Homebred’s Clark Win Gratifying for St. Simon Place

St. Simon Place has had a exceptional previous few years, on the racetrack and within the gross sales ring, with its newest feat coming Nov. 30 at Churchill Downs when homebred Rattle N Roll  gained the Clark Stakes (G2).

Wente supported Join   in his first yr at stud, leading to two of his homebreds—Rattle N Roll and Hidden Connection —turning into the stallion’s first graded stakes winners. Rattle N Roll took the 2021 Breeders’ Futurity (G1), and Hidden Connection gained the 2021 Pocahontas Stakes (G3). 

Following Rattle N Roll’s win within the Breeders’ Futurity, Wente bought his dam, Jazz Tune , within the Keeneland November sale for $585,000 to Hunter Valley Farm, a pleasant return from the $20,000 he paid for her 5 years earlier. 

BloodHorse: What was Rattle N Roll like as a foal? 

Tommy Wente: He had a tough time going when he was a child. We had just a few of them that yr, that they had issues getting going, and it was as a result of his intestine and stuff did not work, so we needed to do a bunch of stuff to get his intestine going so he might get stuff shifting by means of his physique. It was slightly little bit of a touch-and-go scenario. In about 10 days, he got here out of it. 

BH: What goes into the choice of promoting your horses as weanlings? 

TW: Us being child sellers, you already know we do not at all times need to promote them as infants, however as a way to run the farm, now we have to promote quite a lot of our horses as infants. He was one of many ones I actually regretted promoting, and it is not simply because he went off and made some huge cash, it is simply I actually regretted what we bought him for. It was simply a type of issues I knew in my coronary heart that he simply wasn’t prepared, I ought to’ve simply sat on him. However you already know what? I am an enormous believer in issues occur for a motive. And if Rexy (Bloodstock) would not have purchased him and went on with him … they did an exceptional job prepping him for the (Keeneland September) yearling sale. I feel all of the playing cards had been simply completely positioned proper for him, and he appeared like a rock star as a yearling. 

Kenny (McPeek) is excellent, I feel he ought to get quite a lot of the credit score, as a result of he took an opportunity on that horse, proper? Rexy Bloodstock made him seem like a rock star, Kenny purchased him, and the remainder is historical past. And, if we might’ve saved him, who’s to say all this may’ve occurred? If he ended up someplace else, with someone else on a unique street … issues simply occur for a motive, I suppose.

BH: You’ve got had quite a lot of success the previous couple of years. What does that imply to your program and does that give folks confidence to maintain shopping for St. Simon Place horses?

TW: We would like folks to know that once we put weanlings within the sale, they don’t seem to be culls, proper? After we put them by means of there, they’re good horses, they usually’ve been raised proper. We would like folks to really feel assured once they’re shopping for them that we do not thoughts, and we do not get our emotions damage, once they make a bunch of cash on them. I feel that is a part of the sport. If folks do not become profitable in your horses, they don’t seem to be going to come back again and purchase off you. All people must become profitable. 

It is cool to see folks come again like Brian Graves, Peter O’Callaghan, and other people like that, Rexy Bloodstock, Ted Campion, and guys like that, I feel they really feel comfy shopping for from us. 

BH: What did it imply to be there for Rattle N Roll’s victory within the Clark Stakes? How carefully do you observe his profession?

TW: It was superior. I attempt to go to all of his races when he is round. He is only a actually cool horse to be round, and we’re at all times rooting for him. 

He was laid off after some bone bruising was found, and he wanted it, he was on an enormous three-year campaign, and it paid off. He got here again within the Lukas Traditional this yr (the place he completed third), and it was a muddy, nasty monitor. He simply obtained too far again to make all that floor up. However he ran good, and he was coaching like a bear, they usually made the choice to attempt to go to the Breeders’ Cup with him, to attempt to attract. That did not work out, so that they introduced him again. 

He is sort of like our flagship horse for the farm. Only a good story. 

BH: You had quite a lot of luck with Join along with your two homebreds from his first crop—Rattle N Roll and Hidden Connection. What instilled your confidence in him? 

TW: We bred two totally different sort of mares to him. He was a first-year horse and we’re massive followers of Curlin (Join’s sire). It was sort of loopy that each of them ended up being Join’s first graded stakes horses. 

BH: What retains you going on this enterprise of highs and lows?

TW: We simply carry on clicking away, we had that basically phenomenal yr in 2021, proper? And now you are chasing it. You are at all times attempting to get again there. You place a reasonably excessive commonplace on your self, whenever you win 4 ‘Win and You are In’ races. It was only a loopy yr. So, you are simply at all times attempting to get again that manner. 

This yr was in all probability our greatest crop of infants. I feel arms down, that we have had within the sale, and that we have on the bottom nonetheless to promote as yearlings. 

BH: How a lot effort goes into your matings and sale picks? How vital is the crew round you?

TW: After we sit right here and attempt to get all these mares booked, and also you’re attempting to remain out of sure books, we’re at all times attempting to be actual cautious who we’re breeding to, that you simply’re not spending an excessive amount of cash. All people appears to be breeding to the identical horses, which is basically arduous, since you do not need to be considered one of 300 horses, proper? It is actually robust. 

We’re blessed to have folks round us like Carrie and Craig (Brogden), they assist us every single day. Like every single day, I am calling Craig or Carrie about one thing and simply asking. I am not afraid to ask, as a result of I do not know every little thing, and we’re simply blessed to have folks like that round us that can give us criticism once we want it. I take the criticism very severely. 

This isn’t simply us, it is everyone that is concerned—the stud farms that give us the breedings, Carrie and Craig give me the information I must know, what I can buy, what I should not purchase, it is much more that goes into it. 

I feel it is actually vital for the proprietor of the farm to get on a mower and go mow his grass out within the paddocks and simply sit and take a look at your horses, once they’re strolling and see what they’re doing. I imply, I see stuff on a regular basis like that once I’m on the market. You see a horse lame or shifting the flawed manner. You won’t see these issues from the fence, however I simply suppose it is vital that you should take a look at your horses each single day.  So much goes into this enterprise.