Team Dedomenico Looking to Share Some of Its 'Luck'

by Brian DiDonato 

While powerhouse owner Dr. Mark Dedomenico is certainly not getting out of the Thoroughbred business, his operation will sell about a half dozen mares at the Keeneland January Sale in an effort to maintain a focus on racing rather than breeding. Among the Dedomenico consignment, which is being handled by John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency, is 2010 champion 3-year-old filly Blind Luck (Pollard's Vision), who sells Monday as hip 207. 

“It's not a complete dispersal or anything, but we want to be on the racing end of it more than we do on the breeding side,” explained Mike Puhich, trainer and director of horse operations at Dedomenico's Pegasus Training and Equine Rehabilitation Center in Redmond, WA. “If you don't start to turn things over, before you know it, you've got more broodmares than you do racehorses. So we're just kind of downsizing on the breeding end, but we're not going to give [Blind Luck] away by any means. She's one that we would probably keep if she doesn't bring enough money, but we'd prefer to go out and buy her babies rather than wait three years for them.” 

Campaigned by Dedomenico, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, John Carver and Peter Abruzzo, Blind Luck captured the GI Oak Leaf S. and GI Hollywood Starlet in 2009 before an Eclipse-earning campaign that featured hard-fought victories in the GI Las Virgenes S., GI Kentucky Oaks, GII Delaware Oaks and GI Alabama S. and a fast-finishing second in the GI Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic. She added the GII La Troienne S., GI Vanity H. and defeated familiar foe and eventual Horse of the Year Havre de Grace (Saint Liam) in the GII Delaware H. in 2011 before retiring with earnings of $3,279,520 from an overall record of 22-12-7-2. 

Blind Luck was sent through the ring at the Keeneland November sale soon after her retirement, and Dedomenico bought out his partners for $2.5 million. 

The chestnut's first foal was a Bernardini filly produced in 2013, and she had a Giant's Causeway colt last year. Both have been retained by Dedomenico, who currently owns 92 racehorses and young racing prospects, either by himself or in partnerships. 

“The [Bernardini] filly is beautiful,” said Puhich. “She's breaking out really nice. The colt is just a [short yearling], but he's going to be quite a bit bigger than his mother. We're very excited about the Giant's Causeway colt–they're both really nice, we like them both.” 

Blind Luck, who was bred to Midnight Lute last year, but lost the foal, was entered in Fasig-Tipton's recent November Sale, but was withdrawn. 

“She wasn't in foal, and we just kind of made a last-second decision,” Puhich said of the reason behind the scratch from Fasig November. “And then we made another last-second decision to go ahead and put her in the Keeneland sale. We just thought that she'd be more of a standout in this winter sale and optimize our chances of getting what we're hoping to get for her and then go from there.” 

Hill 'n' Dale's Sikura echoed the notion that selling Blind Luck in a lower-key environment could prove pivotal. 

“It's always an advantage to be one of the rare and best offerings in a book because there's always plenty of money at the sale,” he offered. “When people say 'We wish there were more good horses' or 'We wish there were more that we could bid on' and you happen to be one of them, then the money lands on those specific, good horses. The fewer of those that there are, the better it is for the ones that make the grade. Blind Luck is a champion racemare, great racemare, and we're excited to have her in our consignment.” 

One filly co-owned by Dedomenico who won't be sent through the ring just yet is Sam's Sister (Brother Derek), who upended Santa Anita's GI La Brea S. Dec. 26 and will likely make her 4-year-old debut in either the GII La Canada S. [for 4-year-old fillies over 1 1/16 miles Jan. 17] or GII Santa Monica S. [for 4-year-olds and up going seven panels Jan. 19]. 

“I'm dying to see her go two turns,” Puhich said. “She seems like she'll love that.” 

Among the other standouts from the Hill 'n' Dale consignment is Elusive Jackpot (Elusive Quality), a daughter of the great Silverbulletday (Silver Deputy), making her a half to the dams of Grade I winner Shakin It Up (Midnight Lute) and Grade III winner Govenor Charlie (Midnight Lute). Elusive Jackpot, catalogued as hip 267, sells in foal to Hill 'n' Dale resident Midnight Lute. She is owned by Mike Pegram, who campaigned both Silverbulletday and Midnight Lute. 

“Silverbulletday hasn't produced any offspring close to her racing ability, but her daughters look like important producers,” Sikura said. “She's had several fillies–Mike has all of them–and it's an opportunity to offer one for sale and it's a great opportunity for someone to buy a daughter of one of the great racemares. Plus, the whole family's active and producing–there's a lot happening.” 

Of his market expectations as a whole, Sikura added, “It's a question that has to be asked, but I think the answer's always the same. There's lots of money there for quality, but if you have to explain two blank years or a June cover or why you're in foal to a very quiet horse or if the mare is 16 or 17 instead of 10 or 11, then it's very tough sledding for many segments of the market.”