The model of consistency, millionaire Guarana compiled a record of five wins and a second from six starts. Awarded TDN Rising Star status after breaking her maiden by 14 3/4 lengths, she followed up that victory in her next start with a stakes record performance in the Grade 1 Acorn, winning by six lengths and defeating Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress.

She captured two of the three legs of New York's Filly Triple Tiara with her win in the G1 Coaching Club American Oaks. Her third Grade 1 win came at the expense of Mia Mischief in the Madison at Keeneland.

Out of a daughter of Breeders' Cup Champion Pleasant Home who is out of a half-sister to champion Sky Beauty, Guarana is reflective of the caliber of mare that Charlatan is attracting.

“We have received overwhelming interest in Charlatan from absolute top class breeders,” said Hill 'n' Dale president John G. Sikura. “We are looking to lead the way with our best mares as a bold sign of both our commitment to and our belief in Charlatan's chances at stud.”

Charlatan, a son of Speightstown, won the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby by six lengths and the Grade 1 Malibu by 4 1/2 lengths. With a record of four wins and a second from five starts, he retired with career earnings over $4 million.

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Curlin's champion 2-year-old son Good Magic saw his first-crop yearlings very well received in the auction ring selling for up to $775,000. His fee remains unchanged as well.

Another young stallion who performed particularly well at auction was Army Mule, whose 44 first-crop yearlings averaged $112,000, with both a colt and a filly selling for $400,000.

New to the roster is Charlatan, a multiple Grade 1 Winner with earnings of $4,047,200, who will take up residence at the stallion complex at Xalapa alongside the farm's 13 other stallions.

Said Hill 'n' Dale president, John G. Sikura, “Hill 'n' Dale stallions continue to succeed at the highest levels. Currently, on the Blood-Horse sire list, Ghostzapper is ranked second by progeny earnings and Curlin number three with the most Grade 1 winners in North America. Maclean's Music has enjoyed a breakout year led by Grade 1 winners Jackie's Warrior and Drain the Clock. Kitten's Joy is consistently a leading sire and Violence has a prime Breeders' Cup contender in Dr Schivel. Our newest addition Charlatan is hugely popular with breeders and will be supported with our best mares.”

Below is the 2022 roster along with fees:

Army Mule (2014)
Friesian Fire – Crafty Toast, by Crafty Prospector
$7,500 LFSN

Charlatan (2017)
Speightstown – Authenticity, by Quiet American
$50,000 LFSN

Curlin (2004)
Smart Strike – Sherriff's Deputy, by Deputy Minister
$175,000 LFSN

Flintshire (GB) (2010)
Dansili (GB) – Dance Routine, by Sadler's Wells
$7,500 LFSN

Ghostzapper (2000)
Awesome Again – Baby Zip, by Relaunch
$75,000 LFSN

Good Magic (2015)
Curlin – Glinda the Good, by Hard Spun
$30,000 LFSN

Kantharos (2008)
Lion Heart – Contessa Halo, by Southern Halo
$20,000 LFSN

Kitten's Joy (2001)
El Prado (IRE) – Kitten's First, by Lear Fan
$50,000 LFSN

Lost Treasure (2015)
War Front – Wading (IRE), by Montjeu (IRE)
$5,000 LFSN

Mucho Macho Man (2008)
Macho Uno – Ponche de Leona, by Ponche
$7,500 LFSN

Maclean's Music (2008)
Distorted Humor – Forest Music, by Unbridled's Song
$50,000 LFSN

Midnight Lute (2003)
Real Quiet – Candytuft, by Dehere
$15,000 LFSN

Violence (2010)
Medaglia d'Oro – Violent Beauty, by Gone West
$25,000 LFSN

World of Trouble (2015)
Kantharos – Meets Expectations, by Valid Expectations
$7,500 LFSN

The post Curlin Tops Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms’ 2022 Stallion Roster At $175,000 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Books 1 and 2 are where the elite of the breed further cement their spots on the list, but it is also an indicator of which stallions' stocks are rising in the eyes of buyers. A stallion who sees a significant jump in average sale price when the industry's deepest pockets are in the building has likely done so because their commercial reputation and racetrack performance have solidified to the point where buyers are landing on several foals and battling for them.

