He has no connection to King Kong or a junkyard dog, but he does have close ties to the winner of Kentucky Derby 137. Family ties, in fact.
Badleroibrown and Animal Kingdom, both foals of 2008 by Leroidesanimaux (Brz), were bred and campaigned by Barry Irwin's Team Valor International.
Older than Animal Kingdom by six weeks, Badleroibrown is the first foal from the Western Winter mare Ginger Sea (SAF).
Irwin set both chestnut colts on the same path to the races. Raised at the Bandoroff family's Denali Stud in Paris, Ky., they learned early lessons from former Wayne Lukas assistant Randy Bradshaw at his breaking and training facility in Williston, Fla.
In his book Derby Innovator -- the Making of Animal Kingdom, Irwin wrote about the initial impressions of the youngsters.
"Randy Bradshaw told me at the end of the year that Animal Kingdom was improving in his hind-end strength and that he was a big colt who was definitely 'worth trying.' I could see he had the tools to develop into a grand looking 3-year-old. Being able to get him to the races at 2, however, seemed highly unlikely.
"All Randy Bradshaw wanted to talk about that winter well into spring was Badleroibrown, Badleroibrown and more Badleroibrown. He was completely enthralled by the colt."
Bradshaw wasn't alone. Megan Jones joined Team Valor in an administrative role in January 2009, progressing to director of client relations in 2010 and vice president in 2013. After leaving Team Valor in 2016, Jones founded Arnmore Thoroughbreds, whose runners include graded stakes winners Poppy Flower and Gala Brand.
“He’ll go bridle-less for me.
He loves to go without tack.
I think any sense of having no control over him actually calms him down. You either need no bridle and saddle or a good bit of bridle.”
– Megan Jones,
about Badleroibrown
Jones met Badleroibrown the day after the Breeders' Cup in 2010, the year Blame fought off Zenyatta in the Classic at Churchill Downs. The colt had finished second in his debut on Halloween, eight days after Animal Kingdom broke his maiden at Keeneland.
"They were stabled side by side," Jones said of the Wayne Catalano trainees. "Animal Kingdom was such a ham, and Badleroibrown was actually the talking horse at the time. Robby Albarado was riding both of them, and he said Leroi had a lot of ability."
The Team Valor horses were transferred to Graham Motion for the 2011 season, and Irwin purchased a barn at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland. While 2010 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf-G1 winner Pluck was considered the stable star, Animal Kingdom rose to the top as Triple Crown season approached.
"Animal Kingdom became the 'people's horse' that spring," Jones said. "Leroi didn't have a large partnership so he didn't have many visitors, so I think he kind of came to think that I was his owner."
While Badleroibrown had talent, he developed wind problems which kept him away from the races for more than a year. He returned in December 2011 and broke his maiden at Gulfstream Park in February 2012.
"At some point after that, they started using him as a workmate for Animal Kingdom," said Jones. "Even with his air, he could still breeze."
Badleroibrown could outwork pretty much everything in the barn. Animal Kingdom became the first horse to get the better of him in the morning, and that was no easy feat.
"Barry very kindly did that instead of dropping him down for a tag, because Leroi didn't seem to be enjoying what he was doing," Jones said. "Animal Kingdom would inhale his workmates, but not Leroi, so that alleviated destroying the confidence of every other racehorse in the barn. Leroi was his workmate leading up to the Breeders' Cup Mile in 2012 where he was an awesome second to Wise Dan coming off a big layoff."
After that 2012 season (ending with one start for a $30,000 claiming tag), Irwin retired Badleroibrown, gave him to Jones and shipped him to her family's farm in Darlington, S.C. He had won once, and placed four times, in 10 starts and earned $49,077.
"Leroi was a pretty tough horse, he was strong on the track. And that was kind of the point -- I wanted to be sure that he landed in a good spot," Jones said. "With him I don't think it was ever going to be a matter of how much retraining he had, he was always a lot of horse and still is to this day.
"I think I learned so much from him about riding hot and stronger horses, and that helped me with retraining other horses later and even getting on horses at the farm that were still racing. It helped my horsemanship and creativity a lot."
Twelve years later, Badleroibrown's retirement has been full of adventures. As Jones followed the racing circuits from Florida to New York, the gelding went along. Home in South Carolina was always the halfway point traveling north or south.
"He's just so highly intelligent. He's so gentle for children. When he's been in South Carolina, he's been the first horse most of my friends' kids have ridden," Jones said. "Kids or puppies, he loves everything small and cute and has always been so trustworthy. One of my friend's daughters was only so tall she could only brush his legs, and he would stand there and pick up his feet for her. But with adults, he totally knows the difference.
"He'll go bridle-less for me. He loves to go without tack. I think any sense of having no control over him actually calms him down. You either need no bridle and saddle or a good bit of bridle."
An ace as a trail horse -- Jones calls him "the bravest horse I've ever been on" -- he has introduced dozens of transitioning Thoroughbreds to the wonders of the woods. But Badleroibrown is in his element at the beach and especially in the water, and the farm is about an hour's drive to the South Carolina coast. Myrtle Beach State Park and Garden City beach are favorite destinations.
Badleroibrown attends family cookouts and barbecues, no lead shank, just chilling with the guests. He's among the group around the firepit. A few photos even show him at the front door with his head looking into the entrance hall.
"He'd definitely come into the house if we let him," she said.
Jones sees the horse's most important role as that of a healer; an equine empath, if you will. His instincts are infallible, and he seems to sense what other horses require in any situation.
"If horses are with him for rehabs or breaks, he definitely thinks that they are his projects," Jones said. "He really stewards them along. You can turn any horse that's coming off the track out with him, whether you're going to retrain them or they're going back to the races, and he knows exactly what they need. He knows if they need confidence or if they need play. He's especially good with horses that are retiring; he can help them figure out the transition. And I think he thinks that I'm his project too . . . and maybe even that I work for him."
While Jones is settled in at Saratoga until September, Badleroibrown is relaxing on a farm in Fair Hill as both recover from surgeries during this past year. The separation has been the longest in their history, and Jones is anxious for their reunion this fall when she heads south.
"For me, he's my soulmate horse; my heart horse," she said. "There's no other horse like him. I just can't wait to have him back with me. I've had him for part of my 20s and 30s. You know he's like that good dog that you have for those years of your life that are all encompassing. He's been there for everything. One day, I've always wanted to have a farm in Kentucky. Hopefully when he's in his 20s and 30s we'll be settled in one place."
