Pair of Promising Pinhooks for Ashbrook

When Glenn “Bo” Bromagen graduated with a business degree from Trinity University in 2007, he wasn't quite certain yet what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. That would soon change.

His father Glenn Sr. had been involved in racing since the 1960s, and founded Ashbrook Farm in Lexington in 1983. Bo grew up in the sport along with the rest of his family, but as he and his two siblings got older and went on to high school and college, his father got out of the business. Ashbrook came back with a vengeance, however, around the same time when Bo was finishing up school.

“The first horse my father bought after getting back in the game was Wicked Style (Macho Uno), who David Ingordo bought for him [for $75,000 at OBS April] and who won the [2007] Breeders' Futurity,” said the now 34-year-old Bo Bromagen. “So I worked as a waiter that entire summer, I came back to Kentucky and the first thing we had of any importance was a Grade I winner at Keeneland. It really solidified my interest and desire to want to be in this game that I find so exciting and entertaining and enjoyable–I wanted to be in it for the rest of my life, if I could.”

Ashbrook's runners had always been trained by Rusty Arnold, so Bo started off walking hots for the veteran conditioner before eventually graduating to groom and then barn foreman. He then interned in the Keeneland racing and sales offices before taking his bloodstock education to the next level while working for top agent David Ingordo.

“He gets a ton of business, so to work for a guy like that gives you a ton of exposure and experience and not to mention education,” Bromagen said. “Working with him, I got to meet lots of trainers and other individuals in the horse business, so it was an education second-to-none.”

After about five years working with Ingordo, Bromagen took over buying and managing for Ashbrook. Among his biggest successes so far was the purchase of a Mineshaft filly scooped up for $120,000 at the 2015 March Sale. Eventually named Weep No More and turned over to Arnold, the chestnut annexed Tampa's Suncoast S. in February of 2016 before upending a highly regarded field back in Lexington in the GI Ashland S.

Bromagen gets involved on both sides of the 2-year-old market, and will generally have an interest in 6-12 yearling-to-juvenile pinhooks.

Last year a Tale of the Cat colt he picked up for $100,000 at Keeneland September blossomed into a $275,000 OBS March grad. Unveiled by Colts Neck Stables and Alan Goldberg at Gulfstream Jan. 13, Under a Spell was backed down to favoritism into the face of Todd Pletcher-trained Magnum Moon (Malibu Moon) and finished a good second to that foe. Magnum Moon added a Feb. 15 optional claimer at Tampa Bay Downs to garner the 'TDN Rising Star' distinction.

“I think they're going to have some fun with him,” Bromagen said of Under a Spell.

This year, Ashbrook has five juveniles to be offered at the 2-year-old sales, including two at OBS March. All will be consigned by Jeanne Mayberry and her family's Mayberry Farm.

The priciest of Bromagen's yearling buys has hip 457, a filly from the first crop of Fed Biz who cost $175,000 at Keeneland September. The daughter of stakes-winning Mama Nadine (A.P. Indy) and granddaughter of champion juvenile filly Countess Diana (Deerhound) has already had a couple of pedigree updates since Bromagen signed for her. Now 3-year-old half-sister Brattata (More Than Ready) finished second in Aqueduct's Chelsey Flower S. in November, broke her maiden convincingly at Gulfstream Feb. 4 and was third in last weekend's GIII Herecomesthebride S. Six-year-old half-brother Royal Son (Tiznow), meanwhile, romped by 7 1/4 lengths in Turfway's Prairie Bayou S., earning a 105 Beyer Speed Figure.

“We're thrilled with her,” said Bromagen of the Fed Biz filly. “She's very athletic. I have a guy I work with at the sale, [jockey agent] Chris Pipito, who helps me with on-the-spot pedigree analysis. He's like Rain Man–he watches so many races and he's got this recall ability where he can just fire off results off the top of his head… So we'd been looking at her, and he mentioned Brattata and we loved the opportunities with the half-sister.”

Bromagen prefers to look at each horse individually rather than search for horses by specific sires, but he has high expectations for Fed Biz.

“Primarily, I'll focus on the individual,” he said. “Sire power isn't something that I'm going to focus on. That's mostly a factor of what we can afford. If I had all the money in the world, yeah I'd be buying Tapits, but I've got to look for value to a certain extent. Whatever I pinhook in a given year I try to find a good mix between proven stallions and first- and second-crop stallions. I think Fed Biz represents one of those young sires who should do well–he showed some real ability on the track himself, and he's at a farm [in WinStar] where I know he's been well supported and bred to solid mares.”

Ashbrook will also be represented at March by a Ghostzapper colt catalogued as hip 558. The Mar. 26 foal hails from the female family of flashy 'TDN Rising Star' Strike Power (Speightstown), who went two-for-two in the GIII Swale S. last month and finished second on the stretch out in last Saturday's GII Fountain of Youth S.

“I'd been working the sale very, very hard at the point when I finally bought him [for $95,000 at Keeneland September as hip 664],” Bromagen recalled. “He was up on the hill at Paramount and they had four or five horses in that barn at the same time who were just absolute standouts. So I think everybody kind of focused a little more on them, and he dropped down to that next level where he was affordable for me. I liked him the entire time. The Ghostzappers don't have to be these big, strapping, handsome horses to be able to run. I thought he was just something with a ton of potential–good bone, correct, walked well. He's just a solid, solid horse and he's been doing real well.”

Bromagen believes strongly in the Mayberry Farm program, and he's seen their operation from just about every angle. Weep No More was purchased from Mayberry as well. Mayberry broke and trained the likes of Hall of Famer Zenyatta, one of Ingordo's best auction finds.

“I met them through David Ingordo–he pretty much grew up with them. They're not family, but they act like it,” Bromagen said. “Working for David, I've spent a lot of time at the sales with them. So not only have I developed a personal relationship with Jeanne, Summer, April and their cousin Jacki Garcia, but I've been able to see what they do every day on the track; how they break and train horses, how they get them ready for the 2-year-old sales and how they conduct themselves at the sale. They're as honest as they come, and I know that they focus on the individual horse. The Mayberrys develop an individual plan for the individual, and their focus is on developing a horse to get the most out of them when it comes time to actually race.”

Both of Ashbrook's pinhook prospects will breeze during the third under-tack show on Saturday. Visit www.obssales.com for more.