Hefner, Nafzger, other celebrities walk Derby red carpet
by Jenny Blandford of Thoroughbredtimes.com

Famous names and faces were seen and heard on this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) red carpet, including Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner and 2007 Kentucky Derby winning trainer Carl Nafzer.

Accompanying Hefner were Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt, and Kendra Wilkinson from the E! Entertainment Television network show, "The Girls Next Door."

Brothers John and Brad Hennegan, filmmakers of The First Saturday in May, the behind-the-scenes documentary about participants in the 2006 Kentucky Derby, were some of the early arrivals. John Hennegan was dressed up as Colonel John, wearing a horse head as they both sported copies of their newly released DVD.

"[Following] Barbaro was pretty cool. He's a part of history. We see this film as not only a film entertaining now, but something you can look back on in 30 years," John Hennegan said. "We cannot believe, we could have followed the Derby another 134 years, and we found this great story. We're really stoked about it. It shows how great this race, the Kentucky Derby, is."

Nafzger walked the red carpet and is at this year's Derby to enjoy the race.

"Anytime you win the Derby is great, but by breaking the [juvenile] jinx and being the second Derby, it's fantastic and we just love it," Nafzger said. "We are having a great time, walking the red carpet.

"Next year at this time, they won't even know who I am," Nafzger said with a smile.

Nafzger, who also trained Unbridled to victory in the 1990 Derby, said his picks for this year's Derby are Pyro and Colonel John.

Others making their way down the red carpet included Food Network celebrity chef Bobby Flay; fashion designers Bagley Mischka; pop stars Nick Lachey, Drew Lachey, Joey Fatone, and Taylor Dayne; and reality television star on The Bachelor, Bob Guiney.

Nafzger headlines Racing Hall of Fame class of 2008
by Jeff Lowe of Thoroughbredtimes.com

Trainer Carl Nafzger, jockey Edgar Prado, and champions Inside Information and Manila are the contemporary inductees in the Racing Hall of Fame class for 2008.

The Hall of Fame's 184 voters were asked to select one inductee in each of four categories-contemporary male horse, contemporary female horse, jockey, and trainer.

The National Museum of Racing's Historic Review committee also voted to induct two past greats, selecting jockey Milo Valenzuela and 20-time stakes winner Ancient Title.

The Hall of Fame's class of six, announced on Monday, will be inducted on August 4 in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Nafzger, a first-time finalist, earned his second Kentucky Derby (G1) win in 2007 with Street Sense, the '06 champion two-year-old male who went on to be the first horse to win both the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and the Kentucky Derby.

Nafzger also won the Derby in 1990 with Unbridled, who went on to victory in that year's Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and received champion three-year-old male honors. Nafzger, 66, was the 1990 Eclipse Award winner as outstanding trainer. He also trained 1998 champion three-year-old filly Banshee Breeze.

"I never did think I would be here," said Nafzger, who joins his training mentor, John Nerud, in the Hall of Fame. "You've got to respect a guy like John Nerud who's done so much for us, and to be in the Hall of Fame with him, it's a great honor. & I just hope I can represent [racing] as well as some of the people who are in the Hall of Fame."

Q & A With Carl Nafzger
From BloodHorse.com

This time one year ago Carl Nafzger was the hottest name in the sport. His tremendous 3-year-old Street Sense was just starting his campaign to the 2007 Kentucky Derby, beginning with his victory in the Tampa Bay Derby. Earlier this week I caught up a considerably less busy Nafzger to ask him to recall, among other things, his spectacular ride.

JS: I guess things are a lot less hectic for you compared to this time last year?

CN: A lot less hectic. I don't know why people stopped calling me. I can't figure out what I did to them. I'm certainly not as popular this year.

JS: Just a guess, but it may have something to do with Street Sense. Speaking of Street Sense, the ride he took you on last year was magical. What was your favorite part of the whole experience?

