Cory Moran has been in racing his whole life and racing has always been in him. His father John (JJ) Moran, was a successful trainer in Ohio; His brother, Mike Moran, was a top jockey (winning 11 titles) in the Mid-West. He’s done everything from assisting his father’s stable, breaking yearlings, to galloping horses for many top trainers (including Secretariat’s trainer, Lucien Lauren).
Cory started selling horses in the mid-1980′s buying and selling for a diverse clientele, including a majority of New York trainers. In the early to mid-1990′s some of Cory’s sales were winners of graded stakes including the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga for trainer Patrick Byrne, and for trainer Steve Klesaris winning seven races after the purchase of "Yourmissinthepoint" including a win in the (G2) Hawthorne Gold Cup and (G3) Gallant Fox Hcp. Cory sold "Yourmissinthepoint" to Klesaris’s owner Mark Parezo for a very modest price and earned over a half million dollars.
In 2001, Cory met owners Rod and Lorainne Rodriguez at Santa Anita who introduced him to their trainer Christopher Paasch. Paasch purchased a filly from Cory soon afterwards named "Ponche de Leona". She won her first start after the purchase in the Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita for owner Charlie Cono (Cono owned the 2008 Breeders Cup Juvenile Filly winner and Eclipse Award winner "Stardom Bound" trained also by Paasch). “Ponche de Leona” later foaled Triple Crown hopeful “Mucho Macho Man” who ran 3rd in the 2011 Kentucky Derby.
Soon afterwards; leading California trainer Jeff Mullins contacted Cory resulting in a flurry of stake wins in California including the Golden Gate Derby and the (G1) Santa Anita Derby with "Buzzards Bay". Buzzards Bay finished an extremely wide 5th in the 2005 Kentucky Derby after the Santa Anita Derby win. Mullins also won the the (G2) San Clemente Hcp at Santa Anita with "Sweet Win" in first start after purchase. Also Mullins won the (G2) Hollywood Oaks with "Brooke’s Halo" for owner Michael House. Other horses Cory sold to Mullins include winners of the 2005 Las Madrinas Hcp, 2005 (G3), Silky Sullivan at Golden Gates, 2006 WinStar/Sunland Park Oaks ($250,000) winner "Sweet Fourty". 2004 Phil Shepard Stake winner "Verkade" at Fairplex. Among many allowance winners purchased from Cory were also many stake placings in California including the 2005 Pasadena Stks (SA) – 2005 (G2) Oak Tree Derby, 2006 Storm Cat Stks (Hollywood), 2005 La Puente (SA), 2005 Hill Rise Stk (SA). Cory also sold "Super Frolic" out of Calder (then later sold); Super Frolic won the (G2) $750,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup in 2005.
After breaking his maiden impressively at first asking at Calder Race Course in Miami on June 28th, 2008, Cory and bloodstock agent Richard Fuller sealed the deal for the purchase of the now multiple Grade One winner "Vineyard Haven" to trainer Bobby Frankel and former New York Yankee’s manager, Joe Torre with restaurateur Louie Lazzinnaro soon after his Calder debut win. Vineyard Haven was the top two year old in the country(2008) with victories in the (G1) Hopeful at Saratoga and the (G1) Champagne at Belmont. After the win in the Champagne Stakes he was sold to Godolphin for a reported 12 million dollars.
AS AN AGENT
Cory has been particularly successful as a jockey agent, developing many young riders who won titles in the Mid-West and on the East Coast. Currently, he is responsible for winning jockey titles with eight different jockeys. In 1998, he teamed up with Shaun Bridgmohan, together they won the Eclipse Award as the Nation’s Best Apprentice (years later in 2006, Cory not only won the Tropical at Calder meet with Shaun’s little brother Jermaine Bridgmohan, but shattered the record in wins previously held by jockey Cornelio Velasquez).
In 2008, Cory teamed up with jockey Paco Lopez and won the riding title’s in Miami at Calder Race Course. Paco Lopez went on to win the Eclipse award that year for best apprentice in the nation.
In 2009, in their first year in New Jersey, jockey Paco Lopez won the riding title at the Meadowlands with 53 wins and 1.3 million in earnings for the meet.
In 2010, Paco Lopez won the riding title at Gulfstream Park with 74 wins and over 1.8 million in earnings & in the same year, won Monmouth Park’s (Elite Summer)meet with 69 wins and over 3.5 million & also won the Monmouth Park (Fall Meeting) with 44 winners.
In 2011- Paco Lopez won the Gulfstream Park meet for the second consecutive year (despite absent a month due to injury) with 84 winners (18 more than Johnny Velazquez); He won the best win percentage rider of the meet with earnings of more than 2.1 million.
