Leonard Miranda is the TOBA April Member of the Month.
As a former law enforcement officer, Leonard Miranda knows a thing or two about right and wrong. So, when he retired and decided to form a racing partnership, the outfit’s name was a no-brainer. And thus, Integrity Racing was born.
The San Diego, California native’s involvement with the sport began with childhood visits to the track. Going to Santa Anita with his dad, Miranda recalled, “I’m all of six, seven years old, so don’t really know a lot about racing at all. So, I fell in love with the horses way before I realized you could put two dollars on it.” As time went on, he followed the West Coast careers of all-time greats like Affirmed and Seattle Slew.
Miranda turned to law enforcement, spending 30 years in that field. And when the time came for him to retire, he began searching for that next thrill. “I started thinking about racing, but I knew I didn’t have the means to really do it because I’d always heard it was the rich person’s sport,” he said. Over the next five years, he spent time immersing himself in the world, talking to everyone from executives to hot walkers. That learning paid off, and he eventually put together an LLC. In the process, Miranda recalled how helpful people were, saying, “The folks inside the game are really willing to talk to you, right?”
When enlisting potential new partners, Miranda teaches them about the business. “If you’re educating owners about how tough the sport is, and they ultimately run for the hills, that’s good; that’s what you want,” he said, adding that if people know how tough the sport is and stick around, they might be good candidates. Miranda serves as a mentor, teaching people from all walks of life about the rules of the game (both written and unwritten). He noted, “This sport just draws A+ personalities, right? It just draws it, so you have to be able to manage some very dynamic people.” Emphasizing horses’ welfares first, he shared, “I basically pay my bills on time and be patient and wait.”
Currently, Integrity Racing has about 12 horses in training, including British-bred American Glory, purchased at Tattersalls last year. But its biggest success to date has come with Kings River Knight, a six-year-old gelding by Acclamation. The historic California operation Old English Rancho—formerly headed by the late “Buddy” Johnston and ably maintained by his family—bred Kings River Knight. Along with The Ellwood Johnston Trust and Kenneth A. Tevelde, Integrity Racing has celebrated five stakes wins in less than a year with the horse.
This collaboration came about once Miranda expressed interest in a talented young horse then trained by Andy Mathis. Miranda praised the job Mathis did in developing the gelding, as well as the stable run by current conditioner John Sadler and assistant trainer Juan Leyva. Since the end of 2022, Kings River Knight has taken his owners on quite a ride. His first stakes win came in the Crystal Water Stakes at Santa Anita on May 28, 2023. “Oh, it was awesome; it was a blessing,” Miranda recalled. “My sister was there; a couple of partners were there.” Also present were the Harrises of Harris Farms, partners with Old English Rancho on top-quality California-breds.
A month later, Kings River Knight scored in the Bertrando Stakes at Los Alamitos. Miranda wasn’t able to attend in person, saying, “I was at Royal Ascot for that one, so I didn’t see that one, but I definitely watched it in the wee hours.” His visit to the esteemed British race meet brought even more surprises, including a visit to the Royal Enclosure and glimpses of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. “This is almost surreal, right?” he mused. “So, it was just really fun.”
Back stateside, Kings River Knight ran second in the California Dreamin’ Stakes at Del Mar. Fittingly, he then won the E.B. Johnston Stakes, named for Old English Rancho’s patriarch, at Los Alamitos, next adding the California Flag Handicap at Santa Anita in near-course record time. After 90 days rest, Kings River Knight returned in fine fashion on January 13, 2024. He took the Unusual Heat Turf Classic Stakes—named for a Harris Farms stallion—turning the tables on Carmelita’s Man, who’d beaten him in the California Dreamin’ the previous year. Most recently, he romped home first by 2 ¼ lengths in an optional-claiming allowance, again defeating Carmelita’s Man.
A finalist for 2023 California-bred Horse of the Year, Kings River Knight lost out on top honors to grade 1 winner The Chosen Vron. But should a match-up occur in 2024, Kings River Knight is ready. “Our horse has put on some weight,” said Miranda. “He looks really good. His eyes are clear and he’s really happy.”