CN: It's hard to say. I enjoyed all of it. He was such a great horse and I enjoyed watching him take all the steps from the Breeders' Cup Juvenile to the Kentucky Derby. Every time there were questions about, would he move forward or would he get enough out of each race, he answered it. Just watching him through the whole ride was fun. There was some anxiety, but I never had any doubts. If it was meant to be, it was going to happen.

JS: Was there any part of the whole experience, perhaps the intense media focus, that you did not enjoy?

CN: No. It's all part of it. The hardest part of success is dealing with the responsibility of success. You have to be responsible in life. It comes with the territory.

JS: You really did seem to enjoy the ride. Some trainers are not as approachable as you were during the road to the Derby.

CN: Well, it was my second time going through it. I knew what to expect (from Unbridled in 1990). I learned that you have to enjoy the moment. You can't get too worked up about winning. You're at the Derby, it's a once in a lifetime experience, so just relax. I knew I wouldn't be there without the horse, so just enjoy the moment.

JS: You don't have any horses on the Derby trail this year. From an outsiders perspective, who do you like?

CN: Well, you have to like War Pass and Pyro. Pyro looks like a terrific horse and will have the seasoning going into the Derby. But if I had to pick one right now it would be War Pass. Nick (Zito) has done a great job with him. As a trainer, you love consistency. Consistency is more important than winning and War Pass has always showed up. I like the path that Nick is taking with him too. He will have a very fresh horse on Derby day.

JS: How many horses do you have in training now?

CN: I only have about eight or nine. It's nice that Lady Joanne (Alabama winner and most recently, 4th in BC Distaff) is on her way back. She just started training again and will probably run sometime this summer.

JS: Any late-blooming 3-year-olds?

CN: I have one nice colt by Gone West, but he is a big horse that will take more time to develop. I'm at Ocala right now trying to find the 2009 Kentucky Derby winner (laughs).

JS: Being a finalist for the Hall of Fame must have been a nice way to start the year?

CN: Oh, it was. It was a great honor. It will be terrific if I get elected at Saratoga this summer.

Nafzger Nominated for Racing Hall of Fame

Thoroughbred race horse trainer Carl Nafzger topped the list of 12 finalists for election to the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame in 2008, the museum announced Feb. 22.

Seven horses, three jockeys, and two trainers were selected by a vote from the 16-member Hall of Fame Nominating Committee, which is chaired by Edward L. Bowen. A total of 81 candidates were considered. Finalists were required to receive at least nine votes from the nominating committee.

To be eligible for election to the Hall of Fame, trainers must be licensed and actively involved with Thoroughbreds for 25 years or have been retired for a minimum of five years, jockeys must be licensed for 20 years of have been retired for a minimum of five years, and horses must be retired for five full calendar years.

Approximately 180 members from the Hall of Fame Voting Panel will receive a ballot in early March. The voters will be asked to select one name in each category. The individual with the highest number of votes in each category will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs on Aug. 4.

In the event of a tie in the number of votes received, more than one finalist will be inducted. All inductees - including those elected by the Historic Review Committee, which will meet in March - will be announced during a national teleconference in late April.

Nafzger, a 66-year-old Texan, makes the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this year. In 2007, he campaigned James Tafel's Street Sense to victories in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III), the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), the Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. II) and the Travers Stakes (gr. I). He also conditioned champion Unbridled to a 1990 Kentucky Derby win, the same year in which he won the Breeders' Cup Classic. To date, Nafzger has trained 1,058 winners, amassing $50,237,667 in purses and collecting 68 graded stakes wins through the end of 2007.

Nafzger honored with Big Sport of Turfdom Award
by Jeff Lowe of ThoroughbredTimes.com

Carl Nafzger, the trainer of Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Street Sense, became the second two-time recipient in the 42-year history of the Turf Publicists of America's Big Sport of Turfdom Award on Monday afternoon.

