Mating Plans, presented by Spendthrift: Dixiana Farms

The TDN's popular annual series 'Mating Plans, presented by Spendthrift,' continues today in a conversation with Robert Tillyer, farm manager of William and Donna Shively's Dixiana Farm.

AMERICA'S TALE (9, Gio Ponti – America's Friend, by Unusual Heat) to be bred to Taiba

She's in foal to Jackie's Warrior and she's a Grade II winner. We thought Taiba was good value. He's a very attractive son of Gun Runner that won three Grade I races.

DIAMOND WOW (5, Lookin At Lucky – Patriotic Diamond, by Hat Trick {Jpn}) to be bred to Forte

A new mare to the broodmare band and one of four going to champion 2-year-old Forte. She's a multiple stakes winner and is graded stakes placed.

GRAND AVE GIRL (6, Runhappy – One More, by Holy Bull) to be bred to Jackie's Warrior

This multiple stakes winner is carrying her first foal by Jack Christopher.

LADY BRIELLE (6, Tapit – Tabarin, by El Prado {Ire}) to be bred to Gunite

This daughter of Tapit is in foal to Cyberknife. She had a nice update in the family with her half-sister producing the GII Golden Rod winner Intricate (Gun Runner). We are breeding her on the same cross.

LAYLA (10, Union Rags – I'm a Flake, by Mineshaft) to be bred to Constitution

Layla had a mention last year [See those 2023 mating plans here]. She's the full-sister to GISW Express Train. Her first foal, Gran Orca (Liam's Map), has now had two impressive wins in Japan. He was the highest-priced Liam's Map in 2022, selling for $625,000. She is due to have a Flightline foal at the end of February.

Sold It's filly by Quality Road | Dixiana Farm

SACRED LUNA (12, Maliby Moon – Sacred Feather, by Carson City) to be bred to Uncle Mo

This half-sister to MGSW Taareef (Kitten's Joy) produced an Oscar Performance colt that sold last September Keeneland for $310,000.

SOLD IT (8, The Factor – -Charade, by Maliby Moon) to be bred to Cody's Wish

The farm has a very nice Quality Road yearling filly out of this stakes-winning mare. She's in foal to Not This Time.

TRAIN TO ARTEMUS (6, Tapizar- Pay Day Kitten, by Kitten's Joy) to be bred to Into Mischief

Another new mare for the farm, purchased in November. She is a multiple stakes winner and is graded stakes placed.  She is a beautiful mare that will really compliment the Dixiana broodmare band.

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2023 Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift: Dixiana Farm

As we approach the opening of the 2023 breeding season, the TDN staff is once again sitting down with leading breeders to find out what stallions they have chosen for their mares, and why. Today we caught up with Robert Tillyer, farm manager of William and Donna Shively's Dixiana Farm.

HAVANA DREAM (m, 10, Quality Road – Mayo On the Side, by French Deputy) to be bred to Constitution

This stakes-placed mare is carrying her third foal by Yaupon. She is from the family of MGSW Midcourt (Midnight Lute) and throws foals with a lot of size. Constitution should suit her physically. This is a sire line she has not been to.

I'M A FLAKE (m, 15, Mineshaft – November Snow, by Storm Cat) to be bred to Curlin

The dam of Grade I winner Express Train (Union Rags). She throws big, strong, correct foals. The mating of Curlin with A.P. Indy-line mares is proven. He had three Breeders' Cup winners in one day!

 

Layla's colt out of Liam's Map brought $625,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Sale | photo courtesy Dixiana Farm

LAYLA (m, 9, Union Rags – I'm a Flake, by Mineshaft) to be bred to Flightline

The full-sister to Express Train. She proved that she can have a very good individual. Her first foal, a Liam's Map colt, sold for $625,000 (1/43) at last year's Keeneland September Sale. Flightline needs no introduction. He's equine perfection. For a young mare to go to such a talented horse, it gives her every chance.

AMERICA'S TALE (m, 8, Gio Ponti – America's Friend, by Unusual Heat ) to be bred to Jackie's Warrior
Mr. Shively purchased this mare last November in foal to Medaglia d'Oro. She is one of two mares that we have going to Jackie's Warrior. An incredible racehorse and he is stunning.

