Siena Farm chairman and founder Anthony Manganaro, who enjoyed success on the track and providing new ideas and leadership for horse racing, died Aug. 20 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. at the age of 79.
“If the world had more Anthony Manganaros, the world would be a better place,” said Terry Finley, president and CEO of West Point Thoroughbreds, which was partners with Manganaro in Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Always Dreaming and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner and Horse of the Year Flightline. “He was a dear friend and a guy I respected. He wasn’t afraid to study and dig into things and get involved in important industry issues. On behalf of the St. Elias team, the Bonomos (Brooklyn Boyz Stable and MeB Racing Stables), and West Point, we shared the joy of winning the Kentucky Derby with Anthony and we share our grief in his passing. He was a philanthropist, thinker, and a great guy.”
Always Dreaming wins the 2017 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs
Hailing from a family of Italian immigrants, Manganaro was born in Everett, Mass. to a family of six. His father, a plasterer by trade, installed a blue-collar work ethic in all of the children, in addition to a love of the sport of horse racing.
“They grew up from humble beginnings and they made their lives on the back of hard work, loyalty, and intelligence,” said Paul Manganaro, the nephew of Manganaro and co-founder of Belladonna Racing partnership. “My uncle very, very intelligent. He was one of two of the four brothers that went onto college and got a college degree.”
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Manganaro graduated with a degree in civil engineering from Northeastern University, where he sat on the institution’s board of trustees. He also received an honorary doctorate degree for public service.
He initially joined his brothers in developing a family-owned construction business that became one of the most elite in the Northeast before later branching off into several different business endeavors. Among Manganaro’s various ventures were Siena Corporation, a commercial real estate business in the Baltimore-Washington D.C. area; ezStorage Corporation, one of the nation’s largest regional self-storage companies; and Boston Medical Corporation, a nationwide distributor of disposable medical supplies.
“He was successful in every single one of them,” Paul Manganaro said of his uncle. “He was always looking for the next challenge.”
Paul Manganaro recalls going to Suffolk Downs and Rockingham Park, two former racetracks in New England, with his uncles and grandfather when he was a child.
“That group of gentlemen really instilled the love and passion for the Thoroughbred horse and racing game for me,” said Paul Manganaro. “It was really a family affair since I was 10 years old.”
Manganaro founded Siena Farm as a 225-acre cattle farm in 2007 and built it into one of the top Thoroughbred breeding operations in Kentucky. Located down the road from Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky, Manganaro owned and operated Siena Farm in partnership with Ignacio Patino and David Pope. The farm, which has produced numerous stakes winners over the past decade, was Manganaro’s world.
Anthony Manganaro (center) with Siena Farm co-owners Ignacio “Nacho” Patino (left) and David Pope (right)
“I think all his horses were special to him but he really had a passion for the challenge of breeding a good horse. The science and details to it. His passion was the planning and challenge of matings in trying to produce a good horse,” Paul Manganaro said. “He never told me he had a favorite, though he named many of them after family members.
“It was more about the breeding process, he enjoyed the process more than anything else. He would rather sit in the Siena Farm office developing breeding philosophies and putting together matings or improving the farm than go to the races.”
Anthony Manganaro with wife Michele (far left) in the trophy presentation after Emmanuel’s victory in the Poker Stakes at Belmont Park
Horses campaigned by Siena Farm in partnership include grade 1 winners Flightline , Always Dreaming , Catholic Boy , Dayoutoftheoffice , and Royal Ship . Graded stakes winners include We the People , Emmanuel , First Captain , and Messier .
Horses running solely in the Siena Farm colors include the homebred Angela Renee and Isabella Sings . Angela Renee, a daughter of Bernardini, won four of 14 starts and bankrolled $578,250. Trained by Todd Pletcher, she scored her biggest victory in the 2014 Chandelier Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park. Siena Farm later sold Angela Renee for $3 million to Don Alberto at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale.
Angela Renee wins the 2014 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita Park
Isabella Sings, by Eskendereya , collected earnings of $648,170 in 21 starts with a record of 8-4-3. She won the Mrs. Revere Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs in 2015, the Eatontown Stakes (G3T) and My Charmer Handicap (G3T) the following year, and landed the Endeavour Stakes (G3T) her last year racing in 2017.
“While a lot of people get in this business to win races and breed really great horses, Anthony Manganaro’s commitment went way above and beyond,” said Breeders’ Cup president Drew Fleming. “Anthony’s passing is a tremendous loss to horse racing and much more beyond. He was a fantastic, very caring individual that touched the lives of many, many people in our industry. He was truly a visionary in improving our sport for generations to come and also touched the lives of many individuals that worked in all aspects of this business.”
Manganaro served on the Breeders’ Cup board of directors from 2018-2021, though Fleming said Manganaro remained an active participant with the Breeders’ Cup and all aspects of the industry until his death.
“(Manganaro)’s insight of adopting best practices, technology, and innovation in other business sectors and incorporating those in the Thoroughbred business was truly unique and will be impactful for generations to come.”
An individual always looking to make a difference in the industry he cherished, Manganaro had also been a member of The Jockey Club since 2021.
“Anthony Manganaro was a remarkable person whose energy, passion, and thirst for new ideas was like no other,” said The Jockey Club president Jim Gagliano. “We were very lucky to have Anthony in our sport and he will be sorely missed. Our deepest condolences to his family and his many friends.”
Manganaro was vacationing in his summer home in Saratoga Springs, frequenting historic Saratoga Race Course, in the days before his death. Paul Manganaro said many of their recent conversations revolved around the future of racing.
“I always enjoyed talking to him because he always had good ideas and a vision for improving the game,” Paul Manganaro said. “He was a problem solver, not an excuse maker. He never thought any challenge was too big to solve.”
In a statement, Manganaro’s family thanked the Thoroughbred racing community for its support.
“The Manganaro family is grateful for the outpouring of support we have received from the Thoroughbred racing community. It was Anthony’s lifelong dream to be a part of international horse racing. Hearing that he had such a positive impact on so many people in the sport has warmed our hearts and brought us happiness in the face of this immense loss. Thank you to everyone for their kind words and heartfelt condolences.”
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