A Good Read from Mulholland Farm

Joe Mulholland, patriarch of the Georgetown, Kentucky-based Mulholland Farm, got a belated 92nd birthday gift yesterday at Keeneland September when a Tiz Wonderful filly (hip 1664) bred and consigned by the farm brought $290,000, top price for a filly. Stonestreet Stable's John Moynihan signed for the half-sister to the exciting juvenile colt Bad Read Sanchez (Warrior's Reward), who was tabbed a TDN RISING STAR after romping by 10 lengths on debut at Santa Anita June 20. Owned by Reddam Racing and trained by Doug O'Neill, Bad Read Sanchez subsequently ran second in the Willard L. Proctor Memorial S. July 13 and third in the GII Best Pal S. Aug. 3. Both horses were produced by the 8-year-old Past Twilight (Pulpit). 
Tiz Wonderful is having another solid year, especially with his juveniles, which include the GI Spinaway S. heroine Condo Commando, the GIII Sanford S. winner Big Trouble, and the TDN RISING STAR and Lynbrook S. winner Wonder Gal. His latest potential standout hails from a family that's been good to the Mulhollands. And it all started when Joe Jr., who handles the day-to-day operations at the farm, spotted this filly's second dam, a Dixieland Band mare named Jazz Rags, at the 2000 renewal of Keeneland November. 
“John Mayer at Nursery Place had Jazz Rags, and told me the reserve [$220,000],” Mulholland explained. “It was too high for me, and before she even went through the ring I left to go feed horses.” 
A year later, however, Jazz Rags was back at November. “I said to my dad that we should go up and try to buy her, and we were able to get her for $92,000,” said Mulholland. 
That proved a bargain when the Mulhollands sold the foal she was carrying, a colt by Old Trieste, for $425,000. They later sold yearlings out of her for $310,000, $140,000 and $125,000. 
“We've sold more than a million dollars of yearlings out of her,” said Mulholland. 
One horse the Mulhollands didn't get sold out of her, however, was the dam of yesterday's filly topper, Past Twilight. As a yearling, they bought her back for $95,000 at the 2007 September Sale, then for $69,000 a month later at Fasig-Tipton October. 
“So I sent her to Eddie Woods in Florida, and we said that if someone wanted to buy her down there, great, and if not, she'd eventually make a great broodmare, being by Pulpit,” said Mulholland. 
Past Twilight was a solid runner for trainer Eddie Kenneally. She broke her maiden in :56 3/5 in a five-furlong turf maiden special at Gulfstream in 2009, and later added an allowance victory at Presque Isle. 
Past Twilight's real value would be in the breeding shed, however. Her first foal, a colt by Discreet Cat, was purchased by West Point Thoroughbreds for $75,000 at September. “He was really talented, but got hurt,” said Mulholland. 
Her next was Bad Read Sanchez. “I had a share in Warrior's Reward, and the nick was good, and that's how we got Bad Read Sanchez,” said Mulholland. “He was outstanding, just like the dam. All of her foals are outstanding and have her body type. When you see the mare in the field, you think, 'Who's that?' She's a real pretty, medium-sized chestnut with a little white on her and a lot of class.” 
Mulholland thought he was sitting on a big score with the colt, and was a little surprised when he brought $130,000. “I had all the big hitters lined up for him,” said Mulholland. “For some reason, though, they all kind of backed away at the last minute.” 
A savvy Ciaran Dunne purchased the colt, and returned him to Keeneland this April, where he was bought back for $340,000. Paul Reddam later bought the horse privately. 
Past Twilight has a weanling filly by Pioneerof the Nile on the ground and, after being sent to New Year's Day this spring, is currently not pregnant. 
Interestingly, the Mulhollands have also had success with a different branch of the family. In 2005, Joe Jr. spotted a half-sister to Past Twilight at Keeneland November named Full Figure (Polish Numbers), and purchased her for $87,000. The foal she was carrying, who brought $147,000 as a yearling, turned out to be MGSW Ventana (Toccet). Other yearlings out of Full Figure sold for up to $260,000. Late in yesterday's session, Mulholland Farm sold Full Figure's latest yearling, a filly by Lookin at Lucky, for $85,000 (hip 1924). 
A family-run operation, Mulholland Farm sits on 225 acres, where the family also raises tobacco grows its own hay. Mulholland's broodmare band currently stands at 12 mares, but they also board a few mares for clients. “And in the breeding season, we'll get quite a few boarders for Canadian clients,” said Mulholland. 
Mulholland Farm isn't to be confused with Martha Jane and John Mulholland's Mulholland Springs Farm, though buyers sometimes make that mistake. 
“We'll occasionally get someone who gets angry when we tell them we don't have the horse and can't show it to them,” laughed longtime farm employee Stacy Odell. “The first thing we do when we get to an auction is figure out what barn their in, so we can tell people if we need to, and they're nice enough to do the same.” 
Mulholland Farm returns Thursday with two more horses, a colt by Hold Me Back (hip 3040) and Majestic Warrior (hip 3163). -LM