REVITALIZED (m, 5, Uncle Mo – Excited, by Giant's Causeway) to be bred to Life Is Good

This mare is from the family of MGISW Spain (Thunder Gulch) and a half to two graded stakes horses. Her first foal is a Munnings filly and is very impressive physically. She is in foal to Authentic. Life Is Good will suit her physically.

STARGIRL (m, 8, Medaglia d'Oro – Campionessa, by A.P. Indy) to be bred to Justify

A full-sister to the dam of 2022 GII Jessamine S. winner Delight (Mendelssohn). Her second foal is a very attractive Good Magic yearling filly. We thought we would try a similar cross as Delight with Justify (Scat Daddy). For a sire that we didn't expect to be early, he is off to a great start. I think he has an exciting future ahead and he should put some size into her foal.

SWOOP AND STRIKE (m, 10, Smart Strike – Dance With Doves, by A.P. Indy) to be bred to Golden Pal

One of four mares going to Golden Pal. What a talented and fast horse. Two Breeders' Cups, a track record and a stakes record. And a son of Uncle Mo. I was really impressed when we saw him at Ashford.

TIGER RIDE (m, 11, Candy Ride [Arg] – Royal Tigress, by Storm Cat) to be bred to Not This Time

This Grade I-placed, Grade III-winning mare is carrying her third foal by Charlatan. Her second foal, a Tapit filly called Tiger Tap, was retained by the farm and is showing a lot of talent. Tiger Ride has not been to this sire line. Grade I winner Epicenter and GII winner Simplification, both by Not This Time, are out of Candy Ride mares.

TRUE ELEGANCE (m, 10, Distorted Humor – Sealy Hill, by Point Given) to be bred to Bolt d'Oro

This mare's first foal Elegant Joy (Kitten's Joy) beat the boys at Arlington in her first start. She has an impressive yearling colt by Authentic. True Elegance is a half to MGISW Cambier Parc (Medaglia d'Oro), as well as many others. Bolt d'Oro is off to a great start as a sire. Mr. Shively thought this was the obvious choice for her.

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Empire Strikes Back with Morello

If the early trials have produced a Derby horse to “rise without trace,” then that might well turn out to be Morello (Classic Empire). As winner of two sprints round Aqueduct this winter, he obviously still has a long way to go–in every sense. But there's no mistaking his raw talent, nor the fact that we have only seen the tip of the iceberg even in that very stylish exhibition in the Jimmy Winkfield S.

Certainly Morello looks eligible to restore some deserved attention to his sire. Though they're all gasping in the wake of the phenomenal Gun Runner, to me Classic Empire has been rather neglected among the four Ashford sires who featured among the next six in the freshman's table last year. He's standing this year at $17,500–half his opening fee–and his fourth book came in at less than half of that assembled by Practical Joke, who has duly produced exactly the kind of precocious stock anticipated by all that sales buzz.

Yet Classic Empire laid very solid foundations with his first crop of juveniles, lacking only the kind of headline horse that so often covers a multitude of sins. Collectively they ranked fourth by prizemoney from 60 runners, fewer than each of his studmates: Practical Joke fielded 68, Cupid 75 and Caravaggio, having started his career in Europe, as many as 81. Five of Classic Empire's 21 juvenile winners earned black type, including Classy Edition, who followed up her debut win at Saratoga with a couple of state-bred stakes.

She had made $550,000 as a Timonium 2-year-old, in the same session where Morello–who had similarly clocked :10 1/5–realized $250,000 from BL Racing out of the Sequel Bloodstock draft. (He races in the silks of Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, Craig and Victoria Taylor.) That concluded his second pinhook cycle, having made $200,000 as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton the previous year (sold to Autrey Bloodstock by Paramount Sales, in the same consignment as GII San Vicente S. winner Forbidden Kingdom {American Pharoah}); and $140,000 when sold to American Equistock through Betz Thoroughbreds as a Keeneland November weanling.

