Sergio de Sousa

With the encouragement of Sergio de Sousa from Hidden Brook Farm and Carrie Brogden from Machmer Hall, a group of 17 Thoroughbred industry stakeholders have pledged to donate a total of $35,000 in prize money for a series of TAKE2 Thoroughbred Hunter and Jumper Classics at the Kentucky Horse Shows and Split Rock Jumping Tour in 2026. The 20 TAKE2 Classics, offering $1,750 in prize money each, will be held at 10 horse shows at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, between May and September. The TAKE2 Classics sponsors...

Competitive bidding continued throughout the day Sunday as the Book 4 section of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale opened Sunday with a pair of weanlings by Yaupon leading the way. For the session, 267 horses grossed $10,837,500 for an average of $40,964 and a median of $30,000. The average was up 14.70% and the median was up 20.00% from last year's corresponding session when 270 horses sold for $9,642,400 and the average was $35,713 and the median was $25,000. With 58 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate for...

The first thing you notice as you pull up to Hidden Brook Farm's yearling division is how, on either side of the doors leading into the indoor walker, dozens and dozens of nameplates are lined in neat rows, serving as the honor roll of horses bred, foaled, raised or sold by Hidden Brook. Ask farm manager Sergio de Sousa about any one of the names you see listed there and he will have a story. Take, for instance, Tell a Kelly. The daughter of Tapit was consigned by Hidden Brook...

LEXINGTON, KY--With a rainy, cloudy afternoon turning into a perfect sunny and 72-degree evening, the racing industry was out in full force to support retired Thoroughbreds in the Real Rider Cup. Typically held in the fall at Fair Hill, it was the first time the event was being held in Lexington at New Vocations' Mereworth Farm and the rail was packed with familiar faces, such as Christian Black, Mike McMahon and Aidan and Leah O'Meara, to support this great cause initiated by Anita Motion. Thirty-one riders completed a 2'6" jumper...

In this new TDN column, Christie DeBernardis will tell the stories of popular and/or accomplished former racehorses who are now enjoying second careers as show horses, track ponies, etc. The first two foals out of the mighty Zenyatta, Cozmic One (Bernardini) and Ziconic (Tapit), never reached the winner's circle during their brief careers on the racetrack, but they are both thriving in their second careers as jumpers and ambassadors for off-track Thoroughbreds. The elder brother, Cozmic One's second career has been well documented in these pages (Cozmic One: Shining New...

The Kentucky leg of the Real Rider Cup, a charity show jumping event created by Anita Motion to benefit Thoroughbred aftercare, will be held Saturday, July 9--two days ahead of the start of the Fasig-Tipton July sales--at New Vocation Racehorse Adoption Program at Mereworth Farm in Lexington. Among those set to participate are Zenyatta's son Cozmic One (Bernardini), who will be ridden by Real Rider Cup veteran Sergio de Sousa; and Grade III winner Sticksstatelydude (First Dude) with exercise rider Kristin VanMeter. 1/ST Racing is furnishing an entire team coming...

Cozmic One (Bernardini), the first foal out of Horse of the Year Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}), has joined the TAKE2 Thoroughbred League and is slated to compete in the TAKE2 Thoroughbred Jumper Division at the Kentucky National Horse Show Sept. 22-26. The classes for his division will be held in the Walnut Ring at the Kentucky Horse Park near Lexington. Cozmic One could earn a wild card berth in the $20,000 TAKE2 Hunter and Jumper Finals Sept. 26 if he finishes in the top five in the division. Now a...

Melbourne native Josh Kerin has joined the Hidden Brook as a sales account manager. Josh's initial experience with horses began on a family harness racing farm before venturing to nearby Caulfield Racecourse as a teenager to work under the tutelage of trainer Colin Little. Sergio de Sousa, part owner of Hidden Brook Farm, said, "We're very pleased to welcome Josh to our team.  He gained valuable experience interning at Three Chimney's Farm and also making the rounds at the sales with several prominent agents. He'll assist in recruiting and bloodstock...

LEXINGTON, KY - The action moves from the racetrack to the sales ring at Keeneland Monday with the first session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. The 10-day auction kicks off with a single select Book 1 section that begins at noon and continues through Nov. 18 with subsequent sessions beginning at 10 a.m. "I think the sale will be good," Marshall Taylor of Taylor Made Sales Agency said on an unseasonably warm November morning at the Keeneland sales grounds Sunday. "We have a lot of good horses and...