By Joanna Miller, Staff Writer

Deon and Kathy Kissoon of Prior Lake sit, casually chatting over a drink, at Canterbury Park in Shakopee.

But when it’s time for the horse owners’ Thoroughbred to run, the couple takes off racing, too.

They navigate through the crowd to the arena, where Kathy checks in with horse trainer Tammy Domenosky and jockey Alberto Pusac.

Crowd members circle the crisp white fence, eyeing the horses, hedging their bets.

Kathy translates Deon’s suggestions for how to handle the horse, Vasati, from English to Spanish for the jockey.

The gist? Vasati runs “on the pace,” so he needs to be held back from the pack leaders.

The dark horse circles the arena, showcasing its lithe muscles draped in red silks. Three gray diamonds symbolize each of the Kissoons’ three sons.

All of the stable’s horse names are Indian in honor of Deon’s heritage.

And the color significance? That’s simple. “Our farm barns are all red,” Kathy says with a laugh. “We thought we were going to be color-coordinated.”

For the Kissoons, it’s a typical day at the race track after 20 years in the business.

One loop around the arena and Pusac leaves the ring perched atop Vasati, his riding crop in hand.

The Kissoons climb back to the outdoor seats and watch the race unfold.

The track’s Minnesota Festival of Championships is the showcase event for Minnesota-bred horses.

“This is the big day for us,” Kathy said.

While numerous factors dictate the outcome of a race – from a horse’s health to track conditions and the jockey’s expertise – the Kissoons say in life, you make your own luck.

By taking a risk on new jockeys and a green trainer, they’ve surrounded their business with people who are hungry to succeed, they explained.

“A lot of owners aren’t as concerned about the people who care for their horses,” Kathy said.

For her, it’s about giving someone the chance at the brass ring and hoping they’ll grab it.

As a successful lawyer who grew up in rural Minnesota, she explains it’s about taking – and giving – chances.

“When you come from nothing, and you have to work really hard for everything you have, you make your own luck,” she said.

After all, the couple never planned to own one of the top Thoroughbred breeding and racing operations in the state in the beginning.

“I had a client who said you haven’t lived until you’ve owned a race horse,” Kathy said.

She purchased a quarter interest in a horse for Deon as a birthday gift.

“I said, ‘Happy birthday, honey!’” Kathy said. “He said, ‘You really bought that horse?’”

It took only a week for the Kissoons to get hooked.

While their first horse didn’t perform well, they were fascinated.

“A week later we bought another quarter interest in a race horse and he wins,” Kathy said.

Building a business

By 1989, the Kissoons branched out of partnerships into full horse ownership, and in 1999 they purchased a 50-acre farm on the edge of Prior Lake and launched a Thoroughbred breeding business.

“My kids all learned to ride. My kids are all excellent horsemen,” Kathy said.

Over the years, the Kissoons have taken on business partners, so their name will appear as Kissoon Thoroughbreds & B. Butzow, for example, to represent other owners.

With racing scores tabulated by the full ownership name, Kathy said sometimes the Kissoons “fly under the radar” when scores are tallied.

“They aren’t aggregated. We’d probably be the leading breeder in the state,” she said.

Trainer Tammy Domenosky works with the Kissoons during the summer months before she moves along the racing circuit to Chicago and Florida. She’s in her second year as a trainer.

“They were the ones who gave me a start,” she said.

“Tammy has been really trustworthy and honest,” Kathy said. “You have to find people you can trust.”

From updating the Kissoons on a horse’s health issues to helping select which races to run, Domenosky guides the process.

“Ninety percent of owners don’t even get involved in that area,” Deon said. “We are hands-on in everything.”

When Domenosky has to make the call to pull a horse from a race, she said it’s hard to be the bearer of bad news.

“You cross your fingers,” she said. “It’s hard. That’s the hardest thing to do, to make that phone call.”

Racing is a full-time job for the couple, although Kathy continues to work as a lawyer and manage a Web site, too.

Deon oversees the training and breeding aspects, and Kathy handles more of the hands-on aspects, such as veterinary issues.

They have managed up to 40 horses with the help of a farm manager and assistant, but now they’re scaling back.

Their new goal is to reduce their farm’s size and go after larger wins in Kentucky with select horses.

“We know the name of every single horse we’ve ever bred,” Kathy said.

When horses are injured or retire, they have a place on the farm, she explained.

“They’re athletes. Things are going to happen,” she said. She frequently works to retrain them as riding horses or sells them as breeding stock.

“We have a number of horses we’ve donated for pony club kids,” she said.

Kathy likes to be there when each new foal is born. She jumps in the car, no matter what time it is.

“She’s the horse midwife,” Deon joked. “She is a bat out of hell.”

“I’ll go sleep on a chair out there,” Kathy said.

The spectacular race horses begin life a bit less majestically than they appear on the track.

“They’re like drunken sailors,” Deon said, of the wobbly legs and lack of vision. “It takes three days sometimes until they can see.”

After all of their hard work raising and training racing champions, Kathy said she’s not offended if dollar-night betters at Canterbury Park pick a horse based on colors or a funny name. That’s part of the fun.

“Kids have a great time out here. It’s cheap entertainment,” Kathy said.

The Kissoons said seeing the work showcased on the track makes for the best rewards.

“Seeing a young horse you’ve raised win a stakes race – that’s better than any bet,” Kathy said.

Joanna Miller can be reached at (952) 345-6375 or jmiller@swpub.com. 

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