The filly is the first foal out of three-time winner Maddie's Music (Maclean's Music) and the colt is out of Taylor Lake (Parading), who also produced the SW Barrister Tom (Artie Schiller). Both mares are owned by David Cobb, who campaigned Sleepy Eyes Todd in the name of his Thumbs Up Racing Stable.

“We knew we'd get some beautiful babies by Sleepy Eyes,” Cobb said. “But we are amazed at how beautiful his babies are. We can't wait to see the rest of them.”

Sleepy Eyes Todd, who was a $9,000 KEENOV weanling in 2016, won the 2020 GII Charles Town Classic and GIII Mr. Prospector S. and won or placed in five other black-type events and logged a record of 20-8-3-1, $2,051,725. He stands at Swifty Farms in Seymour, IN, for a fee of $3,500.

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While a cause to the fire has yet to be confirmed, clean up will soon begin on the more than 100-year-old barn.

On Friday, Michael Lauer, in partnership with Calumet Farm, announced that a season to leading Indiana sire Ready's Image (More Than Ready – Clever Phrase, by Clever Trick), standing at Swifty Farms, will be auctioned off during the Indiana Thoroughbred Owners' and Breeders' Association Annual Banquet. The banquet will be held at Indiana Grand Racing and Casino on Saturday, Jan. 15. All proceeds from the season auction will go to Springcliff Farm.

Anyone interested in bidding on the season to Ready's Image, but cannot attend the ITOBA Banquet, they can contact Michael Lauer with a maximum bid by calling: 502-639-1536

Other fundraising efforts for the farm include efforts on GoFundMe, which looks to reach and surpass its goal of $10,000. Also, custom t-shirts featuring the Springcliff Farm logo and the words “#SpringcliffStrong” are being sold for $20 each, with all proceeds going towards the family. Information on the t-shirt can be found on the Indiana Thoroughbred Alliance website or by ordering online: https://springcliffstrong.link/or4ebg2

The Cagles have been overwhelmed by the response and support from the entire Thoroughbred industry, including farms and owners in Indiana, Kentucky and Florida.

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“Sombeyay is a very correct, well-balanced individual that will catch your eye every time you see him,” said Swifty Farms manager Jerri Harmon. “Couple all of that with dual-surface speed…that makes the prospect of his future as a sire just electrifying.”

Out of MSP Teroda, Sombeyay is a half to this year's GIII Florida Oaks winner Domain Expertise (Kitten's Joy).

He joins a roster that has already seen two new additions for 2022 in Sleepy Eyes Todd (Paddy O'Prado) and American Pastime (Tapizar).

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The son of Into Mischief and out of the Limehouse mare, Teroda, retires with earnings in excess of $480,000. This, after a three-year career that saw the precocious colt break his maiden his first time out at Gulfstream Park, winning by 6 1/4 lengths on the dirt for then owner Starlight Racing. He would then finish second in a listed stakes before taking the Grade 3 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga, beating eventual Longines Breeders' Cup Classic winner Knicks Go and eventual G1 Alfred G. Handicap winner Lexitonian.

At the age of four, Sombeyay hit a staggering 120 Equibase rating winning the G3 Canadian Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Sombeyay's first trainer, Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher liked what he saw from the colt while racing under him.

“He's won graded stakes on two different surfaces, and that's hard to do,” he told the media in 2020.

In mid-2020, Swifty Farms purchased the young stallion and continued racing him under trainer Peter Miller, hitting the board in four graded stakes.

“Sombeyay is a very correct, well-balanced individual that will catch your eye every time you see him,” says Jerri Harmon, manager at Swifty Farms. “Couple all of that with dual-surface speed…that makes the prospect of his future as a sire just electrifying.”

The colt joins an already established stallion roster that has seen two enticing additions already this year with millionaire Sleepy Eyes Todd and multiple graded stakes placer American Pastime.

“It's very exciting to offer such a diverse group of stallions for 2022,” says Harmon. “Swifty Farms now offers stallions to meet the needs of almost any breeder.”

Sombeyay joins an already full roster at Swifty Farms that includes newcomers American Pastime (Tapizar, $1,500) and Sleepy Eyes Todd (Paddy O'Prado, $3,500) and established stallions Guys Reward (Grand Reward, $1,000), Isotherm (Lonhro, $1,500), Pass Rush (Crown Ambassador, $1,500), Pataky Kid (Rockport Harbor, $2,000), Ready's Image (More Than Ready, $2,000) and Unbridled Express (Unbridled's Song, private treaty).

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Finishing second to multiple Grade 1-winning Coal Front in the Grade 3 Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx Racing in 2017, American Pastime also finished a strong fourth in the TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar, close behind Roy H, Imperial Hint and Mind Your Biscuits but beating multiple graded stakes winners Drefong and Whitmore.

