When Mi Hermano Ramon rallied late to win the Seabiscuit Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar Nov. 30, he carried with him an extra dose of sentiment for owner and breeder Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal. The 4-year-old Creative Cause gelding is out of Tim Cohen's homebred mare Sassy Suances, by French champion miler Suances, a group 1 winning stallion he owned and stood in California.
"It was really special," said Cohen. "And Sassy (Suances), we weren't having too much luck with her and some of the California stallions, so I sent her out there to Kentucky and we got lucky.
"I thought at the time he (Creative Cause) was a value, I don't usually like to spend over $40,000 on stud fees. So, at the time he was an appropriate cross and good value."
Mi Hermano Ramon was coming off a troubled second in the Lure Stakes, Oct. 19 at Santa Anita Park, just his second start back after having over a year off.
"(Trainer Mark Glatt) had been very high on him all along, and it wasn't a huge surprise for us," Cohen said of his win in the Seabiscuit Handicap. "But, horse racing is horse racing, you've got to get lucky."
Although Cohen owns just one broodmare, he has been breeding horses with much success for over 30 years, but now primarily focuses on his racing operation.
Cohen formed a partnership group called Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners after his dad, Jed Cohen, passed. Cohen and his father had always partnered on horses together and he wanted to make ownership possible for those wanting to be involved in Thoroughbred racing.
"I've always had people who wanted to partner with us, but we couldn't because we just tried to keep it simple," he said. "So, when my Dad passed, I was able to call all those people who wanted to partner with us, and kind of stick to what we do, which is buy European horses.
"We pretty much focus on turf horses, they tend to last a little longer, and we just enjoy that type of racing."
Each partnership group averages nine partners, and Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal have about 17 horses currently in training with Glatt on the California circuit.
Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal have raced numerous graded stakes horses over the years including Irish-bred Quattroelle, grade 1 winner Dr. Schivel , multiple grade 1 winner Janet, and fellow grade 1 winner River Boyne , who earned $1,229,918 during his career. Cohen picked out River Boyne as a 2-year-old in 2017 at Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale for $97,358. The son of Dandy Man has gone on to become a successful stallion in Ireland and currently stands at Tara Stud.
The stable earned leading owner titles in 2022 during the fall meets at Santa Anita and Del Mar, with much of their success coming from racehorses he purchased in Europe and developed into stakes winners in North America.
Cohen will look at add a few more horses to the stable for his growing partnerships at the Tattersalls December Breeding Stock Sale Dec. 2-5.