Barn Tour: Rodolphe Brisset is on a roll after a banner year

Rodolphe Brisset is coming off a banner year.

His $3.8 million in earnings was his top total since he went out on his own in 2017. His 46 wins was his highest total ever, as was his 20 percent win rate. So far this year, Brisset is winning at a 31 percent clip, and his in-the-money rate is 56 percent.

This despite a short-lived stint as in-house trainer for WinStar Farm, a move that lasted five months.

“We just felt that it wasn't working the way we want on both sides,” Brisset told Horse Racing Nation this week. “We are still working together and everything is fine. And just we're not at the farm, that doesn't change much for us.”

Of his success despite the disruption, Brisset said, “that kind of thing is because of the horses. It doesn't it doesn't matter which ZIP code you're going to train in.”

Brisset spoke to HRN from the Ocala spring sale, where he was looking to sell as well as buy.

He took a break to discuss some of his top horses for the latest in HRN’s Barn Tour series.

Yuugiri. Last year’s Fantasy (G3) winner took a break after finishing 13th in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and came back in December to win an allowance, followed by a score in the Carousel Stakes, both six furlongs at Oaklawn. Her next start was in the April 8 Madison (G1), where she finished last of five. The seven-furlong race was won by Goodnight Olive, the reigning female sprint champion. “We could definitely go back to six furlongs. Just feel like two of those races this year at six was much, much better than the one there obviously running at seven furlongs, even if it was a Grade 1. So we're going to cut her back to a proper sprint. ... The turf could be an option too.”

Talladega. This 3-year-old Into Mischief colt broke his maiden in January on his fifth try and then tried the Rebel Stakes (G2), finishing 11th. “We kind of regrouped and we found a mile-and-an-eighth allowance against the older in Oaklawn a couple of weeks ago,” and Talladega won by 2 3/4 lengths. He’ll be in the ring this weekend at Keeneland’s select horses of racing age sale. “He's a horse that we like,” Brisset said. “We think he's got some quality in him. And we won't give him away, but at the same time he could be very attractive at the sale.”

Royal Spa. After winning her debut in November, the 3-year-old Violence filly was fourth in the Demoiselle (G2), won an allowance in March and was ninth in the Fantasy (G3) on April 1. “She obviously didn't run as good as we were expecting in the Fantasy. Came out of the race OK, and then she popped a very small quarter crack a couple days later. So this was bothering her maybe. Obviously she didn't show up at all that day. We still try to figure out what she wants to do distance-wise. The bottom side is pretty speedy, one turn. And Violence can give you some distance-limited or some going long.” Royal Spa breezed four furlongs in 49.8 seconds Thursday at Keeneland..”We're not going to rush anything. She could come back in an allowance or show up in a stakes somewhere. But as of now we're going to take our time and make sure she shows all the good signs.”

Federal Judge. The 3-year-old son of Army Mule won his April 1 debut by 4 1/2 lengths at Oaklawn. “Federal Judge obviously, ran huge just time out. We like the horse. (To say) we were expecting something like that, I would be lying. For us, if you look first time out, we don't crank them. So that was nice to see him breaking like this and go straight to the lead and make a pretty good time.” He completed the six furlongs in 1:09.87. He’s been working at Keeneland, Brisset said, and “as of now we are looking at something maybe Derby week. Nothing in stone yet, we will give ourselves plenty options but we are looking at that.”

Afternoon Tea. The 3-year-old Speightstown filly won by a neck at Keeneland on April 7 to break her maiden in her second try. “That's a very nice filly too. She's still figuring out things. I'm lucky enough where I was around her parents. (Dam) Dynazaper, maybe a mile was the max she wanted to go, and she's by Speightstown, so we feel like we want to keep her one turn. She's an extremely well-bred filly and very pretty to look at. So same, we have couple options. We could travel around and find some of the graded stakes to try to get some value on her. Because she has a very good pedigree and physical to be a nice brood mare. Or we could stick to Derby week and run in an allowance on Derby weekend so that we can gradually try to bring her to a stakes race. We think she has some talent.”

Congressman. The 4-year-old son of Constitution broke his maiden in May and then was out for eight months. He returned in January with an allowance win at Oaklawn and was fifth last out in an optional-claiming allowance there. He’s had one work since, on March 4. Brisset said he’s been given some time off and also will be at the Keeneland sale this weekend.

Hot Little Thing. Brisset’s September Farm is a co-owner of this 3-year-old Army Mule filly with a 6: 3-1-1 record. “She's an Indiana-bred, and she won by 15 last year in a stakes,” Brisset said. “And then she just came back two weeks ago and won an open allowance by seven lengths with a 78 Beyer. She's pretty fast. We think she's a one-turn horse. She can maybe win at open stakes company, and the grass could be an option for her too. And we have decided to put her at the (horses of racing age) at Keeneland on Saturday too. And we think she could be a very attractive horse at that sale.”