In those terms, the two stallions who made up the most ground in Keeneland September's elite sessions were Hill 'n' Dale Farms' Violence and Darley's Street Sense.

In both 2020 and 2021, Books 1 and 2 consisted of four combined sessions with a similar number of horses cataloged, meaning the comparison between editions is about as apples-to-apples as the Keeneland September sale tends to get.

Violence saw the greatest year-to-year jump in average, improving by $245,000.

The son of Medaglia d'Oro saw five yearlings change hands during the first two books of both sales, and moved up from $160,000 last year to $414,000 in 2021.

That figure was helped greatly on Thursday by the sale of Hip 1057, a half-brother to multiple Grade 1-placed Standard Deviation from the KatieRich Farms consignment who sold to Repole Stable and St. Elias for $950,000. It was the most ever paid for a Violence yearling at public auction.

Though reaching an all-time high certainly helps an average sale price a great deal, the colt was far from an outlier in terms of serious prices. Four of the five Violence yearlings sold through the first two books hammered for $200,000 or more, also including Hip 919, who brought $550,000.

John G. Sikura of Hill 'n' Dale Farms said Violence's breakout year in 2020 likely helped shape opinions of the stallion heading into this year's sale. He was led last year by Grade 1 winners Volatile and No Parole.

“Violence has always been a horse that's had great commercial appeal,” Sikura said. “Last year, we were very bullish. He had two Grade 1 winners who looked like the fastest horses in the country. They were both injured and on the shelf, then Dr. Schivel won the Grade 1 (Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 31), and it got exciting again. Now, we're waiting for the new crop of 2-year-olds. It's great to see the resilient market that has confidence in the horse. He's had several fantastic results in the sale ring, and it's very rewarding. I hope he continues to climb the ladder and get more buyer confidence and great success on the racetrack.”

Violence's expensive colt late in Thursday's session put him up in the final strides over Street Sense, whose average price grew by $198,000 during the first two books.

The 2007 Kentucky Derby winner jumped up from an average of $117,938 from 16 sold last year to $316,071 from 14 sold during the first two books of 2021.

Street Sense's Keeneland September haul was led by Hip 1022, a half-brother to Grade 1-placed Bajan from the family of champion Forever Unbridled who sold to BSW/Crow Colts Group for $1 million. Offered as property of Farfellow Farms, the colt was the first seven-figure yearling for Street Sense since 2013.

Beneath the top horse, he had four horses that sold for $300,000 or more through the first two books.

Darley's Darren Fox said Street Sense really started to hit his stride at stud after returning from his one-year stint at Darley Japan in 2013. The shape of the stallion's resume shifted dramatically in the years that followed, and Street Sense developed into a sire whose demand has risen just as dramatically. This week's performance just solidified that notion.

“His first five Grade 1 winners were fillies, and when his foals started going to the track after his Japan break, McKinzie set alight a great run of colts for him,” Fox said. “We have Maxfield, who will be a stallion for us at some point, and a colt a little under the radar in Speaker's Corner. When a horse like that puts some sons in the stallion barn, and has some other high-profile ones on the track, it certainly moves him and his progeny up into that next tier.”

Looking at some of the newer faces picking up traction this year, Three Chimneys Farm's Gun Runner, who currently leads the freshman sire race, saw the sixth-largest year-to-year gain in average, rising $108,622 to finish at $397,222. Repole and St. Elias led the way for his yearlings with Hip 574, who was secured for $975,000.

Gun Runner's closest rival, the Ashford Stud resident Practical Joke, saw a gain of $59,980 to finish at $274,091. Talia Racing bought the most expensive one of the sale's first week, going to $750,000 for Hip 1079.

Darley's Nyquist, the leading freshman sire of 2020, also continued to climb, rising $19,417 to $275,667, led by Hip 825, who sold to Dr. Ed Allred and Liebau for $700,000.

