To say that the bloodstock partnership of John Kimmel and Nick Sallusto is off to a bang-up start would be an understatement.
In April they bought Chancer McPatrick at the Ocala Breeders' Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, paying $725,000 for the son of first-crop sire McKinzie (fifth by earnings on the first-crop stallion list through Sept. 10) for owner Flanagan Racing. Three months later, the colt broke his maiden at first asking at Saratoga Race Course, and Sept. 2, he won the Hopeful Stakes (G1).
But the end of the Saratoga meet doesn't mean the end of promising 2-year-old debuts, and on opening weekend of Belmont at the Big A, Kimmel will send out three more juveniles for their first starts.
A daughter of Munnings , Grace and Grit runs in the second race Sept. 13. Out of the multiple stakes-winning mare Sheriffa (Posse), she is owned by Nedlaw Stable, Tom Purdy, IEE Racing, and Flying Zee Racing Stables. Nedlaw Stable bought her for $350,000 at the same April sale at which Kimmel bought Chancer McPatrick.
Kimmel has needed both grace and grit to get the filly to the races; her debut was rained off several times, and when the trainer finally got her into a race, the distance was shorter than he wanted and she got scratched in the paddock.
The filly is a little on the high-strung side, according to her trainer, and he could feel her tensing up when the girth went on. When the groom pulled on the lip shank, Grace and Grit reared up, hitting the walls of the saddling stall.
Unhurt and back on the track the next day, she has trained well since, and with clear skies forecast, Kimmel will finally get to see what she can do in a race.
On Sept. 14, Vekoma Rides debuts in the first race. By the stallion ranked first among first-crop sires by winners with 18 through Sept. 10, he was purchased in June by Kimmel and Sallusto for $150,000 at the OBS June 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale. He had sold for $155,000 at last year's The July Sale, Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky sale of selected yearlings, and he caught Kimmel's eye at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, where he was an RNA at $195,000.
"He's a really nice physical, and he breezed really well," said Kimmel. "We liked his vet work. They wanted about $200,000 for him, which I can understand, but we didn't really have that much."
Kimmel and Sallusto offered $150,000, were turned down, and got another chance when the colt was entered in the Ocala sale.
Later on the Saturday card, Kimmel will send out Vino Rosso 's No Merlot, a full brother to the multiple graded stakes-placed Wine Me Up, the runner-up by a head in the San Felipe Stakes (G2) in March. Kimmel and Sallusto were able to snap him up for $70,000 at the Ocala June sale.
"He was a middle-May foal, and he just had all the parts in the right place," said Kimmel. "And he's been doing super great."
Also a veterinarian, Kimmel says that his philosophy of training is based on how much an individual juvenile is able to handle.
"The demands on their bodies can take a toll, and you're pretty much always fighting a little fill in the ankle or a little soreness behind," he said. "You've got to listen to horses telling you, 'This is a little heavy for me right now,' and you have to back up. I don't believe in starting gate work until they've got a very good foundation into them."
Kimmel has been training since 1985; his horses have earned more than $70 million and won more than 70 graded stakes. Now 70 and managing a small stable in the era of the super-trainer, Kimmel has no desire to give up training but welcomes both the financial value of buying horses for clients and the opportunity to take things a little easier, especially in the winter.
"I love training horses," he said. "But I have grandkids that live out in California, and my wife and I both like to spend time outdoors hiking and biking."
He's also elected not to send horses to Florida to run in the winter, and to keep his training operation small.
"It's nice having time to enjoy other things in life," he said, "because there are a lot of other things in life besides horse racing."
