Black Rock Adds and Subtracts

Bred in Kentucky by Steven Marshall’s Black Rock Thoroughbreds LLLP, hip 154 RNA’d for $675,000 as a Fasig-Tipton November weanling, just two days after her older brother enjoyed his career high at the Breeders’ Cup. Black Rock purchased dam Ponche de Leona (Ponche) for $300,000 in foal to Macho Uno at the 2011 Keeneland November sale after Mucho Macho Man took the GII Risen Star S. and finished third in the GI Kentucky Derby. When the Kathy Ritvo trainee took the GII Gulfstream Park H. and GII Suburban H. and finished second in both the GI Woodward S. and BC Classic in 2012, Ponche de Leona was sent to Fasig-Tipton November, but RNA’d for $1.4 million carrying the Tapit filly. Black Rock finally parted with Ponche de Leone for $775,000 in foal to Distorted Humor at Keeneland January earlier this year. 
    “Our intent is always to race, but in the case of [hip 154], everything fell into place,” explained Hanzly Albina, agent for Black Rock along with partner Justin Sallusto. “[Marshall’s] not opposed to taking some money off the table.” 
    While Marshall took some money off the table yesterday, it only came after he doubled down. 
Sallusto and Albina secured a Bernardini colt out of a half-sister to the dam of MGISW To Honor and Serve (Bernardini) on Black Rock’s behalf for $650,000. The bay was offered as hip 87 by Lane’s End, agent. 
    “He checked all the boxes for Nick and I,” recalled Albina. “We liked the Mr. Prospector on the bottom [through GSP dam Misty Hour {Miswaki}], and that the family has already had a stallion by Bernardini. He’s just a beautiful individual–he had the hip, the shoulder–we liked everything about him. We didn’t come here specifically looking for a Bernardini, but this was just a particularly good one in our eyes.” 
    Albina added, “[Black Rock] breeds to race, but it just so happens that the stallions that we breed to are also commercial–Tapit, Unbridled’s Song, Kitten’s Joy–these are all race sires, but they’re obviously very commercial. I think that’s a great part of how the market is now, as opposed to the past where you had a lot of sales stallions vs. racing stallions.”–BD