Misplaced Pages

Sol Kumin (born 13 May 1975) is an American business leader, Thoroughbred racehorse owner and philanthropist. In May 2018, he became the first owner since 1952 to have both a Kentucky Oaks and a Kentucky Derby winner in the same weekend. He was a co-owner of Justify; winner of the Triple Crown. In Kumin's first decade of horseracing, through his horses at Madaket Stables, he won 92 Grade One races, 12 Breeders Cups, the Preakness Stakes three times and the Kentucky Derby twice.

Early life

The oldest of three siblings, Kumin grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts before moving to Boston at the age of 10. He was educated at the Fessenden School before attending St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire. He went on to gain a BA in political science from Johns Hopkins University.

Business career

Kumin worked at Lazard Asset Management and Sanford Bernstein before joining SAC Capital, where his roles included Head of Business Development and subsequently Chief Operating Officer under Steve A. Cohen. Upon Kumin leaving in 2014, Cohen went on to say that Kumin had "been responsible for transforming our business development and investor relations functions and has helped create our global strategy and footprint. Without his tireless work, we would not have had a strong London presence or our current business in Asia."

After leaving SAC Capital in January 2014, Kumin started hedge fund Folger Hill Asset Management with over $1 billion from investors including $400 million backing from Leucadia National Corp. Kumin named the hedge fund after a hill of the same name on Nantucket where he has a summer home. He does not invest his own money, but has instead grown a reputation for identifying and recruiting talented traders.

In April 2018 Kumin announced that following a merger of Folger Hill and Schonfeld Strategic Advisors, he would take up a new role of Chief Strategic Officer at Leucadia Asset Management, LLC in September 2018. As of January 2020, Kumin had been promoted to the position of co-president at Leucadia Asset Management.

Horse racing

Specializing in buying proven established horses, Kumin has (and has had) a stake in a number of active and retired racehorses including Justify, Exaggerator, Lady Eli and Wavell Avenue and has been given credit for having "revolutionized the partnership concept." In addition to purchasing stakes in proven racehorses, Kumin has also repeatedly invested in yearlings such as Monomoy Girl and Lady Eli.

Kumin is involved in a number of stables and ownership groups including Head of Plains Partners LLC, Madaket Stables, Monomoy Stables, and Sheep Pond Partners. Kumin and his partners usually own around 100 horses at any given time; around 70–75% are fillies.

In a 2024 interview with Maxim magazine, Kumin commented that horse racing "has been a really, really good thing for my dad. He’s 82, and it’s given him a new lease on life."

2014 to 2016 – Lady Eli, Exaggerator and New Owner of the Year

Despite attending his first race while at college Kumin didn't get into horse-racing until much later through close friend Jay Hanley; the pair now comprising ownership group Sheep Pond Partners along with two other friends.

After buying his first horse in 2014, Kumin's first high-profile winner was Lady Eli; purchased that same year. Named after his wife Elizabeth, Lady Eli won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2014 and then went on to claim six straight wins before being struck down with laminitis after stepping on a nail.

In 2015, Kumin's Undrafted, which he co-owns with former American football wide receiver Wes Welker, won the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. Of Ascot, Kumin commented "It's an incredible place to win. When you stop and look around, the tradition and just the whole scene is different than anywhere in the world."

In 2016, Kumin bought a stake in the double Stakes winner Exaggerator in 2016 along with partners including Big Chief Racing and Ron Ortowski. Later that year Kumin was celebrating winning the Preakness Stakes; one of the Triple Crown Races.

Kumin had been in the sport for less than a year when he was crowned New Owner of the Year for the United States for 2015 at the Thoroughbred Owner Conference in Florida in January 2016.

2016 to 2018 – Justify and the Triple Crown

At the Arlington Million in Chicago in August 2017, Kumin had two successes with Beach Patrol winning the Arlington Million, and Dacita winning the Beverly D. Stakes. He went on to say he "had an unbelievable day" and that the Million was "the race we've been waiting for a year." Following his horses' performances through the year, Kumin finished fourth in the 2017 Eclipse Award behind Juddmonte Farms, Winchell Thoroughbreds and Godolphin Racing.

