Brook Smith Joins TDN Writers’ Room Podcast Presented by Keeneland

[Wandering Eyes]

Brook Smith doesn't own many horses, but when he gets involved with one, things always seem to go right. The latest example is Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), the winner of last year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic and a top contender for this year's $7-million race. Along with the same ownership group that is dominated by Coolmore, Smith also owns a piece of the fast 2-year-old Schwarzenegger (Not This Time), who is pre-entered for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

To talk about such things as his Breeders' Cup horses, his charitable endeavors and the reason why he has paid for three billboards, one in Dublin, Ireland, touting Sierra Leone, Smith joined the team for this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. He was the Gainesway Guest of the Week.

There's little doubt that Sierra Leone–a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'–is flying under the radar this year, overshadowed by stars like Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and Fierceness (City of Light). Asked to make an early line for the Classic, the podcast's Randy Moss made Sierra Leone 5-1.

“He's always been that horse where he gets respect and then he kind of loses it,” Smith said. “He has trouble keeping it. He's had some odd races, like the last race (the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup), the last prep that he was in before the Classic. And it's hard to say that he's under the radar, but let's just rephrase that and say that Sovereignty is the radar. How's that?”

The Sierra Leone camp has been criticized by Mike Repole for entering a rabbit, Contrary Thinking (Curlin), in the Classic in the hopes that he can set a fast pace that will help Sierra Leone. Smith doesn't see what's wrong with that.

“You guys caught me at a good time because I just went to the ear doctor because I had to clean out all of the yapping that seems to be out there,” Smith joked. “Whatever happened to let these horses do their thing, right? I don't have social media and I'm not faulting anybody. I think at the end of the day, everybody has fun with it. So, you know, that's all good. The thing is that rabbits are allowed. It's part of racing.

“It kind of comes down to the trainer. And if the trainer feels like he wants a rabbit in the race, this ownership group is going to be supportive because Chad (Brown) has done a great job with the horse to this point. It's a big race. It's a different race. I mean, the rabbit could get eliminated with the post position draw. It's clear. Sierra Leone needs pace.”

The affable Smith turned the tables on the panel and started asking them questions. He asked Moss to make a case for Sierra Leone winning the Classic.

“If I have to make the case for Sierra Leone winning the Classic, it would be this,” Moss said. “There is a very short stretch run at Del Mar. Much, much shorter, almost a football field shorter almost than Sovereignty got at Churchill Downs or at Saratoga in the Belmont Stakes or the Jim Dandy and the Travers. He's a horse that does his best running down the lane. So that will be a disadvantage but it's not one that he can't overcome. Not that he's not good enough to overcome it, but that will be a disadvantage for Sovereignty. And if there will be enough pace to keep Fierceness from getting out there and setting a nice, comfortable, easy lead, which is why Contrary Thinking was entered in the first place, that will help. Then I think that puts Sierra Leone right in the hunt. Now he's also got to deal with a short stretch, but he did last year effectively, obviously at Del Mar, and overcame it.”

Out of his own pocket, Smith has paid for billboards that say “Go Sierra! Breeders' Cup World Championships. NBC on Saturday Nov. 1.” There are three billboards, one in Louisville, one in Lexington and one in Ireland.

“I am unlike the boy that steps on top of the mountain and cries wolf,” he said. “I'm the guy that jumps on the top of the mountain and says 'Sierra Leone, let's go.'  My partners in Ireland, I hope they don't cuss me for putting the billboard up there in Dublin. I don't think they will. It's in respect and good fun. I don't have social media, so I have to use billboards.”

As is his custom, Smith will donate a portion of his Breeders' Cup earnings to the Backside Learning Center at Churchill Downs.

“The backside continues to benefit from Sierra Leone as a part of that Purses for a Purpose program,” Smith said. “I'll do anything I can do to help an industry that I'm passionate about that gives me a lot. It's great to give back. I was very honored to be invited to join the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association Board, TOBA, and I quickly jumped on the chance to get on the charitable philanthropic committee, because that organization does incredible stuff across all kinds of different horse-related non-profits.”

The “Fastest Horse of the Week” was Sumter (War Front), who got a 99 Beyer for his win in the Lure Stakes Saturday at Santa Anita. The Fastest Horse of the Week segment is sponsored by WinStar.

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by 1/st TV, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders' Association and West Point  Thoroughbreds, the team of Moss, Bill Finley and Zoe Cadman went through the pre-entered fields for the Breeders' Cup. They'll save their picks for next week. This week was about an overview of all of the races.

Click here for the audio version of the podcast and here for the video version.

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