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Mating Plans: Machmer Hall

With the 2022 breeding season right around the corner, we will feature a series of breeders' mating plans over the coming weeks. Today Carrie Brogden discuses mating plans for a few members of the 109-mare-strong Machmer Hall broodmare band.

TIZ DIXIE (m, 9, Tiznow — Comeon Dixie, by Mr. Greeley), to be bred to Constitution

We bought this 9-year-old mare as a maiden for Golden Pedigree for $5,500 and we subsequently did the mating and then foaled and raised her first foal, a colt by Constitution who became stakes winner Never Surprised (Constitution). He just ran second in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S.

When Golden Pedigree liquidated their broodmare band due to an illness, we bought her privately. As far as a mating plan, it seemed like a no-brainer to book her back to rising supersire Constitution.

MISS SHOP (m, 19, Deputy Minister –Shopping, by Private Account), to be bred to Into Mischief

We owned and raced her half-sister, Shop Again (Wild Again), when Miss Shop won the 2007 GI Personal Ensign S. at Saratoga, so when Miss Shop came through the back ring as a graded stakes producer, I just had to have her.

We bred her to Into Mischief for her second year with us and the resulting yearling filly might be the best Into Mischief filly we have had (and we have had a LOT of Into Mischief foals!). Even though he has sadly passed out of our comfort range in terms of stud fee, how could we not make an exception and breed back to him just one last time hoping to duplicate the filly we currently have on the ground?

2021 Into Mischief filly out of GISW Miss Shop as a weanling | photo courtesy Carrie Brogden

SPECIAL ME (m, 16, Unbridled's Song — Delta Danielle, by Lord Avie), to be bred to Twirling Candy

Special Me is the dam of Grade I-winning Lane's End stallion Gift Box (Twirling Candy), so I'm not sure why we have not repeated this breeding sooner. Currently in foal to Into Mischief, this three-time graded stakes producer who we bought as a maiden mare for just $6,000 will be bred back to Twirling Candy, who has been a superstar for us as Gift Box, Rombauer, Fore Left, Trophy Chaser and Sweetontheladies were all Machmer Hall-raised or pinhooks for us.

LAYREEBELLE (m, 16, Tale of the Cat — Voodoo Lily, by Baldski), to be bred to Candy Ride (Arg)

The dam of GSWs Spellbound (Bernardini) and Kid Cuz (Lemon Drop Kid) and the granddam of GSW Soothsay (Distorted Humor), Layreebelle is a homebred out of our former pensioner Voodoo Lilly, the granddam of Justify. After hurting her shoulder as a yearling, Layreebelle (named for my kids Layne, Reece and Isabelle) has been quite the producer for Machmer Hall.

She is currently in foal to Candy Ride (Arg), who I believe is one of the top values at stud, especially if you have a mare that throws size and bone–which she does. She is booked right back to this lovely, well-priced stallion who throws so much heart with runners of all shapes and sizes.

DEFY (m, 8, Into Mischief — Shy Lil, by Lil's Lad), to be bred to Charlatan

This stakes-winning Saratoga yearling is currently in foal to one of my favorite proven stallions, Speighstown. After having two Speightstown foals in a row for two proven-sired foals, we looked for a “sizzle” first-year sire. Defy is booked to Charlatan, who in my opinion is one of the top physicals to go to stud this year.

QUEENIE'S PRIDE (m, 11, Special Rate — Solo Rolo, by Air Forbes Won), to be bred to Silver State

We bought this young, multiple stakes producer privately after watching her daughter Joy's Rocket (Anthony's Cross) win a stake at Keeneland. She's bred very modestly but is producing impressive runners from very inexpensive stallions.

'Queenie' is currently in foal to Vino Rosso. This 15'2-hand mare could double as a quarter horse and since she is proven, we decided to breed her back to a stallion that could give her some stretch and speed. Enter GI Met Mile winner, Silver State!

FANCY KITTEN (m, 8, Kitten's Joy — Endless Fancy, by Ghostzapper), to be bred to Independence Hall

Fancy Kitten is a stakes-placed Kitten's Joy mare whose first foal was a very solid 2-year-old colt in Japan last year. She is currently in foal to Mendelssohn, who I would hope is the heir apparent to Into Mischief.

We wanted a young stakes mare to breed to Independence Hall, who I believe is the best-priced first-year stallion for his looks, race record and sire.

MISS SOUTHERN MISS (m, 8, More Than Ready — Miss Atlantic City, by Stormy Atlantic), to be bred to Essential Quality

We bought this stunning stakes-winning mare privately and realized that she needs a bit of stretch in her matings. She's currently in foal to a super consistent and now great-priced proven guy, Medaglia d'Oro. After mating her to three proven sires to give her a good start to her career, we are opting to send her to champion 2-year-old and first-year stallion Essential Quality.