In March 2018, Kumin bought stakes in two Kentucky Derby contenders; Audible and Justify. After My Boy Jack won the Lexington Stakes and gained 20 qualification points, this would mean that Kumin had three runners in the 2018 Derby.

Justify would go on to win the race, with Audible finishing third and My Boy Jack fifth. This topped off a successful two days for Kumin after another of his horses; Monomoy Girl won the Kentucky Oaks the same weekend. With two wins, Kumin became the first owner to achieve the Derby-Oaks double in 66 years. Topping off the weekend was another of his horses Yoshida who was victorious in the Old Forester Turf Classic. Of the weekend, Kumin commented "It was a ridiculous weekend. We had two awesome days with the Derby/Oaks weekend and winning three grade ones."

Later that month, Justify landed another victory at the Preakness Stakes meaning it had won two of the three Triple Crown races with the third to be decided the following month at the Belmont Stakes. The win meant that Kumin's horses had won the Preakness Stakes in two out of three years. Justify then went on to win the Belmont Stakes, and thus became the 13th Triple Crown winner.

In August 2018, Kumin's horse Catholic Boy won the Travers Stakes in Saratoga Springs, New York. Of the win, Kumin said "The Travers was a bucket list race for me."

In November 2018, Monomoy Girl would follow her Kentucky Oaks' win with victory in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. The following month, Uni took Kumin's Grade 1 wins in 2018 to 24 when it won the Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar Fairgrounds. Kumin would finish 2018 with 74 graded wins in total. Of Kumin's 2018, Bob Ehalt wrote that the year was "remarkable" and had "unprecedented accomplishments".

At the end of October 2018, Lady Eli was sold at auction to Hill 'n' Dale Farms for $4.2million as a broodmare. She was carrying her first foal at the time of sale. The next month saw another of Kumin's highest profile horses leave his roster when Mind Your Biscuits retired, with Shadai Farm in Japan taking full ownership.

2019 to 2021 – Further wins and Eclipse Award success

Kumin's 2019 started well when Coal Front won the $1.5million Godolphin Mile in Dubai. This was the third straight year that he had won a million-dollar graded stakes on the Dubai World Cup card. The Dubai victory was followed by a win for Midnight Bisou at the $750,000 Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park.

After owning winners of the two out of the four previous Preakness Stakes in Exaggerator and Justify, Kumin would claim a fourth place in 2019 when Warrior's Charge faded in the home stretch.

In August, two of Kumin's horse would claim Grade 1 wins with Midnight Bisou claiming victory in the Personal Ensign Stakes and Mind Control taking first place in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes.

In early November, Kumin would take a number of horses to the Breeders Cup at Santa Anita Park, California. There were two wins over the weekend for British Idiom in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, and for Uni in the Breeders' Cup Mile. There were also places for Midnight Bisou, Shekky Shebaz, and Whitmore.

Kumin started 2020 with three of his horses winning their respective categories at the 2019 Eclipse Awards. These included Uni being named Female Turf Horse of the Year, British Idiom claiming the Two-Year-Old Filly award and Midnight Bisou victorious in the Older Dirt Female category. Kumin also saw victories for his two of his horses in February and March when Mr Monomoy won the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course, and Whitmore won the $147,000 Hot Springs Stakes for the fourth consecutive year. Later in March, Kumin's Wells Bayou scored a front-running win in the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course. Further wins would follow in April and May for Whitmore in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap, and Charlatan in the Arkansas Derby. Kumin had two more notable wins in June and July when She's a Julie was victorious in the G1 Ogden Phipps Stakes, and Monomoy Girl won the G2 Ruffian Stakes.

2020 also saw wins for another Kumin owned horse when Authentic won the Kentucky Derby and Breeders Cup. These wins along with a second place at the Preakness Stakes and a number of other wins resulted in Kumin's Madaket Stables finishing the year as leading owners (for North American earnings) in an ownership group with Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse Stable and Starlight Racing.

