About Us
Our Story
Selecting Equine Athletes, Pedigree & Potential.
Caliente Thoroughbreds was founded in 2022 by Saúl Márquez, a third-generation horseman born in San Diego, California. His family's story begins in Tijuana, Mexico, where his father and uncles were trainers at Agua Caliente racetrack, a heritage reflected in the Caliente name.
After the family moved to San Diego, Saúl was involved in the industry from a young age. He went on to build a long, solid career as a jockey agent in California.
Encouraged by a close friend in the industry, he started his own business buying and selling horses. In 2022 he invested his own money in three horses, one at the Keeneland September Sale, bought together with a friend, and two at Fasig-Tipton, with the goal of reselling them as 2-year-olds in training. Of those first three, the Keeneland September purchase was the one that paid off: Wynstock (Solomini–Timberlea), bought for $50,000, sold for $700,000 at the OBS Spring 2YO Sale in 2023. That is how Caliente began.
Caliente graduates have a strong record on the track, with horses it has sold continuing to win, and the business keeps growing, carrying that family tradition forward.