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Bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, the imposing son of Eclipse champion and champion sire Speightstown out of Breeders' Cup Distaff-placed Authenticity, he sold as the second-highest-priced colt for his sire at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was hammered down for $700,000. Purchased by SF Bloodstock / Starlight West, the colt raced for owners SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Hertrich, III, Frederick, Fielding, John D. and Golconda Stables.

The freakishly-talented Charlatan served notice of his brilliance in his first start, drawing off by 5 3/4 lengths in 1:08 and change for the six panels earning TDN Rising Star status. All told, the brilliant chestnut who many compared to Justify, compiled a record of four wins and a second from five starts with career earnings of $4,047,200.

He decimated the field in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, winning by six lengths, in a hand ride. He rounded out his 3-year-old campaign with a devastating and visually impressive performance in the G1 Malibu where he won by 4 1/2 widening lengths. His only defeat came in the $20 million Saudi Cup where he was edged out at the wire, running a gallant second to Mishriff. He won his four races by a combined 26 1/2 lengths.

“Horses with Charlatan's immense ability combined with superior pedigree, conformation, depth of female family and star-quality appeal are a very rare commodity,” said John G. Sikura, president of Hill 'n' Dale. He is one of the most talented horses I have seen run who combines world class sprinter/miler speed with the ability to carry it around two turns. He is a striking individual who should impart size, substance, balance, and brilliance to his foals. It is an honor to have Charlatan set the standard of excellence as the first stallion whose career we launch here at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa.”

“We're very proud of everything Charlatan accomplished in his brief but brilliant career: He's one of the most perfect physical specimens to come to stud in recent times and there's no doubt he will be supported accordingly. On behalf of the SF racing partners we wish John and the team at Hill 'n' Dale the very best,” said Tom Ryan managing partner.

“Physically he's one of the best physical horses we've ever bred. What sets him apart is the way he moves. He moves like a great horse. He is just a real athlete. He is the epitome of what we've tried to breed up to this point. Charlatan is a perfect combination of the genes meeting the physical. He is an absolute standout,” said Stonestreet Farm bloodstock adviser John Moynihan.

For further information visit Charlatan.horse

A stud fee will be announced at a later time.

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Never out of the money in any of her 22 career starts for co-owners Bloom Racing, Madaket Stables LLC and Allen Racing LLC., the well-traveled mare raced at 10 tracks and was awarded an Eclipse Award in 2019 as champion older dirt female. Her Grade 1 victories came in the Santa Anita Oaks, the Cotillion Stakes, the Apple Blossom Handicap, the Ogden Phipps Stakes, and the Personal Ensign Stakes.

Her sire, two time Breeders' Cup winner Midnight Lute stands alongside Curlin at Hill 'n' Dale at the farm's new stallion complex.

“Midnight Bisou was a mare with extraordinary ability. One can only imagine the possibilities from the mating of two such Greats of the breed,” said John G. Sikura, president of Hill 'n' Dale.

The post Champion Midnight Bisou Pronounced In Foal To Curlin appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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It came as no surprise when The Jockey Club's Stud Book cap on foals born in 2020 or later was formally taken to the courts on Tuesday. The only question was who would be the one to throw the gauntlet down, and when they'd do it.

Now that the bell has officially been rung, there's potentially a lot more on the line than just how many mares a stallion can breed in a year. The very nature of what a Thoroughbred is, and how one is made, could hang in the balance.

In the complaint filed by Spendthrift Farm, Ashford Stud, and Three Chimneys on Tuesday, one of the demands from the plaintiffs reads as follows:

“For an injunction requiring the [Kentucky Horse Racing Commission], through its Chairman and Executive Director, to permit Thoroughbreds to race in Kentucky regardless of their inclusion in the Jockey Club Registry.”

Taken at face value, this reads like a simple request to allow stud farms to continue breeding as many mares to its stallions as they want, beyond the 140-mare cap. For all we know, that might be the only thing the plaintiffs had in mind when the document was written up.

However, the open-ended nature of its language could potentially prop open the door to sidestep other longstanding rules that define what a Thoroughbred is anywhere in the world – namely, that they must be conceived on a live cover.

