Trainer Nick Tomlinson experienced what would be considered an Ivy League education in horsemanship. Before taking the leap and setting up his own stable last October, Tomlinson spent 10 years as an assistant to Mark Casse, who has the distinction of being a member of racing's Hall of Fame in both Canada and the United States.
Tomlinson, 31, was quick off the mark to register his first career victory by saddling Insolenta to win an Oct. 31 maiden claiming event at Gulfstream Park by 10 1/4 lengths as the favorite. Sixteen days earlier, the More Than Ready filly officially kicked off the young trainer's career by finishing second at the South Florida oval.
Through Feb. 2, Tomlinson's stable has produced a record of 4-3-3 from 15 starts for a solid 27% win rate.
Based at Palm Meadows Training Center in Boynton Beach, Fla., about an hour's drive north of Gulfstream Park, Tomlinson's stable has grown to more than a dozen horses.
His answers have been edited for clarity and space.
BloodHorse: How did you become involved in racing?
Nick Tomlinson: I grew up around Woodbine racetrack. My parents split up when I was very young. When you're on the racetrack, it's long days and seven days a week, so the majority of the time that I spent with my dad would have been at the racetrack. When I was 13, I was able to get a license to work at Woodbine with parental consent—my dad could sign me in when I was with him. But it got to the point where it was a little bit difficult for him to sign me in every single time, and it put him further behind while he was grooming his horses.
I started hanging around Peter Berringer's barn, and Peter put me to work, and the rest is kind of history. I started off as a hotwalker and then a groom. I then went to work for Malcolm and Sally Pierce, and took my assistant trainer's test, and did a lot of traveling (with their horses), which is where I was able to meet Mark (Casse), and then I went to work for Mark.
BH: What led you to make the decision to go out on your own?
NT: My parents always instilled in me from a very young age, if you want something, you go and get it, or save your money and work toward it. I've always had that drive in me to work and build for the things that I want in life. I think that's just due to the fact that I had to grow up so early.
BH: Still, that's a huge transition to make; to have the financial stability behind you of working for a hugely successful operation to going solo.
NT: (Training) has always been my dream and my goal. You know, I've been contemplating this move for a very long time. I would say I probably started to accumulate some stuff to go out on my own starting in about 2020—like water buckets, feed tubs.
When you start on your own, if you have to put all that money up front, it's very costly, so accumulating some things earlier helped.
I said to myself, "If I'm ever going to do it, I might as well just do it." I've had so many people over the years ask, "When are you going to go out on your own?" I don't ever think there is really a right time to do it. I think if you're going to do it, you just have to do it. I said to myself, "You know what? I put in 10 years with Mark, and I think now's the time to do it."
BH: What was the conversation like when you told Mark you were leaving?
NT: I'd given him about a year's notice. Mark's been pretty supportive of it. Before leaving, I learned a lot about the business side. I never really knew how much (went) into a business. Even now, I'm still learning every single day. Mark taught me a lot about that, and let me experience a lot of the business side of it (before I left). He's been supportive of me leaving. (Laughing) He hasn't told me he's gonna miss me yet, but we'll see.
BH: While you were with Mark you had the opportunity to be around many quality horses. Did you have a favorite?
NT: My all-time favorite horse probably was (millionaire and multiple graded stakes winner) March to the Arch. Archie was a bit of a project, in the sense where, when he first came (to Florida), he was just mentally further behind than he probably needed to be. As he got older, you could see he was just a horse, that he was never going to go out there and blow you away. He just kind of did what he had to do. And that was just him, but he had a personality you wouldn't believe.
Just to see him develop into what he became; it's always so gratifying to see that. I always considered him like my son. And even now, when I go and see him in Ocala, he still remembers me. It's crazy. When I went and saw him in October, he just darted right to me. It's very heartwarming to have that kind of connection with a horse.
BH: To begin your career, you've been active in claiming races. What do you see for your stable in the future?
NT: For now, it's the claiming game. I think that's probably the hardest part (of being a new trainer) is accumulating owners. I would love to be able to go to the 2-year-old sales and get some better quality horses.
I would say a short-term goal of mine is to try to race at Keeneland in the spring, but you have to have the right horses to go up there with. Hopefully, if I could claim a horse that's worth going up there with, I maybe will be able to break into the Kentucky circuit. But, you know, baby steps, a lot can change from now until April, so we'll see what happens.
