In this final diary entry for OTTB Salesman, Audra Mandella, Salesman’s owner, reflects on the enjoyment and sense of fulfillment she, her husband Gary, father-in-law Richard (a Hall of Fame trainer) and everyone else associated with the horse have felt as he moves further into his second career with remarkable success under the supervision of Kristina Hobbs.

Back in December of 2024, my husband surprised me with an early Christmas gift, a handsome chestnut gelding named Salesman. We were in Del Mar finishing up the final days of the Bing Crosby meet and I had 96 hours (hello, panic!) to figure out retirement plans for Salesman. He would go to my place in Texas and Creech Transportation would get him there for us.

While I was getting things ready for Salesman in Texas, I stumbled across an interesting opportunity for Thoroughbreds: the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover. After some blistering-fast research and two phone calls, the stars aligned and Salesman would be on his way to Kristina Aaron at Reciprocity Thoroughbreds in Decatur, Texas. 

When we first spoke with Kristina, we made it clear right away:  Salesman owed us nothing. We did not care if he ever won anything ever again in his lifetime. He had done more than enough as a racehorse in his career. Kristina expressed her appreciation of and enthusiasm for Salesman  at first sight, and those sentiments have never wavered. Kristina has shown nothing but patience with Salesman and with us. We all have incredible respect for the horse and for one another. Kristina would allow Salesman  to dictate his own training pace, she reached out to us with any questions or concerns – and we trusted, we listened, we learned, we guided one another. Teamwork makes the dream work, right?

Jerry Mohme Photography

Gary and I are blessed to have a trainer who gives us regular updates, photos, and videos, and also accurate, truthful assessments of the training process from Day One until today. Gary and I both have long histories with horses over our lifetimes. We’ve seen it all. To encounter a trainer like Kristina has been a gift. From Kristina’s first rides on Salesman, his initial attempts at cross-rails, jumps, cross-country, dressage, only one thing mattered to all of us:  Salesman’s happiness. Period.

Our journey with Salesman, Kristina Aaron, and everyone along the way during the past 10 months has been wonderful. I have always said the horse world is “one degree of separation.” And, sure enough, one by one, we met more and more people who were connected to Salesman – even his connections in France! The process of creating a new chapter in Salesman ‘s life has been an incredibly rewarding experience for all of us. It brings a smile to my father-in-law, Richard Mandella’s, face to watch videos of Salesman  progressing through his new training, updates from his shows and his goofy personality around the barn. While we are a competitive bunch by nature, just watching Salesman  cruise around his big grassy paddock in Texas is peak victory for us. Salesman ‘s journey to the RRP’s Thoroughbred Makeover is a full circle moment – to see a horse retire sound from years of racing (29 starts!) and then go on to the Makeover is beyond heartwarming.

The Thoroughbreds have been so good to the Mandella family over the years and we decided it was time to give back to these noble horses in a new way. Or, as I said to Gary, “It’s time to put our money where our mouth is.” Salesman  embodies our further commitment to the breed and to the racing industry. Thoroughbred aftercare is in perfect alignment with our beliefs and values. We look forward to providing more attention, support and participation in Thoroughbred aftercare for many years to come. We welcome everyone to join us on the mission.–Audra Mandella

The Jockey Club supports many aftercare initiatives including the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the only accrediting body in aftercare, and Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.), which encourages the retraining of Thoroughbreds into other disciplines upon completion of careers. View all of the initiatives supported by The Jockey Club.