The 2008 son of Distorted Humor is produced from the multiple stakes-winning and stakes-producing Seattle Slew mare Alternate, a three-time stakes winner who banked $550,695 and is a half-sister to Peaks and Valleys, a multiple G1 winner, millionaire, and a Horse of the Year in Canada.

“We're excited to bring a horse of Alternation's caliber to Darby Dan,” said Ryan Norton, stallion director at Darby Dan Farm. “He was a top-class horse on the racetrack, he is from an active and accomplished Pin Oak family, and he is already making his presence felt as a stallion, siring the likes of (G1) Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress. He is a great-looking horse and possesses all the qualities to be a top sire.”

Alternation was a multiple Graded stakes winner of $1,064,727 in a stellar racing career. He captured five stakes races in Pin Oak's famed colors, including the G2 Peter Pan Stakes at 3 and the G2 Oaklawn Handicap, G3 Pimlico Special, and G3 Razorback Handicap the following year at 4.

As a stallion, Alternation is represented by multiple G1 winner Serengeti Empress, winner of the 2019 G1 Kentucky Oaks and the 2020 G1 Ballerina Stakes en route to earnings of $2,175,653. Alternation is represented in 2021 by Ballroom Blitz, victorious in the Best of Ohio Distaff Stakes on Oct. 30, Ellanation, winner of the Jameela Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., and La Bolena, a Group 3 winner in Panama. He is also the sire of G3 Super Derby winner Limation and multiple stakes winner Alternative Slew.

For more information about Alternation, to inquire about shares, or to arrange an inspection, contact Ryan Norton at (859) 254-0424, or by email at ryan@darbydan.com, or visit DarbyDan.com.

The post Alternation Relocates To Darby Dan Farm For 2022 Breeding Season appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Everett's Song, trained by Dale Bennett and ridden by Pablo Morales, covered the seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:22.68 to give the trainer, jockey, and ownership group, headed by Diane Olsen, their first wins at Churchill Downs.

The winner's share of $162,525 increased Everett's Song's earnings to $226,525 with a record of 3-1-0 in four starts.

The connections were considering Everett's Song for Saturday's $1 million Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby over 1 1/8 miles at Parx – won by Hot Rod Charlie, with Midnight Bourbon second – but prudently opted for the seven-furlong Harrods Creek instead.

“I owe it all to my owners for wanting to run in this spot,” Bennett said. “I thought the distance would fit him just fine from his previous three races.”

Dreamer's Disease led the field of 10 down the backstretch through swift early fractions of :21.81 and :44.61 with Emerald Forest tracking in second and Everett's Song in the clear well back in seventh. Leaving the turn, Everett's Song cut the margin in half and was one of six horses that appeared to have a chance to win with a furlong to run. The collapse of the fast pace benefitted Everett's Song as he surged to the front inside the final sixteenth of a mile and edged clear late.

“I knew I had a lot of horse underneath me,” Morales said. “I feel like every time I asked him to run he would just take off. Coming around the turn, I couldn't wait to tip him out. Inside the final furlong he kept giving me more and more. I'm just extremely happy with his performance today and so thrilled for Dale and the owners. He's a really nice horse.”

A maiden winner in July and three-length victor of a first-level allowance in August at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., Everett's Song returned $27.60, $11.40, and $7.80 at odds of 12-1. He'smyhoneybadger rallied from second-to-last for second under Martin Garcia and paid $12.60 and $6.60 with last-to-third Ram finishing another length back in third and returning $8.20 to show under Rafael Bejarano.

Bob's Edge, the tepid 3-1 favorite, was fourth and was followed by Emerald Forest, Wolfie's Dynaghost, Flags Up, Dreamer's Disease, Shadow Matter, and St. Louis Derby runner-up Irish Unity.

Everett's Song was bred in Kentucky by Maccabee Farm. He is a gelded son of Liam's Map out of the Indian Charlie mare Pelipa.

“I still think he wants more distance,” Bennett said. “I'm not sure what we'll end up doing next but we're really pleased with his effort today.”

The race honors the neighborhood of Louisville centered near Harrods Creek at the intersection of River Road and Wolf Pen Branch Road. It is roughly bordered by the Ohio River to the west and US 42 to the east. Formerly an unincorporated community, it was designated a neighborhood of Louisville when the city merged with Jefferson County in 2003.

The post Everett’s Song Makes First Trip To Churchill A Winning One In Harrods Creek appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The sale was topped by the Triton Stables offering, Don't Blame Judy (Blame), a multiple stakes-placed racing/broodmare prospect who commanded a final bid of $35,000 from Jay Reese.

“We felt that this month's results showed once again that a robust marketplace is continuing to develop on our platform. The site's metrics and analytics are constantly growing and improving and we thank our users for that continued support,” said co-founder Jack Carlino.

Entries are now open for Wanamaker's March online auction. Entries will close on March 16, the catalogue will be released on March 17, and the horses will sell on March 25. Detailed selling information can be found at wanamakers.com/sell.

The post Beginning Of Maccabee Farm Dispersal Fuels Wanamaker’s February Results appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Highlights from the catalog include Don't Blame Judy (Blame), a multiple stakes-placed racing or broodmare prospect and Newyearsblockparty (New Year's Day), a 3-year-old colt who was most recently second in the Pasco Stakes behind Nova Rags (Union Rags).

The catalog also contains a number of horses are being offered by Maccabee Farm, marking the beginning of the dispersal of the majority of Maccabee Farm's bloodstock.

The remainder of the catalog can be found at wanamakers.com. Prospective buyers may browse the website to view pedigrees, pictures, and videos. In-person inspections may be scheduled by contacting sellers with the information provided in the catalog.