Nafzger accepted the award with his wife, Wanda, in a luncheon at Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills, California, a few blocks from the site of the Eclipse Awards ceremony on Monday night at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Street Sense is a finalist for champion three-year-old male.

The Turf Publicists of America also honored Nafzger with its annual award in 1990, the year he scored his other Kentucky Derby victory with Unbridled.

Nafzger joined Laffit Pincay Jr. as the only two-time winners of the Big Sport of Turfdom Award, which is based on extraordinary achievement in Thoroughbred racing coupled with a positive relationship with the media and cooperation with turf publicists. Pincay won the award in 1985 and 2000.

The Big Sport of Turfdom capped a series of honors recognizing Nafzger. He was inducted into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame in October, received the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners Inc.'s Warner L. Jones Jr. Horseman of the Year Award in November, and was the keynote speaker during the Texas Thoroughbred Association's annual meeting and awards banquet on January 19 in Austin.

Nafzger deflected credit to his wife. He said she warded off a line of people waiting to use a public phone in upstate New York last summer while he participated in a media teleconference, after he was unable to get a cell phone signal.

"Wanda should have gotten the award," Nafzger said. "There was a little sign that said 'Please limit your calls to three minutes.' & Wanda was the one who kept everybody from killing me when we were on there for about 30 minutes."

Nafzger, 66, also related some important advice he received from a veterinarian when he launched his career in the late 1960s.

"He told me if you'll go to Ruidoso and take care of those horses, they'll take care of you, and if you tell the owners the truth, you'll have more horses than you ever dreamed of and ever need," Nafzger said. "I've tried to live by those two philosophies. We try to develop horses. That's the part we enjoy, the part you write about, and the part you take home in your dreams-the great horse, the horse that is the horse."

Carl Nazfger Inducted into Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame

Carl Nafzger, two-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer and former professional bull rider, was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame today.

The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, located in the historic Fort Worth, Texas Stockyards, pays homage to outstanding horsemen and women from Texas who have excelled in and out of the arena. Each year, the organization selects for induction individuals who have shown excellence in competition, business and support of rodeo and the Western lifestyle in Texas.

Nafzger grew up on a farm near Olton, Texas, and from an early age was fascinated by the bulls his father raised. It led him to the rodeo and he went to the National Finals Rodeo three consecutive years, 1963-65. In 1963, he was ranked third in the world.

Once Carl retired from bull riding, he obtained his first Thoroughbred trainer's license in 1968 and saddled his first stakes winner in 1971. Over the years he has trained some of the industry's top horses including Kentucky Derby winners Unbridled (1990) and Street Sense (2007) and three Eclipse Award winners (Unbridled, Street Sense and Banshee Breeze). Throughout his career Carl has captured numerous top honors including the 1990 Eclipse Award as the nation's top trainer and has twice received the Turf Publicists of America annual Big Sport of Turfdom Award (1990 and 2007). Recognized for his consistent, no nonsense training style, Carl's book, "Traits of a Winner: The Formula for Developing Thoroughbred Racehorses," is considered a must-read for owners, trainers and anyone interested in thoroughbred racing. Over his nearly 40-year career, Carl is credited with 1,052 wins in 7,905 starts and earnings of $50,112,707.

Nafzger named Big Sport of Turfdom award winner

Trainer Carl Nafzger, who trained champion Street Sense to become the first horse to win both the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), is the recipient of the 2007 Big Sport of Turfdom award.

The award is presented annually by the Turf Publicists of America (TPA) to a person or group of people who enhances coverage of Thoroughbred racing through cooperation with the media and Thoroughbred racing publicists.

"This wasn't the first time that Carl Nafzger was thrust into the national spotlight, but he was just as gracious and generous with his time as he was when he won this award 17 years ago, and the turf publicists are proud to bestow this honor upon him once again," TPA President Eric Wing said. "Carl always does whatever it takes to promote the sport, even taking part in an hour-long teleconference from a rural, roadside telephone booth, as he did one afternoon this past summer when his cell phone wouldn't work."

