Kazamias building for the future at Kaz Hill Farm

Peter Kazamias, an owner and breeder of horses at his Kaz Hill Farm in Middletown, N.Y. has quietly assembled one of the strongest broodmare bands in the state.

With upwards of 45 broodmares along with his stallion, Name Changer, Kazamias is working to establish a production line of runners on The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit that is now starting to exert its influence in the win column.

Last April, Storm Changer, a Kazamias homebred, became the first stakes winner for Name Changer with a sharp stretch run at odds of 12-1 to capture the $200,000 Park Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired sophomore fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Last month, two more homebreds by Name Changer broke through in state-bred maiden company at the Big A, including 13-1 shot Kaz Oil Changer and 6-1 chance Greek Goddess – both in the care of trainer Dimitrios Synnefias.

Kazamias, a 63-year-old entrepreneur, said he is inspired by the lucrative New York-bred program and is eagerly awaiting the chance to compete on the big stage at the newly redeveloped Belmont Park when it opens in September.

“It’s going to be a great place,” Kazamias said. “We need a serious place to run, and Belmont is going to be really nice. Everything is being redone, and I’ve already got a lot of horses there at Belmont.”

Kaz Hill Farm, a sprawling 205-acre property, is the beginning of a potential pipeline of horses to the NYRA circuit, including 12 already stabled with Synnefias at Belmont Park with more young stock to follow that are currently being prepared in Florida by Gregory Martin.

Part of the impetus is that NYRA is accelerating the implementation of comprehensive purse increases for all New York-bred overnight races. Originally scheduled for January 2027, these purse increases in races restricted to New York-breds will now be fully enacted in September 2026 to coincide with the re-opening of Belmont Park. Throughout the 2026 calendar year, as previously announced, NYRA will increase purses in all New York-bred overnight races for 2-year-olds.

Michael Slezak, a bloodstock agent with a longstanding business relationship with Kaz Hill Farm, was responsible for locating and buying Name Changer along with many of the current broodmare band. He says the purse increases are a game changer for those conducting business in New York.

“A significant investment has been made in the new Belmont Park, and I think it feels like a solid foundation,” Slezak said. “If you’re going to look for a state-bred program to breed in, outside of Kentucky, I think New York is the place to do it. There’s a bullishness here among New York breeders that this is not just a solid investment, but maybe even a bigger future going forward.”

Najja Thompson, Executive Director of New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc., has certainly noticed the intention of the Kaz Hill Farm operation.

"Peter Kazamias’ commitment to breeding and standing a stallion in New York speaks to the confidence, strength, and stability of the New York-bred program,” said Thompson. “That commitment is supported by historic purse levels for New York-bred juveniles this year and across all categories of open company beginning in September. For breeders looking for quality stallion options, that opportunity starts right here in New York, with breeders like Mr. Kazamias helping to position the program for even greater success in the years ahead.”

Kazamias, whose father owned riding horses in his native Greece, grew up with an appreciation for equines.

“I was born in Cyprus and came here when I was 8-years-old, but I’m 100 percent a New Yorker,” Kazamias said. “I own five restaurants in upstate New York. I do a lot of real estate development and buying and selling.”

Kazamias, who was raised in Brooklyn and ended up in Goshen, New York, enjoyed a little success with his first horse, a filly named Shout, who debuted on July 24, 2003, at Saratoga Race Course, and ran second at odds of 52-1 with Pedro Cotto, Jr. up for trainer Peter Bazeos.

“I got started almost 30 years ago. I bought one and then two and then a horse farm and breeding and then stallions…it just kept going,” said Kazamias, with a laugh. “Now, we do pinhooking. All aspects of the game.”

The 53-year-old Slezak, who grew up in Amsterdam, N.Y., has been instrumental in helping to build the Kaz Hill Farm empire. Slezak said that despite not growing up in a racing family, he was a visitor to Saratoga from an early age and that reading the BloodHorse and an early gift of the Thoroughbred Times Stallion Register changed his life.

“I fell down a hole of pedigree research from which I’ve never emerged,” Slezak joked.

Slezak, who lists Hall of Famer Personal Ensign among his all-time favorites, worked as an entertainment reporter before transitioning into bloodstock work more than 15 years ago with Kaz Hill Farm among his first clients.

“I think his broodmare band is, if not the best broodmare band in New York, then certainly as good as any broodmare band in the state,” Slezak said. “The race record and pedigree of his mares are outstanding. I think Name Changer is turning out to be a pretty good stallion and I think the people who follow racing in New York are seeing the results of that. It’s dangerous to dismiss them at the windows."

As part of the New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund, New York-sired horses receive significant breeding awards, including a 40 percent bonus of the purse for first-place finishes in state-bred restricted races, effectively doubling the standard 20 percent award for non-NY-sired New York-bred horses. These awards, capped at $40,000 per award, apply to top-three finishes for registered New York-sired New York-breds.

This significant bonus plays a large part in why Slezak is constantly working to upgrade the Kaz Hill Farm broodmare band with the goal of developing local state-sired horses that can compete with expensive New York-bred runners by out-of-state stallions.

“When Greek Goddess or Kaz Oil Changer break their maiden in maiden special weight company and you get that purse money, it’s great, but in addition to that, as the breeder, you’re getting 40 percent of the winner’s purse,” Slezak said. “It can be a pretty lucrative business to be in. Those awards can be great, but you have to breed a legitimately good racehorse that can win.”

Two of Slezak’s recent broodmare buys for Kazamias, Dakota Wind and Gainsay, will have the connections watching the races this weekend with an eye to an upgrade thanks to a pair of well-regarded Brad Cox runners.

On Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course, Easterly, by Uncle Mo and out of the Tiznow mare Dakota Wind, will look to punch his ticket to the Kentucky Derby in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby for owners WinStar Farm, CHC, Inc., and First Go Racing. A few hours later, the promising Juddmonte homebred Deyemond, by Kantharos and out of the Arrogate mare Gainsay, will debut in the night cap at Turfway Park.

Slezak purchased Dakota Wind and her Kentucky-bred Charlatan foal for $70,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Mixed Sale in February. He noted that while Charlatan was off to a tempered start at stud, he felt there was still value to be had.

“I don’t know if Charlatan will be the next Vekoma or Tiz the Law, but I felt like it was a little too early to give up on him,” Slezak said. “I really liked this mare, Dakota Wind, and we ended up buying her.”

Easterly, a $525,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale purchase, graduated at second asking on February 7 at Gulfstream Park. Two days later, Slezak purchased Dakota Wind.

“At the time, the catalogue update listed Easterly as placed, but he actually had broken his maiden on the Saturday before the sale,” Slezak said. “When you get a Brad Cox second-out maiden winner at Gulfstream Park with an 81 Beyer, it gives you the feeling that maybe this mare is sitting on a big update. We’ll know on Saturday.”

While the young Charlatan filly purchased in tandem with Dakota Wind is Kentucky-bred, Dakota Wind is now a major part of the Kaz Hill Farm program and has been bred back to Locked.

Kazamias and Slezak both share an appreciation for Arrogate mares and have managed to acquire five of the late Hall of Famer’s progeny in Vivid Dreams, Summer Takeover, Senson, Retrospect and the aforementioned Gainsay.

Their obsession started with Frosted Angel, a Frosted filly out of a graded stakes-winning Bellamy Road mare, that had enjoyed minor success at Penn National.

“I spotted her in the claiming ranks and noticed she had an Arrogate half-brother that had been purchased by clients of Bob Baffert for $550,000. It was a big number, and I liked the pedigree, so we claimed her and Peter won a couple races with her,” recalled Slezak.

The half-brother was a Baffert trainee, originally called Theology, who later had his named changed to Cave Rock and enjoyed a stellar 2022 campaign that included Grade 1 wins in the Del Mar Futurity at its namesake track and the American Pharoah at Santa Anita Park ahead of a runner-up effort to Forte in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland.

“Peter ended up selling Frosted Angel to Spendthrift Farm privately and they have their first 2-year-old out of Frosted Angel now by Into Mischief. We’ve doubled down on Arrogate mares because of it,” Slezak said.

Slezak purchased the unraced Gainsay in foal to Tacitus for $67,000 at the 2024 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

“Arrogate died young so his legacy got cut a little bit short, but I think he was one of the greatest of his generation,” Slezak said. “We’ll hope both Easterly and Deyemond win on Saturday. Even though they’re running for other owners, they are distinctly connected to the Kaz Hill program as well, so we root for their success.”

Slezak noted that many of the Kaz Hill Farm broodmare band enjoy a long life at the farm once pensioned, including the still spry pair of 27-year-old multi-millionaire dual Grade 1-winner Megahertz and 26-year-old Behrnik. A hard-knocking Kazamias favorite, the 11-time winning claimer Butterface passed last year on the farm at the age of 27.

“Megahertz only had a handful of foals for him, but she’s a queen. Behrnik produced two stakes winners for him – Behrnik’s Bank and Kazmike. Both those mares are living out their days at the farm,” Slezak said. “When we talk about taking care of our athletes and taking care of our horses, I think it’s great that Peter and Sal Martin [farm manager] have Megahertz and Behrnik living there.”

The farm recently mourned the loss of longtime stallion Bank Heist, a half-brother to Midnight Lute, who passed away in early March. But the influence of Bank Heist will continue to shine through the many young Kazamias horses beginning to emerge, including debut winner Greek Goddess, a sophomore daughter of Name Changer out of the Bank Heist mare Behrnik’s Bank.

“The sire, dam and broodmare sire are all foundational horses for the Kaz Hill program,” Slezak said. “She is maybe the poster child of what Peter is trying to do with his program. To see her win first out, you can’t help but jump up and down and shout as she comes down the stretch.”

Kaz Hill Farm will look to win under their own banner on Saturday at the Big A when Kaz Oil Changer, a 4-year-old homebred son of Name Changer, exits post 5-of-6 in Race 2, a one-turn mile allowance for older state-breds.

“The Name Changers can run,” Slezak said.

Name Changer is a Grade 3-winning son of Uncle Mo. His second dam, Jolie Hawk, is a half-sister to Afleet Alex, who posted Grade 1-wins in the 2005 Preakness and Belmont Stakes en route to Champion 3-Year-Old Colt honors.

“I think he’s a little under the radar as a stallion, and the maiden special weight winners he’s had over the last few months have snuck through at a price which is fun,” Slezak said.

The Kaz Hill Farm team are expecting more winners for the program before the summer when competition heats up on the NYRA circuit.

“We have Hurricane Kaz and Kaz Farm Girl, who I think will break their maiden before the spring is over, so it feels good to see that kind of success because it takes a lot of time, energy and expense to get them there,” Slezak said.

And Kazamias hopes many of his upcoming winners will be by Name Changer.

“His best crop is this year coming in. They’re already in training in Ocala with Gregory Martin and within a few weeks will be shipping in,” Kazamias said. “One thing about Name Changer, he makes them very correct. That’s why I continue to breed to him and I’m very strong on him.”