by Matthew Lomon

Some believe good luck is the universe’s reward for doing things the right way. Others see it as the product of being in the right place at the right time.

For Rob and Tammy McNiven of Twinbrook Farms, good luck is a bay pacer named Fresh Breeze.

Since being purchased at the 2019 Standardbred Horse Sales Company mixed sale in Harrisburg, PA for $21,000, the unraced mare has been nothing short of a marvel for the family-first breeding operation (as also covered by Heather Vitale for this year’s sale preview video).

“We were in the market for broodmares after the yearling sale a few years ago, as most breeders and consignors are, and our daughter, Jenna, who is our farm manager, was walking along and saw Fresh Breeze in the lineup going to the sales ring at [Preferred Equine’s] consignment,” Tammy said.

“She then called my husband and said, ‘I found our mare, I found her.’”

While Tammy and Rob were also impressed with Fresh Breeze, particularly her strong lineage (Captaintreacherous—Fresh Look) and standalone prospects as a broodmare, Rob recalled that they almost bypassed her altogether in favor of a racing filly.

But Jenna was positive that Fresh Breeze was indeed the one – a call that will forever be a part of Twinbrook lore.

At the time, the then 3-year-old was already in foal with a Roll With Joe baby.

Although that was not the reason they bought her, it ultimately proved to be a gamechanger for the Emboro, ON outfit.

That foal turned out to be 2024 Horse of the Year frontrunner Twin B Joe Fresh. Although Twin B Joe Fresh was bred by Versailles, KY’s Brittany Farms, she earned the ‘Twin B’ moniker because Twinbrook raised, named and sold her (originally with the name Twin B Euchre).

Trainer/owner Chris Ryder bought Twin B Euchre for $65,000 at the 2021 SHSC yearling auction. Though, he and the rest of her ownership group changed her name, they retained the Twin B part. That gesture is not lost on the McNivens.

“Everybody knows that she was bred by Brittany [Farms] and probably wonders why she has the Twin B name,” Rob said. “Whenever she was winning, it was always, ‘Bred by Brittany.’

“So, for us, we feel so lucky that Chris Ryder and his group kept her name. It’s made it a pretty amazing ride.”

For Tammy, seeing a horse with the Twin B tag dominate the Grand Circuit is a reminder that her family’s tireless efforts are all worthwhile.

“It’s pretty remarkable that a farm like ours, which is family oriented — it’s fourth generation — our daughters are taking over for us, and we put every ounce of everything we have into it,” she said. “All our time, our effort, our money, this is what our family is. And when we have a horse like ‘Joe Fresh,’ it’s pretty surreal to tell you the truth, because this is what everybody else does. This isn’t what we do.

“But it sure is validating everything that we’ve done in our life so far, because being foaled and raised in Ontario is incredible for us.”

The 4-year-old pacer all but cemented her case for top year-end honors with a front-leading Breeders Crown victory on Saturday (Oct. 26), at The Meadowlands.

In just her second professional campaign, Twin B Joe Fresh owns a 12: 10-2-0 line with earnings exceeding $1.1 million.

This, however, is just where the fun started for Twinbrook.

Now working with a top mare, the McNivens first bred her to the sport’s top money-winning sire, Bettors Delight.

The first of two Bettors Delight—Fresh Breeze foals was bay filly Twin B Roulette. The second was a colt by the name of Twin B Fresh Bet.

At the 2022 SHSC yearling sale, the former fetched $110,000.

One year later, at the 2023 edition of the sale, the latter sold for $500,000 – the most expensive price tag ever attached to a Twinbrook yearling.

“It’s pretty hard to sell a yearling for that kind of money, trotter or pacer, but for us, selling that in Harrisburg from Ontario, it was our home run,” Tammy said. “That was our Breeders Crown.

“We still are smiling because it’s still unbelievable, and it’s just remarkable. There are no words that can describe the thrill that you feel.”