Nafzger previously received the award in 1990 with Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Unbridled. Nafzger and Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. are the only two-time recipients of the award.

"This is tremendous honor," Nafzger said. "I never expected to get this award twice. I don't know what to say. I always do my best to cooperate with the media requests. I think we had a good time. I know I did."

The award will be presented at the 42nd annual Big Sport of Turfdom luncheon, sponsored by Scientific Games Inc. and Keeneland Association, on January 21, 2008 at Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills, California, prior to the Eclipse Awards.

Professional Bull Riders Name 2007 Ring of Honor

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (October 31, 2007) - The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) Board of Directors annually selects two esteemed individuals to join the exclusive "PBR Ring of Honor." The 2007 recipients are two time World Champion All Around Cowboy, Phil Lyne, and one of Thoroughbred racing's all time leading trainers, Carl Nafzger. Lyne and Nafzger will be recognized during in-arena ceremonies during the final weekend of the PBR 2007 Built Ford Tough World Finals presented by Wrangler, taking place on Nov. 1-4 at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of UNLV. Tickets are still available by calling 866.PBR.SHOW (866.727.7469).

Lyne and Nafzger will each be presented with a gold ring commemorating their acceptance into the Ring of Honor. The PBR Ring of Honor, which was established in 1996, recognizes those that have made a profound impact on the sport, both in the arena and out.

Phil Lyne is often referred to as "the cowboy's cowboy." Born Jan. 18, 1947, in San Antonio, Texas, Lyne made his mark in virtually every event that rodeo had to offer. Following an amateur career that saw him win five championships and 42 saddles, Lyne broke into the professional ranks in 1969. He quickly made a name for himself when he was named PRCA Rookie of the Year and competed in five events - bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, tie-down roping and steer wrestling. Lyne won a combined five PRCA world titles in three different events: the all-around title in 1971-72; tie-down roping, 1971-72 and steer roping, 1990 (he came out of retirement to claim the steer roping championship). He owns the distinction of being the only man in professional rodeo to win the National Finals Rodeo average in three different events - the bull riding, calf roping and steer roping.

Of the honor, Lyne humbly stated, "Very truthfully I was surprised to be recognized but greatly honored. Knowing some of the other Ring of Honor recipients makes it very special to join them. The PBR has brought so much recognition to the event. I'm happy for the guys riding in the PBR and I'm glad to see the bulls getting the recognition and respect they deserve too. I'm just honored that they thought of me."

Lyne, now 60, resides in Cotulla, Texas, where he is involved in the ranching, construction and commercial hunting industries. He and wife Sarah, have two daughters, Amanda (married to PBR bullfighter, Shorty Gorham) and Samantha. Lyne restricts his arena activities mostly to team roping these days.

"Phil Lyne is the quintessential cowboy," said CEO of the PBR, Randy Bernard. "Phil made a mark not only as a bull rider, but as an exceptional all around hand, which really gained him notoriety as athlete. I think Phil Lyne changed the public's perception of the rodeo cowboy and he paved the way for today's top bull riding athletes in the process."

Born in Plainview, Texas, in 1941, Carl Nafzger was fascinated early in life by the bulls that his father raised on their family farm. It was this fascination that led him to the rodeo arena where he experienced great success as a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier (1963-65). In 1963, Nafzger finished the season ranked third overall in the PRCA bull riding standings - the best finish of his bull riding career. Upon leaving the world of the rodeo, Nafzger embarked on a journey that would lead him to the winner's circle at virtually every major venue that the sport of Thoroughbred racing has to offer. He married Wanda in 1968, the same year he received his first Thoroughbred Trainer's license.

