Hill 'n' Dale

With figures continuing to surpass the 2024 standard at the Keeneland September Sale, a colt by Maclean's Music was the most fancied yearling of the day, bringing $500,000 from Alex and JoAnn Lieblong. Offered as Hip 2263, the son of SW Athens Queen (Majestic Warrior) was consigned by Eaton Sales. A trio of colts realized $475,000, including Hip 2235, by Gun Runner and Hip 2281, by Epicenter. Both yearlings were purchased by Pedro Lanz, acting on behalf of KAS Stables. With five purchases for $1,345,000, Pedro Lanz, agent for KAS...

A Gun Runner son (hip 177) of 'TDN Rising Star' Thoughtfully (Tapit) set off late fireworks just four hips from the end of Monday's opening session at Keeneland September when Peter Brant, signing on behalf of M.V. Magnier & White Birch Farm, outlasted all comers to sign the ticket at $3,300,000. Bred by Hill n Dale Equine Holdings, Inc & Determined Stud, the colt's dam brought $950,000 herself as a broodmare at FTKNOV in 2019. M.V. Magnier and White Birch also bought her first foal, a now 2-year-old son of...

Offered midway during the single-session CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale at Woodbine Race Track on Aug. 27, a colt by the late and influential Speightstown was hammered down for C$400,000 to easily rate as the dearest lot on offer during the auction. Hip 109, bred in Ontario by Mario Forgione, was consigned to the sale by Huntington Stud Farm as agent and is the third foal out of the 10-year-old Travieza (Into Mischief), upset winner of the 2018 Unzip Me Stakes and sold for $80,000 in foal to Munnings at...

Maybe starting my Breeding Digest on Monday mornings is not such a good plan. The dust may by then be settling on the racing weekend, but by the look of it, perhaps I need a little longer to recover from my own, somewhat less wholesome exertions! How else do I account for failing to include the principal guarantor of Distorted Humor's male line, Maclean's Music, alongside my reflections on his burgeoning legacy as a broodmare sire? Maclean's Music has three young sons at stud in Kentucky, in Jackie's Warrior, Drain...

This tier of the market, between $20,000 and $29,999, offers particular value through its more established names: horses that have walked the walk sufficiently to clear the basement level, while somehow failing to achieve due commercial prestige. Indeed, our podium is dominated by the two eldest of the eligible stallions, while the only candidates considered for the third step were all in the process of consolidating strong starts. That said, the case for the three young sires at the other end of the spectrum--whose first foals are about to slither...

The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale concluded its nine-day run in Lexington Wednesday with vibrant trade from a diverse buying bench leading to across-the-board increases where were highlighted by a new sales record median. "Overall, this was a very strong, fair market from start to finish," Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. "Book 1 gross jumped nearly 15% from last year with a much-improved clearance rate and that momentum powered the sale through the final days." For the nine days, 2,158 horses sold for $196,442,900. The average of...

Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, a perennial leading sire, will relocate to Frank Stronach's Adena Springs Farm in Aurora, Ontario Canada for what is most likely his final year at stud, Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa announced Monday. "I want to thank Frank Stronach for the privilege of standing Ghostzapper at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa," said John Sikura. "It has been our honor to stand this outstanding sire and exceptional breed-shaping stallion. His record at stud will influence the breed for generations. At this point in his career, Ghostzapper...

Two time Horse of the Year Curlin (Smart Strike) remains steady atop the roster at Hill 'n' Dale Farm with a fee of $225,000 LFSN for the 2025 breeding season, the farm announced Monday. The sire of three Eclipse Award Champions last year, he currently has three Grade I winners and five Grade I performers in 2024. Standing alongside his sire, Good Magic's (Curlin) fee also remains unchanged at $125,000 LFSN. Good Magic has three Grade I winners in 2024 including GI Belmont Stakes and GI Haskell Stakes winner Dornoch,...

'TDN Rising Star' and GISW Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo--Borealis Night, by Astrology) will stand at Hill 'n' Dale next season for a fee of $30,000 Live Foal, the farm announced Friday. A sales-topping $2.3 million purchase from the 2022 Ocala Breeders' April 2-Year-Old Sale, Arabian Knight became a 'Rising Star' on Breeders' Cup day that year at Keeneland, where he drew clear to win by 7 1/4 lengths in 1:21.98. In his second start, the Zedan Racing Stables'-owned colt won the GIII Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park by 5 1/2...

Jim and Dana Bernhard's Pin Oak Stud acquired a colt by Charlatan (hip 509) with an internet bid of $1 million during Wednesday's third session of the Keeneland September sale. The colt, bred by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, Paul Weitman and Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, was consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa. He is out of multiple Grade I winner Midnight Lucky (Midnight Lute). After 31 yearlings sold for seven figures during the two-session Book 1 section of the September sale, hip 509 was the first to reach...

A bay colt from the first crop of Charlatan sold for $1.4 million at Monday's opening session of the Keeneland September sale to Coolmore and Peter Brant. The Mar. 7 colt, consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, was bred in Kentucky by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Matt Dorman. He is out of MGISW Guarana (Ghostzapper), who was a $4.4-million purchase by Hill 'n' Dale at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Sold as Hip 70, the colt is from a deep female family. His young MGISW sire stands...

The Hill 'n' Dale consignment at Keeneland November this year will feature 2023 Canadian Champion Older Male Tyson (Tapit--Honouring, by Smart Strike) the farm announced Monday. A winner at first asking at Gulfstream Park for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, the homebred would go on to win a pair of graded races at Woodbine in the GIII Dominion Day Stakes and the GII Seagram Cup Stakes. He also ran third in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga en route to being named Champion Older Male in Canada....