By Jessica Martini
Hidden Brook Farm's Neck of the Moon (More Than Ready), originally purchased as a weanling pinhooking prospect, has earned over $400,000 while campaigning in the farm's colors for the last five seasons. The 7-year-old mare, four times stakes placed, captured her first stakes victory last time out with a determined score in the Dec. 17 South Beach S. at Gulfstream Park. The win proved a timely update for the gray, who will go through the Keeneland January sales ring Tuesday as hip 466.
“I think she is a bit of a standout in Book 1,” said Hidden Brook's Jack Brothers. “She is a stakes winner by More Than Ready and she's had a remarkable career. She won her first time out in Saratoga and she raced over five seasons. She was one, two or three in over 75% of her starts, which is a testament to how resilient and sound she is. She's been very kind to us.”
Hidden Brook purchased Neck of the Moon, a daughter of multiple stakes placed Cotopaxi (With Approval), for $60,000 at the 2010 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. She RNA'd for $65,000 at the following year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
“The idea was to pinhook her, but we weren't happy with the price,” Brothers explained. “We liked her, so we just decided to campaign her. She ended up winning over $400,000 for us and her last win was as timely a win as you could get.”
On the board in 17 of 22 starts, Neck of the Moon won five times and earned $402,312. She was second in Belmont's Perfect Sting S., as well as the River Memories S. at Woodbine last year before her breakthrough score in the South Beach.
“She is a very pretty gray, she's very balanced,” Brothers said of the filly. “She has tremendous eye appeal. Anybody who pulls her out will be in love with her.”
Brothers continued, “I think the market is going to be pretty vibrant for mares off the track that can run. She fits the bill and obviously More Than Ready as a broodmare sire is going to have a lot of appeal, too.”
In addition to Neck of the Moon, Hidden Brook will offer Winter Wonderland (Tapit), in foal to More Than Ready, as hip 616 on behalf of Anne Poulson's Hare Forest Farm. Out of Dynamite Eyes (Dynaformer), the unraced 7-year-old mare is a half-sister to Grade I placed General a Rod (Roman Ruler).
“Besides being by Tapit, she is a half to General a Rod and in foal More Than Ready on a March cover,” Brothers said. “Obviously, Tapit speaks for himself, and she is a young mare in foal to a nice horse.”
Hidden Brook, which operates several racing partnerships and will generally have between eight and 10 horses in training, has already had racing and sales success with a daughter of More Than Ready. The operation campaigned multiple graded stakes winner Pianist. Purchased for $100,000 as a Keeneland September yearling in 2010, Hidden Brook sold the mare for $425,000 at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale. @JessMartiniTDN
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