Mating Plans: Machmer Hall

With the 2022 breeding season right around the corner, we will feature a series of breeders' mating plans over the coming weeks. Today Carrie Brogden discuses mating plans for a few members of the 109-mare-strong Machmer Hall broodmare band.

TIZ DIXIE (m, 9, Tiznow — Comeon Dixie, by Mr. Greeley), to be bred to Constitution

We bought this 9-year-old mare as a maiden for Golden Pedigree for $5,500 and we subsequently did the mating and then foaled and raised her first foal, a colt by Constitution who became stakes winner Never Surprised (Constitution). He just ran second in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S.

When Golden Pedigree liquidated their broodmare band due to an illness, we bought her privately. As far as a mating plan, it seemed like a no-brainer to book her back to rising supersire Constitution.

MISS SHOP (m, 19, Deputy Minister –Shopping, by Private Account), to be bred to Into Mischief

We owned and raced her half-sister, Shop Again (Wild Again), when Miss Shop won the 2007 GI Personal Ensign S. at Saratoga, so when Miss Shop came through the back ring as a graded stakes producer, I just had to have her.

We bred her to Into Mischief for her second year with us and the resulting yearling filly might be the best Into Mischief filly we have had (and we have had a LOT of Into Mischief foals!). Even though he has sadly passed out of our comfort range in terms of stud fee, how could we not make an exception and breed back to him just one last time hoping to duplicate the filly we currently have on the ground?

2021 Into Mischief filly out of GISW Miss Shop as a weanling |  photo courtesy Carrie Brogden

SPECIAL ME (m, 16, Unbridled's Song — Delta Danielle, by Lord Avie), to be bred to Twirling Candy

Special Me is the dam of Grade I-winning Lane's End stallion Gift Box (Twirling Candy), so I'm not sure why we have not repeated this breeding sooner. Currently in foal to Into Mischief, this three-time graded stakes producer who we bought as a maiden mare for just $6,000 will be bred back to Twirling Candy, who has been a superstar for us as Gift Box, Rombauer, Fore Left, Trophy Chaser and Sweetontheladies were all Machmer Hall-raised or pinhooks for us.

LAYREEBELLE (m, 16, Tale of the Cat — Voodoo Lily, by Baldski), to be bred to Candy Ride (Arg)

The dam of GSWs Spellbound (Bernardini) and Kid Cuz (Lemon Drop Kid) and the granddam of GSW Soothsay (Distorted Humor), Layreebelle is a homebred out of our former pensioner Voodoo Lilly, the granddam of Justify. After hurting her shoulder as a yearling, Layreebelle (named for my kids Layne, Reece and Isabelle) has been quite the producer for Machmer Hall.

She is currently in foal to Candy Ride (Arg), who I believe is one of the top values at stud, especially if you have a mare that throws size and bone–which she does. She is booked right back to this lovely, well-priced stallion who throws so much heart with runners of all shapes and sizes.

DEFY (m, 8, Into Mischief — Shy Lil, by Lil's Lad), to be bred to Charlatan 

   This stakes-winning Saratoga yearling is currently in foal to one of my favorite proven stallions, Speighstown. After having two Speightstown foals in a row for two proven-sired foals, we looked for a “sizzle” first-year sire. Defy is booked to Charlatan, who in my opinion is one of the top physicals to go to stud this year.

QUEENIE'S PRIDE (m, 11, Special Rate — Solo Rolo, by Air Forbes Won), to be bred to Silver State

We bought this young, multiple stakes producer privately after watching her daughter Joy's Rocket (Anthony's Cross) win a stake at Keeneland. She's bred very modestly but is producing impressive runners from very inexpensive stallions.

'Queenie' is currently in foal to Vino Rosso. This 15'2-hand mare could double as a quarter horse and since she is proven, we decided to breed her back to a stallion that could give her some stretch and speed. Enter GI Met Mile winner, Silver State!

FANCY KITTEN (m, 8, Kitten's Joy — Endless Fancy, by Ghostzapper), to be bred to Independence Hall

Fancy Kitten is a stakes-placed Kitten's Joy mare whose first foal was a very solid 2-year-old colt in Japan last year. She is currently in foal to Mendelssohn, who I would hope is the heir apparent to Into Mischief.