2021 Audible filly out of Homesteading | Mathea Kelly

HOMESTEADING (m, 10, Unbridled's Song — Homebound, by Dixie Union), to be bred to Audible

We bought this young Unbridled's Song mare in foal and she had a disappointing foal, but she had been bred to the same sire line three times in a row. We thought that maybe the mating was just not a good one because the mare is super pretty.

We decided to breed her to Audible to see if the change in sire line was what she needed. From the moment her 2021 filly by Audible was born, we have just said, 'Wow, wow, wow.' Like so many Audible weanlings I saw and short listed at the mixed sales, her 2021 baby is nothing short of spectacular. It was a no-brainer to breed her back to that sire and hope she runs to her looks.

ASTRAY (m, 8, Bernardini — Away, by Dixieland Band), to be bred to Hard Spun

We bought Astray as a maiden mare. She is one of the prettiest Bernardini mares I have ever seen but is also from a beautiful family. She is currently in foal to Authentic, along with four other Machmer Hall mares, but we really wanted to give her a shot at another proven sire after her Curlin colt did so well at Keeneland September [sold for $470,000].

She is booked back to Hard Spun, who does not always get you a “sales horse” but there is no doubt that he always throws a racehorse. He's great value for a proven sire and we have him booked to two of our young, pretty mares.

STORY UNTOLD (m, 11, Old Fashioned — Shappy, by Really Secret), to be bred to Tiz the Law

We bought Story Untold as a weanling to pinhook and unfortunately she fractured her knee in a paddock accident as a yearling, rendering her an instant broodmare to join the band.

Story Untold's first foal Arella Rockstar (Astrology) was a graded stakes winner and she had a lovely Bernardini yearling at Keeneland September. She's currently in foal to Candy Ride (Arg) and is booked back to Tiz the Law. How can you not admire what Tiz the Law did as a racehorse and his sire continues on his march to stardom. We figured that Story Untold had the bone and size that Tiz the Law would want physically and hopefully his extraordinary talent on the racetrack will translate onto his babies.

WEIGHT NO MORE (m, 18, Pure Prize — Aunt Nola, by Olden Times), to be bred to Goldencents

This multiple stakes-horse producer has been with us since 2010 when we bought her and her third foal at the same mixed sale. That foal, Skinny (Private Vow), went on to become her first stakes horse.

To look at this plain Jane mare, you would never think that she throws the beautiful athletes that she has for us. Her striking daughter Bayerness (Bayern) went on to be a listed stakes winner and was graded stakes placed at Saratoga. Her Goldencents yearling filly sold back to those same connections at the Keeneland September Sale.

I have long thought that Goldencents has been an incredible value sire. You just have to breed him to a mare that throws a lot of leg, like Weight No More, and he seems to throw the body and the heart. We have booked this girl back to Goldencents as her filly was one of my favorite yearlings we had last year.

TWO SHAKES (m, 6, Exchange Rate — Perfectforthepart, by Dynaformer), to be bred to Maxfield

We probably overpaid for this stakes-placed filly as a broodmare prospect, but damn she is good looking. Her first foal, a yearling colt by Constitution, is everything you would want in a first foal and she is a pretty enough mare to go back to a stallion that has been so good to us, Flatter. She is due in February and now that she will have two proven sire babies in front of her, we turned to a beautiful son of Street Sense, Maxfield.

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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Forbidden Kingdom One to Celebrate at Springhouse

Foaling season is already underway at Springhouse Farm, where breeder Gabriel “Spider” Duignan says they are expecting to see around 50 new foals on the ground this year.

On Saturday, Duignan enjoyed a brief respite from his work on the farm to celebrate a successful day on the racetrack.

Forbidden Kingdom, a son of American Pharoah bred by Springhouse Farm, stamped himself as one to watch on the Triple Crown trail after he upset a trio of Bob Baffert runners in the GII San Vicente S. at Santa Anita. Trained by Richard Mandella and campaigned by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm, the chestnut colt broke his maiden at Del Mar last summer and placed in the Speakeasy S. and the GIII Bob Hope S. in the fall before his winning sophomore debut in the San Vicente, where he showed the way down the stretch to win by 2 1/4 lengths and earn a 94 Beyer Speed Figure.

Duignan purchased Forbidden Kingdom's dam, Just Louise (Five Star Day), at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton November Sale for $150,000. The mare had been a precocious 2-year-old in 2010, breaking her maiden on debut and then taking the GIII Debutante S., while her half-sister Sara Louise (Malibu Moon) was a three-time graded stakes winner.