A horse of Thoroughbred blood conceived via artificial insemination, embryo transfer, cloning, or any other means besides the only one that's allowed, is not a true “Thoroughbred” by The Jockey Club's definition, and it would not be included in the registry. This is one of the building-block rules of the breed.

If Thoroughbreds are allowed to race in Kentucky regardless of their inclusion in the Jockey Club registry, the lock to Pandora's Box would seemingly be left unfastened for whatever interpretation one would want to use.

The live cover issue is one that's being debated and litigated on a global scale, and blowing open the American Stud Book would be a huge precedent with potentially vast ripple effects. The plaintiffs are aware of that global balance, noting in their filing that foals conceived after a stallion's 140^th mating of the season would not be eligible for registration in any reputable jurisdiction in the world once it's deemed unable to be registered domestically.

This is a court case that could change the process of Thoroughbred breeding worldwide. It's also an incredible opportunity to reinforce the legal standing of the Stud Book cap and, in turn, the very definition of a Thoroughbred, assuming The Jockey Club and its fellow defendants prevail.

If this conflict was inevitable, which it was as soon as the cap was announced, it's best to get it over with.

Speaking with some prominent figures in Kentucky's stallion industry, I wasn't alone in this thought process.

“I think everybody thought it would come to some kind of challenge, be it stallion farms or an individual breeder who couldn't breed to the horse they wanted to because he was over 140,” said John G. Sikura of Hill 'n' Dale Farms. “While it's frustrating and takes a long time, I think the legal challenge is a good one to answer the question. When something's legally held, whether you like it or don't like it, the future is defined. It's better than being muddled or uncertain.”

The question of whose job it is to regulate Thoroughbred breeding, The Jockey Club or the individual state commissions, is one of the core issues of the lawsuit. Settling the matter in the courts would not only firm up the legal standing of the Stud Book cap, a win for The Jockey Club would also better establish its authority to set and enforce rules in an industry where so many other guidelines vary from state to state.

There are enough drums beating for a central national authority in horse racing, so I won't add my mallet to it here, but it's hard to argue that the industry would be helped in any way by a weakened Jockey Club – arguably the closest thing we have to that central office.

Duncan Taylor of Taylor Made Farm said he understood the reasoning behind the suit, specifically noting the cap's restriction on the idea of free-market capitalism, but he also noted that hardly any industry goes completely unregulated. Any form of regulation is ultimately a man-made restriction to the marketplace, and if man-made rules are created in any venue, they tend to be challenged.

Even if the lawsuit's demand language did explicitly state that it only wanted to overturn the Stud Book cap, Taylor said a defeat of that magnitude in court could make it easier to pull apart other pillars of The Jockey Club's rulebook.

“I would say that I could file today and say we should have artificial insemination, and if their case wins, then the AI case ought to definitely win,” he said.

This case could be seen as a potentially helpful one for proponents of the cap, immunizing it from future legal challenges, but it's only helpful if The Jockey Club and the other defendants win. Otherwise, there will be a lot of open-ended questions suddenly needing answers.

If you're looking for past performance, there is a bit of precedence in this matter, and it looks good for the cap staying in place.

When the United States Trotting Association worked toward instituting its own stud book cap for Standardbreds in the mid-2000s, and ultimately implemented it in 2009 (Spoiler alert: Everything was fine), there were several legal challenges that the measure had to overcome from parties claiming it violated antitrust laws.

I wanted to get some perspective on what to expect from the legal challenges, so I spoke with USTA president Russell Williams, who was a board member at the time the Standardbred rule was implemented. He was one of the cap's most vocal supporters, despite running top breeding operation Hanover Shoe Farms, which took one of the biggest hits from the new rule.

Williams, himself a lawyer, said the rule was created with the expectation that it would have to prove itself out in court, so steps were taken ahead of time to make sure it would stand up to the barrage. An intensive study by the University of Kentucky's Dr. Gus Cothran was commissioned to establish scientifically that there was a looming issue with genetic diversity. Then, the language was given the green light by one of the country's leading law firms specializing in antitrust.