Nafzger is best known for his handling of the champion Unbridled that won the 1990 Kentucky Derby. Street Sense also won Thoroughbred racing's top crown in 2007, making Nafzger a two-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer. Street Sense was a heavy favorite for this year's Breeders Cup, and won the 2006 Breeders' Cup Juvenile as well. As of October 10, Nafzger's 2007 statistics reflect that he's saddled winners of 25 percent of races started. 57 percent of his mounts have finished in the money for season earnings to date of $3,869,953. Between 1976 and October 10, 2007, from 7,905 starts, Nafzger is credited with 1,052 wins and earnings of $49,657,805. He was inducted into the Texas Racing Hall of Fame this year and won the 1990 Eclipse Award as the country's leading trainer. He is the trainer of three Eclipse Award winners - 1990 champion 3-year-old colt Unbridled, 1998 champion 3-year-old filly Banshee Breeze, and 2006 champion 2-year-old colt Street Sense.

"Not only did Carl Nafzger ride bulls at the highest level, but through his achievements in horse racing he's garnered a lot of positive publicity for the sport of bull riding. In everything I've ever seen or read about Carl Nafzger, bull riding is always mentioned. I think he's really proud of his roots in the sport and he's a really big fan of the sport," said Ty Murray.

Bernard echoed Murray's sentiments stating, "It's great to see a bull rider have success in our sport and go on to achieve greatness in another highly competitive sport, such as horse racing. Very few individuals get to follow their passion and fulfill their dreams at the highest level of any game; Carl Nafzger has done so in two worlds, that of bull riding and that of racing."

"To be inducted into the PBR Ring of Honor by your peers for something you did as a young man that was your life's love and dream is the greatest thing that can happen to you," stated Carl Nafzger in reaction to his induction. "I'm proud that the PBR has been able to take the sport of bull riding to a level we only dreamed of when I was riding. Because of the PBR, bull riders today are being recognized as the fine athletes they are, competing for prize money and endorsements we could have never imagined in the 1960's. 'Course it is a good thing the PBR wasn't around then or I might still be trying to get on."

About PBR:

More than 100 million viewers tune in each year to the PBR on FOX, NBC, VERSUS and on a host of foreign networks across the globe. With approximately 500 hours of prime time programming annually PBR ranks among the most prolific sports on air, in addition to attracting over one and one half million live event attendees each year with its multi-tiered event structure which includes the marquee Built Ford Tough Series presented by Wrangler, the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company Challenger Tour, the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Tour, and the Discovery Tour, designed specifically for entry level contestants. The PBR is headquartered in Pueblo, Colo., and has over 1,200 PBR bull riders competing in more than 300 PBR sanctioned competitions in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico.

It Won't be Nafzger's First Rodeo
By Richard Rosenblatt AP Racing Writer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Next Saturday, trainer Carl Nafzger will send out his Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense to try and win the richest race in the North America, the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Monmouth Park.

A victory and the 66-year-old Nafzger no doubt will have himself the Horse of the Year - a brilliant 3-year-old colt who would become the first thoroughbred to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, the Derby, the Travers and the Classic.

Surely, the crowning achievement of a stellar career, right? Not for Nafzger.

Eight days after Street Sense runs the final race of his career, Nafzger will revisit his past when the former bull rider is inducted into the Professional Bull Riders' Ring of Honor. The ceremony is Nov. 4 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, on the final day of the bull-riding world championships. "To me, this is the greatest honor you can get," Nafzger said. "It's the Hall of Fame of bull riding, you're elected by your peers ... what more can anyone ask for? It's awesome."

Nafzger leaned back on his chair and began showing pictures from his bull-riding days to anyone who dared take a peek.

"Here I am at the Houston Astrodome," he said of the shot of a 20-something Nafzger atop a bucking bull, with a cowboy hat on his head, one hand in the air and the other gripping the rope for dear life.

"That bull doesn't look very mean, Carl," one of his exercise riders kidded.

"C'mon Carl, that's not really you," said another.

It's him, all right. Nafzger was one serious bull rider, and he brought the same intensity to the racetrack, where he's carved out a career of more than 1,000 victories - two Kentucky Derby wins among them - and likely will end up in racing's Hall of Fame once his training days are over.

