First things first, owner Peter Brant is dreaming of adding another big Breeders' Cup victory this weekend at Del Mar where he has entered an accomplished group of older runners and a juvenile colt that has turned heads with his talents.
But, as usual, racing isn't the only thing on the mind of the prominent owner-breeder. After the World Championships Brant plans to retire to the paddocks the three accomplished mares he has entered in the Nov. 6 races: My Sister Nat in the $2 million Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1T), Blowout in the $2 million FanDuel Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T), and Dunbar Road in the $2 million Longines Distaff (G1).
Brant also is a part owner of Champagne Stakes (G1) winner Jack Christopher , the morning-line favorite for the $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1). While the potential for a big win—which would get the wheels turning toward a big 3-year-old season—has Brant looking forward to Nov. 5; he also has had post-racing opportunities on his mind since buying into the son of Munnings .
Rounding out Brant's 2021 Breeders' Cup group is multiple grade 1 winner Raging Bull , a 6-year-old son of Dark Angel also entered in the Mile. Raging Bull will begin his stud career in 2022 at Gainesway Farm.
While Brant keeps all aspects of his operation in mind, he loves racing his horses. His trio of mares enter this year's Breeders' Cup with a combined 49 starts. Dunbar Road is a 5-year-old daughter of Quality Road —Gift List, by Bernardini; My Sister Nat, a 6-year-old daughter of Acclamation—Starlet's Sister, by Galileo; and Blowout is a 5-year-old daughter of Dansili—Beauty Parlour, by Deep Impact.
"They're a pretty tough group but of course they're going to be facing some awfully good horses," Brant said. "We'll see if they can be better. We'll see what happens."
Brant embraced Breeders' Cup from the start. His homebred Track Barron earned a fourth-place finish in the inaugural Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in 1984. From 1984-91 Brant sent out nine horses for 14 Breeders' Cup starts, topped by Gulch's victory in the 1988 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Churchill Downs.
As exciting as that run was, Brant has other equine loves, including show horses and polo. In pursuing polo, he opted in the mid-1990s to put about a 20-year pause on his racing pursuits. The 74-year-old native of New York became a top amateur polo player, one of the sport's leading patrons, and founder of the Greenwich Polo Club in Connecticut.
Some four years ago, Brant decided to return to racing. He's done it in a big way in the United States and overseas. With Chad Brown handling his U.S. string, Brant has watched another five of his horses make eight Breeders' Cup starts, including 2018 Filly & Mare Turf winner and champion turf female Sistercharlie.
My Sister Nat, a half sister to Sistercharlie and Brant's 2020 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) winner Sottsass, will try to improve on her ninth-place finish in last year's Filly & Mare Turf. Brant is leaning toward sending her to France-based sire Siyouni after her racing career.
"It's funny. In the United States everyone refers to her as the half sister of Sistercharlie. In Europe, everyone refers to her as the half sister of Sottsass," Brant said.
Blowout will take on males in the Mile after prepping with a front-end victory in the First Lady Stakes Presented by UK HealthCare (G1T) Oct. 9 at Keeneland. Brant said he will likely send the new grade 1 winner to either Dubawi in England or Wootton Bassett in Ireland.
Brant likes how Dunbar Road, winner of the 2019 Alabama Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, has looked better in recent starts. She'll enter the Distaff off a runner-up finish to morning-line Distaff favorite Letruska in the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) Oct. 10 at Keeneland. Brant is leaning toward leading sire Into Mischief for her initial mating.
The trio of mares have piled up memorable outings for Brant and Brown.
"I think that he has a philosophy very similar as I do on running horses," Brant said of Brown. "We both want to give them the time they need to show their ability. He's learned from the best in working for Shug McGaughey and Bobby Frankel."
Brown said it's a tremendous asset to have someone with Brant's background in Thoroughbred racing and polo available to discuss ideas.
"He's a fascinating guy. He's taught me so much through his experiences as a horseman—both Thoroughbreds and polo. Beyond that we talk about life, about art. He's a very wise man and anybody would be fortunate to get to be able to have him available for different pieces of advice in any walk of life, really," Brown said. "He's extremely passionate about horses. He loves horses and like I said, he's really an incredible horseman when you look at what he's done with the Thoroughbred industry—his first time around and now. And then with polo. I mean he's one of the top-rated amateur polo players in the history of the game."
While those three mares are looking for one more highlight in their careers, Jack Christopher is the exciting young horse in the picture. Brant said that after Jack Christopher won his maiden debut by 8 3/4 lengths at Saratoga for owners Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister, Brown helped facilitate a sale that saw partners associated with Coolmore and Brant buy into the promising juvenile.
"I saw him run and it was very impressive; probably the most impressive 2-year-old maiden winner at Saratoga this year," Brant said of the colt who followed with a clear victory in the Champagne.
Brant is thrilled to have a promising young horse and he also sees it as a future investment. He's been buying into some colts during their racing careers, thinking that if they are successful and go to stud, he will have some sires lined up for his mares.
"It's a way of maybe getting in early on some stallions for all of these mares," Brant said.
Of course this is not the first time Brant has been associated with a top 2-year-old. In his first go-around with racing, Brant owned Gulch, who started his career with five straight wins, including scores in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga and the Futurity Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park. He went on to finish fifth in the 1986 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park.
Gulch was just getting started. He won the 1987 Metropolitan Handicap (G1) as a 3-year-old, placed third in the Belmont Stakes (G1), and then won the Met Mile again in 1988. He capped that 1988 season, and his career, with that victory in the Breeders' Cup Sprint to lock up champion sprinter honors.
Brown understands why Brant may have needed to pause on the Thoroughbreds to concentrate on polo as he puts so much into his pursuits. He said the entire industry has benefited from his return.
"When he does something, he goes all-in and it's not that he only cares about his own results. He cares about whatever industry or sport he's in. He's generous and wants to help," Brown said. "He's willing to put money up to make whatever sport or league or situation or training facility or organization better. If he can help by using his time and resources, he's there to do it.
"He loves to compete but I've also found that he also looks at the big picture. He knows there needs to be a healthy environment for whatever sport he's competing. I've learned a lot from him that way. He's very committed."
