L and N Scores Big with Rowdy Yates, Tone Broke

Looking back on L and N Racing' recent success, co-owner Mike Levinson said the past several weeks have been crazy.

The Tulsa-based ownership group won the last two legs of the Canadian Triple Crown—the July 23 Prince of Wales Stakes and Aug. 17 Breeders' Stakes—with Tone Broke, then Aug. 18 their 2-year-old colt Rowdy Yates won the TwinSpires Ellis Park Juvenile Stakes, giving L and N their third victory in the race since Ellis Park brought it back in 2016.

Sunday's victory at Ellis Park was a big one for L and N Racing, comprised of Levinson, his brother Andy, his father Lee, and family friend Don Nelson. Rowdy Yates made every step a winning one, and his share of the purse pushed L and N over their earnings record from 2017 when Lookin At Lee rallied from 17th to second in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1).

L and N sent their first racehorse out in 2015, and that same year purchased Lookin At Lee for $70,000 from the Penn Sales consignment to the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The 5-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky  currently has $1,327,945 in earnings, and last out Aug. 3 won the Downs at Albuquerque Handicap. 

"He's actually done really well," Levinson said. "We're finding the right spots for him and he still tries really hard and he's been a great horse."

Lookin At Lee's first stakes victory came in the 2016 Ellis Park Juvenile, and L and N won the race again in 2018 with Tobacco Road.

"I think it's been a good spot for us. We've just had the right horses at the right time for it," Levinson said. "Obviously, Lookin At Lee won that race three years ago. It's just been a really good race for us. For whatever reason, we just seem to always find a way to win it."

L and N sent out their first racehorse in June 2015, and only two seasons later ended the year with earnings of $1,027,859. Between the Prince of Wales and the Breeders' Stakes alone, Tone Broke collected $363,792, putting L and N within reach of its previous record. Rowdy Yates' victory at Ellis Park pushed the ownership group past that mark to $1,053,929 with over four months remaining.

That number could increase as soon as Aug. 23 with Lookin At Lee, who is one of three Steve Asmussen trainees entered in the Governor's Cup Stakes at Remington Park. Tone Broke, after winning the Breeders' Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on Woodbine's turf, will be nominated to the Sept. 7 Jockey Club Derby, which is run at the same distance on Belmont Park's turf. Levinson said the Sept. 29 Oklahoma Derby (G3) on the dirt at Remington Park is another option should versatile Tone Broke not get into the Jockey Club Derby.

As for Rowdy Yates, connections are still deciding on what his next move will be. L and N's other two Ellis Park Juvenile winners next raced in the 1 1/16-mile Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs, a "Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup Challenge race for the Nov. 1 TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita Park, but being an Oklahoma-bred gives the Morning Line colt options to run against local company.

"We're going to see how he does the next week or two and then make a decision," Levinson said. "If he's in good enough form we'd like to see him around two turns, but obviously he's a great horse around one turn. We're not sure what we're going to do yet."

Sunday's distance of seven furlongs was the longest race yet for Rowdy Yates, who won on debut May 31 at Churchill Downs and was second in the June 29 Bashford Manor Stakes (G3). The dark bay/brown colt was a $42,000 purchase from Susan M. Forrester's consignment to the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearlings Sale. He's earned more than that back in three starts with a bankroll of $100,198.

L and N has started prepping for their next round of racehorses, going to $260,000 for a Tapit half brother to Preakness Stakes (G1) winner War of Will that Wavertree Stables consigned to this year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. That bay colt is now named Visionit.

And the stable's top season isn't over yet.

"There's some big races still to come," Levinson said.