Partnerships, Presented by Taylor Made Partnerships: Rocket Wrench Racing

From bustling cities to quiet rural towns, the potential for achievement and success knows no geographical boundaries. The same goes for Thoroughbred racing partnerships. Successful partnerships are not always born on major circuits like Kentucky, New York, or California. Sometimes they are born in a barn just south of a rural town in Minnesota called Elko New Market.

For Rocket Wrench Racing's managing partner Justin Revak, what started out as a dream one summer while stomping divots on Canterbury Park's turf course has developed into a partnership group on a meteoric rise. From a daydreaming teenager to top-10 owner at his home track, this story proves all you need is for the planets to align and a rocket to get you there.

“It really has been an extraordinary adventure that began over a decade ago when I came across a Craigslist ad offering one percent of a Minnesota-bred 2-year-old colt for $300,” Revak began. “Loving horse racing since I was a kid, I decided to pick up the phone and call the number on the ad. Hell, it was only $300.” The horse's name was Rocket Wrench, an unimpressive dark bay with donkey-like ears and a blaze on his face resembling an open-faced wrench.

The trajectory of the new venture started out with a series of not-so-impressive races, thus the general partner was ready to give up on the horse after the second year. “I still had faith in Rocket, as we called him around the barn, so I agreed to buy him. The next day I brought him to my farm for the winter,” recalled Revak. At the start of Rocket's third season, Justin took to Craigslist himself and looked for nine partners asking $1,000 each. The ad, to his surprise, took. Revak was now the general partner of Rocket Wrench Racing.

Rocket Wrench partner Shawn Valek recalls the day the stars aligned for him. “I was looking for a lawn mower about 12 years ago on Craigslist. I clearly got sidetracked and found an ad for a partnership in a racehorse. The price was $1,000 for a 10% share. I quickly called my friend Joe McBroom and said I had two questions for him. First, I asked him if he would like to go in on this horse. He said, “Yes but what is your other question?”  The second question was, “Can you tell my wife you found the ad on Craigslist?” McBroom granted the request, and the first group of partners were on their way.

Justin Revak and Rocket Wrench | Courtesy Justin Revak

McBroom has never regretted that day either. “When your horse is at the top of the stretch, it's absolutely thrilling to me and, the fact that we have a group of friends involved makes it a decidedly social endeavor.”

Revak sent Rocket to Canterbury Hall of Fame trainer Bernell Rhone to see if he could work his magic. On June 30th, 2012, Rocket Wrench Racing officially became a winning partnership as Rocket Wrench pulled away from the field by four lengths and crossed the finish line first.

Since that first win in 2012, Rocket Wrench Racing has amassed over $1,000,000 in earnings, boasts a 28% win percentage, and an in-the-money rate of 64%. “We have always been an aggressive claiming partnership. If a horse we have in the barn can't win or at least hit the board, we will drop him to where they belong,” explains Revak.

The team of trainers still includes Rhone but is now led by Karl Broberg and Tony Rengstorf. “We currently race in multiple states and all our trainers have impressive teams that do the day-in and day-out work that is ultimately responsible for our success,” said Revak. “Karl has taught me so much about finding good claims and we've become a really strong team. If both of us like the same horse, there's a pretty good chance it is going to do well for us.”

Partner Bret Woodson recalls, “I was in a previous partnership with some friends when I lived in Kansas City. It was a decent-sized group that claimed horses mostly in Louisiana. At the time, we were always going up against, and usually getting beat by, trainer Karl Broberg. Now I am a partner in Rocket Wrench Racing with Karl as our trainer. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right?”

Plenty of other racing enthusiasts have joined Rocket Wrench Racing in recent years including Lisa Migletz. “After my parents passed away, I wanted to honor them and our tradition of going to races by doing something special,” she said. “After doing some research, I was eventually led to Justin Revak and Rocket Wrench, and I became a partner. It was one of the greatest and most exciting things to ever happen to me.”

