Hamm Ready For Next Stage with Top Tier Management

Tom Hamm has experienced nearly every aspect of the Thoroughbred Industry over the last three decades.

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Hamm began his Thoroughbred career as an assistant trainer to his brother Timothy. About a decade later he transitioned into the bloodstock industry and worked for some of the top outfits in Lexington, including Taylor Made Farm, Woodford Thoroughbreds, and Three Chimneys Farm.

Ready to get back to a stronger focus on racing, Hamm recently partnered with longtime friend Bobby Langley to create Top Tier Thoroughbred Management, which aims to provide clients with a variety of bloodstock and racing management services.

Hamm spoke with BloodHorse to reflect on his career in the industry and his goals for the future.

BloodHorse: How did you first get involved in the Thoroughbred industry?

Tom Hamm: In the mid 1990s, I started as an assistant trainer with my brother Tim Hamm, who’s still currently training. I had been working in the police department in a suburb of Cleveland and grew up on a horse farm. He called me when he started buying Thoroughbreds and he needed help with the management of them. I did that for nearly 12 years until 2006 when I came down to Lexington and started working for Taylor Made as their yearling manager. Within three or four years I worked my way up to the general manager of Taylor Made Farm.

BH: What was the main draw for you to make the move from the training side to the bloodstock/breeding side of the industry?

TH: We were racing in Ohio mainly and we would ship to various tracks, but I knew the heart of the Thoroughbred industry was in Lexington. If I wanted to really advance in my career, I would probably need to relocate to Lexington. I did love my time on the racetrack and I finished up my time at Three Chimneys as the racing manager. There was just more opportunity in the Thoroughbred industry here in Lexington.

I really enjoyed the track, the competitiveness of the track and getting horses ready to run. That was what I really enjoyed there. My time at Taylor Made, I ran the sales consignment. I was in charge of hiring and the day-to-day operations at the public sales. I also ran the boarding division at the farm. All of those things were instrumental in my background. 

BH: When you worked at Three Chimneys, how did you start transitioning back to the racetrack side of the industry?  Who were some of the top horses in the racing stable while you were there?

TH: I was hired as the director of stallion nominations and then kind of transitioned about five years into my time there as the chief commercial officer, basically my day-to-day operations was managing the racing stable.

We had Gun Pilot, who won the grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes and now stands at Three Chimneys, but he was one of the primary horses we had there. We had Pretty Ana, a half sister to Gun Runner. We also had Bullard. I’d say he and Gun Pilot were our biggest horses during my time there.

BH: Bullard was a grade 3 winner as a 2-year-old last year and is on the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail this year, what were your impressions of him as he developed?

TH: (Trainer) Michael McCarthy has had him since he was broke and sent to the track. Mike was always saying he was a bigger, two-turn type of horse. He was taking his time with him, which was why the late start in September. We really didn’t expect him to win the six-furlong race (a Sept. 1 maiden special weight at Del Mar). We thought he might need a race and would be a good horse. Obviously he came back and won the Bob Hope after that. 

BH: What led to the decision to go out on your own? How’d you meet Bobby Langley and how did this idea for Top Tier Thorougbreds come to be.

TH: I met Bobby back in 2006 when I first came to Taylor Made. Bobby was doing all the conformation and farrier work at Taylor Made. I learned a lot about conformation working with Bobby. He and I developed a friendship over the years and stayed friends. I felt like it was time that if I was going to do something on my own, now was the time to do it. He and I got together and talked. What he does is evaluate conformation on young horses and race horses and try corrective shoeing to help them out. We thought that combined with my bloodstock, farm management, and racing background that we would do well with a Thoroughbred management company.

BH: You mentioned you felt like it was time to go out on your own, why was now the right time?

TH: I’m 54-years-old and if I’m going to do something, now’s the time. I have over 30 years of experience over all aspects of Thoroughbred racing and management, from general broodmare manager at Woodford Thoroughbreds to being general manager at Taylor Made to my experience at the track I had for 12 years, my experience with Three Chimneys. I felt like I had the background to be successful and try to put something together of my own.

BH: What is your main target base for clients? Are you aiming for newer owners getting into the industry or going after established owners?

TH: I’d say a mixture of both. We’re working with a couple people right now that are pretty well established. I have a few individual clients that I met over the years. Obviously new people would be a target. Somebody new coming in that needs some advice and management help. That would be something we’re looking for. 

BH: What’s the process of getting someone new inside the industry started?

TH: Anybody new in the business, you want them to have a good experience and to have an understanding of what they’re doing. I think being upfront and honest with people, manage their expectations coming into the business, explaining the financial aspects and repercussions of it, and just making sure they have a good understanding will help them start out on solid ground.

BH: Now that the first couple months of this new business have passed, what are the long range goals that you have for Top Tier Thoroughbreds?

TH: We would really like to be established with some good, steady clients, especially on the racing management side of it where my focus has been in recent years. Really try to help them develop a top stable and one that can compete at a high level.