"He was a bundle of enthusiasm, who never said a negative word. And boy he was an aggressive rider, feet moving all the time while he sat straight up on the bull," recalled former bull riding champion Gary Leffew, who used to travel the circuit with Nafzger in the 1960s and now writes movie scripts and runs a bull-riding school. "He always looked at the bright side, even on a bad day of riding. It's easy to see why he's become so successful as a trainer."

Nafzger grew up on a cattle ranch near Olton, Texas - between Amarillo and Lubbock - and was fascinated by the bulls his father raised. At 18, he joined the pro rodeo circuit as a bull rider. During a 10-year career, he reached the National Rodeo Finals three times - from 1963-65 - and finished third in the '63 final standings.

"You had eight rides back then, and he rode six of eight," said Mark Nestlen, Nafzger's agent who has represented many bull riders. "One more, he would have been the champion. Eight seconds away."

Along the way, Nafzger took out his horse trainer's license in 1968 - the same year he and Wanda were married in Cheyenne, Wyo. - and three years later, after winning a rodeo in Forth Worth, he retired to move into the world of thoroughbreds.

"My mind said 'go' but my body said, 'No, no, no,'" Nafzger has said often when asked why he walked away from the bulls.

The sport left its mark: Nafzger's upper teeth were knocked out; he broke his nose seven times; and he has a steel rod in his leg due to several broken bones.

"When you get in that chute, there's God, you and that bull," he said. "And there's not anything else out there. Sure, there are the clowns running around, but once you're out of the chute, that's it."

How about next Saturday's Classic, which also features 3-year-old stars Curlin, Hard Spun and Any Given Saturday, as well as 4-year-old Lawyer Ron?

"I wake up at night thinking about it," he said. "Not every bull and not every horse will give you that rush. But this horse does. It's going to be a great race."

Nafzger leads class of Texas Hall of Fame inductees
Story by www.thoroughbredtimes.com

Trainer Carl Nafzger took time away from preparing Street Sense for the Breeders' Cup Classic Powered by Dodge (G1) and returned to his home state to be inducted into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

The former bull rider and two-time Kentucky Derby (G1) winning trainer was honored on Saturday during a ceremony at Retama Park. A native of Plainview, Texas, Nafzger's family has Texas roots that go back more than 100 years.

"My grandfather came from Wisconsin at the turn of the century and brought my dad to Olton, Texas," Nafzger recalled. "We grew up with a Texas heritage.

"When I started riding bulls I got on my first big bull at Quitaque, [pronounced Kitty-quay] Texas, and I got on my last bull in Fort Worth, Texas. When I started training racehorses, I trained my first winner at Lubbock Downs."

From those West Texas beginnings, Nafzger went on to saddle a pair of Kentucky Derby winners. First it was Unbridled in 1990, where Nafzger's description of the stretch run to elderly owner Francis Genter turned into one of Thoroughbred racing's most memorable moments. Nafzger won the Kentucky Derby again 17 years later with Street Sense, who became the first horse to win the Derby after taking the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1).

"Texas has been good to me and I'll always be a Texan," Nafzger said. "I built a house on our old homestead, and I'm coming back home someday."

The Texas Hall of Fame also welcomed Preston Carter Jr., a longtime Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse owner who played a significant role is legalizing pari-mutuel racing in the state during the 1980s. Carter, who in partnership won Quarter Horse racing's prestigious All American Futurity with On a High, also played a big part in laying the groundwork for a track license in North Texas that would eventually become Lone Star Park.

A total of 45 historic Texas racetracks of yesteryear joined Nafzger and Carter as inductees. Credited with keeping the sport alive in Texas, often during periods in which pari-mutuel betting was outlawed, the tracks gave breeders and owners the chance to race in their home state. The list ranges from nearly forgotten bush tracks in small towns to the enormous Arlington Downs, which once stood not far from where Lone Star Park is located today and often attracted crowds in excess of 20,000 during its heyday in the 1930s.

