BloodHorse.com | Horse Racing News

Top Mares to be Offered in November

With the yearling auction season winding down, the topic will soon turn to the November mixed sales and what top race mares will be heading to the auction ring.

Nicholas to C & S Stables in Oklahoma

Stakes winner Nicholas, a son of Danzig who stood at Calumet Farm near Lexington, will stand in 2005 at Larry and Wayland Smalley's C & S Stables near Chelsea, Okla.

Giant's Causeway, Monarchos Colts Top Heated Wednesday Session

Colts by Giant's Causeway and Monarchos brought final bids of $750,000 to top the third session of Keeneland's September yearling sale Wednesday. All key figures for the sale took sizable moves forward in a heated, marathon session that grossed $43.9 million.

Grade I Winner Candy Ride Retired

Unbeaten grade I winner Candy Ride, who recorded the highest Beyer Speed Figure of 2003, has been retired from racing and might be headed to stud at John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farms near Lexington, Ky.

Saarland Starting at $10,000 at Hill 'n' Dale

Grade II winner Saarland will begin his stallion career in 2005 for a fee of $10,000 live foal at John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farms near Lexington.

Prominent Illinois Stallion Royal Roberto Dead

Royal Roberto, one of Illinois' most successful stallions, died in July of a heart attack.

Stakes Winner Handpainted Retired

Handpainted, a Sovereign Award finalist as a 2-year-old, has been retired from racing after reaggravating an ankle injury in the Aug. 14 Ellis Park Breeders' Cup.

Medaglia d'Oro to Begin Stud Career for $35,000

Millionaire Medaglia d'Oro, a three-time grade I winner who was retired to John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farm near Lexington, will begin his stallion career in 2005 for a fee of $35,000.

Unbeaten My Lordship Romps in Hill 'n' Dale

Undefeated My Lordship came up with another sterling performance, this time in the inaugural $109,500 Hill 'n' Dale Stakes for 3-year-old fillies Saturday at Woodbine.

Millionaire Medaglia d'Oro Retired to Hill 'n' Dale

Millionaire Medaglia d'Oro, a three-time grade I winner and twice runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), has been retired and will enter stud at John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farm near Lexington.

Storms Rattle Central Kentucky Horse Farms

Darby Dan Farm was left without power or telephone service Friday morning because of an overnight storm that ripped roofs off houses and damaged homes in Central Kentucky, but most Bluegrass horse farms appear to have emerged relatively unscathed.

Vindication Gets First Mare in Foal

Hill 'n' Dale Farms reported that Footing is the first mare confirmed in foal to champion Vindication.

Grade I winner Buddha's First Foal Born at Pennston in Florida

The first reported foal sired by grade I winner Buddha is a filly born Jan. 17 at John Penn's Pennston Farm near Ocala, Fla.

Keeneland Sale Concludes With Large Increases in Gross, Average, Median

The 2004 equine auction season got a quick jump out of the gate this week as the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale continued the bull market seen during September and November. The five-day sale that ended Friday resulted in a 58% increase in gross, a 49% gain in average price, and a 30% rise in median when compared with the 2003 auction.

Duchossois Receives Eclipse Award of Merit

Richard L. "Dick" Duchossois, who brought Arlington Park back from the ashes, and then saw the track become a part of Churchill Downs Inc., has been selected to receive an Eclipse Award of Merit.

Franks Estate to Offer 200 Mares in February

Alta Franks, the widow of John Franks, has begun the reorganization of her husband's Thoroughbred holdings. Mrs. Franks plans a reduction, but not a complete dispersal, beginning with the sale of about 200 broodmares at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale Feb. 8-9 in Lexington.

Mongoose to Signature Stallions in Florida

John Sikura of Hill 'n' Dale Farm near Lexington has announced that Mongoose, the Grade I-winning son of perennial leading sire Broad Brush, who stood the 2003 season at Hill 'n' Dale, will be moved to Florida to stand the 2004 breeding season at William Schettine's Signature Stallions near Reddick, Fla.

Doneraile Court to Hill 'n' Dale in Kentucky

John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farm has purchased prominent first-crop sire Doneraile Court and will stand him for $15,000 live foal.

Champion Vindication Starting at $50,000

Vindication, the unbeaten champion 2-year-old male of 2002 whose retirement from racing was announced earlier this month, will begin his stallion career for $50,000 live foal, a full $10,000 more than what freshman leader Came Home commanded during the 2003 season.

Champion Vindication Retired to Hill 'n' Dale in Kentucky

With trainer Bob Baffert reporting that Vindication's training schedule is just too tight to make the Oct. 25 Breeders' Cup Classic, Powered by Dodge (gr. I), Satish and Anne Sanan's Padua Stables announced the early retirement of the unbeaten 2-year-old champion male of 2002.