Rocket Wrench Racing has zero markups on any of their claiming partnerships and has gone from one group to seven in the last decade and now have 37 different owners. “We have had Canterbury-only groups, groups with higher investment levels, and groups with specific circuits in mind,” said Revak.

“We are currently offering our first Hoosier group to race at Horseshoe Indianapolis in 2024, which is exciting.”  Each partnership group has $300 per month set aside to pay for all necessary legal and accounting services. The minimum investment level for a group starts at $2,500 and partners can own anywhere from five percent to 25 percent.

“I work to retain enough capital for each group so that we have few, if any, cash calls while the group is still active,” remarked Revak. “I am proud to say that we haven't had a single cash call since the first group was formed. That is not to say we haven't had swings in the total value from year to year, but overall, I work hard to manage our cash and horses, so I don't have to send out invoices.”

Partner Ida Schneck was drawn to the business model. “What I liked about Rocket Wrench Racing was that it was affordable and had a solid business plan so the risk of having to pay additional fees beyond my initial investment was minimal. Plus, I could own 5% and get an owner's license.”

Rocket Wrench Racing will be moving into the yearling market with Marcus and Crystal Ryan from Mason Springs Farm this year, due to a number of current partners looking for something new to experience.

“I am fortunate to be able to be a part of the main group of owners who have a piece of all the diverse groups within Rocket Wrench,” said partner Woodson. “My wife and I have three adult kids and they are all interested in and supportive of the Rocket Wrench partnership. Our four-year-old grandson has already been in the paddock and the winner's circle on numerous occasions, and we are hoping for many more as the years progress.”

Chris McCarron, Angel Cordero, and Justin Revak | Courtesy Justin Revak

Revak not only has learned that partnerships are the best vehicle to introducing new owners to the industry, but also that new owners expect more from the industry as it relates to racehorse aftercare and supporting the people who live and work in the stable areas.

Nebraska native 29-year-old Derek Drews is one of those partners. “I love being able to take family and friends to the barns to feed the horses,” he said. “Watching horses train in the morning is something special to see. Justin has always been great about getting myself and my family involved with the entire experience of ownership. Rocket Wrench participates and supports many of the charitable organizations, such as the Leg Up Fund down at the track. Yes, our ownership group is managed as a business, but we believe in much more than just winning races.”

Revak and several Rocket Wrench Racing partners unintentionally started a campaign in 2021 to buy air conditioner units for the dorms at Canterbury Park. “It was a sweltering summer, especially for Minnesota, and I went out and bought a couple of air conditioners at Home Depot for our groom's dorm rooms. Before I knew it, the HBPA, and the Minnesota Thoroughbred Association (Minnesota's breeding organization) and our partners chipped in even more money. Home Depot gave me a discount to help and away we went,” recalled Revak.

The giving did not stop there. Rocket Wrench Racing is a generous supporter of Jockeys and Jeans, the Leg Up Fund, and an exciting new organization that operates at Canterbury Park called Abijah's on the Backside. Sally Mixon, the founder of Abijah's, summarized the program. “Abijah's is the bridge between the racing industry and community wellness, pairing off-track Thoroughbreds with counselling professionals who are trained in a mental health experiential framework called ARCH. Justin and Rocket Wrench Racing have been big supporters of the work we do not only with horses and horse people, but also local first responders who participate in the program.”

The Rocket Wrench Racing story has now come full circle as the very first horse to launch this partnership, Rocket himself, is now one of the horses providing care for the clients of Abijah's. “It's cool being able to see Rocket work with people who need help, plus I get to see him most of the summer,” said Revak. “It is fun to look back at winner's circle photos on my wall from 2012 when my kids were eight and six and Rocket won his first race for us, until now when they are all grown up. My family and these horses are so important to me. The whole thing is wild. This horse, and this partnership has brought so much to so many.”

