Kentucky Derby Contender, Mucho Macho Man, Has Mentor Connection

When Laura Surovi joined Brightwood Animal Hospital in Mentor as an associate veterinarian six years ago, she was accustomed to medical discussions and small talk concerning her clients’ companion animals.

It was, after all, her profession.

However, much of the lunchtime chatter of her associates and staff involved the medical concerns and antics of their large animals, namely horses. While not a horsewoman at the time, she was involved in the equine world through her father and his retired Thoroughbred racehorse, Champion.

 Years later after Dr. Surovi’s father passed away, she was faced with the disposition of his horse. Champion was long ago retired from horse racing but continued his career as a pleasure saddle horse for her father.

It seemed clear: Keep Champion for herself, board him at a nearby stable and take riding lessons to improve her own level of horsemanship. 

 It wasn’t long after when Dr. Surovi and her fiancé Mike Sivo acquired a farm in Willoughby Hills and spent countless months refurbishing the home and the stables and pastures for Champion and a newly purchased pleasure horse, Cinnamon.

Dr. Surovi continued her riding lessons throughout the renovations and was now an active participant in Brightwood Animal Hospital’s lunchtime banter about the thrills and spills of riding and caring for horses.

Call it serendipity, fate, or just genetic disposition, but Dr. Surovi’s path to the “Run for the Roses” began with her inheritance of a retired racehorse. A champion of the sport, if you will. When asked how she and Mike Sivo evolved from keeping pleasure horses to owning race horses, Dr. Surovi relayed the story with delight.

"Mike and I started to become interested in horse racing when we started to dig into Champion's past. Champion was really the catalyst for the passion. We researched his race history and started to learn the ropes from there.

"While online one morning last spring, Mike noticed an advertisement for West Point Thoroughbred's (WPT), a racing syndicate. He made an inquiry and before we knew it, we planned a trip in June of 2010 to Louisville, Kentucky at Churchill Downs to meet a contact for WPT.

"It was one of the best trips we had ever taken. We met famous trainers, saw famous jockeys and there were famous horses all around us. Shortly thereafter, we bought our first race horse, King Ting.

"We now own nine race horses (acquiring them in less than a year) in addition to the two pleasure horses at home. Some are with West Point, some with a syndicate called Little Red Feather, and the rest with Dream Team Racing Stable.

"It is with Dream Team that we were offered to buy in on Mucho Macho Man. The president of Dream Team, Jim Culver, and vice president, Kostas Hatzikoutelis, have changed our lives. They are amazing people and the numerous friendships we've formed are without measure."

 Mucho Macho Man wrapped up a starting spot in the Kentucky Derby with $270,000 in graded stakes earnings. Trainer Kathy Ritvo has had over 150 winners and seven stakes winners including a win in the Calder Breeders’ Cup.

Mucho Macho Man would be her first starter in the Kentucky Derby. Jockey Rajiv Maragh grew up in the horse racing industry in his native Jamaica. His first winner came aboard Pricedale Kid on February 1, 2004 at Tampa Bay Downs.

More on this remarkable horse and his path to the Kentucky Derby can be found on his Facebook page.

Red roses are the crowning flowers of The Kentucky Derby winner. Similarly, Dr. Surovi will be carrying red roses by the iconic twin spires that overlook the track’s famous homestretch at Churchill Downs next weekend.

She and her fiancé will be married in the Winner’s Circle that is used exclusively for the Derby winner and its owners. It seems fitting that a veterinarian with high hopes for her horse as the next Derby winner, carries high hopes—and the red roses—for herself and her future husband as they step to the Winner’s Circle to be married.

Back at Brightwood, Dr. Surovi’s associates and staff have much to cheer for leading up to the "Greatest Two Minutes in Sports,” and much to banter about at lunchtime when she returns.