BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC, KEENELAND: 2020 PREVIEW TOM’S D’ETAT

Tom’s d’Etat (x SMART STRIKE) big race wins:

TBC Breeders’ Cup Classic, Keeneland
(vs. Tiz The Law, Improbable, Authentic, Maximum Security)
1st Stephen Foster Stakes
1st Oaklawn Mile
1st Clark Stakes
1st Hagyard Fayette Stakes
1st Alydar Stakes
1st Tenacious Stakes
Current Jockey: Joel Rosario
#KyBred #KentuckyBred

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At seven years old, thoroughbred racehorse Tom’s d’Etat seems to be in his prime. He lengthened the hot streak he started last October to four stakes victories with a four-length romp in the Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs that missed the track record by just .02 seconds. This victory earned him an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic, one of the most coveted prizes in horse racing.
He has also won the Hagyard Fayette Stakes at Keeneland, Clark Stakes at Churchill and the Oaklawn Mile at Oaklawn Park.
The veteran’s career is peppered with lengthy layoffs. His first race was in May 2016, and he earned his first stakes win in December 2018. However, Al Stall Jr., his trainer, believes these breaks may be the reason he is running his best as an older horse.
Tom’s d’Etat’s owner, G M B Racing, was founded by Tom and Gayle Marie Benson, who also owned the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans. Gayle continues to be at the helm of each following Tom’s death in March 2018. He owned horses in the 1970’s and 1980’s, and the couple re-entered racing in 2014 after attending the Kentucky Derby and visiting Belmont Park. Shortly after, they purchased a 600-acre horse farm in Paris, Kentucky, where they enjoyed spending weekends. Many G M B horses are named for Tom, including 2016 Kentucky Derby runners Tom’s Ready and Mo Tom. Tom’s d’Etat refers to the Mardi Gras parade Krewe d’Etat.
Stall is a fellow New Orleanian and lifelong Saints fan. His father and grandfather were horse breeders and owners, and Al Sr. served as the chairman of the Louisiana Racing Commission for many years. Stall Jr. also won the Stephen Foster in 2010 with Blame, who went on to upset Horse of the Year Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The handsome bay horse, who was purchased for $330,000 USD, will stand as a stallion at the famous breeding stud WinStar Farm at the conclusion of his racing career.

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