(Edited press release)
Golden Eagle Farm owners Betty Mabee and her son Larry Mabee announced Aug. 7 a six-month plan to reduce their horse inventory along with an extended timeline to sell their San Diego County-based farmland. A triple Eclipse Award winner as the nation’s leading breeder, Golden Eagle expects to reduce in size from 282 horses to about 25 horses by mid-2008.
Golden Eagle will sell its broodmares and yearlings at auction starting with the Keeneland September yearling sale, Barretts' yearling & mixed sales in October, and the Keeneland November mixed sale.
The Mabees anticipate keeping approximately eight to 10 broodmares along with a few yearlings for their smaller operation. It will then move to Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., by early 2009 to a 28.75-acre parcel.
“The evolved approach of Golden Eagle Farms focuses on continually raising the bar,” said Larry Mabee, operator of Golden Eagle Farms. “Our primary goal is quality over quantity with the end result the same: securing the farm’s long-term success as a true legacy to Thoroughbred breeding and racing.”
Some of the broodmares headed to auction include: grade I producer Fitted Crown (in foal to Bernardini); Fiscal Year, dam of grade II winner Yearly Report (in foal to Vindication); grade I winner La Galerie (in foal to Medaglia d’Oro); and New Castle Lady, a multiple winner and half-sister to grade I-placed Gators N Bears (in foal to Seeking the Gold).
Several foals from the 2007 weanling crop will be initially retained. However, they will all be sold as yearlings at the 2008 Keeneland September sale in the final phase of the reduction. While not opposed to keeping one to two promising racehorses, the plan is to eventually phase out the racing stable altogether. Additionally, the year-round boarding facility will phase out by the end of 2007.
The new Rancho Santa Fe-located homestead will house Golden Eagle Farm's remaining inventory of a handful of mares for breeding and sales purposes, along with its lone standing stallion, Salt Lake. Additionally, two grade I-winning geldings who raced in Golden Eagle silks -- Dramatic Gold and General Challenge -- will continue their retirement at the new farm.