Mutakddim Won't Shuttle to Argentina

Viewed as too valuable, Mutakddim won't be shuttling to Argentina from John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farm near Lexington

Illinois' Horizon Farms to Close in September

Horizon Farms near Barrington, Ill., will cease operating as a breeding and boarding operation on Sept. 1. Currently the farm stands three of Illinois' top five stallions, including the state's leading sire, Unreal Zeal.

Top Freshman Sire Stormy Atlantic to Hill 'n' Dale in Kentucky

Stormy Atlantic, who ranks ninth on the leading first-crop list by progeny earnings, will be relocated to John G. Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farm near Lexington

Hill 'n' Dale Buys Breeding Rights in Breeders' Cup Winner Vindication

John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farms has bought a portion of the breeding rights in pro tem 2-year-old male leader Vindication from Satish and Anne Sanan's Padua Stables

Mongoose To Stand at Hill 'n' Dale

Gary and Mary West's Grade 1 winner Mongoose has been retired and will stand at John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farm near Lexington.

Buddha to Stand for $15,000 at Hill 'n' Dale

Buddha, who won this year's Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I), will enter stud at John G. Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farm near Lexington

Handpainted Injured, Will Miss Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies

Handpainted injured herself while finishing second in this past Saturday's Mazarine Stakes at Woodbine and will miss the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I).

Chicago Six to Hill 'N Dale in Illinois

Chicago Six, a two-time Illinois championship, will enter stud at Richard Duchossois' Hill 'N Dale Farm near Barrington, Ill.

Defrere Moves to New Jersey

Seattle Slew Honored at Graveside Remembrance

About 200 fans turned out to honor Seattle Slew as his final resting place was unveiled at Hill 'n' Dale Farm near Lexington July 19. The great racehorse and stallion died May 7, 25 years to the day of his Kentucky Derby triumph in 1977.

Here and There

Hill 'n' Dale hires Willard...NYTHA donates to TRF...Colonial Downs open for training.

Seattle Slew Moves to Hill 'n' Dale

Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew moved from Three Chimneys Farm near Midway, Ky., to Hill 'n' Dale Farm near Lexington on Monday.

Serena's Tune Retired on High Note

Serena's Tune, the first foal from champion Serena's Song, won the March 16 Victoria Lass Handicap at Fair Grounds in her last start. She will be bred this spring to Storm Cat.

Hill 'n' Dale Expands

John G. Sikura has added 205 acres to his Hill 'n' Dale Farm near Lexington.

Sikura's Death Confirmed as Accidental

The Nov. 1994 death of Canadian owner and breeder John Sikura Sr. has been confirmed as accidental following a review of the case by the Chief Coroner of Ontario. Sikura, 60, died on his way back from a restaurant when he fell asleep behind the wheel of his car in his driveway. The car subsequently burst into flames, Sikura died of smoke inhalation, and General Motors settled a product-liability suit with the Sikura family.

Geri to Stand at Hill 'n' Dale for $5,000

John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farm outside Lexington announced that millionaire Geri will stand the 2002 breeding season for a fee of $5,000 live foal. Geri is one of three stallions, along with Theatrical and Jade Hunter, owned by the Allen E. Paulson Living Trust who were moved to Hill 'n' Dale since September.

El Corredor Retires to Hill 'n' Dale

Grade I winner El Corredor has arrived at John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farm near Lexington, where he will enter stud for a syndicate for $20,000 live foal.

A P Valentine's Dam Brings $4-Million

They saved the best for last during Monday's opening session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, as two of the day's top prices came in the waning moments of the day. In the end, Brushwood Stable's Elizabeth Moran went away with the top prize, purchasing the dam of grade I winner A P Valentine for $4-million.

Hill 'n' Dale Buys Interest in Theatrical

John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farms has purchased a 25% interest in major stallion Theatrical and announced a 2002 fee of $100,000 for him.

Paulson Trust Removes Theatrical, Other Horses from Diamond A Farm

One day after firing Simon Bray as its trainer, the Allen E. Paulson Living Trust on Thursday transferred its stallions, including Theatrical and Jade Hunter, and 18 mares and foals from Diamond A Farm to John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farm.

Phone Trick Colt Tops Canadian Sale

A Phone Trick colt named Embattle sold for $110,000 (all figures in Canadian funds; $71,659 U.S.) to top the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's 2-year-olds in training sale Tuesday night at Woodbine. The sale had an extremely high number of buy backs.

First-Year Sire Answer Lively Experiencing Fertility Problems

Answer Lively, the 1998 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner and that year's Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male, is experiencing fertility problems in his first year at Hill 'n' Dale Farms near Lexington. Dr. George D. Mundy, the farm's general manager and resident veterinarian, said on Friday only one of the first 12 mares bred to Answer Lively has been pronounced in foal.