My name is Nathan Rosen. I am 16 years old and from Middletown, NJ. Horse racing has been a passion of mine since birth and I am so happy to share my experiences with you.
My earliest racing memories are of Monmouth Park and Saratoga Race Course with my father, Jeremy Rosen, and my grandfather Ed Rosen. My father is a minority partner at BBN Racing and my grandfather is the general manager of Repole Stable. Both have given me memories that I will never forget.
My first real racing memory was August 2, 2019 at Saratoga for the Saratoga Oaks Invitational. BBN, in collaboration with Ashbrook Farm, campaigned for Concrete Rose. After a win over Newspaperofrecord in the Belmont Oaks, she was a heavy favorite when she got to this spot. I still remember the mood vividly. Everyone had a lot of confidence in it. But at Saratoga you never know what can happen. An extremely slow pace worried some BBN partners, but she ultimately won the race by open lengths, with jockey Julien Leparoux giving her a few ‘love pats’ across the wire. I jumped into my father’s arms and playfully hit him a few times out of pure joy. She was BBN’s first racing millionaire and will always have a special part in my heart.
Another important memory of mine is Nest in the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes. Going back a bit, Nest won her previous race, the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga, on Haskell day when we were at Monmouth Park while my grandpa was at Saratoga. I was disappointed that my grandpa wouldn’t be there, as the Haskell has been an annual family tradition for as long as I can remember. The weekend in Alabama was extra exciting as BBN won its first starter, Mo Stash, in his debut heading to Saratoga for the weekend. He later became a stakes winner and a barn favorite. It was a very good start to a great weekend. Leading up to the Alabama, the feeling was tense for the same reasons as Concrete Rose. We knew that Nest was the best horse and hoped that she would show her best side. And she did. She won by 4 ¼ lengths, sending Saratoga into a frenzy. What made this victory super special for me is that I got to spend it with my whole family. To this day, Nest’s victory in Alabama remains one of the best performances I have ever seen. I had the chance to see her off the track as well and she was one of the calmest horses I have ever been with. When people ask me, “Nate, who is your favorite horse?” I always say Nest, just because of her dominance on the court and her sweetness off the court.
In the spring of 2024, my birthday wish (I was born on April 3, 2009, Keeneland’s opening day) was a trip to Keeneland. It’s safe to say this was one of my best gifts ever. On Thursday I went on a trip with my dad to Lane’s End Farm, Ashford Stud and Spendthrift Farm. I’ve seen racing legends like Flightline, American Pharoah and Vino Rosso. I consider all three of these horses to be the best of my life. At Lane’s End we even got to see and feed the great Zenyatta. Friday we went to the races and I finally got to experience Keeneland. We had several entries, but the main winner was Mo Stash. After a great campaign for three year olds we were all excited to see his debut for four year olds. He certainly made our trip to Kentucky worthwhile by winning impressively. Blue Grass Stakes day on Saturday was a great day. In retrospect, it’s really cool to see Sierra Leone win the race impressively and then see the year he had.
In 2025, another birthday wish came true. After an impressive two-year campaign, my desire was to run BBN Bracket Buster in the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes. It was talked about, but it seemed like a tall order for his first start of the year. Ultimately, he rode a brave second ahead of Gosger and that race became the springboard for his memorable three-year-old year. Bracket Buster will always be a very special horse to me because of his success in New Jersey. Winning the Pegasus Stakes in impressive style and coming back in the Haskell Stakes was a dream come true for me. Any New Jersey rider will tell you that having a horse in the Haskell is a great achievement. Even though he came in fourth, it was still great to see him run like that on the biggest stage on shore. My love for him continues to grow. It was incredible to see him on TV and give him sovereignty all he had when he finished second in the Travers Stakes. To see his form continue, taking home the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby was a great way to cement himself as a top 3-year-old.
My favorite horse of the past year has to be Kilwin. I was so pleased to see her start her year in the Limestone Stakes after an exciting season for two-year-olds ended in a very solid performance in the Breeders’ Cup. When it was time to make the switch to dirt in the Leslie’s Lady Overnight Stakes, I was nervous but excited. It was a new challenge. I came home from the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga and watched the race from the car. My grandpa was driving and I was the passenger, trying to give him play-by-play updates of the race, while still trying to keep up with Kilwin. All explanations about the race to him went out the window when they went home. I went crazy trying so hard to get her home. And it worked! After the race I remember the text message I sent to my father who was traveling. The exact text I sent him was: “Welp… WE ARE GOING TO TAKE THE TEST!!!” I knew from that moment on that I would want her to run there.
The Test Stakes were held on August 2, the same date Concrete Rose won the Saratoga Oaks and coincidentally my mother’s birthday. In the run-up to the race everyone said, “I’d be happy with a second or a third.” Not me. I wanted to win and anything other than that would be a disappointment.
When we arrived at the clubhouse we decided to watch the Test from the same spot where we watched Concrete Rose dazzle six years ago. The starting gates opened and before you knew it she saw the field spanning several lengths. I thought to myself, “Not like that…”. But as the race went on, that shifted to “Wait a minute, we’re not out of this yet.” Then they turned for home. When jockey Jose Ortiz sent her packing, I was stunned. “Come on Jose! Come on Jose! Get up! Get up! Get up! YES!” I knew she was a winner as soon as she crossed the finish line.
We ran to the winner’s circle, screaming with pure joy. Once we got there, I high-fived everyone I could see. I looked up at the crowd and saw my grandparents and cousins cheering for us. It was a truly extraordinary moment for me. It wasn’t until we got to the champagne room that we actually stumbled Kilwin out of the gate.
Kilwin’s Test victory is the first BBN Grade 1 I have had the opportunity to watch in person and has increased my love for the sport tenfold.
As you can see, racing is extremely important to me. I spend hours sifting through entries and results and watching past races on YouTube. At random times during the day I text my dad: “Dad, did you see that this horse is registered here?” His response is usually, “What grade are you in?”
As a hockey player, I tell all my friends that I would trade scoring an overtime goal for winning a race with my horse. There’s just something about the adrenaline rush of seeing your horse out front running towards the finish line. The best thing about racing, however, are the memories you make along the way. In the summer I often ask my grandfather if he wants to go to Monmouth Park. Every time he says yes, I know I’m going to have a great day.
Racing has completely shaped me into the person I am today: the excitement of the race, the disappointment of losing and all the memories along the way. There is something about watching these beautiful animals do what they were born to do that makes it very special. There is so much to be a fan of in racing… the races, the owners, the jockeys and, most importantly, the horses themselves. That’s why it’s the biggest sport in the world.
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