DIANE WOLFE  

   Diane Wolfe liked horses and her husband Paul liked automotive racing, but several years ago they combined their interests to find a common passion in the sport of horse racing.
   "I grew up with horses," explained Diane Wolfe. "When Paul and I met there was a span of five or six years where I didn't have any horses, and I started having withdraws. Paul had never been around horses. He grew up around racing - motorcycle racing and boat racing - so that was his background. He said, 'If you're going to get a horse, I think we should get a racehorse.'"
   They soon decided that claiming a racehorse that was already running would give them a start in the racing game. They decided to claim a Quarter Horse named Juno Bug Moon.
   "We got our first win photo with Juno Bug Moon," said Wolfe, who owns a construction management company in Simi Valley. "We went to the Pacific Coast Sale and bought Dayton and Hopeful Alibi, and that was what just completely hooked us."
   Dayton quickly showed the Wolfes the highs of Quarter Horse racing, setting the fastest qualifying time for the Kindergarten Futurity. The El Rey Burner colt finished eighth in the Grade 2 final, and also qualified for the Grade 1 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity later that year. The Wolfes retired the colt with five wins and two seconds from 12 starts and earnings of $34,970. Diane is now hoping to make Dayton into a trail riding horse to replace Juno Bug Moon, who is the founding member of their small broodmare band.
   "It's a lot of fun. These horses are our escape. We don't have any kids, so the horses are like our children," Wolfe said. "Every aspect of racing is great. This truly is our extended family."