Williams said he expected The Jockey Club would come out on top in the end, even if the case and the argument aren't quite apples-to-apples with what the USTA faced. The burden of proof in the scientific backing will rest harder with The Jockey Club, given it hasn't publicly produced a similar go-to study to hold up against the claims that the science isn't there, as accused by the plaintiffs.

With that being said, the diminishing variety in the Thoroughbred gene pool doesn't take a PhD to deduce in the annual Report of Mares Bred.

The foal crop is at its lowest point in decades, fewer stallions are standing at stud, and the number of stallions covering 140-plus mares per season has exploded since the turn of the century. These trends have been a part of The Jockey Club's platform for the cap since it first went public with a proposed rule change in the summer of 2019.

Putting names behind the numbers further shows just how compounded the top of the Thoroughbred market could become if the trend continues. Of the 42 stallions that covered 141 or more mares last year, 15 were by one of five sires: Curlin, Into Mischief, Uncle Mo, Speightstown, and Tapit. Of those five stallions, all but Tapit were also in the group themselves.

Though the odds appear to tilt toward the defendants, one can't expect this will be resolved quickly, or even necessarily in the defendants' favor. If it goes before a jury, as the plaintiffs requested, juries have done crazier things. Either way, this won't be settled as quickly and neatly as a one-hour episode of Law and Order.

Meanwhile, the first foals affected by the Stud Book cap will go through the sales ring as yearlings this summer and fall. It would be nice for everyone involved if they knew exactly what kind of blue sky they were buying into at that point in the calendar, but we can only venture a guess as to what might happen in the months between then and now.

If all goes as expected, I figure the breed will emerge from this lawsuit better off for it. Now, let's just see if it all goes as expected.

The post Making Claims: Let The Courts Strengthen What It Means To Be A Thoroughbred appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Never out of the money in any of her 22 career starts for co-owners Bloom Racing, Madaket Stables LLC and Allen Racing LLC., the well-traveled mare raced at 10 tracks and was awarded an Eclipse Award in 2019 as champion older dirt female.

Her Grade 1 victories came in the Santa Anita Oaks, the Cotillion Stakes, the Apple Blossom Handicap, the Ogden Phipps Stakes, and the Personal Ensign Stakes.

Her sire, two-time Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Midnight Lute, currently ranks eighth on the Blood-Horse general sire list with earnings of over $7.5 million, according to the TDN.

“Midnight Bisou was a mare with extraordinary ability,” said Hill 'n' Dale president John G. Sikura. “We are honored that the owner has entrusted us with her care.”

Champion Midinght Bisou arrived today to begin her broodmare career and will visit Champion Curlin! Honored @BloomRacing @JRBloom3 @cmiller_allen @LoriAllenTX have entrusted us with her care! Xalapa home to champions! pic.twitter.com/XbE0JAILCd

— Hill 'n' Dale Farms (@HillnDaleFarm) December 3, 2020

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The 13-strong stallion roster, led by stalwart breed-shapers Curlin and Kitten's Joy, arrived a week ago to the newly renovated and restored 1,400-acre stallion station and nursery.

“We are aware of the pressures on the market due to the uncertain climate we find ourselves in,” said John G. Sikura, president of Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa. “Hill 'n' Dale will once again look to be an industry leader by offering exceptional value in its entire roster. We are all in this together and together we will grow stronger as an industry.

“There are two stallions on the roster in particular who embody our effort to provide exceptional value in these challenging times,” Sikura continued. “Maclean's Music is emerging as an important young sire. Jackie's Warrior has been described as the best two year old in the country. He is yet another example of his sire's ability to produce an elite runner. In addition, Violence who has led virtually every category since his runners hit the track is the co-leading sire of Grade 1 winners with the likes of Into Mischief. His future remains bright. I repeat, we are all in this together.”