“His speed was fantastic on the track; he was an extremely fast horse,” says owner Mike Mowrey. “His Beyer numbers early in his three-year-old year were phenomenal—with zeroes and ones on ThoroughGraph—which is why he fit into the sprinter mold.”

Mowrey notes that he and trainer Bob Hess, Jr., discussed trying the colt at a mile, but he  suffered a bruised foot at the Breeders' Cup, which made it difficult for him to return to racing at 100 percent effort.

“His best attribute is his speed, but his personality is unparalleled to any horse I've ever owned,” says Mowrey. “He's a very smart horse—he's calm, cool and collected, but when he got on the track, he meant business. If he passes on his speed and his personality, I think his foals will be pretty precocious.”

Mowrey chose Swifty Farms for the colt's first full breeding season because of the many opportunities the farm and the state of Indiana presents for stallion owners.

“With the breeding program they have in Indiana and the sire awards, it was very attractive,” he says. “The location of Swifty, with the proximity to Kentucky and surrounding states, was perfect. And the cherry on top was Swifty's addition of (stallion manager) Jerri Harmon. I just felt that he will be in a good place, and if you're in a good place, good things happen. That's why I wanted to give him that opportunity.”

“We think the addition of American Pastime to our roster will expand the offerings Swifty Farms has, as well as bring a new set of bloodlines to the state,” says Harmon. “He's settled in quite well and we're looking forward to seeing what his breeding season brings us.”

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A 'TDN Rising Star', the speedy Bob Hess, Jr. trainee won three of his first five starts before finishing second in the 2017 GIII Gallant Bob S. He was fourth next out in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint.

“His best attribute is his speed, but his personality is unparalleled to any horse I've ever owned,” said owner Mike Mowrey. “He's a very smart horse–he's calm, cool and collected, but when he got on the track, he meant business. If he passes on his speed and his personality, I think his foals will be pretty precocious.”

Swifty General Manager Jerri Harmon added, “We think the addition of American Pastime to our roster will expand the offerings Swifty Farms has, as well as bring a new set of bloodlines to the state. He's settled in quite well and we're looking forward to seeing what his breeding season brings us.”

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“[Indiana] is the perfect place for us, and I'm excited to get going with Sleepy's stallion career,” owner David Cobb of Thumbs Up Racing said.

“I could have taken him to a number of places, but I really do believe that regional breeding programs are the best game in town, and Indiana has a very strong program. I spoke with a number of Indiana connections, including Christine Cagle of Springcliff Farm and Jerri Harmon, Swifty's new stallion manager, and it just felt right to bring him to Indiana.”

Sleepy Eyes Todd will stand the 2022 breeding season for $3,500 (stands and nurses).

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After racing at nine different racetracks, 10 different states and two different countries, the 5-year-old son of Paddy O'Prado is ready to set down some roots. The $2 million-earning stallion arrived at the Seymour, Ind., farm over the weekend and already has his owner, David Cobb, revved up for the prospects of his new chapter.

“(Indiana) is the perfect place for us, and I'm excited to get going with Sleepy's stallion career,” says Cobb.

Lightly raced, the stallion retired sound and healthy. Cobb notes that after battling through some tough races, including the Saudi Cup, where the big gray had to overcome trouble at the start and a big crowd to finish a fighting fourth, it was time to look at a cushier life as an exciting new stallion for Indiana.

“I could have taken him to a number of places, but I really do believe that regional breeding programs are the best game in town, and Indiana has a very strong program,” says Cobb. “I spoke with a number of Indiana connections, including Christine Cagle of Springcliff Farm and Jerri Harmon, Swifty's new stallion manager, and it just felt right to bring him to Indiana.”

Both Cobb and Sleepy Eyes Todd's longtime trainer, Miguel Silva, plans to breed their mares to the gray stallion to take advantage of the Indiana-sired program.

“The biggest benefit to Indiana is the close proximity to Kentucky,” Cobb said. “And I believe that Kentucky breeders are looking for better bargains.”

Sleepy Eyes Todd finished his career with 20 starts, eight wins, three seconds and one third, and earnings totaling more than $2,051,000. Bred by Two Hearts Farm LLC and Kristen Goncharoff, he won the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector Stakes going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park. He followed up his win in the G2 Charles Town Classic Stakes with a win in the Lafayette Stakes, presented by Keeneland Select. He finished fourth in the G1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes, fifth in the Saudi Cup and a game tenth in the Dubai World Cup earlier this year.

“Sleepy has definitely shown that he is game enough to race on any track, any continent and any distance,” Cobb said. “That's what I'm hoping Indiana breeders are looking for.”

Sleepy Eyes Todd will stand the 2022 breeding season for $3,500 (stands and nurses).

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The 16-year-old gray son of Unbridled's Song earned $117,696.80 in Indiana stallion awards in 2019 alone. The remaining top stallions of 2019 include: Sangaree, Skylord, Lantana Mob and Noble's Promise.