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Minnesota Thoroughbred Association’s Online Stallion Season Auction Set To Begin Jan. 3

The Minnesota Thoroughbred Association (MTA) will conduct its 2022 Stallion Season Auction Jan. 3 through Jan. 10, featuring more than 50 premier stallions from Kentucky, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, and Minnesota. The online auction will be hosted at www.thoroughlybred.com.

A $1,000 incentive is being offered again for this year's auction from the Minnesota Breeders' Fund. Any breeder who purchases a stallion season through the 2022 MTA Stallion Season Auction and foals in Minnesota, will receive a $1,000 check when the foal is registered with the Minnesota Racing Commission in 2023.

“As we look forward to 2022, organizers at the Minnesota Thoroughbred Association are excited to provide breeders with these premier stallion seasons to bid on. Our partner stallion farms have been wonderful to work with and we encourage breeders to support these farms that help support regional programs like ours,” said Kay King, Executive Director of the MTA.

Bids will be placed on a rolling basis for all seven days of the sale which begins on Jan. 3. Stallion seasons can be searched by state or name on the website. New stallion seasons may continue to be added through the duration of the sale.

For the current Stallion Season Auction list, visit minnesotabred.com/.

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MTA To Host Online Stallion Season Auction

The Minnesota Thoroughbred Association (MTA) will conduct its 2022 Stallion Season Auction from Jan. 3, 2022 through Jan. 10, 2022, at www.thoroughlybred.com. The auction will include seasons to more than 50 premier stallions from Kentucky, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma and Minnesota. A $1,000 incentive is being offered from the Minnesota Breeders' Fund. Any breeder who purchases a season through the auction and foals in the state will receive a check for $1,000 when the foal is registered with the Minnesota Racing Commission in 2023.

“As we look forward to 2022, organizers at the Minnesota Thoroughbred Association are excited to provide breeders with these premier stallion seasons to bid on,” said Kay King, Executive Director of the MTA. “Our partner stallion farms have been wonderful to work with and we encourage breeders to support these farms that help support regional programs like ours.”

Bids will be placed on a rolling basis for all seven days of the sale. Seasons can be searched by state or name on the website. New stallion seasons may continue to be added through the duration of the sale.

For additional information, visit minnesotabred.com.

The post MTA To Host Online Stallion Season Auction appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Run Away And Hide Filly Leads Minnesota Yearling Sale

The Minnesota Thoroughbred Association Yearling Sale posted across-the-board gains on Sunday, topped off by a $46,000 filly by Run Away and Hide.

Twenty eight Minnesota-bred yearlings sold during this year's auction for revenues of $383,500, marking a 6.5 percent increase from the 2020 renewal, when 34 horses sold for $359,800.

The average sale price rose 40 percent to $13,696 from $9,724, while the median of $9,000 was a 125 percent improvement from last year's figure of $4,000. The buyback rate finished at 22 percent, compared with 33 percent the previous year.

The partnership of John Mentz, Jeff Larson, and Hugh Robertson secured the sale-topper, a $46,000 filly by Run Away and Hide named Checkcashingconnie.

Offered as Hip 32, Checkcashingconnie is out of stakes-winning Dazzling Falls mare Sheso Dazzling, who is the dam of two winners. Multiple Peruvian Group 1 winner Fletcher is in her extended family.

Bred in Minnesota, the filly was consigned by Mary and Eric Von Seggern, and Kurt and Melanie Kindschuh.

Dove Hill Farm was the auction's leading consignor, with four horses sold for a combined $80,000.

Leading the way among the Dove Hill horses was Hip 34, a Cinco Charlie gelding who sold to Barry Butzow for $35,000. The gelding, out of the Added Edge mare Smarty Prance, was consigned as agent for Richard Bremer and Cheryl Sprick.

Xtreme Racing Stables was the sale's top buyer, with three purchases totaling $105,000. A pair of $40,000 purchases led the way: Hip 10, a filly by Danza, and Hip 14, a Cupid filly named Cupids Crush.

To view the auction's full results, click here. 

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