High in the saddle

Also meeting the Ordos visitors was Dun-can Taylor, president and CEO of Taylor Made, a family-owned horse farm.

Taylor said he's having his father's book — Joe Taylor's Complete Guide to Breeding and Raising Racehorses: Advice from America's Master Horseman — translated into Chinese.

"My dad had 40 years of working in the thoroughbred industry, he basically put all his knowledge into the book," said Taylor. "We are having it translated into Chinese so we can share our knowledge with the Chinese horseman."

David Blackwell, provost of the University of Kentucky, told the Ordos visitors that the university's Gluck Equine Research Center studies all elements of the equine business and management. It has much to offer for exchanges with China's equine industry.

At Churchill Downs, the delegation watched the Kentucky Oaks, a race for three-year-old fillies. In 2017, CHC's co-owned Able Tasman won the Oaks and was sold earlier this year for $5 million by Keeneland.

Improbable, a stallion co-owned by CHC, WinStar Farm and SF Racing, won qualification to compete in this year's Kentucky Derby on May 4.

Improbable finished fifth but placed fourth in the 2019 Kentucky Derby because the No. 1 horse, Maximum Security, was disqualified.

Viewers said they were impressed by Improbable's performance at the Derby, considering that he was boxed in for quite a while during the race.

Improbable will compete in the upcoming Preakness Stakes on May 18 in Baltimore, Maryland.