Morello was bred in partnership by Robert Tillyer, who has meanwhile returned to Dixiana as farm manager after 18 years with Betz Thoroughbreds, and reproductive veterinarian Dr. Chet Blackey. They had bought his dam Stop The Wedding (Congrats), a winner just once in 25 starts at claiming level, after breeding a good one from her half-sister Saint Bernadette (Saint Ballado).

Saint Bernadette had cost them just $20,000 from Adena Springs as a 10-year-old at the 2009 Keeneland November Sale and the following spring they sent her to the rookie Pioneerof The Nile. The result was eventual GI Preakness S. third Social Inclusion, who prompted Tillyer and Blackey to move privately for his dam's half-sister after he broke the Gulfstream track record in thrashing Honor Code (A.P. Indy) in an allowance on his second start.

Saint Bernadette became something of a goldmine thereafter. A brother to Social Inclusion made $475,000 as a yearling; a Curlin colt brought $575,000; and her last foal, a filly by American Pharoah, realized $425,000.

“We just felt she was one of those mares that deserved a chance,” recalls Tillyer. “She'd been graded stakes-placed, she was never off the board in eight starts, one of her early foals had made good money, and she was very attractive herself. So we got lucky, managing to buy her for that money and then breeding her to Pioneerof The Nile when he was just getting started. And then we got lucky again breeding her to Curlin, who was still only $35,000, and would then make a great comeback before we sold that colt.

“Sadly we lost Saint Bernadette a couple of years ago, and overall she was just a bit unlucky with some of her offspring on the track. And it had looked like becoming a similar thing with Stop The Wedding. We were getting to the point where she was on the bubble, commercially, and opted to sell Morello as a weanling. He was always a lovely colt, really classy, and it was nice to see everybody making some money. Obviously Pat Costello [of Paramount] did a great job raising him, and I think he could have probably got a little more for him but for hitting the middle of a pandemic.”

As a son of Pioneerof The Nile, Classic Empire had been chosen for Stop The Wedding to try and hit the same kind of chord with the family as Social Inclusion.

“It was the usual thing of deciding what was going to be commercial, and what we could afford,” Tillyer says. “With where the mare was at the time, we couldn't justify Pioneerof The Nile [standing at $110,000 prior to his premature loss the following year], so we went with his son as the next best thing. Classic Empire was obviously a really talented horse, so it all made sense.”

If Tillyer's record is anything to go by–besides being ahead of the curve with Pioneerof The Nile and Curlin, as just noted, he co-bred GII Fountain Of Youth winner Ete Indien (Summer Front) from a $23,000 mare–then his approval augurs well for Classic Empire. But even the shrewdest horsemen need luck on their side and, having resolved to reorganise his own breeding interests on leaving Betz Thoroughbreds, he is now grateful that the market turned down the chance to buy Stop The Wedding at the 2020 Keeneland January sale. Instead, his good friend Nicky Drion stepped in to take a third after she failed to meet her reserve at $11,000, and she now boards at Foxtale Farm.

“I don't know what we'd have taken, to be honest, but obviously a lot more than she was making!” recalls Tillyer. “We knew she was a lovely mare. She's nice-sized, pretty correct in front, and every foal she's thrown has been beautiful. She's just been a bit unfortunate with her offspring on the track.”

Voric Stables also got lucky in picking up the Cairo Prince filly Stop The Wedding was carrying that day, deep in the September sale for just $16,000. They, too, will doubtless be following Morello's progress with enthusiasm.

“Yeah, it looks like he could be a good horse,” Tillyer says of Morello. “To me, knowing the family, he looks like a miler. But we'll see. Of course you'd love it if he can go a mile and a quarter. Time will tell and we're looking forward to seeing him in the [GIII] Gotham S. Mar. 5.”

With 50 starting points to the winner there, Morello could make it hard to turn down a tilt at the Derby. His first two dams are both by sons of venerable Classic influences in Congrats (A.P. Indy) and Runaway Groom (Blushing Groom {Fr}), and his fourth dam is by the sturdy turf/stamina influence Assagai. And of course Classic Empire, though a champion juvenile (and as precocious as they come from that sire-line), was consolidating as you would expect from his beautifully balanced pedigree when unfortunately derailing after a head defeat in the GI Preakness S.