Below is the 2021 roster along with fees:

Army Mule
2014, Friesian Fire – Crafty Toast, by Crafty Prospector
$7,500 LFSN

Bayern
2011, Offlee Wild – Alittlebitearly, by Thunder Gulch
$7,500 LFSN

Curlin
2004, Smart Strike – Sherriff's Deputy, by Deputy Minister
$175,000 LFSN

Flintshire
2010, Dansili – Dance Routine, by Sadler's Wells
$10,000 LFSN

Good Magic
2015, Curlin – Glinda the Good, by Hard Spun
$30,000 LFSN

Kantharos
2008, Lion Heart – Contessa Halo, by Southern Halo
$30,000 LFSN

Kitten's Joy
2001, El Prado – Kitten's First, by Lear Fan
$60,000 LFSN

Lost Treasure
2015, War Front – Wading, by Montjeu
$5,000 LFSN

Maclean's Music
2008, Distorted Humor – Forest Music, by Unbridled's Song
$20,000 LFSN*
*Fee valid on contracts signed prior to Breeders' Cup

Midnight Lute
2003, Real Quiet – Candytuft, by Dehere
$15,000 LFSN

Stormy Atlantic
1994, Storm Cat – Hail Atlantis, by Seattle Slew
$10,000 LFSN

Violence
2010, Medaglia d'Oro – Violent Beauty, by Gone West
$25,000 LFSN

World of Trouble
2015, Kantharos – Meets Expectations, by Valid Expectations
$15,000 LFSN

The post Curlin, Kitten’s Joy Top 2021 Stallion Roster For Hill ‘N’ Dale At Xalapa appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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But to every rule, there must be exceptions.

Witness Danzig. Unbeaten in three starts, none in a stakes, and yet arguably the most successful and influential son of the great Northern Dancer.

And it surely appears that breeding has another exception to the rule in the once-raced and emphatically unbeaten Maclean's Music (by Distorted Humor). The powerful bay made one start.

Maclean's Music won that single start by 7 1/4 lengths in 1:07.44 for six furlongs at Santa Anita on Mar. 19, 2011. For that debut, Maclean's Music earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 114, a figure much higher than most other horses ever run at any time in their racing careers.

And the fact of the colt's speed, a dizzy expression of athletic ability seen and not forgotten, was his ticket to a chance at stud. Because the good-looking young horse was perhaps too fast for his own good and never raced again.

Maclean's Music, however, did show the speed he possessed, and that fact brought him great notice. He was also fortunate enough to be bred and raced by Stonestreet, which saw to it that the colt went to stud at the sire-making emporium of John G. Sikura at Hill 'n' Dale Farms in 2013 after the colt hadn't been able to come back to the races as a 4-year-old.

At Hill 'n' Dale, Maclean's Music received good-sized books of good mares due to the renown of his single race and to the racy look of his own physique. Those who believed in the colt were correct, and Maclean's Music sired 2017 Preakness Stakes winner Cloud Computing in his first crop.

With that Grade 1 winner, Maclean's Music proved that he could sire racehorses who would go farther than sprint distances, and with his two subsequent Grade 1 winners, Complexity and Jackie's Warrior, the stallion has improved the perception among buyers and breeders that he possesses qualities of excellence.

In the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 10, Jackie's Warrior stretched his unbeaten run to four races with a victory by 5 1/2 lengths in 1:35.42. Bred in Kentucky by J & J Stables, Jackie's Warrior took his second Grade 1 in the Champagne; he'd previously won the G1 Hopeful at Saratoga, as well as the G2 Saratoga Special.

Out of the A P Five Hundred mare Unicorn Girl, Jackie's Warrior is the mare's first stakes winner. Unicorn Girl herself is inbred 3×3 to Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew through his sons A.P. Indy and Doneraile Court.

Of more immediate import, however, is the fact that Unicorn Girl won 19 races from 54 starts and nearly a half-million dollars without earning any black type. Most of her victories came in claiming races, and the mare raced through age eight, when she was picked out of a $16,000 claiming race by J & J Stable.

She is a type of hickory racehorse who seems less common in racing today, but Unicorn Girl began her life in the usual way, selling for $45,000 at the OBS April sale in 2007 and making her debut at Saratoga in August of that year.

The now 15-year-old Unicorn Girl is out of stakes winner Horah for Bailey (Doneraile Court), and that mare won the Catcharisingstar Stakes at Calder, then produced a pair of stakes-placed horses, as well as Bernie the Maestro (Bernstein), who won 18 races, including a trio of stakes, and earned $694,317.

