With the 2022 breeding season right around the corner, we will feature a series of breeders' mating plans over the coming weeks. Today we have Jason Howard of Top o' the Lane Farm, a new farm in Shelby County, Kentucky.
“I moved back to Kentucky in 2019 after being in Florida and Colorado for a few years because I had always dreamed of breeding Thoroughbreds, and I found the perfect farm in Shelbyville and decided to go for it,” said Howard. “I'm in the middle of Saddlebred country, but have my eyes on growing this farm into a place even Lexington would be proud of. I just had a beautiful [yearling] filly by Lord Nelson out of Top Mission (Noble Mission {GB}), which I will likely race, and I'm expecting another from her by Vekoma and a Mor Spirit out of Indy Gold (A.P. Indy) this year as well. I purchased two [additional] mares at the January sale.”
REMANDED (m, 5, Elusive Quality–Sleepless Dixie, by Dixie Union), to be bred to Tiz the Law
I fell in love with the strength and outstanding physical of this maiden mare at the January sale (purchased for $52,000), as well as the fact she was a 'TDN Rising Star' in her first race at Gulfstream. She had a lot of talent according to her trainer Cherie DeVaux, but an ankle injury forced her off the track. She has impressive size and bone, and I wanted to find a similar cross as was done with Essential Quality and am taking her to Tiz the Law, who checks all the boxes for her with the career and talent he showed on the racetrack.
SPEIGHTSTOWN GAL (m, 5, Cairo Prince–Speightstown Lady, by Speightstown), to be bred to Known Agenda
This maiden mare was one of the most elegant and athletic that I saw at the January sale this year (purchased for $38,000), which I feel is indicative of most Empire Maker-line mares. She was a winner at two and three, on both dirt and turf, and was on the board five of her seven races at Belmont and Saratoga. She has the scope and leg that will benefit Known Agenda, a stallion I am very excited about and feel would have become a star in the making if he had been able to execute a 4-year-old campaign. He is powerfully built, balanced, and priced perfectly as usual by Spendthrift.
Let us know who you're breeding your mares to in 2022, and why. We will print a selection of your responses in TDN over the coming weeks. Please send details to: garyking@thetdn.com.
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