Besides extending a resonant Classic sire-line, his maternal family is seeded through its first four generations by Cat Thief, Miswaki, Hoist The Flag and Princequillo. His third dam is a half-sister to champion sophomore filly Revidere (Reviewer) and the fifth dam, Alanesian (Polynesian), also features along the bottom line of Harlan's Holiday, Boldnesian and Ride The Rails. The lasting imprint shared by that trio, through Into Mischief, Bold Reasoning/Seattle Slew and Candy Ride (Arg), qualify Alanesian as a real linchpin of the modern breed.

Overall I'm confident that Classic Empire, granted adequate support, will prove a most wholesome and progressive influence. We actually gave him a place on the Value Podium for this intake, in our annual winter survey of Kentucky stallions, and if that seems a dubious distinction then don't forget he has already caught up with his studmate Practical Joke once. Having dropped down the divisional standings when discarding his rider in the GI Hopeful S., where all the plaudits went to winner Practical Joke, he came through in the Fall to reduce his precocious rival to a distant third at the Breeders' Cup.

But credit for Morello is obviously shared by his breeders. For Tillyer to be involved on the early Derby trail for the second time in three years is quite a remarkable achievement, at the level he operates in what is only a sideline to his day job.

Ete Indien was co-bred with another good friend, Eric Buckley, and sold as a Keeneland September yearling for $80,000. His dam East India (Mizzen Mast) is still only 10. She is in foal to War Of Will and, so long as she doesn't deliver too late, eyeing a date with Gun Runner next. Her 3-year-old daughter by Runhappy, sold as a weanling for $100,000, progressed to win a Churchill maiden for Rusty Arnold in November and is evidently well regarded.

Tillyer stresses that it was Buckley who was strongly interested by East India's deeper family, her dam being a half-sister to the important producers Words Of War and Ascutney (both by Lord At War {Arg}). And he says there's no big secret to his own eye for a mare: you obviously want something that will throw a good physical, and you don't want two blank dams when you come to sell. Bottom line is that Tillyer relishes ventures like this, with his buddies, as a fun ancillary to working for the ambitious farm where he first started out in Kentucky (under a previous ownership) a couple of decades ago and where he has already presided over the sale of its first ever seven-figure yearling, at Keeneland last September.

“It's funny how things work out, and to come full circle this way is fun,” he says of his return to Dixiana. “Working for Bill and Donna Shively is a bit of a dream come true, they've done an amazing job putting together three farms and some very nice mares, and they're just great people to work for. I've been very lucky, all round, and I'm very thankful to the people who have supported me. Chet and I have been friends for 20 years now, he's always been one of my biggest supporters, always willing to go in on a partnership, whether it's a pinhook or a broodmare. When these things go right, it's a lot of fun. And this mare deserves a good runner.”

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Mating Plans: Dixiana Farm

In this edition of our ongoing mating plans series, we spoke with Robert Tillyer, farm manager of Dixiana Farm.

“Right now we have about 50 broodmares at Dixiana Farm,” Tillyer said. “This year we are going to have around 38 foals. We usually put over 30 yearlings through the sale each year and then Mr. Shively is always happy to retain a few for his own racing stable.

 

BRIELLE'S APPEAL (m, 8, English Channel – Court of Appeal, by Deputy Minister) to be bred to Gun Runner

This year Brielle's Appeal is in foal to Speightstown and then she will be visiting Gun Runner, who set a new record for progeny earnings for a first-crop sire last year. He has great colts and great fillies and I'm really excited to see Echo Zulu run again.

This mare was a graded stakes-placed winner and she was very talented. She has proven that she can get a really good physical. She had a $1.15 million Quality Road yearling at Keeneland September last year. With this mare, she's been going to proven stallions. Gun Runner is the new, hot stallion so it just made sense.

HAVANA DREAM (m, 9, Quality Road – Mayo On the Side, by French Deputy) to be bred to Yaupon

   This is the half-sister to MGSW Midcourt (Midnight Lute). We kept her first foal, a Kitten's Joy colt, and he is now in training as a 2-year-old. She also has a really nice Uncle Mo yearling filly who is really leggy and looks fast.