“She was a beautiful-looking mare,” Duignan recalled. “She was barren, which made the price better. When we inquired about her, it sounded like she had no fertility problems; it was just something that commonly happens with young mares. She was a very fast 2-year and it was a great family, a very good-looking family.”

While her first foal fetched $300,000 as a weanling and won on debut, the mare's first three foals did not make any major headlines.

When Just Louise was next bred to Malibu Moon, the mare produced a promising filly in 2018, so Duignan decided to send her to American Pharoah.

“American Pharoah speaks for himself,” he said of his reasoning behind the mating. “He's a fantastic horse and I'm a big believer. I thought that the fact that there was so much speed in her family would suite him well. Physically, I thought they would match up.”

Forbidden Kingdom as a yearling at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Sale | Photos by Z

The resulting colt, Duignan said, was everything he had hoped for and more.

“Forbidden Kingdom was always a beautiful colt, beautiful-bodied and fast-looking. He was very straightforward with a lot of quality. He was one of those that never had a bad stage. He was just born nice and he stayed that way.”

Duignan thought the colt was impressive enough to send to the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Sale, which was held in Lexington in 2020. Despite an uncertain market due to the pandemic, Forbidden Kingdom brought $300,000, selling to Spendthrift and MyRacehorse as one of the top three highest-priced American Pharoah yearlings of the sale.

Just Louise's Malibu Moon filly, who brought $310,000 as a yearling in 2019 and was named Sianara, broke her maiden at Churchill Downs last year and remains in training with Steve Asmussen. The mare also produced a Bolt d'Oro colt who brought $275,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. She now has a Not This Time yearling filly in the pipeline who Duignan said is one to watch.

When the Not This Time filly was foaled in April, Just Louise was bred once to Tiz the Law, but did not catch. Duignan said mating plans are not yet set for her this year.

Forbidden Kingdom is not Duignan's first potential Kentucky Derby starter. He was represented by GI Blue Grass S. winner Brody's Cause (Giant's Causeway), who he bred in partnership with William Arvin, Jr. and Charlie O'Connor's Petaluma Bloodstock, in the 2016 GI Kentucky Derby.

“It's what you're trying to achieve as a breeder, so it's lovely when it happens,” Duignan said of the experience of having a potential Kentucky Derby starter. “It's really fun and hopefully he stays on the right track. You can never know which ones will be special, but he was definitely one that you could hope for because he was a beautiful horse.”

Duignan is also a founding partner in Paramount Sales. In addition to what was an exciting Saturday for Springhouse Farm, Paramount Sales enjoyed a big day with their sales graduate Life is Good (Into Mischief) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. The gifted 4-year-old was part of Paramount's 2019 Keeneland September Sale consignment and sold to China Horse Club and Maverick Racing for $525,000.

Asked if he remembers the impressive colt from the Keeneland grounds, Duignan responded quickly. “I sure do. He was a beautiful Into Mischief with maybe a little bit more leg than some of them. He was very popular at the sales and brought a good amount of money.”

How does Life is Good compare with the rest of the long list of top-performing Paramount sales graduates?

“He ranks well no matter what company you put him in,” Duignan said, chuckling. “He's a monster.”

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Taking Stock: Constitutionality Matters

Last Friday, on the same day that Bob Baffert's New York Racing Association (NYRA) suspension hearing was ending in New York, the Texas attorney general filed a motion in a Texas federal court to join the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (National HBPA), et al., in arguing that the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA), enacted late last year, was unconstitutional.

Baffert had challenged his suspension, which was summarily instituted by NYRA without a hearing May 17 after the Baffert-trained Medina Spirit (Protonico) had tested positive for betamethasone in the Gl Kentucky Derby. Baffert had sought an injunction to stop the suspension so that he could race at NYRA tracks last summer. United States District Court Judge Carol Bagley Amon granted the injunction July 14. She wrote: “In sum, I find that Baffert has established a likelihood of proving that NYRA's suspension constituted state action, and that the process by which it suspended him violated the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.”

Judge Amon also wrote that “the public has no interest in having the 'integrity of the sport' enforced by unconstitutional means.”

That's a profound statement, but it may not mean much to those horse racing folks on social media who'd like to ban Baffert and others with medication positives through any means necessary, constitutional or not. As members of the peanut gallery, they have a right to that sort of chatter.

Journalists, however, are another matter and should be held to a higher standard. They should be impartial in reportage and knowledgeable about the issues in editorials. In their eagerness to support HISA, for instance, some who cover racing have shown little critical thinking about its constitutionality. In fact, my colleague Bill Finley wrote a pro-HISA Op/Ed piece in these pages that implied the National HBPA was challenging HISA in court simply to retain the status quo, rather than having valid concerns about HISA's constitutionality. He wrote: “It's hard to imagine that there is one horseman anywhere who cares one bit whether or not HISA is unconstitutional or not.” That's his opinion, but there are valid concerns about HISA nonetheless. And taken at face value, his comment could easily apply to those that backed the passage of HISA as well.

