Laura de Seroux

Laura M. de Seroux (born February 9, 1952 in Los Angeles, California) is a retired trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses. In 2002 she became the second female to win a Breeders' Cup race and the only female to train an American Horse of the Year.[1]

Laura de Seroux
OccupationTrainer
Born (1952-02-09) February 9, 1952
Los Angeles, California
Career wins84
Major racing wins
Affirmed Handicap (2001)
Beverly Hills Handicap (2002)
Del Mar Oaks (2002)
Gamely Breeders' Cup Handicap (2002)
Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap (2002)
La Habra Stakes (2002)
San Clemente Handicap (2002)
Santa Barbara Handicap (2002)
Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (2002)
Pucker Up Stakes (2002, 2005)
Apple Blossom Handicap (2002, 2003)
Clement L. Hirsch Handicap (2002, 2003)
Milady Handicap Breeders' Cup Handicap (2002, 2003)
Vanity Invitational Handicap (2002, 2003)
Cinema Handicap (2003)
Stars and Stripes Turf Handicap (2003, 2004)
Mervyn Leroy Handicap (2003)
Wilshire Handicap (2003)
Arlington Classic (2004)
Hollywood Gold Cup (2004)
Native Diver Handicap (2005)
Pucker Up Stakes (2005)
Las Madrinas Handicap (2006) Breeders' Cup wins:
Breeders' Cup Distaff (2002)
Significant horses
Azeri, Astra, Dublino, Ballingarry, Total Impact

Early career

Born Laura M. Lubisich, in 1986 she married Emmanuel de Seroux, a bloodstock agent she met while on business in France. She learned race conditioning of Thoroughbreds from Hall of Fame trainer Charlie Whittingham for whom she exercised horses for sixteen years. She then began managing parts of the racing operations for owners Nelson Bunker Hunt and Bruce McNall in both North America and Europe. On Laura de Seroux's advice, in September 1987 McNall purchased a half interest in Trempolino. Five days later Trempolino won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, smashing the race record time for Europe's most prestigious race by 1.4 seconds.[2] Laura de Seroux also was instrumental in McNall's purchase of Saumarez who gave him his second "Arc" win in 1990.[3]

Training career

Laura de Seroux took out a trainer's license in 1999 using San Luis Rey Downs in Bonsall, California as a base.[4] Her big break came in August 2001 when she was given eight horses to condition for the estate of Allen Paulson who had been one of racing's most successful owners and astute breeders. Among the eight horses was the very good racemare Astra, who in 2002 would win two Grade 1 races and a Grade 2 under the race conditioning of Laura de Seroux.[5] However, the star of the stable was Azeri who won eight of her nine starts in 2002, capping it off with a 5-length win in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. The de Seroux stable's earnings in 2002 of $3,894,906 broke the record for most earnings by a female trainer set by Jenine Sahadi in 1996.[6]

The Irish three-year-old horse Ballingarry from the Coolmore Stud was purchased by Sidney L. Port in October 2002. He was turned over to Laura de Seroux to handle the colt's training in the United States. Ballingarry won back-to-back editions of the Stars and Stripes Turf Handicap in 2003 and 2004.[7]

In 2004 Laura de Seroux entered her first starter in the prestigious Hollywood Gold Cup and won it when Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith rode Total Impact, owned by a Saudi royal, Sultan bin Mohammed, to victory.[8][9]

After a short but brilliant training career Laura de Seroux retired at the end of March, 2007.[10]

References
  1. March 20, 2007 San Diego Union Tribune Retrieved July 23, 2017
  2. October 8, 1987 Los Angeles Times story titled "Arc de Triomphe Winner Trempolino's Next Goal Is the Breeders' Cup" Retrieved July 23, 2017
  3. July 14, 2001 Los Angeles Times article titled "From the Start, She Was Groomed for Horse Life" Retrieved July 25, 2017
  4. San Diego Union-Tribune, August 11, 2010 Retrieved July 27, 2017
  5. September 24, 2002 ESPN article titled "Astra Retired" Retrieved July 27, 2017
  6. Azeri's 2002 Breeders Cup race video, bio, pedigree and statistics Retrieved July 27, 2017
  7. July 5, 2004 Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, Illinois Retrieved July 29, 2017
  8. Neil Milbert (July 24, 2004). "From riding lessons to success as trainer". Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  9. Los Angeles Times July 11, 2004 article titled "Total Impact Effects Surprise Victory in Gold Cup" Retrieved July 27, 2017
  10. June 10, 2010 Daily Racing Form story on Laura de Seroux's retirement Retrieved July 29, 2017
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