As a teenager, Vincent Colbert and his friends snuck into the Marshfield Fair in Massachusetts. At that time, the fair featured horse racing and Colbert became interested in the sport. From just a few mares, he bred a number of stake winners, headed by Chocolate Gelato Species likely to be favorites in NetJets Breeders ‘Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Keeneland.
The October 2 Frizette Stakes (G1) winner advances to the Breeders’ Cup with the perfect New York connection of owner Mike Repole and coach Todd Pletcher. But Colbert’s Massachusetts roots lay claim to her, and the fat girl will indeed return home, after being herded so close to Keeneland at Tony and Lisa Ocampo’s Rose Hill Ranch.
Chocolate Gelato wins Frizette Stakes at Aqueduct Raceway
Colbert’s first venture in breeding succeeded beyond his wildest hopes. He decided to take a look at horses bred by the famous Phipps Stable and in 2007 he found a 2-year-old daughter of Wild cat –Turbocharger via AP Indy .
“I admit it Bluegrass Cat in the genealogy,” recalls Colbert.
Bluegrass Cat won the Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) the previous year and is not Supercharger’s sister.
Two months after Colbert bought it for $40,000, Supercharger raised a son of Maria’s Mon Who will be named? Super savings and will catch the 2010 Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brand (G1) for Pletcher.
Colbert’s filly, named The fastest never ran, and the first pony she produced for him, a Bandini filly, sold for just $2,500 at weaning. But under the name Gravity Challenge , that person won the Smart Halo Staking award in 2011 and was placed in four other stakes. Quickest, still owned by Colbert today, soon produced more black runners.
She is super fast Quickest’s 2011 filly by Rock Hard Ten came in third in Beverly J. Lewis Stakes 2014, and Call back a year 2012 Street Sense coached by Bob Baffert, won the Las Virgenes Stakes (G1) in 2015.
Colbert, who has a wife, Marie and their two sons, Dan and Joe, are also avid racing fans. “I’ve met some really great people. Craig Benick, Alex Solis and Jason Litt take time out of the day to talk to me and give me their opinion.”
Marie and Vincent Colbert at Saratoga . Racecourse
Then there was Ocampo, who looked after Colbert’s mares.
“He’s amazing,” said the breeder.
Special treat , the Chocolate Gelato dam, was another Phipps cross that Colbert pursued. Claiborne Ranch has consigned a number of Phipps crossbred horses, including Special Treat, for the November 2016 Keeneland Breeding Stock Sale.
“I looked at every mare they had in the sale,” Colbert said. “Special Treatment is really the only thing for which I can raise my hand and pay the price.”
Colbert received special treatment for $75,000. ‘s 4-year-old daughter Candy Ride –Short nap via forestry , won one of six race starts for Phipps Stable and was coached by Shug McGaughey. She is included in the November Sale, which sells shares of Fasig-Tipton bull stock in Lexington, where she will be offered by Paramount Sales, the dealer, on November 6 as Hip 303.
“After I bought her – I’ll never forget that – the (Claiborne) farm manager, Bradley Purcell, came up to me afterwards and asked, ‘Did you get her? ” I said “Yeah” and he said, “You’re the prettiest.” That’s good to know.”
Chocolate Gelato, daughter of Realistic jokes is the third pony of Special Treat.
“She has always been a very healthy person and easy to work with,” says Ocampo. “She’s always been a very straightforward person, never taking a step wrong.”
Proud of our Rose Hill Grads @BreedersCup Input @keenelandracing Chocolate Gelato (Juv Filling) @RepoleStable Information (Dirt Mile), Edgeway (F&M Sprint) & Mounsouir Coco AE (Juv T Sprint) @coolmoreamerica @WinStarFarm @spendthriftfarm Thank you to our wonderful staff pic.twitter.com/LcZLZDo3aH
– Rose Hill Farm (@TAOcampo) October 26, 2022
Ocampo believes in regularly taking his birds of prey for walks so they do well by the time they sell out, and he also enjoys swimming as part of their exercise regimen. Chocolate Gelato thrived during her pre-sale, which included several swim lessons at the Kentucky Center for Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Paramount Sales sells Colbert’s horses and consigns Chocolate Gelato to the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale in 2021, where she brings in $165,000 from New Range Bloodstock. SGV’s purebreds have entered the 2022 preliminary round Fasig-Tipton Florida selects 2-year-olds in semi-training. She previewed a print furlong: 10 and sold for $475,000 to Repole Stable.
“When I found out Mike Repole bought her and Pletcher got her, I thought it couldn’t get any better,” Colbert said. “I’ve been really lucky. A lot of my horses end up with the best of the best.”
Pletcher introduced Chocolate Gelato on opening day at Racecourse Saratoga, and Vincent and Marie will certainly be there. The Dirty ran third, but Colberts returned, this time with Joe, to watch her break her maiden August 14 by 8:30 in length at Spa.
Irad Ortiz Jr. share a moment with Chocolate Gelato after winning Frizette Stakes
For Frizette Stakes in Belmont at Big A meeting, the Colberts threw a party at their home in Scituate, Mass. Chocolate Gelato made sure the party was a success with her time-spanning win.
Colbert has attended several Breeders’ Cups in the past, but never as a starter breeder. He is looking forward to this, as is Ocampo. Lots of information bred by Rose Hill and John Trumbulovic, was pre-entered Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1), and Mounsieur Coco bred by Rose Hill, was pre-entered in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T).
One thing’s for sure, unlike his teenage runaways, Colbert won’t have to sneak in to watch the races this time.
