BSW Bloodstock Takes Momentum Into Breeders' Cup

It would be hard to top the year that Brad Weisbord has provided for his clientele. 

As founder and president of BSW Bloodstock and ELiTE Sales, Weisbord is responsible for the acquisition of Thoroughbreds for the likes of Sol Kumin and his racing partnerships.This year alone, Weisbord and his owners have managed to score 64 stakes wins, including 22 grade I triumphs.  

The banner year has been highlighted by Longines Kentucky Oaks  (G1) winner Monomoy Girl,  Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) winner Catholic Boy and undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify . The former two make up 16 horses that will represent Weisbord's cleints in the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships Nov. 2-3 at Churchill Downs. 

In addition, Weisbord and his owners have seven other grade I winners in the Breeders' Cup including Yoshida and Mind Your Biscuits (Classic [G1]), Channel Maker (Turf [G1T]), Midnight Bisou (Distaff [G1]), A Raving Beauty (Filly and Mare Turf [G1T]), Mind Control (Juvenile [G1]) and Whitmore (TwinSpires Sprint [G1]). 

"It comes down to having such good clientele," Weisbord said. "I've got to mention Sol Kumin and his partnerships. They are apart of 15 of our 17 runners. He's supported every deal we presented to him since I managed the stable in 2016. He deserves a tremendous amount of credit for supporting our company.

"Also, (owner) Michael Dubb who has A Raving Beauty, World of Trouble (Turf Sprint [G1T]) and Fourstar Crook (Filly and Mare Turf), who we will be selling (at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale Nov. 4). They have been tremendous in the growth and success in our company. There is a lot of thankfulness to be spread around. No question Sol and Mike are at the top of thankfulness.

"It seems like it's been dream after dream," Weisbord said. "It's been a fun ride and all could not be done without amazing clientele that support our ideas—they're generally expensive. Monomoy Girl was a $100,000 purchase, but we bought into Catholic Boy for a much larger amount. However, I'm not saying we're shopping at Wal-Mart and making Ferraris. In a lot of cases were buying Ferraris, but the thing is all 14 owners in the race are buying Ferraris. It's not only getting the Ferrari but also having the right Ferrari to win and I think we've been successful in doing that."

Weisbord and his team have been highly instrumental in giving owners like Sol Kumin a racing experience like no other, but nevertheless he is not one to let his head get too far in the clouds. 

"I recognize how difficult this sport is," Weisbord said. "A lot of people say they take pride in winning claiming races, but that's not what I take pride in. I take pride in running a company. I want to establish value, create value and win graded stakes. It's so difficult to win graded stakes.

"Even when we accomplish a certain goal, we still have to get up the next week and do it all again. The clients demand and expect that of us. It's never a feeling of immense joy because the next day you start again and try to make the next weekend work. It's not just a big magic carpet ride; we have 16 in the Breeders' Cup but we also have some on the sidelines that got hurt. The best thing I've found is I have tried to keep my emotions in check and I think that's a common trait in our clients. We're thankful when it goes right and understanding when it goes wrong."

Monomoy Girl's stellar 3-year-old campaign has been especially rewarding for Weisbord's team. In addition to the Kentucky Oaks, the daughter of Tapizar scored three other grade I victories this campaign and eyes her another in the Distaff. In addition, she was a $100,000 purchase from the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2016 and was the first horse that managing partner Liz Crow had ever signed a ticket for at the sale. 

"First of all it just so happens that Liz did an amazing job to scout (Monomoy Girl) and has a great eye for a good horse," Weisbord said. "I want to mention The Elkstone Group and owner Stuart Grant who are partners on this horse. I'm thankful that those guys wanted to support us with yearling business that year.

"They only spent a couple hundred thousand total and it just so happened that they caught what very well may be a champion. She never runs poorly and fires every time in the best races at every racetrack. She has made our partners grow closer and it has made our team grow closer. It's probably the best thing to happen to our business, even better than Justify. Monomoy was a bit of a different feeling with the whole yearling find by Liz and the fact that it was (trainer) Brad Cox's first grade 1 win. She dances every dance and has been the headline of our year for our group."

Despite having led such a powerful group of contenders to the Breeders' Cup, Weisbord will likely not be in attendance. Instead, he will be overseeing ELiTE's consignment operations in Lexington for the upcoming sales at Fasig-Tipton and Keeneland. 

"My allegiance is to the sale," Weisbord said. "My work is done in putting these horses into the position for success. It's just so upsetting that I can't be with our owners to enjoy what could be a big weekend. I definitely won't be there Friday since it's a big show day at the sale. I might leave to catch the last three or four on Saturday if I can."