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‘It’s a Game I Adore’: Glengarry Keeps Kennedy at Home in Iowa

Aaron Kennedy has enjoyed racing success on the national stage as a partner on the likes of Storm the Court and Sugar Shock, but the CEO of the Des Moines-based advertising firm Flynn Wright might have a star in his own backyard after the effortless debut victory of Glengarry (Maximus Mischief) at Prairie Meadows Monday night.

“He's a big horse and he definitely knows it,” Kennedy said of the imposing gray colt.

Kennedy, who owns Glengarry in partnership with Toby Joseph and trainer Doug Anderson, purchased the colt for $150,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale–a price he admits was at the very top of his budget.

“I am sure you know the name Liz Crow,” Kennedy said. “Liz has been my agent for the last few years and every year in the spring, we talk about buying a couple of 2-year-olds. I generally give her a budget with a few partners that I have here and then she comes back with a list. He was estimated above our price range. I think Liz valued him at $200,000 or more. And our price range was $125,000, maybe $150,000 on the high end. So we actually didn't bid on Glengarry and the hammer dropped at $200,000 and he was an RNA. Liz approached the owners–because he is an Iowa-bred and I'm in Iowa–and said, 'I think these guys in Iowa might be interested. I think this is probably their ceiling–which was the $150,000.' Thankfully they said, 'Yeah, we will take that deal.'”

Kennedy said the partners weren't specifically shopping for Iowa-breds when they found Glengarry in May.

“I've owned a few and tried to breed a few in Iowa, but I wasn't shopping specifically for an Iowa-bred,” he said. “But I'm glad to have him. It's fun to have him where he's at. We had a lot of people there last night to watch him.”

Sent off at 1-5, Glengarry was certainly no surprise to the betting public.

“The first time when I was at the barn when [jockey Ken] Tohill got off after breezing him, he said, 'I think this horse is pretty special,' so we had high expectations last night,” Kennedy said. “We expected him to run the way he did. It was a great relief to see him produce the kind of performance he did. I don't think he was even asked.”

With his stylish debut, Glengarry has likely earned a trip to stakes company for his second outing.

“Pretty sure if he comes back as he looked this morning, our next event will be Iowa Classic night, the 2-year-old stakes for Iowa-breds,” Kennedy said.

The $100,000 Iowa Cradle S. is one of seven stakes on the Sept. 30 Iowa Classic card at Prairie Meadows.

Kennedy, meanwhile, is living out a childhood dream with his racing stable.

“I grew up the street from Ak-sar-ben,” Kennedy explained. “So I loved the game from an early age. The very first horse that I ever partnered on was with my trainer, Doug Anderson. He was an Iowa-bred named Callmemrgeorge (Miracle Heights) and he won his first race by a dozen lengths [in 2007]. He was a cheaper horse, but he always tried. I think he ended up winning six races.”

Just a few years into racehorse ownership and again in partnership with Anderson, Kennedy found graded-stakes success with Sugar Shock (Candy Ride {Arg}), who won the 2014 GIII Fantasy S. and took the partners to the GI Kentucky Oaks.

“That was a fun ride,” Kennedy said of his experiences with the filly. “More recently, I've owned horses with Exline-Border Racing out in California and [2019 champion 2-year-old] Storm the Court was my first Exline-Border horse. And then Doug and I owned Stilleto Boy a few years ago. We sold him after winning the Iowa Derby and he's gone on to do great things.”

Kennedy has just one broodmare at the moment, the 6-year-old Catechism (Karakontie {Ire}), who is currently in foal to Goldencents. But that number could increase in the near future.

“That's my foray back into breeding,” Kennedy said of Catechism. “I am a business guy, I don't have land or anything, but Doug and I talk about a future where we will probably have some broodmares. I think Doug may end up in Kentucky before too long. I can't imagine a scenario that I would have eight or 10 mares, but maybe three or four good ones. I think it would be a lot of fun.”

Of his current racing stable, Kennedy said, “I have probably 10-12 in California with Exline-Border and Peter Eurton trains there. I think there are seven or eight of us in that partnership. And then I have six here in the Midwest between Kentucky and Iowa with Doug Anderson and Matt Shirer.”

From his childhood racetrack at Ak-sar-ben to winner's circles around the country, Kennedy is enjoying the ride.

“It's a game I adore,” he said. “It's the best sport in the world.”