Owned by Bernard Flint's LTB Inc. and Ron Hillerich's Hillerich Racing, whom, in turn, were named 2019 Indiana Stallion Owner of the Year, Unbridled Express stands at Swifty Farms in Seymour, Ind.

The award comes 20 years after the partnership was established. Flint and Hillerich met in 1992 thanks to a claimer, but the breeding aspect of their partnership didn't come to fruition until Hillerich and his law partner purchased a mare named My Sea Castles (Polish Navy, sire of Sea Hero). Prior to selling the mare, they bred her to the stallion Sky Classic. That result was a filly named Skye Castles. Hillerich, his law partner and Flint then later bred Skye Castles to Unbridled's Song for a 2004 colt. That colt was named Unbridled Express and ignited an exhilarating ride for Hillerich, Flint and all of their connections.

After a dominating performance in a maiden special weight at Churchill Downs at two, Hillerich knew they had something special in Unbridled Express.

“He had beaten eventual Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense by four lengths,” recalled Hillerich.

His next race was the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, where Unbridled Express finished third behind Scat Daddy and Circular Quay, sustaining an injury in that race that continued to plague him and end the colt's career at three.

“He never could make it back to form,” said Hillerich. “However, he's been a blessing in disguise. Bernie and I both knew what we had in that horse. It's a shame that he got hurt early, but we just didn't want to let that talent go to waste.”

So sets the stage for Unbridled Express's onset into a stallion career. While Flint and Hillerich had been actively breeding in Kentucky, they had heard more about the Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Program and it enticed them to look for a home for their young stallion.

“We had read about the development program and all of the incentives for Indiana, and we thought with his bloodline and his talent, it was a shame if we didn't try to see what we could do with him as a stallion,” said Hillerich. “So, we decided to try him in Indiana. Thank goodness we did.”

In the past three years, Unbridled Express has been in the top five for sires standing in Indiana. The past year was his banner year, with three foals winning stakes races in Indiana Grand. He sired 14 winners from 29 starters in 2019 (including six repeat winners), with progeny earnings of $1,089,725. His top progeny include 2019 Indiana Horse of the Year Unbridled Class ($255,695), Mystery Unbridled ($149,582) and Super Jen ($97,108).

The Stallion Owners of the Year are looking forward to more success in the breeding shed and on the track with Unbridled Express's progeny.

“We set out to create a brand in Indiana 10 years ago, and I think we succeeded at that,” said Hillerich. “I think Unbridled Express has proven, without any doubt, that he is a tremendous stallion, and if you look at the statistics, they do the talking.”

Hillerich sings the praises of his partner and friend: “He's not just a trainer to me, he's a best friend. He's just a wonderful man and a great horseman. I can tell you that he knows more about horses than I'll ever know, and he's forgotten more about horses than I'll ever know. But the great thing is, we're 50/50 on everything and I let Bernie make the call on the horses as to when and where they're going to run. I may put my two cents in, but it's all deferred to Bernie.

“Sometimes I feel he doesn't get the credit he deserves. He's truly a great horseman and always, always does the best thing for the horse. And that's what I like.”

The deadline for registering stallions for participation in the Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Program is Oct. 15.

The Stallion of the Year and Stallion Owner of the Year awards are determined solely on earnings in Indiana in 2019. The owner or lessee of a registered Indiana stallion whose registered progeny have won any race at Indiana Grand Racing and Casino earns 10 percent of the gross purse for all stake, allowance and claiming races (except when entered for a claiming price of less than $10,000). All stallion awards are paid directly to the wining owner from the program.

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Under jockey Santo Sanjur, Dance Money held off foes for the lead early in the 5 1/2-furlong main track race, and shook loose by two lengths at the top of the stretch. The filly then held off a late charge by Sweet Justice to hang on by a neck at odds of 23-1. She stopped the clock in 1:07.13 for owners Barbara Eakin and Shelly Nance, and trainer Jonathan Nance.

Dance Money was bred in Indiana by Anthony Wolfe and Julie Mudman. She is out of the placed Cactus Ridge mare Cactusa, who raced as a homebred for Toby Keith's Dream Walkin Farms.

Majestic Harbor stands at Harris Farms in Coalinga, Calif., for an advertised fee of $2,500. However, he began his stud career in Indiana at Swifty Farms.

A 12-year-old son of Rockport Harbor, Majestic Harbor won 10 of 42 starts over seven seasons of racing for earnings of $1,295,814. His race record is highlighted by victories in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes, the G2 Alysheba Stakes, and the G3 Tokyo City Cup Stakes and Mineshaft Handicap.

Majestic Harbor is out of the stakes-placed French Deputy mare Champagne Royale, making him a half-brother to Grade 1-winner and classic-placed Danza, stakes-placed Tickled Pink, and graded stakes producer Totally Tucker, who is herself the dam of Grade 3 winners Totally Boss and Super Steed.

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