Tom and Debi Stull's Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, annually one of California's leading breeders, will be moving some of its mares and racehorses to Kentucky. Tom Stull said that while they are looking at possibly buying a farm in Kentucky, at this time they have no plans to close their California facility.
"We've been buying Kentucky yearlings, and we have some mares back in Kentucky," Stull said. "The purse structure is just so much better back there, and we have more opportunity to get in races. We're probably going to be racing more back there."
Stull said that Tommy Town, his farm near Santa Ynez, Calif., would continue to operate and stand stallions and that the couple would continue to reside in California. Eight Rings , a grade 1-winning son of Empire Maker, will stand his first season at stud at Tommy Town in 2023, and Stanford , Grazen, and Kafwain will continue to stand at the farm. Grazen, owned by Nick Alexander, is a close second by progeny earnings among California's leading sires of 2022. The son of Benchmark has more than $4.3 million in progeny earnings to leading sire Stay Thirsty , who has more than $4.8 million. Grazen is the state's leading sire by number of 2022 stakes winners with seven.
Should the Stulls acquire Kentucky property, they do not plan to stand stallions there.
"I have mares back there—we're just going to cut back on the California program," Stull said.
Jonathan Wong, who often leads trainers in Northern California, trains many of Tommy Town's runners. He is moving much of his operation to Kentucky.
"He said let's go to Kentucky, and I said it's fine with me," Stull said. "We won a $127,000 allowance race there, and that's twice what you make here in California. I have a lot of Kentucky horses, so I might as well run back there and take advantage of their program."
Tommy Town's current leading earner is My Kentucky Girl, a 3-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of American Pharoah who has 2022 earnings of $133,670. She broke her maiden at Santa Anita Park and most recently finished second in the Youngstown Oaks at Mahoning Valley Race Course. Tommy Town's current leading homebred is Opening Buzz, a 3-year-old California-bred daughter of Stanford. She has won races at Golden Gate Fields, Del Mar, and Turfway Park this year.
Previous Tommy Town homebreds include grade 1 winner Let Faith Arise, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Kafwain; Cal-bred champion Doinghardtimeagain, and Cal-bred stakes winner Ain't No Other.