6th-Prairie Meadows, $40,326, Msw, 8-28, 2yo, 6f, 1:12.65, ft, 5 3/4 lengths.
GLENGARRY (c, 2, Maximus Mischief–L. A. Way, by Tizway), the 1-5 favorite, broke sharply and was quickly on the lead. The gray colt was pressed through an opening quarter in :22.63, took command on the turn and strode home under a motionless Ken Tohill to win by 5 3/4 lengths. He is the 16th winner for his freshman sire (by Into Mischief). Glengarry was purchased by Raul Reyes's Kings Equine for $55,000 as a FTKJUL yearling and sold for $150,000 following a :10 1/5 work at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale. L.A. Way has a yearling filly by Good Samaritan and she produced a filly by Maximus Mischief this year before being bred back to Tonalist. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $27,126.
O-Aaron Kennedy, Toby Joseph & Doug Anderson; B-Highpoint Bloodstock (IA); T-Doug L. Anderson.

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Sunland Derby Hero Wild On Ice Works at Churchill

Frank Sumpter's GIII Sunland Park Derby hero Wild On Ice (Tapizar) worked five furlongs in 1:00 with regular jockey Ken Tohill in the irons at Churchill Downs Monday morning. It was the gelding's first workout over the Louisville oval's main track. Churchill's clocker John Nichols caught the Texas-bred in splits of 11:40, :23, :35.20 and :47.60 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.20 and seven furlongs in 1:28.

“Everything seemed to work perfectly this morning and you don't really see that a lot in horse racing,” trainer Joel Marr said. “We're taking every day in stride and enjoying being part of this year's Kentucky Derby.”

Should Wild On Ice make the Derby gate on May 6 it would mark both the first Churchill Downs appearance and first Derby starter for Marr and alsoTohill, who at age 60 would become the oldest jockey to ever ride in the Kentucky Derby and surpass Jon Court, who was 58 when he rode Long Range Toddy (Take Charge Indy) to a 16th-place finish in 2019.

“We know coming to Kentucky there are a lot more accomplished jockeys and trainers than us,” Tohill said. “It is the elite of the elite. But, we're coming to compete with them.”

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Hometown Hero Wild On Ice Stuns In Sunland Derby

Once a year, a small track in New Mexico plays host to some big names as everyone chases points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in the GIII Sunland Park Derby. While Tim Yakteen scratched his transfer in Fort Bragg (Tapit) Saturday, the field still included Bob Baffert's Hard to Figure (Hard Spun) and Steve Asmussen's How Did He Do That (Good Magic), as well as local Mine That Derby winner Henry Q (Blame). But for all the big connections, it was the longest shot on the board that took home the prize –Texas-bred Wild On Ice (Tapizar) at 35-1.

After a brief gate delay caused by One in Vermillion (Army Mule), the speed took off with top choices Hard to Figure and Henry Q taking it to one another from the opening strides. Wild On Ice was three wide with that pair into the first turn but wisely took back under jockey Ken Tohill to race with Low Expectations (Nyquist) in the second flight. The first quarter blitzed by in :20.58 but the top four stayed compact with two rivals distanced out the back.

Kept outside in the clear the whole way, Wild On Ice stayed right off the favorite's flank into the far turn and pounced as the speed began to fade with a quarter to run. Low Expectations kept him honest to the line but Wild On Ice was clearly best to win going away. The gelding, who is not currently nominated to the Triple Crown, picked up 50 points for his effort.

Pedigree Notes:

GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Tapizar, who we tragically lost in 2020, is best known for siring dual Eclipse champion Monomoy Girl. Wild On Ice becomes the 7th individual graded-stakes winners for his sire who has one more crop of 2-year-olds to race. Dam Slamitagain, herself a half-sister to the dam of MGSP Pioppo (Brz), has now produced three winners from as many foals. This is also the family of GI Florida Derby and GI Fountain of Youth hero Vicar (Wild Again) as well as French Two Thousand Guineas winner Astronomer Royal (Danzig).

Sunday, Sunland Park
SUNLAND PARK DERBY-GIII, $600,000, Sunland, 3-26, 3yo,
1 1/8m, 1:51.39, ft.
1–WILD ON ICE, 122, g, 3, by Tapizar
          1st Dam: Slamitagain, by Grand Slam
          2nd Dam: Oonagh, by Wild Again
          3rd Dam: Escrow Agent, by El Gran Senor
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Frank
Sumpter (TX); T-Joel H. Marr; J-Ken S. Tohill. $356,400.
Lifetime Record: SP, 5-3-0-1, $405,400. Werk Nick Rating: A+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Low Expectations, 122, g, 3, Nyquist–Eloquent Tribute, by
Tapit. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($192,000
Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $17,000 RNA 2yo '22 OBSOPN). O-Reddam
Racing LLC; B-Mount Riga Bloodstock (KY); T-Antonio C. Garcia.
$130,680.
3–Henry Q, 122, c, 3, Blame–Lunar Empress, by Malibu Moon.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($125,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-The
Del Mar Group; B-Fred W. Hertrich lll & John D. Fielding (KY);
T-Todd W. Fincher. $59,400.
Margins: 1 1/4, 2HF, 6 3/4. Odds: 35.40, 21.00, 1.60.
Also Ran: How Did He Do That, One in Vermillion,
Hard to Figure. Scratched: Fort Bragg.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.
VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Jose Santos Revolutionizing Jockey Agent’s Role

Jose Santos became famous for winning races as a jockey. His son wants to become famous for winning races as a jockey agent.

