal. When I look back at how we first started in the music business, we really were novices. We didn’t know that much about it. But what we did as a team, with my son and my brother, we saw some artists that we thought could do well. And we worked very hard and we were able to be successful with the first four, five artists. And it’s the same way with the horses. We’ve been blessed to be a part of this team and to be this successful so early on. I’m just enjoying it with my family.

I told Dean (DeRenzo) recently that there’s no amount of money that someone can pay me to sell my horse before the Derby because the opportunity to be there is priceless.