At the 2020 Eclipse Awards (announced in 2021), three of Kumin's horses were successful; Whitmore (Male Sprinter), Authentic (Horse of the Year / 3 Year Old Male), and Monomoy Girl (Older Dirt Female). The Authentic ownership group (of which Kumin's Madaket Stables is part) came second in the Best Owner category to Godolphin LLC.

Individual horses

Kumin has owned a number of high-profile horses with major wins including:

• Authentic - winner of 2020 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic.
• Exaggerator – winner of the 2016 Preakness Stakes before retiring later in the year. Now a breeding stallion at Winstar Farm.
• Justify – the thirteenth American Triple Crown winner and American Horse of the Year in 2018.
• Lady Eli – American Champion Female Turf Horse of 2017 who won six out of six starts before stepping on a nail and contracting laminitis.
• Monomoy Girl – winner of the Breeders' Cup Distaff and Kentucky Oaks; the filly equivalent of the Kentucky derby.
• Mind Your Biscuits – twice-winner of the Dubai Golden Shaheen and the highest earning New-York Bred of all time.
• Two Phil's - second-place finisher of the 2023 Kentucky Derby
• National Treasure - winner of 2023 Preakness Stakes
• Midnight Bisou - Champion Older Female Horse in 2019.

Some of Kumin's other top horses (past and present) include:

• A Raving Beauty
• Audible
• Aunt Pearl
• Beach Patrol
• British Idiom
• Catholic Boy
• Charlatan
• Coal Front
• Dacita
• Fatale Bere
• Fluffy Socks
• Mr Monomoy
• Rymska
• Undrafted
• Uni
• Warrior's Charge
• Wavell Avenue
• Well's Bayou
• Whitmore
• World of Trouble
• Ya Primo
• Yoshida

Lacrosse

Kumin played Lacrosse for Johns Hopkins University in attack, is the vice chair of the US Lacrosse Foundation board and an investor in the Premier Lacrosse League. He remains involved in Johns Hopkins lacrosse and sits on the Lacrosse Advisory Board as Fundraising Committee Chair. In February 2021, The National Lacrosse League (NLL), announced the sale of New England Black Wolves to an ownership group including Kumin, Oliver Marti and Brett Jefferson. The Wolves will be relocated to Albany, New York.

Personal life

Kumin is married to Elizabeth Kumin. They have two sons and one daughter.

His horses Lady Eli and My Man Sam are named after his wife and son respectively, and his horse Fluffy Socks was named by the latter.

Outside of horse-racing, Kumin supports the New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox teams.

Kumin sits on several other boards including Starwood Property Trust (STWD), Johns Hopkins University, Fessenden School, Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, and the Trust Board at Boston Children's Hospital. He is also a board member of Team Impact; a non-profit organisation that connects children facing serious and chronic illnesses with college sports teams.

Kumin donates a percentage of each of his horses' Breeders' Cup earnings to the New Vocations racehorse adoption program.