We decided to go with Yaupon for her this year. Yaupon was a really talented horse with a lot of speed. With a young mare like her, she's been to two proven sires so now we're going to go with a new stallion.

I'M A FLAKE (m, 14, Mineshaft – November Snow, by Storm Cat) to be bred to Gun Runner

   This mare is the dam of MGSW Express Train (Union Rags), who was raised here at Dixiana and recently won the GII San Pasqual S. for a second time. I'm A Flake produced the full-brother to Express Train last year. The colt is a big, strong, correct horse who moves really well.

She is in foal to Munnings this year. Munnings is very commercial and we think he will add speed to the family. She hasn't been to this sire line yet, so we are very excited to see what this mating produces and then she is booked back to Gun Runner.

JULIA TUTTLE (m, 17, Giant's Causeway – Candy Cane (Arg), by Ride the Rails) to be bred to Twirling Candy

   This is the dam of GISW Tom's d'Etat (Smart Strike). We have her 3-year-old Connect filly in training with Al Stall and we also have her 2-year-old Nyquist colt. She has an American Pharoah yearling filly who is pointing for the Keeneland September Sale.

Last year we opted to go with War of Will. She's already a Grade I producer and War of Will is a beautiful sire. We're looking forward to that foal and then she will be going to Twirling Candy. He's proven and I don't think she's been to that sire line before. Physically, I think he will suit her and he has been doing really well recently.

LAYLA (m, 8, Union Rags – I'm a Flake, by Mineshaft) to be bred to City of Light

   The full sister to Express Train, Layla had her first foal last year, a Liam's Map colt. We're really happy with him.

This year she will be going to City of Light. We think the cross works well and he's a really popular stallion.

Revitalized (Uncle Mo) and her 2022 Munnings filly | photo courtesy Dixiana Farm

REVITALIZED (m, 4, Uncle Mo – Excited, by Giant's Causeway) to be bred to Authentic

   This is a mare that Mr. Shively bought at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale for $360,000. She was one of seven mares he purchased last year. We're really excited about her. She's a beautiful mare and is a full-sister to SW Thrilled. Her 3-year-old full-sister Beside Herself just broke her maiden for Todd Pletcher, so it's a very active family.

Revitalized just had her first foal, a really nice Munnings filly. This year she will be visiting Authentic.

TIGER RIDE (m, 10, Candy Ride {Arg} – Royal Tigress, by Storm Cat) to be bred to Charlatan

   Tiger Ride is one of Mr. Shively's favorite mares. She's a homebred who won the GIII Pin Oak Valley View S. at Keeneland and placed in the GI Beldame S.

She had a Tapit colt that we sold as a yearling who is now three. She also has a Tapit filly who is now two that we retained. I saw the filly last week and she looked really good. Then she has an Uncle Mo yearling colt on the ground as well.

This year, she will go to Charlatan. Again, she's been to three proven sires so we're going to try an unproven sire this year. Everyone knows that Charlatan is stunning. He was obviously very talented and John Sikura was very selective with the mares going to him, so we think he has a great shot as a stallion.

TRUE ELEGANCE (m, 9, Distorted Humor – Sealy Hill, by Point Given) to be bred to Essential Quality

The daughter of champion Sealy Hill, this mare produced her first foal in 2019. It was a Kitten's Joy filly who is now in Dixiana's racing stable. She won first out at Arlington Park last summer, beating the boys. She had a little break and just got back into training. We retained the mare's Frosted 2-year-old filly as well. She is currently in training and we really like her. The mare's yearling filly is by Ghostzapper. She looks fast and is correct. She will likely be at the September Sale.

This year the mare is in foal to Authentic. Obviously the Into Mischief-Distorted Humor mating is a proven cross, so we're excited for that foal. Then she is going to go to Essential Quality. We wanted to try a different sire line with her. He was a talented horse and is really good looking. We think he's going to be commercial and is another one that we think has a great shot as a sire.

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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