BH Interview: Tommy Wente of 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  received 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 —changing into the stallion’s first graded stakes winners. Rattle N Roll took the 2021 Breeders’ Futurity (G1), and Hidden Connection received 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 a couple of 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 transferring by way of his physique. It was a little bit little bit of a touch-and-go state of affairs. 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 understand we do not all the time need to promote them as infants, however as a way to run the farm, we’ve got to promote loads of our horses as infants. He was one of many ones I actually regretted promoting, and it isn’t 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 kind of issues I knew in my coronary heart that he simply wasn’t prepared, I ought to’ve simply sat on him. However you understand what? I am an enormous believer in issues occur for a purpose. 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 believe all of the playing cards have been simply completely positioned proper for him, and he regarded like a rock star as a yearling. 

Kenny (McPeek) is superb, I believe he ought to get loads 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 some place else, with anyone else on a distinct street … issues simply occur for a purpose, I assume.

BH: You have had loads of success the previous few 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 way of there, they’re good horses, they usually’ve been raised proper. We would like folks to really feel assured after they’re shopping for them that we do not thoughts, and we do not get our emotions harm, after they make a bunch of cash on them. I believe that is a part of the sport. If folks do not make cash in your horses, they don’t seem to be going to come back again and purchase off you. Everyone must make cash. 

It is cool to see folks come again like Brian Graves, Peter O’Callaghan, and folks like that, Rexy Bloodstock, Ted Campion, and guys like that, I believe they really feel snug 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 all the time 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 received 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 try to go to the Breeders’ Cup with him, to try to attract. That did not work out, in order that they introduced him again. 

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

BH: You had loads of luck with Join together 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 form of mares to him. He was a first-year horse and we’re huge followers of Curlin (Join’s sire). It was form 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 actually phenomenal yr in 2021, proper? And now you are chasing it. You are all the time making an attempt to get again there. You set a reasonably excessive customary on your self, once you win 4 ‘Win and You are In’ races. It was only a loopy yr. So, you are simply all the time making an attempt to get again that method. 

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

BH: How a lot effort goes into your matings and sale choices? How necessary is the staff round you?

TW: After we sit right here and attempt to get all these mares booked, and also you’re making an attempt to remain out of sure books, we’re all the time making an attempt to be actual cautious who we’re breeding to, that you simply’re not spending an excessive amount of cash. Everyone appears to be breeding to the identical horses, which is absolutely onerous, since you do not need to be one among 300 horses, proper? It is actually powerful. 

We’re blessed to have folks round us like Carrie and Craig (Brogden), they assist us day by day. Like day by 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 thing, and we’re simply blessed to have folks like that round us that may give us criticism once we want it. I take the criticism very critically. 

This isn’t simply us, it is all people that is concerned—the stud farms that give us the breedings, Carrie and Craig give me the data I have to know, what I should purchase, what I should not purchase, it is much more that goes into it. 

I believe it is actually necessary 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, after 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 transferring the flawed method. You won’t see these issues from the fence, however I simply assume it is necessary that it’s good to take a look at your horses each single day.  Rather a lot goes into this enterprise.