At Los Alamitos, Kumin the Breeder Beats Kumin the Owner

As the field crossed the wire in Saturday's GII Los Alamitos Futurity, Sol Kumin experienced the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat all at once. Kumin is the co-owner of second-place finisher Carmel Road (Quality Road) and third-place finisher Fort Bragg (Tapit). They ran well but couldn't outrun Practical Move (Practical Joke). Along with Chad Brown, Kumin bred, but does not own, the race winner.

“It was cool because I always loved the winner's dam, Ack Naughty (Afleet Alex),” he said. “Would I have loved to see one of the two horses we had in there with Baffert win and run off the screen? I probably would have been happier had that happened. But to look up and be able to say you bred the winner and owned the horses that ran second and third is fun. But I still enjoy the racing part of it more. I sometimes wish I still owned the horse than won.”

Kumin, one of the most prominent owners in the sport, is known for being a partner on dozens of top horses every year. He says he has no intention of becoming a breeder on a large scale, but will keep the occasional mare for breeding purposes.

“I don't think I'll ever have a commercial breeding business,” he said. “I'm too emotional and I know myself well enough to know what my limitations are.”

He did, however, keep Ack Naughty. Trained by Brown and a New York-bred, she debuted in 2014 and won four times from 15 starts. She finished second in the Chelsea Flower S. and the Mount Vernon S. and was third in the John Hettinger S.

“We raced the horse and loved her,” Kumin said. “She was among one of the first crops of horses that we owned. When it came time to sell her, I didn't want to. We put a value on her and bought out our partners. Chad loved her, too. She ran a bunch and always tried really hard. We had a little crooked yearling who turned into this big, pretty horse.”

When Brown was told of Kumin's plans he asked if he could stay involved and the two went in as partners on the mare. In her first year, she was bred to Violence and produced a colt who has yet to race. Her second foal is Practical Move. She was bred to Practical Joke because Brown trained the sire and owns a share in him.

Normally, with Kumin, the plan is to race the horses he bred. But he explained that Brown prefers that the foals are sold at auction. Practical Move RNA'd for $90,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September sale and then sold for $230,000 as a 2-year-old at the OBS April sale. His owners are Pierre Jean Amestoy Jr., Leslie A. Amestoy and Rogers Beasley. He is trained by Baffert's former assistant, Tim Yakteen.

Coming into the Los Alamitos Futurity, Practical Move had yet to cross the wire first but was placed first through disqualification in an Oct. 10 maiden at Santa Anita in which Kumin's Fort Bragg was taken down. After that, he ran third in the GIII Bob Hope S.

“I knew this horse really well,” Kumin said. “Not only did I breed him but every time he ran we had horses in there against him. I had watched all of his races.”

Kumin started out with five to seven mares which he boards with Des Ryan at Dell Ridge Farm. But from such small numbers he has enjoyed considerable success. He bred and owns Fluffy Socks (Slumber {GB}), the winner of the GII Sands Point S., the GIII Jimmy Durante S. and the Selima S. He also bred and owns Grade III winner Sy Dog (Slumber {GB}).

“We have had three graded stakes winners out of something like ten horses that we bred,” he said. “It's been pretty outrageous so far.”

His collection of home breds is about to grow. Brown was the co-owner of Slumber (Cacique {Ire}), who won the GI Manhattan S. in 2015. Slumber began his stallion career at Calumet Farm but, Kumin said, the farm considered retiring him and sending him to Old Friends because he was breeding to only a small number of mares. When told of that, Kumin said he bought the stallion for $1 and sent him to Rockridge Stud in New York, where he stands for $7,500. Kumin is optimistic that Slumber can be a success and is supporting him at stud.

“We bred 20 mares to Slumber last year and 16 or so the year before so we're really starting to pump things up,” he said. “We have him in New York and will keep breeding 15 to 20 mares to him every year. Let's see if they will be as good as we think they can be. This has been my first real effort as a breeder. We're not going to sell many. We are breeding them to race. They will go to top trainers and, hopefully, we'll get some good horses out of this.”

Whether it's with Carmel Road, Fort Bragg or National Treasure (Quality Road), who was third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Kumin has an excellent shot of having a horse in next year's Kentucky Derby, where they might meet Practical Move. He'll root first for the horses he owns. But if he has to lose, it might as well be to the horse he bred.

“I look at it like this, we have a mom that I loved the whole time we had her and now she's turned out to be a producer,” he said. “There's nothing wrong with that.”