A quick tap of the calculator says that’s three yearlings — Twin B Joe Fresh, Twin B Roulette, and Twin B Fresh Bet — who sold for a total of $675,000.

Not too bad for what started as a $21,000 investment.

The record sale was especially impactful for Twinbrook, as it allowed them to add another premier talent to their already standout roster.

“Everything we make in this business goes back in,” Rob said. “By selling that yearling for $500 [thousand], it enabled us to go out and buy Sylvia Hanover’s 2-year-old Downbytheseaside sister [Sula Hanover], who we knew would be a lot of money, but a great asset in the future.

“Right now, I think we have the two best families going.”

Even in the face of great success, Twinbrook has still dealt with its fair share of unfortunate turns.

Twin B Fresh Eyes, Fresh Breeze’s fourth foal and first sired by Perfect Sting, broke a P1 and P2 pastern in December 2023 – one month after Twinbrook’s historic Harrisburg sale.

Fortunately, the youngster is fully healed and was given the green light from her surgeon to pursue racing.

Rob and Tammy haven’t yet decided which direction to go with Twin B Fresh Eyes, whether it be to sell or race the bay filly.

In the meantime, the pair is more than content to hold onto their highly thought of yearling.

“This way, we can decide if we sell her, if somebody comes with an offer, or if we race her, or whatever we feel is best,” Tammy said. “It’s much better, her destiny is in our hands.”

The McNivens endured another tough turn when Fresh Breeze was bred to the legendary Bulldog Hanover last year.

“Unfortunately, she was pregnant to Bulldog with twins,” Rob said. “We tried to pinch one, and then we couldn’t. So, we gave her 35 days, but we had to abort her because she had two going for 35 days.”

In more hopeful news, Fresh Breeze is currently pregnant with a Kentucky eligible from Confederate.

The same goes for Sylvia Hanover’s sister, Sula Hanover.

While Rob acknowledged that the odds of producing the next Twin B Joe Fresh are minuscule, he remained quite bullish on their 31-yearling consignment ahead of the 2024 Harrisburg Sale.

As for Tammy, who’s equally enthused, she’s looking forward to maintaining steady growth within Twinbrook’s catalog.

“If anybody has followed us in the past, they’ve known we’ve upgraded our broodmare band,” she said. “Every year, we’re buying two or three new mares. As we’ve progressed, our yearling consignment has progressed, too.

“It makes for better yearlings. Every year we have a little more to offer everyone and that’s the exciting part, the new, up-and-coming mares.”

It hasn’t always been a breeze, but the emergence of Fresh Breeze as a top-tier producer has indeed been a boon for Twinbrook.

“We’ve never been able to afford the high-priced good race mares,” Rob said. “Instead, we continue to look at families. It’s worked for us so far. Unraced mares have not hurt us at all.”

Nor has a daughter with a keen eye and passion for the industry.

“Without Jenna, there wouldn’t be a Fresh Breeze at our barn; she was the one that found her and said, ‘We have to have her,’” said Tammy, adding with a laugh, “My other two kids said Jenna’s the favorite.

“But Jenna is the farm manager, and she works with us, so from the outside looking in, I’m sure she does seem to be the favorite, but she’s here 24/7 and doing the best she can for our whole family.”

Life is good these days for team Twinbrook.

They are hopeful there are many more to come.

“I feel like because our broodmare band is continuously getting better, and we feel like we’re breeding to the top stallions that can compete with everybody, we’re hoping we can compete,” Tammy said. “We feel we can raise a good horse.”

Fresh Breeze, for instance.

For both Tammy and Rob, the horse with the modest price tag has made them feel like they hit the harness racing jackpot.

“Some people think we stole Fresh Breeze out of that sale, and I think we probably we did,” Tammy said. “That was the steal of a century.”

Rob said, “My saying is, ‘You have to be lucky to be good,’ and I think that’s true for everybody.”