December 2020 Member of the Month: Tom and Sue McGrath

Tom and Sue McGrath

Tom and Sue McGrath are the TOBA December Members of the Month.

In 2020, Vequist brought some va-va-voom to racing. The two-year-old filly, bred in Kentucky by Tom and Sue McGrath’s Swilcan Stables, won or placed in three grade 1 stakes. Vequist capped her season with a triumphant victory in the Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Keeneland.

The daughter of Nyquist ran second by a nose in her July 29 debut at Parx Racing. After this performance, Adam Wachtel and Gary Barber bought 75 percent of the filly, whom they now campaign with Swilcan. Tom McGrath enthused, “They’re at the top of the game; they’re great guys.”

Next time out, Vequist romped by 91/2 lengths in the Sept. 6 Spinaway Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. The win was a thrill for McGrath, who recalled, “Our whole family was together at the house and just screaming at the TV. It was one of the most fun two minutes of my life. Outside of getting married and having kids, it’s right up there.”

She finished two lengths behind Dayoutoftheoffice in the Oct. 10 Frizette Stakes (G1) at Belmont. The filly turned the tables, though, in the Breeders’ Cup, posting a two-length triumph. In her four starts, Vequist has earned $1,235,500.

The McGraths first bought into this family seven years ago. On behalf of Swilcan, trainer Robert E. “Butch” Reid Jr. headed to the 2013 Timonium sale. There, he purchased Vero Amore, eventual dam of Vequist, for $15,000. McGrath recalled, “I just remember him saying that he saw her at the sale and really liked her. And she flew on the smaller side and she was a Mineshaft, so we took a shot there, and it was the bargain of a lifetime, right?”

Runner-up in the 2014 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2), Vero Amore, in foal to Nyquist, RNA’d for $135,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November sale. Swilcan kept her and the resulting baby: Vequist. Vero Amore has produced three named foals, all winners. The Mineshaft mare has an Astern yearling filly and Daredevil weanling filly; she is in foal to Accelerate for next year. As for 2021 breeding plans? “We’re lined up to go back to Nyquist,” McGrath confirmed. The McGraths maintain a small broodmare band. They board a few mares with Reid’s brother Mark at Walnut Green in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, while he keeps Vero Amore at Fred Seitz’s Brookdale Farm in Versailles, Kentucky.

McGrath currently works with AeroAggregates. He described the corporation as recycling glass to turn into “ultra-lightweight aggregate for construction.” Originally from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, he fell in love with racing about 15 years ago. That came courtesy of then- neighbor Joe Lerro, an original partner in Afleet Alex.

By 2008, McGrath had teamed up with Lerro and another member of “Team Alex,” Chuck Zacney. Asked by his lawyer what he wanted to name his burgeoning stable, McGrath glanced up at his wall and spotted a picture of St Andrews Links. On the spot, he chose “Swilcan,” a name of a stone bridge at that famous Scottish golf course.

Zacney soon connected McGrath and Reid. McGrath said, “Butch is a really honest guy, and he has a lot of care for the horses and he’s very trustworthy.” He added, “He’s very good to the horses and so I have a lot respect for him. As long we’re in horse racing, I’m going to be associated with him.”

The McGraths, who live near Parx, are Mid-Atlantic mainstays. They raced Maryland-bred Poseidon’s Warrior, whom Reid trained to a win in the 2012 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1). After standing in both Florida and Kentucky, the son of Speightstown now holds court at Equistar Training Center in Annville, Pennsylvania.

The McGraths have bred several of Poseidon’s Warrior’s progeny in the Keystone State. Navy Commander captured the 2018 betfair.com Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park, while Splicethemainbrace is stakes-placed. In the state, McGrath noted, “over the years the purse structure has improved, due to the vote for the casino and the revenue that came from the slots. And it’s been terrific for the horse breeding industry and horse racing industry in Philadelphia.”

Vequist’s triumphs have been a highlight in a tough twelve months. “It’s been a crazy year,” McGrath admitted. “So, it hasn’t been a great year for anybody,” he added, “and for us to come out of the fall season and be where we are, it’s not lost on me how big that is, and I’m very grateful.” Vequist is currently wintering at Eisaman Equine in Williston, Florida, and will resume training at the beginning of 2021. Her team has some big goals in mind. McGrath noted, “I know that we have our eye on the [April 30 Kentucky] Oaks [G1], so we’ll be setting her up for that.”