Hibernacle, who is entered in Thursday's Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at Churchill Downs, would race under a different owner than the one who entered her after selling to Heider Family Stables for $310,000 on Sunday at the Keeneland April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale.
The 2-year-old Hootenanny filly broke her maiden on debut at Keeneland Race Course on April 12, dusting a field of fillies in a 4 1/2-furlong race by 7 1/2 lengths as the post time favorite. She raced as a homebred for trainer Wesley Ward, who also stands her sire Hootenanny at his farm.
Hibernacle is one of six horses entered in the Kentucky Juvenile, and one of two fillies aiming to face open competition in the five-furlong race. Joel Rosario, who rode the filly in her debut, retained the mount in the entries.
“I'm not 100 percent sure whether she'll take up that engagement or not,” said bloodstock agent David Lanigan, who signed the ticket on behalf of Heider Family Stables. “It's not what we usually do, but Mr. (Scott) Heider will have a think overnight and make a plan from there. The plan long-term is most of our horses will go to Brendan Walsh.
“[Heider] usually likes to see them go out and prove themselves, then try to do something, but he liked her enough, and he saw her in the sale,” Lanigan continued. “Hopefully, they have some fun with them.”
Hibernacle is out of the uplaced Officer mare Searchingforahero, who Ward owned and raced, as well. All three of her foals to race are winners, and the extended family includes Grade 2 winner Bad 'n Big.
Ward said he sold the filly outright, and he would not retain any ownership as her career went on.
“Keeneland approached me here about selling, and I kind of left it alone because it's real sentimental,” he said. “I breed these things as more of a hobby. This filly is from my sire, who also lives across the street from Keeneland. She ran so impressively. I was real excited about getting her in this stakes. Keeneland's been so good to me over the years, I just thought I would try to be good back to them as well.”
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If you appreciate our work, you can support us by subscribing to our Patreon stream. Learn more.Hibernacle was not present in the ring for the auction, though Ward said the filly received plenty of shopping activity at his barn across the street from the track in the Rice Road training barns.
“I wanted to do the right thing by the horse,” he said. “I just thought coming into the ring would upset her a bit. I didn't want to inhibit any chances for the race.”
Lanigan said Heider was at the track the day Hibernacle broke her maiden, and the performance stuck out to him. Though the Heider operation primarily races in Europe, the agent said the owner was looking forward to having another promising runner for the U.S. string.
“She's a nice, good-sized filly,” Lanigan said. “She doesn't look like one of those typical early 2-year-olds that looks like she'll be finished in the middle of the summer.”
Hunter Valley Farm consigned Hibernacle, as agent.
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