Jes Sikura

It has been a wild ride for Jes Sikura, son of Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa owner and president John Sikura, since the 24-year-old graduated from the University of Kentucky in December. Just a few days after receiving his diploma, he and his father were on a plane to California. What began as a trip to celebrate opening weekend at Santa Anita proved serendipitous when the Sikuras secured multiple graded stakes winner Barnes (Into Mischief) for their stallion roster following his scratch from the GI Malibu Stakes. Since stepping into...

LEXINGTON, KY - The 2026 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale opened with the first of two sessions Monday and optimism remained high across the board as a pair of top-class mares crossed the seven-figure mark for the first time in two years. "Today was a great day," said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. "Obviously, it's a long day, but I think the structure of what we did in creating two big sessions sort of lent itself into building a momentum that carried through right to the end...

The TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland returned this week with its first podcast of 2026, and the guest was John Sikura, the owner of Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa. Sikura was the Gainesway Guest of the Week. While there were several subjects to discuss with Sikura, the prominent farm owner largely focused his attention on racing in California, its problems and what he sees as the industry's obligation to improve the situations at Santa Anita, Del Mar and Los Alamitos. "We need to fix this today," he said....

Jes Sikura, son of Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa president John Sikura, will be the new Director of Bloodstock at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, according to a Wednesday afternoon release from the Central Kentucky farm. The younger Sikura has spent the last two years working in the farm's bloodstock division while attending college. He recently graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in marketing. "Jes has demonstrated a great passion and acuity for the business," said John Sikura. "He loves the farm and working with clients to...

Graded stakes winner She Can't Sing (Bernardini) became the second seven-figure mare of the Lothenbach dispersal at Fasig-Tipton Tuesday when selling for $1.1 million to the Sikura family's Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa. John Sikura did the bidding on the 7-year-old mare before handing off the ticket to his 22-year-old son Jes to sign.

LEXINGTON, KY - The Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale defied what has appeared in recent months to be a weakening sales market with a strong opening session in Lexington Monday. "It was a very encouraging start," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. "There was lots of activity throughout the day, really from start to finish, at all level of horses and at all price ranges and all types of horses. Yearlings sold very well, mares in foal sold very well, broodmare prospects sold very well. The place was crowded very much...

There was an international flavor to the top lot through the ring on Friday's fourth session of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in Australia, with Gai Waterhouse, Adrian Bott and Bruce Slade's Kestrel Thoroughbreds teaming up with Jes Sikura of Hill 'n' Dale Farm and William Johnson Bloodstock (FBAA) to secure a filly by I Am Invincible (Aus) for AU$1.7 million (US$1,140,479), as reported by The Thoroughbred Report. The purchase represents the first foray into the Australian market for Hill 'n' Dale. The farm's Jes Sikura was one...