Rafter C Ranch Adds Alisal To Growing Broodmare Band

[Wandering Eyes]

Bill Casner's Rafter C Ranch went to $260,000 to acquire Alisal (Uncle Mo), a 3-year-old stakes-placed filly, from Tuesday's Fasig-Tipton January Digital Sale. The priciest filly or mare sold Tuesday, Alisal raced exclusively at Remington Park for trainer H. Ray Ashford, Jr., breaking her maiden in her second start Oct. 9 and adding an allowance win next out Nov. 15 before capping off her season with a runner-up effort in the Toby Keith Stakes Dec. 20. Consigned by Warrendale Sales as a racing or broodmare prospect, Casner seems fit to retire his newest acquisition to a growing broodmare band.

“She's a big, pretty mare,” Casner said. “She was precocious as a 2-year-old. I watched the replays [of her stakes race] and she was really wide on both turns. When she ran, she did it the tough way, lost a lot of ground and still showed speed. She's by Uncle Mo who is arguably becoming one of the best broodmare sires out there.”

Out of a winning Gone West mare, Alisal is a half-sister to MGSW/GISP Secret Message (Hat Trick {Jpn}) who was acquired by Spendthrift Farm for $625,000 out of the 2020 Keeneland November Sale and has since produced three straight foals by leading sire Into Mischief.

“Secret Message was certainly a very, very good racehorse, and she's still a young mare and active,” Casner continued. “Maybe one of those [Into Mischief foals] will go on, so there's an opportunity for the pedigree to continue to improve. I think [Alisal] is the kind of mare that, if you breed her to the right stallion, you've got an opportunity to get a really good racehorse.”

Alisal was one of two broodmares purchased by Casner in the January Digital Sale, the other being Fay's Rhonda Cares (Mendelssohn), the half-sister to young stallion Flameaway (Scat Daddy) who was hammered down at just $30,000.

“The market's gone up on these mares,” said Casner. “You're going to have to pay a little more for these quality mares but that's the market right now. Inventory is down. It's supply and demand.”

Casner acknowledged that while Alisal may still be fit to race and potentially even at a higher level, she was more than likely set to be in foal in the coming season.

“We'll find something that we really like to breed her to. We'll breed her to a good stallion, for sure. In truth, she looks sound enough to where she could continue to run. But you question what upside is. It costs $50,000 to keep [her] in training and I know she could certainly pay her way and perhaps make some money. Would she be able to step up to graded stakes? I think she probably could. But I'll probably just go ahead and breed her and put her into the broodmare band, let her be a mama.”

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