Unicorn Girl and Horah for Bailey trace back through the unraced Rahy mare Horah for the Lady to the latter's dam, Istria. An English-bred, Istria was by the Champion Stakes winner Silly Season (Tom Fool) and was ranked as the champion 2-year-old filly in Germany.

Although this family has had plenty of racers and winners since Istria, Bernie the Maestro was a potent reminder that the family has quality as well as quantity on its side, and perhaps that prominent south Florida campaigner played a role in sending his half-sister to the wunderkind who needed, most prominently, toughness in his mates.

The post Bloodlines Presented By ThoroughbredAuctions.Com: Jackie’s Warrior Keeps The Rhythm Going For Sire Maclean’s Music appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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However, Sikura's commitment to his new farm exceeds anything on two wheels. On Wednesday, the entire Hill 'n' Dale Farms stallion roster was vanned 33 miles east from their former Lexington, Ky. base to Xalapa Farm to take up residence for the 2021 breeding season and beyond.

Putting hundreds of millions of dollars worth of horseflesh on vans – including top sires Curlin and Kitten's Joy – might seem like a harrowing task, but Sikura said the expensive cargo handled the process in stride.

“It was a very swift transition,” Sikura said. “All credit to our staff. Our farm manager, stallion manager, resident veterinarian – everybody was there. The horses were full of class. They didn't even nicker. Curlin just put his head down and started eating hay. I think that's a testament to the natural beauty of the place. There's no noise. It's so quiet.”

The history in Xalapa Farm is apparent in its notable past residents. Broodmare of the Year Hildene once called Xalapa home, along with Negofol, who sired winners of the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. That was appealing to Sikura, but the history of the farm's architecture – that natural beauty – was what truly excited the horseman.

Sikura had been invited out repeatedly by an acquaintance tied to the farm to see it for himself, but a packed schedule kept him from venturing out to the property. Besides, he'd seen plenty of top-class farms around the world, and he was skeptical what this one, less than an hour away, could offer that would wow him. The fact that he immediately had to eat his words is part of the reason why he remains so excited about Xalapa to this day.

“One day, I told them I'd like to come see it,” he said. “They showed me around, and when I got in the gate, I went, 'Oh my God.' It wasn't like anything I'd seen before, even though a lot of it was overgrown or in disrepair. All the architectural elements were just incredible.”

The land needed a lot of work. Hundreds of acres on the 1,100-acre farm needed to be fenced in, and infrastructure to get from place to place on the property was scant at best beyond the main buildings. Still, Sikura couldn't shake the place. He went back to visit Xalapa a few more times, and he eventually made an offer.

At the time, his plan was to use Xalapa as a base for Hill 'n' Dale's yearling operation, while the stallions would remain in Yarnalton Pike, between Lexington and Midway. Sikura had too many reasons to stay close to town, so keeping the home base close by made sense. Those circumstances changed last year, though, and so did the plans for the property.

“All my kids are now away at school,” he said. “My youngest just accepted to go to a hockey academy in Rhode Island. I could have never moved out here with my kids in school, because they were in the Spanish immersion program in downtown Lexington, and it's too far to drive back and forth two or three times a day.”

Now with a little more flexibility, Sikura fully committed to the Xalapa property, electing to move the stallions, the staff, and his own personal residence to Paris. He sold the Hill 'n' Dale property in Lexington to Don Alberto Corp., which not only married Sikura's operation to its new location, but also gave it a “save the date.”

“I had 14 months to be off the farm, and I didn't have a breeding shed, I didn't have barns, I didn't have houses for my employees, I didn't have fencing for over 500 acres, roads, electric, water, anything,” Sikura said. “For seven days a week, we've had 100 people out here constantly – Guys building stone walls, the breeding shed, doing electric, the water lines, internet. I knew there was a lot to do, but I didn't realize what a challenge it would be. It was not only an enormous expense, but the time, the mental energy.”

