By Katie Petrunyak
The year 2024 could be a defining season for Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa stallion Violence. Not only must he continue to make his mark as a sire with a limited book of 125 mares, but the son of Medaglia d'Oro will now take the first steps towards becoming a sire of sires.
He got off to a fast start doing just that last year as his young son Volatile made headlines with his first crop of yearlings. From just a $17,500 initial stud fee, the Grade I-winning Three Chimneys sire saw sales of $1.15 million, $700,000 and $600,000. This year Volatile stands for $15,000 as his first crop takes to the starting gate.
Forte, Violence's leading earner to date, will launch his stud career this year at Spendthrift Farm. The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile champ and four-time Grade I winner stands for $50,000.
A third son of Violence joins the stallion ranks this year and offers a welcomed bit of value for breeders. Dr. Schivel (Violence – Lil Nugget, by Mining for Money), a Grade I winner at two and three who was just a nose short of claiming the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, represents the Taylor Made stallion roster as he launches his stud career at $12,500.
“From what I've been told by numerous breeders and from what we think as well is that it's just tremendous value for a horse at $12,500,” said Taylor Made's Travis White. “He's a son of Violence, a good-looking horse, a multiple Grade I winner and he was precocious. It's everything the commercial breeders and buyers are looking for. The Violence line is known for throwing good-looking, good-sized commercial horses and I think Dr. Schivel could be the next in line to follow suit.”
White explained that the Taylor Made scouting team has had their eye on Dr. Schivel nearly since the start of his career.
After breaking his maiden by nearly six lengths, Dr. Schivel got his first Grade I score in the 2020 Del Mar Futurity. He returned at three to face older horses and win the GI Bing Crosby S., defeating GISW Eight Rings (Empire Maker), and then got a fifth straight win in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. The Mark Glatt trainee's only loss as a 3-year-old came in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, where he just missed in a photo finish with Aloha West (Hard Spun).
Dr. Schivel gets up to win the 2021 GI Bing Crosby S. | Benoit
As an older horse, Dr. Schivel was third after a trip abroad for the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, placed again this year in the GI Bing Crosby S., and added another win in the GI Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. In his 15 career starts, he placed in all but three.
“For him to remain consistent and sound and be competitive and have that drive to win for four years, I think that says a lot for the horse,” said White. “If he can throw that, I think that's something that will pay dividends in the long run.”
Breeders seem to agree, as White said the horse is nearly booked full for his debut season.
“He's been very well received so far,” explained White. “We've put together a very good group of shareholders to support the horse and people who have been out to the farm to see him have really liked what they've seen. To me, you can look at Dr. Schivel and see why he was a racehorse. He's got great angles. He's got a very good neck, good shoulder and a good length of body. He's also got this really long, sleek walk to him that we all like to see when we're buying horses. He's a very good-looking horse and I think he fits our customer base really well.”
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