Live bidding will open at 8 a.m. ET on Feb. 25, and the first listing will close at 5 p.m. ET with subsequent listings ending in three-minute increments. Detailed buying information can be found at wanamakers.com/buy.

The post Wanamaker’s Releases February Sale Catalog appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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At the Keeneland November Sale back in 2017, Traylor brought home a young mare for just $4,000. This week, her Good Samaritan filly sold for over 27 times that number, hammering down for $110,000.

Traylor is the farm manager for Maccabee Farm, a growing operation established by Steve Belford just seven years ago with locations in both Paris, Kentucky and Mount Gilead, Ohio.

Traylor still remembers the mare’s hip number- 3264. Twizzler (Twirling Candy) was one of the last twenty-some horses to go through the ring on the ninth session of the sale that year.

“It was getting late in the sale and I was standing in the back ring watching the individuals come in and I just fell in love with her,” he recalled.

The daughter of Twirling Candy had raced just three times two years prior, her best result being a second-place finish in her debut at Ellis Park, but pedigree made up for her lackluster race record. Her dam Twist Afleet (Afleet), a seven times graded winner and victress of the 1994 GI Test S., had four stakes horses under her name.

Twizzler herself had produced a Mineshaft filly earlier that year and was in foal to Noble Mission (GB) (Galileo {Ire}).

Before he could head up to the sales ring, Traylor called Maccabee Farm’s owner Steve Belford.

“Steve and I kind of work as a team,” Traylor said. “He knows all the pedigrees and I scope out the horses. I got Steve on the phone and asked if he was alright with the pedigree. He told me to go for it. She was a big, raw-boned mare and I figured she would go for between $25,000 and $30,000 because she was in foal to Noble Mission, but I got her for $4,000 so I was pretty excited.”

When Twizzler foaled her Noble Mission filly the next year, Belford decided to keep the youngster. The now 3-year-old is putting in her first works at Skylight Training Center.

“She’s doing great,” Belford reported. “She’s at Skylight with Tom Drury and her name is Natalie’s Charm.”

Twizzler was barren the following year, but was next bred to WinStar’s then first-year sire Good Samaritan (Harlan’s Holiday).

It was quickly apparent to Traylor that the resulting filly could be an exciting prospect.

“She had plenty of bone, plenty of size and a really nice hip on her,” he said. “She was really well-balanced. She had the attitude to be a racehorse. I told Steve that she’s probably one of the better fillies we’ve raised. I said she looks like a Classic horse.”

Belford had to put a lot of consideration into what to do with the youngster.

“We’re part of the syndicate on Good Samaritan with WinStar and we wanted to help promote the stallion by selling her,” Belford explained. “But it was really hard because she was such a nice filly and I wanted to keep her myself. She looked the part.”

Belford was satisfied with his decision to part with the filly when she sold to Young Squirrel Stable for $110,000 on the first day of the Keeneland January Sale, becoming her sire’s top seller to date.

“We felt she was worth it and we were rewarded,” Belford said. “She was very special. We knew that she was really exceptional and we’re starting to see that in a lot of the Good Samaritan foals. We have another colt that we’re going to offer in February and he’s also really nice.”

Belford reported that Twizzler, as well as five or six other mares from his band, will go to Good Samaritan again this year.

Most of what Belford’s Maccabee Farm breeds is retained to race, with the farm’s top earners including stakes winners Tough It Up (Lemon Drop Kid) and Strike Your Light (Majestic Warrior), both Ohio-breds trained by Tom Drury. In 2015, Maccabee Farm bred four-time graded stakes-winning millionaire Factor This (The Factor).

Despite the farm’s growing success, Belford says they prefer to stay out of the spotlight.

“We don’t really like publicity,” he admits. “If we’re going to promote anything it would be the Ohio program because we need to do better with that.”

So Belford and Traylor will look for their next quiet success story, perhaps in finding another mare overlooked by the throngs of buyers at the next sale.

Traylor will be keeping an eye out for just that.

“I was born and raised at Claiborne and I remember the Hancocks always talking about how they liked those big, raw-boned mares because you can get any kind of horse out of them,” Taylor said. “But certain horses, they just catch your eye, you know?”

The post KeeNov Steal Produces Six-Figure Good Samaritan Filly appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Breaking from the outside post, Factor This was able to get to the lead and the rail before the clubhouse turn. Geroux guided him through fractions of :24.28 and :48.74, maintaining a one-length advantage until mid-way up the backstretch.

Irish Strait moved up to pressure the leader, within a half-length at the five-eighths pole, while Somelikeithotbrown was trapped down on the rail through much of the early going. In the far turn, Irish Strait dropped back and Somelikeithotbrown was able to angle out to take aim on the leading Factor This.

Somelikeithotbrown got within a length of Factor This, but could not get by the determined frontrunner and yielded in the final sixteenth of a mile. At the finish, it was Factor This in front by about three lengths as Somelikeithotbrown settled for second. Hembree got up for third, while Doctor Mounty was fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by Maccabee Farm, Factor This is out of the Singspiel mare Capricious Miss. He was a $2,700 yearling at the Keeneland September sale, then brought a final bid of $11,000 at the OBS April sale the following spring. Factor This didn't win his first stakes race until his 4-year-old season, and earned a first graded victory early in 2020. This year, the horse has won five of his seven starts, all in stakes company.

Overall, Factor This has earned over $1.2 million with a career record of 12-4-4 from 32 starts.

The post Factor This Gives Cox, Geroux Second Win On The Day In Dinner Party appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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