Having been in the business for only about three years and with only six horses campaigning in the U.S., Will Stroud knew enough to have modest expectations. He had set a few goals but wondered if he would ever achieve them. He doesn't have to wonder anymore.Over the course of one hour and 20 minutes, the owner won two Grade I races in Saratoga. It started with a win by Kensington Lane (Ire) (Star Spangled Banner ({Aus}) in the GI Belmont Oaks. Two races later, his Title Role (GB) (Too Darn Hot ({GB}), won the GI Belmont Derby.Stroud is the majority owner of Title Role, along with David Fennelly and Carl Wilson, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith. He is a co-owner of Kensington Lane through the Medallion Partnership.A Texas-based private equity businessman who operates Stroud Companies, Stroud had been interested in racing for a few years but never quite took the plunge. That changed when he met Coolmore Director of Sales Charlie O'Connor at the 2023 Goffs Sale in Ireland. Stroud was so impressed by O'Connor and the whole Coolmore team that he was inspired to buy some horses.“I quickly realized that these guys knew what they were doing,” Stroud said. “Charlie very much became my guy.”O'Connor recalled the meeting at Goffs.“He was over there on a golfing trip and he ended up coming to Goffs for a day and he immediately was intrigued going around the sales with myself and Wesley (Ward),” O'Connor said. “And he ended up buying some yearlings when he had no intention of buying anything. Since then, we've become great friends and he has joined my syndicate with Dick Brodie, David Fennelly, and Mike Morgan with For The People Racing. He's bought a couple of yearlings every year.”Stroud was a newcomer to the business, but he understood how hard it can be to have success at the highest levels. He describes his early experiences in racing as a series of “ups and downs.” Never was that truer than with the filly Life of Joy (Gun Runner). She won this year's GII Fair Grounds Oaks and looked to be a serious candidate for the GI Kentucky Oaks only to be injured and retired.But Stroud isn't one who gets discouraged easily.“Horse racing is definitely my passion and it's great to be able to share it with friends, make new friends, and bring others into racing alongside us,” he said. “It's been exciting and hopefully profitable; that's the name of the game.”Stroud is a big fan of the New York breeding and racing programs and wanted to find a horse in Europe that he thought could win races here and eventually became a stallion in New York.Title Role | Sarah AndrewFor a few months, he and O'Connor had their eye on the colt Title Role who was owned by Coolmore and trained by Simon and Ed Crisford.“Charlie and I had been looking for a horse to bring over from Europe for about a year to be a stud, particularly in New York. We found Title Role in February. The Crisfords thought he could be a really good American horse. We purchased him about three weeks before the race. The next thing we know, we won a Grade I race. That's as good an outcome as I ever could have expected.”Ridden by John Velazquez, Title Role won a thriller, winning by a nose over West End Kid (Twirling Candy).Next up for Title Role will likely by the GI Saratoga Derby at 1 3/16-miles on Aug. 8. Stroud said the GI Fourstardave Stakes, a one-mile race also run on Aug., is a possibility. Stroud said there are concerns that the distance of the Saratoga Derby may be too much for Title Role. He will be trained for next race by the Crisfords, but will then be turned over to Brendan Walsh.On the advice of Hunter Houlihan, Stroud bought into Kensington Lane before her Grade I win. Ridden by Joel Rosario and sent off at 23-1, Kensington Lane won by 1 3/4 lengths from trainer Donnacha O'Brien.Phillip Shelton, racing manager for Medallion Racing, told NYRA prior to the race that Kensington Lane will stay in the U.S. following the Belmont Oaks and be transferred to California-based Phil D'Amato with an eye towards Grade 1 races such as the Del Mar Oaks, the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland and the American Oaks at Santa Anita Park.“I've been blessed with some incredible partners who are way smarter than me,” Stroud said. “They know what they are looking for and how to do it. I've partnered with some great people and Charlie O'Connor had been a huge help to me as well as becoming a really good friend.”O'Connor said that such is Stroud's enthusiasm that keeping him focused on the goal has been the biggest challenge. “He was doing a little bit of everything,” said O'Connor. “And I told him, 'we need to get a game plan here, Will. With the new Belmont opening, I thought the New York program would be great. He has a handful of mares and they're going to board with Dr. Stowe Burke in Saratoga. He's very enthusiastic in the business and my job is to try to get him to keep him controlled. I promised his father I wouldn't let him get too big and too involved and buy everything.”But right now, nothing is dampening that enthusiasm.“I had two goals that I wanted to complete when I turned 35,” said Stroud. “Two of them were to get married to a great girl and to win a Grade I horse race, ideally at Saratoga. That came true. And I got married to an amazing woman in August. Then I win not one, but two Grade I's in Saratoga. This experience this weekend was amazing.” The post Making New Owners, Presented by OwnerView: For Will Stroud, A Saturday at Saratoga He’ll Never Forget appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.