The winning formula for Jose “Joe” Santos Jr. is to try and revolutionize the profession through strength in numbers, eventually creating a corporate-like business model.

Santos, 26, represents five riders at four tracks. The bulky roster briefly reached six earlier this year and included two for most of the Oaklawn meet in David Cabrera, its second-leading rider in 2018 who is headed toward another runner-up finish in 2021, and Ken Tohill, a veteran approaching 4,000 career victories. Tohill won nine races in Hot Springs before recently departing for Prairie Meadows in Iowa. Santos also books mounts for Miguel Mena and Albin Jimenez at Churchill Downs in Kentucky, Reylu Gutierrez at Lone Star Park in Texas and Freddy Manrrique at Will Rogers Downs in Oklahoma.

“I would say it's abnormal to have a jockey on four or five different circuits,” Santos said.

Under Arkansas rules, agents can represent as many as two journeymen and one apprentice rider during the Oaklawn meeting. Some Oaklawn-based agents do have riders in multiple jurisdictions, with Bobby Dean, for example, representing two-time local champion Terry Thompson and newcomer Elvin Gonzalez this year in Hot Springs and Glenn Corbett at Turf Paradise in Arizona.

But five riders in four states?

“My deal is I worked at Turf Paradise for 15 years,” said Dean, an agent since the fall of 1997. “I mean, I know everybody. I had Glenn Corbett all those years. It's not like I'm down there with a kid somebody might not know. I'm down there with a guy that's been there, so I'm barely skirting the line. (Santos) is sharp enough to do it. But I'm old school. I'm still here early. I guess as the long as the jocks keep going for it, it will be good.”

Santos, whose father retired with more than 4,000 victories and was a 2007 inductee into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, said he has been eying a mass-representation/multi-jurisdiction concept for some time, adding COVID-19 restrictions “kind of forced it,” with everything moving online last spring.

“I wanted to start an agency, myself,” Santos said. “The only way to do that is to prove that is I can do it on my own at first. Once I get enough traction and business going, I think it's been heading in the right direction, we can expand it from there and get some people hired on eventually.”

Santos began his career as an agent in December 2013, initially representing Aldo Canchano, then Didiel Osorio in February 2014. Santos had Cabrera, Israel Rodriguez and apprentice Luis Fuentes to open the 2019 Oaklawn meeting before landing the nationally prominent Mena that spring. Santos essentially flew solo with Mena for approximately a year before adding Declan Carroll in April 2020, reuniting with Cabrera in May 2020, picking up Jimenez in November, Gutierrez and Tohill around New Year's Day and Manrrique for the Will Rogers meet that began in late March. Santos and Mena rekindled their business relationship in April. Santos no longer represents Tohill and Carroll, leaving the agent to juggle just five riders in late April.

“Santos, he's sharp,” Dean said. “If anybody can handle it, it's Santos.”

Santos spent much of early 2020 in Hot Springs (his girlfriend, youthful stakes-winning owner Carson McCord, is a resident), but agents were unable to beat the backside at tracks like Oaklawn, and later Churchill Downs, because of COVID-19 restrictions that barred them from the barn area. The racing office became off limits, too. Armed with a computer, condition books and cell phone, Santos began conducting business from home, entering by phone and watching post position draws through Zoom conference calls, again related to COVID-19 restrictions.

“This is kind of been a goal for a while,” said Santos, who also has represented Eclipse Award-winning apprentice Tyler Baze. “Just didn't know how to make it work. I kind of always thought the only way that it was going to be able to work was to hire other people on, do the charting, and have them do all the ground work. Like I said, with COVID happening, it worked out to where I was able to do it.”

So far, so good.

Santos' riding roster has collected more than 120 victories and $5 million in purse money this year. Agents normally receive around 25 to 30 percent of a jockey's total earnings.

“You work hard when you're young to not have to when you're older, right?” Santos said. “Ultimately, the goal would be to own an agency at some point in my life and have other agents work for me and just get a percent off of that, based off tying up the connections, to where I don't have to do any of this bookwork anymore. But that's years, years, years down the line.”

Santos was profiled by Fox Sports recently.

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