Sweet Score for Summer Wind

Laura Jane Lyon arrived at Fasig-Tipton looking to add “one or two good mares” to her Summer Wind Farm broodmare band, and she left with that goal firmly achieved after signing for GI Test S. winner Sweet Lulu (Mr. Greeley) (hip 148), in foal to War Front, for $3 million. 

Tabbed a TDN Rising Star after breaking her maiden by 3 1/4 lengths at first asking last May for owner Steve Beneto and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, Sweet Lulu went unbeaten through her first four outings, capped by the Test S. three months after her debut. She also finished second in last year’s GI Cotillion S. and GI La Brea S. She was sold carrying her first foal last night. 

Sweet Lulu’s 2-year-old half-brother Iron Fist (Tapit) was a $1.55 million Keeneland September buy for Regis Farms and Stonestreet Stables last year, and he was placed in this year’s GI Del Mar Futurity. 

“I think today we’ve been extremely successful,” Lyon said. “The first mare we bought, being the dam of American Pharoah, was just a bonus, and this mare– being a Grade I winner in foal to War Front, plus being so beautiful–she was actually my pick of both sales, so I’m so excited to have gotten her.” 

Lyon said she had to dig a bit deeper into her pocket than she expected to secure her duo. 

“They both went higher than I had hoped, but apparently the market is the market,” she said. When asked if she had any more shopping to do, she said with a laugh, “I believe I’m through. For the night for sure, and probably for the rest of the year, but we’ll see.” –Kelsey Riley