A Quick Hit fpr Machmer Hall

How’s this for a quick return on investment: the Machmer Hall principals purchased Hitch Village (Old Trieste) earlier this year at the Fasig-Tipton February Sale for $40,000, and yesterday sold the foal she was carrying–a colt by Kitten’s Joy–for $250,000, a return of more than 600% in nine months. 

Chester Valley Farm purchased the colt, who was consigned by Select Sales as Hip 633. Hitch Village, a half to GSP King Dan (Include) and SP Lake Lugano (Friends Lake), is also the dam of Miss Venezuela (Catienus), who this year broke a track record at Belterra Park. 

“The mare was an expensive yearling for her sire [$80,000 ‘04 KEESEP], and she wasn’t overly prepped for the sale,” explained Machmer Hall and Select’s Carrie Brogden. “That’s typical of the Ramsey program [Ken and Sarah Ramsey, who sold her], which raises tough and strong racehorses. It was terrible weather when she sold–it was freezing–and I actually wasn’t planning on buying her. But we were looking for another mare, and I saw her in the back ring, and she was a big, grand-looking mare. And I’m a huge, huge Kitten’s Joy. I bought the OBS weanling sales topper last year for $110,000 [a Kitten’s Joy filly out of Brickyard Gal] that we resold at September for $190,000 [to John Ferguson]. And I just felt, with Kitten’s Joy doing well at the Breeders’ Cup, that this colt would stick out here and do very well, and he did.” 

Brogden said the colt’s blue-collar pedigree didn’t put off many prospective buyers. “I don’t think anyone’s bothered by the pedigree, because that’s what all these Kitten’s Joys have made it on,” she said. “To me, he’s moved into the echelon of super-elite stallions, just an absolutely spectacular stallion. And this colt had a lot of vetting action, so we anticipated he’d do well.” 

Brogden said the Hitch Village is currently in foal to Exchange Rate, and mentioned champion Shanghai Bobby as a possible mate next year. 

It’s been an outstanding week for Select Sales and for Machmer Hall–the nom de course of Craig and Carrie Brogden and Carrie’s mother Sandy Willwerth. Select sold Intensify (Unbridled’s Song), dam of the late Intense Holiday (Harlan’s Holiday), for $800,000 at the Fasig November Sale. That after Machmer Hall paid $30,000 for the mare in 2009. They also sold their unraced homebred Baby Betty (El Corredor), the dam of GSW Sweet Whiskey (Old Fashioned), for $400,000 at Fasig.  To top things off, Machmer Hall watched a filly they bred and sold as a yearling–this year’s GII Prioress S. winner Stonetastic (Mizzen Mast)–run a good fourth in the GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Sprint. 

“She ran a great race against some tough older fillies and mares,” said Brogden. “I think she has a bright future ahead of her.” 

Brogden concluded, “It’s been a great year, and I know they don’t come all the time. Every day, minute and second of this year has been appreciated.” -L Marquardt