With an avalanche of “doping” publicity in the game over the past few years, many writers, like many fans on social media, were understandably smitten with the concept that HISA, with United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)'s Travis Tygart playing a major role, would form the centralized leadership the sport direly needs, particularly in the area of medication and anti-doping reform. But Tygart, who'd famously nailed Lance Armstrong, and USADA couldn't come to an agreement with HISA's governing board, and they appear to be out of the equation for the moment. That's led to many of these same journalists penning handwringing Chicken Little pieces.

Lost in these articles and editorials were the legitimate concerns–now being litigated–about HISA's constitutionality.

The sport does need to be enforced, but not, as Judge Amon said, “by unconstitutional means.” That should be a concern that any journalist can comprehend.

This is why it's important for those entities challenging HISA to have their days in the courts. It's to everyone's benefit to get judicial opinions on the matter as soon as possible one way or the other. Instead, prominent journalists and organizations have disparaged groups like the National HBPA that are challenging HISA, and in doing so, they seem to be supporting the one powerful segment of the racing industry, headed by The Jockey Club (TJC), which advocated heavily for HISA. The journalistic optics of this are awful.

By the way, TJC, in an amicus brief filed June 30, supported the unconstitutional NYRA ban on Baffert.

Some Issues

There are some, including constitutional scholars, who question if HISA potentially infringes on states' rights. Anyone who followed the Baffert hearing last week got a glimpse of the complex and intertwined relationships that exist between state regulatory agencies, racetracks, and participants, and it's these states' rights issues, for example, that put Texas into the fray and add heft to the National HBPA's suit.

Three years ago, in a column from Feb. 7, 2019 titled “Issues With the Integrity Act,” I presaged some of these constitutional concerns, citing the Supreme Court's landmark decision from May of 2018 that held the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was unconstitutional. I wrote: “A central tenet to this decision was something called the 'anticommandeering principle' of the Tenth Amendment, which was previously established in the Supreme Court decisions of New York v. United States and Printz v. United States, both of which were invoked” in the case.

Racing at Sam Houston | Coady

The court explained “anticommandeering” in the PASPA decision: “…conspicuously absent from the list of powers given to Congress is the power to issue direct orders to the governments of the States. The anticommandeering doctrine simply represents the recognition of this limit on congressional authority.”

Last Friday, the attorney general of Texas specifically addressed this exact issue in his motion, which states, in part: “HISA unconstitutionally commandeers the legislative and executive branches of state government and puts Congress in control of state branches of government in violation of the Tenth Amendment.”

As to specifics, the motion noted these points in part (“Authority” here is the private nonprofit corporation–Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority–established by HISA):

HISA requires Texas and the Texas Racing Commission (TRC) to cooperate and share information with the Authority; forces them to remit taxes and fees to fund the Authority or lose the ability to collect taxes and fees for their own anti-doping, medication-control, and racetrack-safety programs; and preempts some of Texas's laws and regulations.
If the State of Texas refuses to assess, collect, and remit fees to the Authority, HISA strips from Texas its right to “impose or collect from any person a fee or tax relating to anti-doping and medication control or racetrack safety matters for covered horseraces.”
HISA requires Texas “law enforcement authorities” to “cooperate and share information” with the Authority whenever a person's conduct may violate both a rule of the Authority and Texas law. HISA § 1211(b), 134 Stat. at 3275. HISA thus forces the State of Texas to spend time and resources to help the Authority carry out a federal regulatory program.
HISA preempts state laws and regulations on which Texans and the regulated industry have long relied to ensure the safety and integrity of horseracing.

These are valid concerns, and no amount of back and forth bickering between TJC lawyers, pro-HISA journalists, and other HISA supporters, versus those bringing the suits opposing HISA, will amount to anything but hot air until the courts decide.

So, why don't we sit back, chill, and let the judicial process take place?

Constitutionality, after all, matters.

Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks.

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Letters to the Editor: Barry Irwin

Regarding T. D. Thornton's Weekly Roundup, I would like to chime in to say that, as opposed to baseball in their juice era, Thoroughbred racing has only begun its purge. Only the tip of the iceberg has been shown so far. Wait until investigations reach the Midwest and the West Coast. The round up of miscreants is going to be very large in terms of numbers of cheaters who will be forced to find something else to do in life besides doping horses and robbing honest horse trainers and owners. Until the game is purged of its obvious bad guys, it cannot hope to move forward.

Barry Irwin
CEO, Team Valor International

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