The bones of Xalapa trace back to its founding in 1827. Bringing it up to shape to house one of the country's top Thoroughbred operations required a top-down makeover.

Existing structures were renovated to fit modern needs using the same materials, in order to preserve their historical integrity, down to the hand-crafted hinges on the doors. If a new barn needed to be built, it was built. If a road needed to be made – be it asphalt for vehicles or rubber bricks for the stallions – it was made.

The breeding shed was created by John Howard of Lexington-based Four-H Construction Management, who was the project manager at Keeneland for nearly three decades. Howard's crew built the semi-circle saddling structure in the Keeneland paddock, which Sikura said had an ambience he wanted to recreate on his own property.

When Sikura committed to making Xalapa Hill 'n' Dale's full-time base, he also purchased the adjacent property, Stoner Mill Farm, adding another 300 acres to the project. Stoner Mill presented its own unique challenges, including the removal of 500 dead ash trees.

If the property was being built just to suit the horses' comfort, that would be one thing, but the Xalapa project also involved building or renovating 14 houses for Sikura and the farm's staff. Even the smaller details on such a large property can feel “big picture” when it comes to where one's going to spend their days and nights.

“You drift between excitement and being proud of getting it done, and then being overwhelmed,” Sikura said. “Those emotions will sometimes hit you in the same day. Now that you've got to do the stallion paddocks. How do you take a blank field and fit in 12 paddocks without them being too small, and having enough space between them? Then you've got to figure out water lines and how the roads are going to go. Then, it finally comes together.”

With the stallions settled in, Sikura said there was probably another month's worth of work to do on the property until he considered it officially completed. In the meantime, the November sales are approaching, and breeders will be crisscrossing central Kentucky to inspect stallions for potential 2021 bookings.

Xalapa Farm is far-flung compared to most of its major contemporaries in Kentucky's stallion market. It's about a 45-minute drive from Keeneland. Sikura preached perspective when it came to the farm's location, both in terms of its comparable distance to other Paris farms, and having the kind of product that's worth the trip.

“I think the most important thing you can do to get people to come out to your farm, or to get people to come up to your yearling consignment on the hill at Keeneland, is to have the best horses,” he said, referencing the sale barns furthest from Keeneland's pavilion. “A good horse can change your life, and horses are long-term, multi-million dollar commitments. If you go to Claiborne to see stallions, and a nine-minute drive to Hill 'n' Dale is too far, then you probably should do something else and not be in the horse business. You'll miss some of the quick visits, but I think today, with video walks, stallion registries, and all the professionals who go from farm to farm, all the information you need is out there.

“The difference between 20 minutes and 50 minutes…You have 11 months of gestation,” Sikura continued. “A 30-minute longer drive to get your mare in foal is really a non-factor.”

Sikura doesn't have sights on leaving Xalapa anytime soon, but he was aware of the value he's put into the land after all that work. Beyond all of the breeding and boarding facilities, there's a one-mile training track that also got a shining-up during the renovations, even if there aren't any immediate plans to use it. A stone bridge on the property was used during the filming of the 2003 “Seabiscuit” movie, which is an evergreen selling point, as well.

“I didn't buy it as an asset, but I think it's the most unique, historically significant horse farm; at least that I've been on,” he said. “I hope one or more of my sons have interest in the horse business and want to move it forward. If they do not, then somebody will then buy a one-of-a-kind, pristinely restored, massive, unique farm.”

Until that day comes, though, Sikura said the goal is to make Hill 'n' Dale's new home as welcoming as possible.

Many months and many dollars later, and after the efforts of an army of people, Sikura is still thrilled with his purchase. One of the most fun parts about being excited about something is being able to share that feeling with others, and Sikura said that will be the goal with Xalapa Farm.

“I'm trying to make the farm open and inviting, and the more people see it, the more I think they're going to embrace it – sort of the way the community embraces Keeneland,” he said. “It's private to a degree, but the gates are open and we want to show you how unique the place is.”

The post ‘It Wasn’t Like Anything I’d Seen Before’: Sikura, Hill ‘N’ Dale Go ‘All-In’ On Xalapa Farm appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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