90 North Racing – Stable Feature

90 North Racing – Dreams of Success Turn Into Reality

By: Ciara Bowen

When Ninety North Racing Stable debuted in 2011, many people may have been skeptic of the syndicate’s dreams of success turning into reality. Now, in 2015, it’s difficult to find a racing enthusiast who hasn’t at least heard of them. They may be a rather small operation, but their stable is full of carefully selected horses and their interaction with their fans is second-to-none.

Headed by Justin Nicholson and Kathryn Sharp, the stable is primarily based at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Maryland, and races along the east coast as well as Kentucky.

“90 North was actually a poem by Randall Jarrell that Justin really liked in high school. It was about a little boy that was making his way to the North Pole, to the top of the world,” said Sharp. “The going north translates to racing because we’re always trying to make things better, trying to do more.”

As they work on making things better, several horses have passed through their barn, and while all are valued, some stick out more than others. For Sharp, those horses are Sheldon and Bold Hawk. Ninety North’s followers are quite familiar with Sheldon, who shares his name with a character from the popular television show The Big Bang Theory.

Bold Hawk was one of Ninety North’s original horses. Sharp and Nicholson purchased the gelding, who was bred by a friend, as a yearling. “He was just this massive horse, about 17 hands, goofy, awkward, and didn’t know where his legs were,” Sharp said. “He won second time out and then went on to win the Hawthorne Derby.”

That was his last victory, though he was multiple graded stakes placed. “He was just a really cool horse, really unique. Just really fun to watch,” said Sharp. “It’s cool to have one of your first stakes players still in the barn. I’m taking riding lessons on him. He’s definitely one of my all-time favorites.”

Displaying concern for the welfare of their horses goes beyond the track for Ninety North; they are very proactive in making sure their horses go to good homes and keep tabs on their retirees.

Bold Hawk recently finished third in a large show-jumping competition at the farm where he is stabled. Two Months Rent retired last year and is being leased to a young lady as a show-jumping prospect. Candy Feat, who was part of Nicholson and Sharp’s AJ Suited operation, is currently in training at Covert Farm. Spiral Stair, a dressage trainee, will be competing in the Thoroughbred Makeover Challenge in October.

Ninety North’s social media followers are able to follow each horse’s life, which is one of the many reasons their fan base continues to grow. “Katie goes all out in her posts,” said Nicholson. “I think that’s been her biggest attachment to the sport. Just the way she’s gotten to know and explore each horse’s personalities.”

Sharp admits that she loves to share their attitudes and quirks. “I think a lot of people, especially younger fans, relate to it. I think it has really helped create an audience for racing. They love to connect to the horses that way and see what they’re up to at the racetrack and their antics on the farm. It makes them people, almost!”

For them, there really is nowhere to go but up.

Photos courtesy of 90 North Racing

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