We wanted a young stakes mare to breed to Independence Hall, who I believe is the best-priced first-year stallion for his looks, race record and sire.

MISS SOUTHERN MISS (m, 8, More Than Ready — Miss Atlantic City, by Stormy Atlantic), to be bred to Essential Quality

   We bought this stunning stakes-winning mare privately and realized that she needs a bit of stretch in her matings. She's currently in foal to a super consistent and now great-priced proven guy, Medaglia d'Oro. After mating her to three proven sires to give her a good start to her career, we are opting to send her to champion 2-year-old and first-year stallion Essential Quality.

2021 Audible filly out of Homesteading | Mathea Kelly

HOMESTEADING (m, 10, Unbridled's Song — Homebound, by Dixie Union), to be bred to Audible 

We bought this young Unbridled's Song mare in foal and she had a disappointing foal, but she had been bred to the same sire line three times in a row. We thought that maybe the mating was just not a good one because the mare is super pretty.

We decided to breed her to Audible to see if the change in sire line was what she needed. From the moment her 2021 filly by Audible was born, we have just said, 'Wow, wow, wow.' Like so many Audible weanlings I saw and short listed at the mixed sales, her 2021 baby is nothing short of spectacular. It was a no-brainer to breed her back to that sire and hope she runs to her looks.

ASTRAY (m, 8, Bernardini — Away, by Dixieland Band), to be bred to Hard Spun

   We bought Astray as a maiden mare. She is one of the prettiest Bernardini mares I have ever seen but is also from a beautiful family. She is currently in foal to Authentic, along with four other Machmer Hall mares, but we really wanted to give her a shot at another proven sire after her Curlin colt did so well at Keeneland September [sold for $470,000].

She is booked back to Hard Spun, who does not always get you a “sales horse” but there is no doubt that he always throws a racehorse. He's great value for a proven sire and we have him booked to two of our young, pretty mares.

STORY UNTOLD (m, 11, Old Fashioned — Shappy, by Really Secret), to be bred to Tiz the Law

We bought Story Untold as a weanling to pinhook and unfortunately she fractured her knee in a paddock accident as a yearling, rendering her an instant broodmare to join the band.

Story Untold's first foal Arella Rockstar (Astrology) was a graded stakes winner and she had a lovely Bernardini yearling at Keeneland September. She's currently in foal to Candy Ride (Arg) and is booked back to Tiz the Law. How can you not admire what Tiz the Law did as a racehorse and his sire continues on his march to stardom. We figured that Story Untold had the bone and size that Tiz the Law would want physically and hopefully his extraordinary talent on the racetrack will translate onto his babies.

WEIGHT NO MORE (m, 18, Pure Prize — Aunt Nola, by Olden Times), to be bred to Goldencents

This multiple stakes-horse producer has been with us since 2010 when we bought her and her third foal at the same mixed sale. That foal, Skinny (Private Vow), went on to become her first stakes horse.

To look at this plain Jane mare, you would never think that she throws the beautiful athletes that she has for us. Her striking daughter Bayerness (Bayern) went on to be a listed stakes winner and was graded stakes placed at Saratoga. Her Goldencents yearling filly sold back to those same connections at the Keeneland September Sale.

I have long thought that Goldencents has been an incredible value sire. You just have to breed him to a mare that throws a lot of leg, like Weight No More, and he seems to throw the body and the heart. We have booked this girl back to Goldencents as her filly was one of my favorite yearlings we had last year.

TWO SHAKES (m, 6, Exchange Rate — Perfectforthepart, by Dynaformer), to be bred to Maxfield

   We probably overpaid for this stakes-placed filly as a broodmare prospect, but damn she is good looking. Her first foal, a yearling colt by Constitution, is everything you would want in a first foal and she is a pretty enough mare to go back to a stallion that has been so good to us, Flatter. She is due in February and now that she will have two proven sire babies in front of her, we turned to a beautiful son of Street Sense, Maxfield.

Let us know who you're breeding your mares to in 2022, and why. We will print a selection of your responses in TDN over the coming weeks. Please send details to: garyking@thetdn.com.