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    • My point was about Reefton. Turnover per race was 311k Ellerslie (stakes 460k) 280k Kumara (stakes 240k)  
    • I'm not sure what your point is.  You aren't exactly comparing apples with apples. For a start: Kumara had 9 races. Ellerslie had 8 races.  
    • Laurel Park will run two $100,000 stakes Jan. 17 for runners bred Maryland or Virginia or by sires in these states: the Jennings Stakes and Geisha Stakes. The card also includes two $100,000 open handicaps.View the full article
    • 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 his new role as Hill 'n' Dale's Director of Bloodstock at the start of this year, the younger Sikura has taken on the assignment of putting together Barnes's first book. Sikura describes it as “an easy first job.” “I don't have to beg anybody to come to us,” he explained. “People are calling us because they're excited about him. People are excited to bring their mares to him.” Sikura recalled attending the 2023 Fasig-Tipon Saratoga Sale when Barnes first made headlines, selling to Zedan Racing for $3.2 million. Bred by Jeff Drown and Rachel Don, the son of Into Mischief hails from the family of Grade I winners Majestic Warrior, Dream Supreme and Spinning Round, but Sikura said it was the bay's imposing physical that made him one of the talking horses of the auction. “A huge endorsement is if Bob Baffert and Donato Lanni are going to pay $3.2 million for a yearling,” he said. “The fact that they did means that as a yearling, he possessed what looked to be an athletic physical.” Sikura noted that the same physical presence that made Barnes a standout in the sales ring now serves as a major draw for breeders visiting the new Hill 'n' Dale sire. “He has great size, great bone and a great shoulder,” he explained. “He walks well and has a beautiful face. I would describe him as an impeccable physical. I think anybody who is looking for a nice foal would be pleased to see Barnes and hope he's going to produce something that looks like himself.” A winner on debut at Churchill Downs in November of his juvenile season, Barnes returned to California to claim the GII San Vicente Stakes by over five lengths. He followed that performance with a second-place finish to MGISW Journalism (Curlin) in the GII San Felipe Stakes and was fifth in the GI Santa Anita Derby. After a mid-summer layoff, Barnes made three more starts including a third-place finish behind Patch Adams (Into Mischief) and Captain Cook (Practical Joke) in the GI H. Allen Jerkens Stakes and an 8 1/4-length victory in his final career start in the GIII Perryville Stakes, besting rival Captain Cook and GSW Owen Almighty (Speightstown). “He had a lot of talent, a lot of speed and a lot of ability and courage,” Sikura said of the colt, who was retired due to a tendon injury after hitting the board in five of his seven starts. Sikura noted that at a $15,000 price point, the response has been immediate. He reported that the stallion syndicate filled within an hour of the announcement of his retirement. Sara Gordon photo “Being a first-year stallion at $15,000 who has the endorsement of being a $3.2 million yearling bought by Bob Baffert, Donato Lanni and Amr Zedan, he's got a lot of potential,” Sikura said. “He's going to breed a lot of good mares and have every opportunity. He's standing at a range where breeders are going to have a chance to get to him and we hope that he replicates his success and more through his progeny on the track.” While Sikura is just getting started in his first full-time chapter at Hill 'n' Dale, he grew up in the business learning from his father and other mentors. He worked in the farm's bloodstock division while in college and also found time between classes to spend mornings walking hots for Todd Pletcher and evenings working as a server at Carlo Vaccarezza's Frank & Dino's Restaurant. “It gave me the opportunity to meet people in Lexington and in the horse business while going to school,” explained Sikura. Sikura is looking forward to channeling that same work ethic into his new position. “My new role entails everything bloodstock-related at Hill 'n' Dale, whether that would be the sales, the breeding shed, keeping up with clients' yearlings and mares on the farm or anything organizational in the office,” he said. “It's anything I can do to be a helping hand.” “I love everything about what we do,” he continued. “I love getting to work for the family business. I love promoting the great job that we do. I love getting to reward clients who entrust us with big mares and big yearlings. I love everything I get to do that is Hill 'n' Dale associated–promoting the brand, rewarding clients and giving our stallions an opportunity.” The post Jes Sikura On The Job with New Hill ‘n’ Dale Sire Barnes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