References

1. ^ "EXHIBIT 99". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. January 8, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
2. Childs Walker (May 5, 2018). "Notebook: Former Hopkins lacrosse player gets two big wins today: Derby, Big Ten final". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
3. "Thoroughbred Investor Sol Kumin Shares Secrets to Horseracing Success/". Maxim.com. June 6, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
4. ^ T. D. Thornton (July 1, 2016). "Sol Kumin has a Gameplan". Thoroughbred Daily News. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
5. "Sol Kumin, Speaker at Boston Investment Conference". Boston Investment Conference. 2020. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020.
6. "SAC Executive to Resign Amid Shift". The Wall Street Journal. November 21, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
7. "As SAC Shrinks, Its Operations Chief Departs". The New York Times. November 21, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
8. "Former SAC Executive Raises About $1 Billion For New Hedge-Fund Firm". The Wall Street Journal. January 14, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
9. Saijel Kishan (January 14, 2015). "Ex-SAC's Kumin Said to Gather $1 Billion for Hedge Fund Startup". Bloomberg News. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
10. "Leucadia backs SAC alum fund despite previous internal scandal". CNBC. August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
11. Lawrence Delevingne (November 29, 2017). "Folger Hill raises fresh cash for burgeoning Asia investment unit". Reuters. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
12. "Hedge fund Folger Hill to merge with Schonfeld". Reuters. April 11, 2018. Archived from the original on April 12, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
13. ^ Sid Fernando (August 24, 2018). "Kumin's Partnerships Are In Plain Sight" (PDF). Thoroughbred Daily News. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
14. "Kumin Eyes New Target, The Kentucky Derby". Thoroughbred Daily News. April 21, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
15. ^ "Wavell Avenue Eyeing Title Defense". Thoroughbred Daily News. December 1, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
16. Lenny Shulman (November 29, 2017). "Owning Up". The Blood-Horse. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
17. ^ Evan Hammonds (October 9, 2019). "Sol and Pepper". The Blood-Horse. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
18. "A Secretive Investor in Triple Crown Contender Justify: George Soros". The New York Times. June 7, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
19. "Madaket Stables Buys into Midnight Bisou". Thoroughbred Daily News. June 25, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
20. "BSW Bloodstock, Kumin and Partners Soar". The Blood-Horse. May 7, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
21. "Sheep Pond Partners". America's Best Racing. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
22. "Thoroughbred Investor Sol Kumin Shares Secrets to Horseracing Success/". Maxim.com. June 6, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
23. Liz Mullen (October 31, 2016). "Despite his success, Kumin knows ownership a tough sell". Thoroughbred Daily News. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
24. "Sheep Pond Partners". America's Best Racing. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
25. "Bred for Success". Nantucket Magazine. July 27, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
26. ^ "Wes Welker's Undrafted captures Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot". Fox Sports. June 20, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
27. "Americans Storm the Gates of Royal Ascot". The New York Times. June 28, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
28. "Exaggerator carries Desormeaux brothers to Kentucky Derby". ESPN. April 10, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
29. "Preakness 2016: Exaggerator owner Sol Kumin, a former Hopkins lacrosse player, can party in Baltimore like the old days". The Baltimore Sun. May 21, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
30. "Sol Kumin Named New Owner of the Year". The Blood-Horse. January 5, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
31. ^ "Beach Patrol, Dacita give owner Sol Kumin big day at Arlington Million". Chicago Tribune. August 12, 2017. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
32. "William Buick injured as Permian dies in action at Arlington Park". Racing TV. August 13, 2017. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
33. Curtis Kalleward (January 25, 2018). "Eclipse Award Winners Announced". Racing Dudes. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
34. ^ "Kumin Buys Into Audible, Justify". Thoroughbred Daily News. March 28, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
35. "My Boy Jack Gets It Done in Lexington Stakes". The Blood-Horse. April 14, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
36. Bob Ehalt (May 6, 2018). "Kentucky Derby: does ownership have a different meaning these days?". thoroughbredracing.com. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
37. ^ "Sol Kumin" (PDF). Equibase. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
38. Melissa Hoppert (May 20, 2018). "In Belmont Stakes, Justify Might Face Familiar Competition". The New York Times. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
39. Dan Wolken (June 10, 2018). "Justify goes wire to wire in Belmont Stakes to win Triple Crown". USA Today. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
40. Richard R. Gross (August 28, 2018). "Catholic Boy Travers Win Scrambles HOY Race". Horse Network. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
41. "Monomoy Girl 'ran like a monster' to win the Breeders' Cup Distaff". The Courier-Journal. November 3, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
42. "Sol Kumin: stunning (and controversial) rise of racing's new 'best friend'". thoroughbredracing.com. October 29, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