Mushroom Matrix Supporter Carl Nafzger Wraps Up a Successful Season at Saratoga

It's been a successful run at Saratoga for Mushroom Matrix supporter Carl Nafzger. Two of the trainer's horses were big winners during this year's Saratoga racing season. Street Sense, this year's Kentucky Derby winner, emerged victorious in the $1 million Travers Stakes and Lady Joanne was winner of the $600,000 Alabama Stakes.

Nafzger has endorsed the Mushroom Matrix because he believes it helps maintain the overall health of horses and said both Street Sense and Lady Joanne are fed the Matrix as part of their nutritional program. Although proud of all of his horses, Nafzger had special praise for Street Sense, a horse that he says has "real class."

"I'm a firm believer that when horses are born, they are what God made them and all we can do is not mess them up," he said. "Class is something we can't define, but Street Sense has it. I'm simply his caretaker and I've been blessed to take care of this horse. I've been taking care of horses for 35 years and I've never before had anything like this walk through my barn."

Nafzger said he's feeding the Mushroom Matrix to Street Sense, Lady Joanne and many of his other horses because research indicates that the antioxidants and enzymes found in the Matrix have tremendous health benefits. And as a true horseman, Nafzger believes that nothing is more important than the overall health and well-being of the horses in his care.

"Any product that can naturally improve a horse's own body mechanism, is a heck of product," Nafzger said of the Mushroom Matrix.

Nafzger's reputation dates back 17 years to his first Derby and Breeders Cup wins with Unbridled, who went on to become a leading breeding stallion as well. Throughout his career as a trainer, Nafzger has promoted a natural, holistic approach to equine nutritional health and the Mushroom Matrix fits perfectly with his philosophy and approach.

"The Mushroom Matrix isn't about looking for a quick fix. It's about overall health," he said. "What I look for in a nutritional product is that it helps the horse stay healthier because a healthier horse performs better and rebounds faster. This product doesn't make them run faster, but a healthy horse runs more consistent and recovers quicker because the horse's system is not as stressed."

The Mushroom Matrix is a special blend of organically certified, medicinal mushrooms known for their health benefits for both humans and animals. Hence, there are versions of the Matrix for horses, humans and small animals. It's the result of decades of research by leading medical scientists working in collaboration with veterinarians, riders and trainers. All of the mushrooms used in the Matrix are grown in the U.S. by Golden Gourmet Mushrooms of San Marcos, California, a pioneer in specialty mushroom cultivation in the U.S. The Mushroom Matrix was jointly developed by Golden Gourmet Mushrooms and by Northwest Medical Research Partners of Stevenson, Washington, a medical/scientific research organization (GGM/NW) led by Dr. Marvin Hausman, a highly-respected physician and medical scientist with more than 30 years experience in medical research.

The Mushroom Matrix is gaining in popularity in the equestrian industry for its multiple benefits. Research shows that the antioxidants and enzymes in the Mushroom Matrix promotes healthy joints, reduces inflammation, boosts the immune system, increases stamina, reduces stress and anxiety in horses and greatly increases the recovery time after exercise. The Mushroom Matrix is also showing much promise increasing fertility in the horse breeding industry. In sum, it leads to increased overall health and that's what attracts trainers such as Nafzger.

"The Matrix is an overall valuable tool," he said. "We're not looking to create faster horses, but healthier horses and we're very satisfied with the results we've seen with the Mushroom Matrix. Our horses are doing great. Their hair and coat look super and their overall well-being has improved."

There are, Nafzger said, four traits of a winner - ability, soundness, mental health and a strong immune system. And key among these is a strong immune system. Mushrooms and mammals, this includes horses and humans, have a similar immune system. By ingesting mushrooms, humans gain access to the nutrients mushrooms use to protect their immune systems.