    • 6th-FG, $60k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 3:30 p.m. ET A pair of Keeneland September acquisitions by Belladonna Racing and C R K Stable, each sold for better than a half-million dollars, debut for the in-form Cherie DeVaux barn in what appears to be a hot maiden on the Lecomte Stakes undercard. MOJACAR (Essential Quality) looks to become the fifth winner from as many to the races for dam Spanish Star (Blame), who is responsible for 2025 GI Test Stakes victress Kilwin (Twirling Candy); the crack Grade II-winning turf sprinter One Timer (Trappe Shot); and Just Basking (Arrogate), the 2024 Iowa Oaks winner who was subsequently third in the GI Alabama Stakes. A $500,000 KEESEP grad, the Apr. 12 foal is a half to 2019 GI Belmont Stakes hero Sir Winston (Awesome Again). Double Entendre (Tapit) cost $625,000 in Lexington and is out of a half-sister to GI Delaware Handicap and GI Beldame Stakes winner Belle Gallantey (After Market). Whisper Hill Farm unveils Guns Allowed (Gun Runner), a homebred half-brother to GISW Volatile (Violence) and SW & GSP Buy Sell Hold (Violence), herself the dam of SW Bourbon Bash (City of Light) and GSW Showcase (Uncle Mo). The colt's second dam is 2003 GI Test heroine Lady Tak (Mutakddim). TJCIS PPs 5th-FG, $60k, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 3:00 p.m. Whisper Hill is represented in this fillies' division by the beautifully bred TAP TO OPEN (Tapit). Mandy Pope acquired the May 27 foal's dam I'll Take Charge (Indian Charlie) for $2.2 million at the 2013 Keeneland September Sale and from her bred this filly's full-brother 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Charge It, twice a winner at the graded level and runner-up in the 2022 GI Florida Derby. I'll Take Charge is one of eight winners produced by treble Grade I victress Take Charge Lady (Dehere), dam of champion Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song); GISW sire Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy); and GISW As Time Goes By (American Pharoah); and the granddam of champion Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway) and dual Grade I-winning stallion Omaha Beach (War Front). Jay Em Ess homebred Thesewallshaveears (Gun Runner) is the first foal out of the operation's two-time graded winner Go Google Yourself (Into Mischief) and the dual GISW third dam I Ain't Bluffing (Pine Bluff) produced GSW & MGISP Acting Happy (Empire Maker). Goodall (Yaupon) needs a defection to draw in from the also-eligible list but could be heard from should that happen. Sold to Tom McCrocklin for just $67,000 at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton July Sale, the bay was knocked down to Spendthrift for $525,000 after breezing in a bullet :20 2/5 at last year's OBS April Sale. TJCIS PPs 5th-GP, $84k, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 2:20 p.m. ET CONGRESSIONAL (Constitution) is a debuting son of 2017 Sunland Park Oaks winner Ghalia (Medaglia d'Oro), a $600,000 Keeneland November weanling whose two winners to date includes Ghalia Princess (American Pharoah), victorious in the 2024 Cicada Stakes. Grandview Equine went to $650,000 for this Feb. 7 foal at KEESEP in 2024 and his now juvenile half-brother Second Strike (Not This Time) was hammered down to Case Clay Thoroughbred Management for $700,000 at last year's September Sale. Gondorff (Charlatan) is bred for this surface, as he is a half-brother to Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro), whose four successes at the graded level includes the GII Fort Lauderdale Stakes at this venue. The $500,000 Keeneland September yearling is out of a half-sister to Unbound (Distorted Humor), the stakes-placed dam of GISW Arabian Lion (Justify). TJCIS PPs The post Uncoupled DeVaux Entry Packs A Powerful Pedigree Punch appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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