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Mind Control Stays Put at Rockridge Stud

Red Oak Stable (Stephen P. Brunetti) and Madaket Stable's (Sol Kumin) Mind Control (Stay Thirsty–Feel That Fire, by Lightnin N Thunder) winner of the GI $750,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Dec. 3 in the final start of his career, will stand at Rockridge Stud in New York under the management of Irish Hill Farm, Dutchess Views Stallions, Hidden Lake Farm and Rockridge Stud. The five-year-old is out of a stakes-winning mare and is priced at $8,500 LFSN.

Mind Control won the GI Hopeful S. as a 2-year-old and the GI H. Allen Jerkens S. as a 3-year-old at Saratoga. “We are excited and looking forward to standing Mind Control at Rockridge Stud,” said Red Oak Stable racing manager Rick Sacco. “There was considerable interest from stud farms in the U.S., Japan and the Middle East, but given that his three Grade I victories were on the NYRA circuit, we believe Rockridge Stud in the state of New York is the perfect place for Mind Control to begin his stallion career.”

“Ultimately, Stephen Brunetti wanted the horse to stand in the U.S.  Sol Kumin agreed, a deal was struck with Rockridge Stud, Irish Hill Farm, and Dutchess Views Stallions, and a partnership was formed,” said Sacco.

Mind Control will serve stallion duty as the property of Rockridge Stud, Irish Hill Farm, Dutchess Views Stallions, and Waldorf Farm as well as Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stable.

“This is a significant development for Rockridge Stud, Irish Hill Farm, Dutchess Views Stallions, and for the breeding industry in New York,” added owner/operator Lere Visagie. “Getting this group of partners together to support Mind Control gives us a phenomenal opportunity to make him the most successful stallion to ever stand in the state.”

“I'm extremely proud of everything Mind Control accomplished on the race track,” said Brunetti. “I've been breeding horses for 25 years and he's the best one I've ever bred. From a breeding perspective, Mind Control has excellent conformation and size. He displayed fierce courage, he hails from a strong and active female family, and he won Grade I races from seven furlongs to one mile.”

Mind Control recorded victories in five of his final nine career starts beginning with his win at Belmont Park's $250,000 John A. Nerud Stakes (G2) going seven furlongs July 4, 2021. After his win in the Cigar Mile, Todd Pletcher told NYRA, “It was not only great for him to go out on a win,  but for him to do it in the style that defines his character in fighting off challenges from the Florida Derby winner on the inside and the American Pharoah winner on the outside.” “It was three Grade I winners battling it out across the track. Mind Control showed that signature move of his where he puts his head in front and won't be denied.”

Sacco described Mind Control's final career start as almost like a movie ending. “It was a fitting end to his impressive racing career and it was awesome that Johnny V came in from California to ride Mind Control in his final race. We're very proud of the horse, our breeding program, and the Red Oak Farm operation led by Barry Dolan. I just want to congratulate Todd and his entire team and to remember the excellent job my brother Gregg did with Mind Control earlier in his career winning two Grade I races,” concluded Sacco.

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Sol Kumin Pledges $5,000 One-Day Matching Donation to TAA Holiday Campaign

Sol Kumin has pledged to match all donations up to $5,000 made to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Dec. 14 as part of the TAA's month-long Holiday Giving Campaign.

“I believe as owners we have an obligation to make sure that these horses have a safe place to land when the crowds are gone and their racing days are over,” said Kumin, Madaket Stables. “The TAA works tirelessly to not only ensure that these safe places exist, but that they also get the funding necessary to move on to their second careers.”

TAA Funding and Events Manager Emily Dresen added, “We are so happy to have Sol's support and match for the day. Madaket Stables is a great example of responsible ownership that doesn't end at the track.”

To learn more and donate to the TAA's Holiday Giving campaign, visit: ThoroughbredAftercare.org/HolidayCampaign.

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Kumin Joins The Steeplechase Community

If you check out the entries for the second race at Tennessee's Percy Warner Park, the Sloan maiden hurdle, and notice the connections of first-time starter Montmartre d'Ange (Fr) (Montmarte), they will look quite familiar. The 4-year-old is owned in part by prominent Thoroughbred owner Sol Kumin's Madakat Stable (along with Paul and Molly Willis, and CFC Stables).

Kumin has been involved in the likes of Triple Crown winner Justify, Monomoy Girl, Lady Eli, Midnight Bisou, Yoshida, Whitmore, Mind Your Biscuits, Authentic, Exaggerator, and Catholic Boy. So how did Kumin come to be involved with a jumper?

“I have a friend named Paul Willis from Boston that has been raving about Keri (Brion) and he owns jump horses and trains with her,” Kumin said. “I started doing some diligence on her operation and I liked what I saw and learned. I plan to send her a few flat horses as well to train. I love horses and I love racing. I truthfully don't know much about jump racing, but I feel like I am in good hands and will ease my way in and see if it's enjoyable. I expect it will be.”

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