"The Mushroom Matrix is not just a supplement, it's a food - a very complex food of these special organisms called mushrooms that have a unique ability to provide mammals with the most potent immune system boosters available," said Dr. Hausman.

And that immune system booster is one reason Nafzger is sold on the Mushroom Matrix.

"If you have a healthy horse, you have a better horse. If the immune system is strong, the horse feels better and performs better. It's no different than us. When we feel better, we perform better. The Matrix helps give horses this improved overall health," he said.

Adding to the popularity of the Mushroom Matrix is the fact that it does all this without the use of drugs, steriods or any chemicals. The Matrix is nothing but a pure, organically-grown food source. No horse on the product has ever tested positive for any banned substance.

"It's just good, healthy food," Nafzger said.

Bar None Consulting Formed
Kentucky Derby Winning trainer Nafzger Signed to Representation

Yukon, OK - Bar None Consulting (Bar None) today announced that it has agreed to a marketing representation contract with two-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer and Eclipse award winner Carl Nafzger. Bar None will handle all marketing, sponsorship and endorsement matters for Nafzger and his racing stable, including assistant trainer Ian Wilkes.

Bar None Consulting was formed by former Cowboy Sports Agents (CSA) owners Mark and Cathy Nestlen who last week announced that CSA had been sold to Oklahoma City-based Express Sports Agency. During the 10 years that Mark Nestlen served as the agent for dozens of top-ranked professional bull riders, CSA put more than $10 million in the pockets of its athletes through sponsorships and endorsements.

"Bar None was formed for the purpose of working with individuals and entities involved in and with professional sports," said Mark Nestlen who has taken the position of President with the company. "We provide the highest level of personal attention that ensures superior promotion and marketing of our clients. Bar none."

Nafzger is concluding a successful run at the Saratoga (NY) meet. Two of the trainer's horses were big winners during this year's Saratoga racing season. Street Sense, this year's Kentucky Derby winner, emerged victorious in the $1 million Travers Stakes and Lady Joanne was winner of the $600,000 Alabama Stakes. Under Nafzger's training, Street Sense has become the first horse in history to win the Breeders Cup Juvenile, the Kentucky Derby and the Travers.

Nafzger's reputation dates back to 1991 when he first won the Kentucky Derby and Breeders Cup Classic with Unbridled, who went on to become a leading breeding stallion as well.

"Bar None is very excited about its new relationship with Carl Nafzger," Nestlen stated. "He is the hottest race horse trainer in America today and is poised to win another Eclipse award this year."

Nafzger's first endorsement contract negotiated by Bar None was also announced this week. He has agreed to endorse the Mushroom Matrix which is a special blend of organically certified, medicinal mushrooms known for their health benefits for both humans and animals. Research shows that the antioxidants and enzymes in the Mushroom Matrix promotes healthy joints, reduces inflammation, boosts the immune system, increases stamina, reduces stress and anxiety in horses and greatly increases the recovery time after exercise. The Mushroom Matrix is also showing much promise increasing fertility in the horse breeding industry.

Throughout his career as a trainer, Nafzger has promoted a natural, holistic approach to equine nutritional health and the Mushroom Matrix fits perfectly with his philosophy and approach. "The Mushroom Matrix isn't about looking for a quick fix. It's about overall health," Nafzger said. "What I look for in a nutritional product is that it helps the horse stay healthier because a healthier horse performs better and rebounds faster. This product doesn't make them run faster, but a healthy horse runs more consistent and recovers quicker because the horse's system is not as stressed." Both Street Sense and Lady Joanne, as well as several other horses in his barn, are being fed the Mushroom Matrix.

"The Mushroom Matrix is a great fit with Carl," Nestlen continued. "At Bar None, we pride ourselves on matching marketing opportunities with our clients not just in a way to promote products, but in a manner that each client truly believes. There are several more opportunities being discussed for Carl and [his assistant trainer] Ian [Wilkes]."