43. "Owners' monster year continues with Uni's victory in Del Mar Matriarch". The San Diego Union-Tribune. October 29, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
44. "Kumin Buys Into Sophomore Colts Comedian, Tikhvin Flew". Paulick Report. March 5, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
45. ^ Bob Ehalt (April 9, 2019). "Kumin Moves Forward After Once-In-A-Lifetime Year". The Blood-Horse. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
46. "Lady Eli tops Book 1 of Keeneland November at $4.2 million". Daily Racing Form. November 5, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
47. "Multiple G1 Winner Mind Your Biscuits Retired From Racing". Paulick Report. November 14, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
48. "Tough Midnight Bisou battles hard for another Grade 1 victory". Racing Post. April 15, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
49. "War of Will Wins 2019 Preakness Stakes". Sports Illustrated. May 18, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
50. "Midnight Bisou Edges Elate in Personal Ensign". The Blood-Horse. August 24, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
51. "'We're Going To Savor This': Mind Control, Sacco Get Hero's Welcome At Monmouth Park". Paulick Report. August 25, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
52. "Unexpected Derby Contender Emerges". Thoroughbred Daily News. November 1, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
53. ^ "Success for Yorkshire and Normandy despite quiet European show at Santa Anita". Racing Post. November 3, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
54. "Breeders' Cup rest of review: Blue Prize beats Midnight Bisou in the Breeders' Cup Distaff; Belvoir Bay wins the Turf Sprint". Sporting Life. November 2, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
55. "Shekky Shebaz". Racing Post. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
56. "Whitmore". Racing Post. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
57. "Bricks and Mortar Voted Horse of the Year to Lead 2019 Eclipse Award Honorees". America's Best Racing. January 23, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
58. "Mr. Monomoy leads all the way in first division of Risen Star". Bloodstock Research Information Services. February 15, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
59. "Whitmore Delivers in Hot Springs Stakes". The Blood-Horse. March 7, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
60. ^ "Another Success for Team of Cox and Crow". The Blood-Horse. March 23, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
61. "Whitmore Remains as Reliable as Ever at Oaklawn Park". The Blood-Horse. April 18, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
62. ^ "No anxious moments for Charlatan in Arkansas Derby division romp". Bloodstock Research Information Services. May 2, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
63. "She's a Julie upsets Ogden Phipps in three-way finish, earns BC Distaff spot". Bloodstock Research Information Services. June 13, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
64. "Monomoy Girl's Comeback Continues With Ruffian Score". The Blood-Horse. July 11, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
65. "Preakness Stakes favorite's Boston ties". Boston Herald. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
66. "Authentic USA". Racing Post. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
67. "50th Eclipse Awards: Authentic named Horse of the Year". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
68. Walker, Childs (May 20, 2023). "National Treasure wins 148th running for trainer Bob Baffert". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
69. "Aunt Pearl". horseracing.net. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
70. "Travers Makes Sense for Versatile Catholic Boy". The Blood-Horse. August 5, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
71. "Galilean, Super Steed run into Derby picture with Presidents Day wins". United Press International. February 19, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
72. ^ "Fluffy Socks Brings Kumin Full Circle in Racing". The Blood-Horse. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
73. "Mr Monomoy". Racing Post. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
74. "Warrior's Charge". Racing Post. January 16, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
75. Matt Hamilton (January 2019). "Justifiable Hobby". US Lacrosse. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
76. "Board Members". Hopkins Sports. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
77. "NLL APPROVES SALE OF BLACK WOLVES; TEAM TO RELOCATE TO ALBANY". US Lacrosse. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
78. "Sol Kumin Named New Owner of The Year". BSW Bloodstock. January 6, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
79. "Breeders' Cup Presents Connections: Sol Kumin Is Off To One Hot Start". Paulick Report. April 20, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
80. "ABR Wired: Sol Kumin at Travers Stakes". August 31, 2016.
81. Tom Pedulla (November 1, 2017). "Sol Kumin's Breeders' Cup Diary: An Unforgettable Journey with Lady Eli". America's Best Racing. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
82. "Starwood Property Trust Inc (STWD.N)". Reuters. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
83. "Board Members". Johns Hopkins University. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
84. "Board of Trustees". Fessenden School. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
85. "Richardson Re-Elected Chairman of TOBA". The Blood-Horse. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
86. "Starwood Property Trust Inc". Morningstar, Inc. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
87. "Sol Kumin". goteamimpact.org. Retrieved July 18, 2019.

• 1975 births
• Living people
• Johns Hopkins University alumni
• American racehorse owners and breeders
• Owners of Kentucky Derby winners
• Owners of Preakness Stakes winners
• Owners of Belmont Stakes winners
• Businesspeople from Boston
• Fessenden School alumni
• Owners of King's Plate winners