Brennan Chases Lifelong Dream With Bloodstock Agency

Colin Brennan has grown up with a focus on all things horse racing, working as his father Niall Brennan's right-hand man before branching out to bloodstock work with his recently founded Colin Brennan Bloodstock. He earned degrees in Equine Business Management and Equine Anatomy and Exercise Physiology from the College of Central Florida, and also completed the prestigious Darley Flying Start program. The 32-year-old Ocala native took some time out of his busy day to talk with BloodHorse MarketWatch about growing up in the industry and his plans for the future. MarketWatch: What made you decide to pursue the racing industry professionally? Colin Brennan: It has always been a family thing. As I have grown up, I've watched my father do 2-year-old sales. My mother has had a large group of mares. We would pull about 100 to 150 mares each year, which, by quota standards, is quite large. Everywhere I looked, there were always horses. I started out doing rodeo with the Wojciechowski family. Dad basically said if I wanted to rodeo and keep my horse, I had to work at the training center to pay his way. One thing led to another, and I remember when I was 13 working the Calder sale, it dawned on me that I wanted to do this for a living—and the rest is history. From that point on, I worked on building my resume as best I could to get accepted into the Darley Flying Start program. That worked out and I carried on from there. MW: Tell us about your current career pursuits. CB: Last August, I left my father's farm's day-to-day operations, although I am still somewhat involved... I could only attend a couple yearling sales a year to sell out of because we were so busy at the training centers. Now (with Colin Brennan Bloodstock), I am full-time doing yearlings and plan to attend all the major yearling sales each year. MW: What role do you currently play at Niall Brennan Stables? CB: I am a partner, I still partner with them and I am there on a somewhat regular basis for training. For the last five years, I have been dad's right-hand man and I have done anything and everything in terms of being a farm manager and as well as a partner. It is a large operation with 200 head of horses each year with 90-plus employees so we always have our hands full. MW: Do you ever get a day off? CB: Now I do. Not necessarily a day off but the days are slower-paced with the yearlings then they were. At least at this stage, until we get to prepping. With the sales, not really. Then again, in terms of work, I do not see this as a job. It is truly a lifestyle. If you aren't in the barn then you were reading something about horses or you were watching racing on TV or listening to a racing podcast. It is all-in and is not like a regular 9-to-5 job, so I don't really think of it in terms of a day off. MW: What are some goals you want to achieve with your business? CB: Tenure. I would like to gradually grow my consignment. I want to become a medium-sized consignor and yet also offer quality at all the major yearling sales. That would be ideal. I feel that especially in Ocala, there are opportunities for younger guys like myself to get into the yearling game. There are plenty of young guys that do well at the 2-year-old game. I felt that that was a niche and something that I would like to try to do. In Ocala it isn't as prevalent as it is in Lexington with the yearlings. Obviously we have more training horses. So that would be my ultimate goal, to produce a quality yearling consignment while still partnering and pinhooking. Ultimately, (I also want to bring) in more people into the game. I feel like as a young person in the industry that is part of our due diligence and our responsibility to the industry is to bring in people. MW: What are some of the life lessons you have learned from working in the family business? CB: Dad has always said growing up to keep your mouth shut and eyes and ears open. More times than not, that has paid off. Rather than a hasty reaction, try to be a sponge around a lot of the people you are fortunate to be around. I have been around some great horsemen and horsewomen, trainers, bloodstock agents... so trying to learn from each of them is important. As far as life lessons, I would say that goes a pretty long way. Both of my parents are very hard workers and I feel that (was) instilled in me. I never stop, I am always on the go. MW: What do you enjoy the most about being involved in sales? CB: I just love being at the sales in general, no matter what age or discipline they are. I think it is a great way to stay in touch with the industry and keep caught up with everybody. In particular, seeing a lot of different horses. I keep notes on every single horse regardless. I know most people don't but I like to go back to my notes when a horse wins or runs well and learn from it. In addition to that, anything that I buy as a weanling or a yearling, when they are resold at the next sale or if I didn't get the chance to buy them I will go look back at my notes and or see who bought them and get an idea of whose buying weanlings or yearlings and look at trends for what each buyer likes. That way I can get an idea of what horse buyers look for and become a better seller in turn. Going back and being able to see pedigrees and trends particularly with freshman sires and learn from it. There is a lot to learn in addition to the social aspect of it. MW: You purchased four weanlings from the 2021 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale—give us an update on those horses. How are they coming along and what are your plans for them? CB: The filly out of Graceful Rage, I pinhooked her brother, Rawy. He was part of the reason I bought her. I was very impressed with him as a 2-year-old. When I saw her at Hidden Brook's consignment, I thought, 'Well, they're different types,' but I had high hopes for him thinking he would do so well in Dubai, which he did. Not quite the stakes caliber that I was hoping (for), but he ran well throughout that meet. She is doing well, I am happy with her. She will probably go to the Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Sale, given that she is New York bred. The other filly is an Audible out of Ezpzylemonsqueezy. I am really happy with her. I like the Audibles as a whole. I think she will be quite a classy filly and there should be an appeal to Audibles. I believe that will continue into the fall. I found the Demarchelier (GB) later in the sale. Dad had been really high on her. She is out of a mare called Treasured and I just really like her and her physical. If she grows that is going to be her only limit. I think she will be a handy 2-year-old for someone. The Accelerate colt is still in Lexington with a partner of mine. He is developing well. I think Accelerates have shown up pretty well at this sale. I think there should be continued support for him in the fall. Overall I really like him and I think he has plenty of room for potential. He seems like he will appeal to anybody with a little bit of pedigree and his overall physical ability.