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The big day had finally arrived at Sugarbrook Farm. What’s-her-name was home. If you go by what is on her halter, you would assume that the 2-year-old Thoroughbred filly was stuck with the highly unusual, alphanumeric moniker of “Volatile Printer’s Row 24.”
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“That’s her sales halter,” said Brandi Jenkins, who adopted the filly over the summer. “Her sire is Volatile, her dam is Printer’s Row, and she was foaled in 2024. The plan was for her to go to a yearling sale, but she just didn’t want to be a racehorse.
“I said all along that if it was ever possible, I would adopt her. It was a long shot, but she’s with me now. I was told I could choose a name for her, but I am still undecided. So I have just been calling her ‘Princess.’”
Brandi is a graduate of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s Second Chances Program at the Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala, Fla. She met Princess while working for Colin Brennan Bloodstock in Ocala. Colin is the son and stepson, respectively, of Niall Brennan and his wife, TRF Board Member Stephanie Brennan. The family, in addition to being known for breeding, selling, and developing Thoroughbreds, are also fierce advocates for aftercare and sanctuary for former racehorses.
For several years, Niall Brennan Racing has been the landing spot for TRF Second Chances graduates from Lowell. Brandi followed a path blazed by Lauren Vannucci and Juliann “Jules” Stowell, who are the stable’s Director of Client Relations and Equine Coordinator, respectively.
Of these women, Brandi had the most experience with horses, especially Thoroughbreds.
She was born in Ocala, and her grandfather, George May, had managed Red Oak Stable for the late John Brunetti, owner of Florida’s treasured Hialeah Park, the racetrack known as “The Saratoga of the South.”
“I got on my first horse at 2,” said Brandi, who joined Jules Stowell in Saratoga Springs, NY, during the recent racing season at the TRF’s inaugural Polo Classic at Bloomfield Farm. “When I was a little older, a girl across the street was taking riding lessons, and that’s when I decided that was what I wanted to do. I started showing horses, did the juniors and all of that.
“Then, I thought I wanted to be an oceanographer and went to college to study. But I couldn’t get away from the horses.”
Eventually, Brandi married Robert Jenkins, whose father, Rodney Jenkins, was a respected Thoroughbred trainer on the Mid-Atlantic circuit. Brandi spent time in Virginia and Florida. Unfortunately, Brandi became lost on a route that took her farther and farther away from horses and deeper and deeper into trouble.
Arrested for burglary, she wound up at Lowell, the second-largest women’s prison in the country.
“I lost at trial and wound up serving six years,” she said. “Once I was in Lowell, I heard about the horse program. I could even see them from where I was, but I couldn’t do much about getting with them. You have to earn your way there. I was there almost five years when I got accepted into the TRF Second Chances Program.”
John Evans, who retired in 2023 after 18 years as Lowell’s Second Chances Farm manager, welcomed Brandi and gave her a simple thought that opened her eyes to the obvious.
He told me, “You got away from horses, and that’s what got you into trouble,” Brandi said.
Evans stressed that she needed to stay with the horses and to learn as much as she could.
“As much as I knew about horses, I learned a lot more at Second Chances,” Brandi said. “I didn’t know much about farm work. You start learning from the first day.”
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At Lowell, taking care of the horses also means taking care of their surroundings. The women do yard maintenance, barn upgrades, and have repaired and even built new barns to give the horses the best accommodations.
Working with retired racehorses gave Brandi peace and purpose and also prepared her for life after her release. She was a solid hand around the barn, and the Brennans polished her skills. Eventually, she joined Colin Brennan, who had not only formed his own bloodstock company in Ocala, but also joined Highlander Training Center near Sulfur Springs, Tx., as Trainer/Director of Sales. His sister, Kristen, also joined Highlander as its Yearling Manager.
Colin had purchased a pair of weanlings and had planned to prepare them for a yearling sale. One of these went to Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. The other was Princess. She entered in a sale, but did not meet the reserve, which is the minimum sale price established by the seller (consigner). It was a No Sale.
“Colin took her back home to his Dad to prepare her for a two-year-old sale,” Brandi said. “When you work with different horses, you love all of them. But Princess was just a sweet horse. She was one of the first ones that I worked with, and I spent a lot of time with her. She is such a classy filly, and she is beautiful. I told Colin that if she ever needed a home, I would take her. I felt a real attachment to her. It turned out that she wanted nothing to do with racing. I was ready to take her.”
What also made this work was that Brandi went to work at Sugarbrook Farm. The farm is owned and operated by Sandy Holbrook, whose daughter, Kelly, showed horses with Brandi when they were in junior high school.
“We had the same trainer when we were growing up, and we showed hunters and jumpers at 4-H and other rated and non-rated shows,” said Kelly, who is now an attorney in Tampa, Fla. “Brandi would stay with us when we were showing, and my mother called Brandi her third daughter. But I wound up going to college out of state, and our paths went in different directions.
“This past year or so, Brandi was a lifesaver. My father (Dr. Bill Holbrook) passed away four years ago. We were in dire need of help at Sugarbrook. Because of my business, I am only able to get there on weekends, so Brandi basically took my place.
“I trust Brandi with everything, and I know she looks after my mother. You can see how much she cares and what the horses mean to her. They connect spiritually. You know that this is more than just a job or a paycheck for Brandi. You can see that horses are her heart, her soul, and her passion.”
There was only one area of concern about Brandi adopting Princess. The 70-acre Sugarbrook Farm is located about midway between Tampa and Ocala in Floral City and has been breeding and showing ponies for decades.
“We didn’t know where we would put a big, aggressive Thoroughbred mare with our ponies,” Kelly said. “But Princess is so sweet and kind. One of our mares, Roaring Run Blue Rambler, is a retired hunter/jumper pony who became a broodmare. Now, she is a retired broodmare, and we call her Molly.
“Molly never had a friend, another horse to pal around with, but she has one now in Princess. They get along great.”
What really stands out about Princess is that she stands out. At 16.3 hands, she towers above all of Sugarbrook’s residents.
She certainly has come up big for Brandi.
“TRF Second Chances saved my life,” she said. “I even feel different. I am calmer, more goal-oriented. I want to do the right thing and take care of my family and the horses. I owe a lot to the horses. They are the best therapists. They calm your soul.
“That’s why I am so grateful to have been able to adopt Princess. We’ve come full circle, and she is right where she belongs.”
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This story was originally published September 14, 2026 at 1:57 PM.