Hill 'n' Dale

A caravan of four massive Sallee Horse Vans journeyed from Fayette County to Bourbon County today to deliver the 13 members of the Hill 'n' Dale stallion roster to their new residence: Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa. While Hill 'n' Dale President John Sikura said there was apprehension going into the big move, everything went smoothly. "It's kind of like when a horse goes in the starting gate- lots can go wrong," he said. "But thanks to the quality and class of the horses and the horsemanship of everybody who...

A colt by Curlin has no shortage of new owners after Gainesway's Alex Solis signed the ticket on hip 282 at $1.2 million Monday at Keeneland. The new partnership includes Mike Repole, Vinnie Viola's St. Elias, Gainesway, John Oxley and Robert Clay's Grandview. "We've been talking about all the colts we liked and I really liked this colt," Solis said after signing the lengthy ticket. "I thought his mother was a pretty special filly. All week long I kept seeing him and thought I'd like to find a way to...

A daughter of Quality Road ignited a fury of bidding at Newtown Paddocks Wednesday, jumping into the seven-figure range in a matter of seconds and dropping the hammer at $1.5 million, which was the highest price of the day. When the smoke cleared, it was trainer Robbie Medina left signing the ticket on Hip 232 on behalf of longtime owner and breeder Joe Allen. (Click here for our post-sale interview with Robbie Medina) "She had the best pedigree in the book, so Joe wanted her," said Medina, who worked as an assistant...

Hill 'n' Dale Farm President John Sikura joined this week's TDN Writers' Room to talk hot sire Violence, his thoughts on the Jockey Club's decision to impose a 140-mare cap, and more.

Sent off the prohibitive 2-5 chalk while making his first appearance in Grade I company, Three Chimneys Farm and Phoenix Thoroughbreds' Volatile (Violence) fell out onto the lead, enjoyed a soft time of things on the engine and turned it on late to post a 1 1/4-length victory in the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. at Saratoga. The Vanderbilt was reduced to a field of four by the gate scratching of Lexitonian (Speightstown), who was unlikely to have a say in the finish, but who may have set or otherwise...

8th-Churchill Downs, $74,691, Alw (NW3$X)/Opt. Clm ($80,000), 6-4, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:22.58, sy. GUARANA (f, 4, Ghostzapper--Magical World, by Distorted Humor), a multiple Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Star', made a successful return to the races Thursday at Churchill, stalking the pace and drawing off to an easy allowance victory to kick off her 4-year-old season. Dominating on debut last April at Keeneland to the tune of a 14 3/4-length romp at 4-5, the bay validated that effort with a scintillating six-length score in the GI Acorn S. at Belmont and...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 8th-CD, $81K, Alw/Opt. Clm ($75K), 7f, 3yo, f, 4:40 p.m. ET Two well-regarded sophomore fillies who earned lofty Beyer numbers in first-out victories will knock heads in this seven-furlong first-level allowance under the Twin Spires Friday. OXO Equine's CENTER AISLE (Into Mischief) was the third-highest lot to sell at last year's Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale when hammering for $1.5 million, and backed that price up with a strong debut success Mar. 29 at Gulfstream, stalking the speed and edging clear to score by 3 3/4 lengths...

The fact that he has only just broken into the six-figure club, at the age of 21, tells you how strong a curve Candy Ride (Arg) is taking into the evening of his career. His current sophomores, representing his 12th crop, were the first to be conceived at $60,000, up from $40,000 the previous year; while his yearlings were the first bred at $80,000, immediately following Gun Runner's Horse of the Year campaign. With his status as a sire of sires ever strengthening, moreover, Candy Ride must be counted one...

A March 20 court hearing in Kentucky will determine if Hill 'n' Dale Farms can have a claim dismissed that involves a New York lending firm wanting to take possession of equine assets that were allegedly sold in 2017 at under-market value by financially troubled Zayat Stables, LLC, which is the chief defendant in the same $23 million lawsuit alleging loan default and fraud. The equine asset in question in this case is the broodmare American Cleopatra, a full sister to 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. The Blood-Horse first...

The New York lending firm that last month initiated a $23-million lawsuit against Ahmed Zayat and his financially troubled Zayat Stables, LLC, has broadly amended its civil complaint in a Kentucky court. As of Tuesday, the suit now additionally targets 10 prominent bloodstock individuals and entities that the plaintiff alleges played a role in the "fraudulent scheme" orchestrated by Zayat family members "to sell at a steep discount several millions of dollars of Zayat Stables' assets" that had been pledged as collateral for $30 million in loans. The wide-ranging updated...

Through the first three installments of this series, we've repeatedly complained about ever-more manic investment in unproven stallions and the resulting potential for chronic deterioration in the gene pool. So we won't reprise the theme today, other than to remark that this situation creates a rather more immediate and specific challenge for the next group under review. Because while second- and third-season stallions can still offer breeders the possibility of riding an early vogue, this lot have just been exposed to the judgment of the yearling market--which history reveals to...

MGISW and champion juvenile Good Magic (Curlin--Glinda the Good, by Hard Spun) sired his first foal Saturday night, a filly out of Decor (Declaration of War). The mare, a half to GSW and G1SP Conquest Tsunami (Stormy Atlantic), is owned by Teddy Burnett's Josham Farms and Yvonne Schwabe. "We had a gorgeous Good Magic filly last night at 9:50 p.m.," Schwabe said Sunday. "She has a great frame with lots of substance, solid bone, with a very pretty head. An excellent foal, we are delighted." John Sikura, President of Hill...