John Sikura

The first foal by group-placed Lost Treasure (Ire) (War Front) is a colt out of Little Miss S (Candy Ride {Arg}). The mare is a half-sister to Grade I winner Crisp (El Corredor). "How fitting that the first foal by this regally bred group-placed son of War Front from the immediate family of Galileo (Ire), would be out of a half-sister to Grade I winner Crisp," said John G. Sikura, President of Hill 'n' Dale Farms, which stands the 6-year-old stallion. "That's what happens when you have great partners like...

When Hill 'n' Dale Farms announced that it would be standing World of Trouble (Kantharos) at stud, everything appeared straightforward. The horse was among the fastest of his generation and had won Grade I races on the turf and dirt. Considering the modest stud fee of $15,000 and the horse's credentials, Hill 'n' Dale President John Sikura had every reason to believe that the horse would be one of the more popular stallions at his farm. Five months later, it all came crashing down. His trainer Jason Servis was indicted...

Horse of the Year Ghostzapper (Awesome Again), Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno) and Point of Entry (Dynaformer) will join the stallion roster at John Sikura's Hill 'N' Dale at Xalapa outside of Paris, KY, according to a release from the farm. They are being relocated from Adena Springs. The fees for the three stallions are: Ghostzapper - $85,000 LFSN; Point of Entry - $7,500 LFSN; Mucho Macho Man - $7,500 LFSN. "I have known John since he was a young man in Canada and his rise as a pre-eminent horseman...

   Only a few years after first becoming involved in Thoroughbred ownership, Susan and Charles Chu watched their first Grade I winner also become a Breeders' Cup Champion when 'TDN Rising Star' Drefong (Gio Ponti) crossed the wire first in the 2016 Breeders' Cup Sprint under their Baoma Corporation banner. While they'd had several graded stakes contenders come along prior to Drefong's campaign, after the millionaire took his third Grade I in the Forego S. for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert in 2017, Baoma Corporation went through a bit...

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 was...

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...

The Jockey Club today has elected five new members: Gatewood Bell, Fred W. Hertrich III, James McIngvale, Dr. Mary Scollay, and John Sikura. As a bloodstock agent, Gatewood Bell, president of Cromwell Bloodstock Agency, selected horses including Mastery and Undrafted. In addition to his work in bloodstock, Bell is a memberof the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and a United States representative for Goffs sales agency. He previously worked for Kiaran McLaughlin and Nicoma Bloodstock and served as a jockey's agent for Fernando Jara. Fred W. Hertrich III is chairman of...

With the smoking hot sire Violence picking up another Grade I win, with Volatile in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. at Saratoga, John Sikura has a lot to talk about and a lot to be happy about. The President of Hill 'n' Dale Farms, where Violence stands, has seen that stallion's career get off to a fast start, slow down and now take off again. Sikura joined the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland to discuss Violence's recent accomplishments, the decision to bring in Kantharos and his thoughts on...

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.

As his name suggests, there appear to be no half measures with Violence. He had, let's face it, suddenly been under a bit of pressure. It was only last year that Hill 'n' Dale had been able to hoist his fee from $25,000 to $40,000, his first sophomores having confirmed him as the most glamorous stallion in his intake: clear top of the class in 2018 by earnings, winners, stakes winners/performers, graded stakes horses. Having started out at $15,000, he had just processed his third crop of yearlings for an...

Hailing from the same shedrow of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen isn't the only thing that recent, ultra-impressive Oaklawn Park winners Casual (f, 3, by Curlin) and Volatile (c, 4, by Violence) have in common. The promising duo--both bred in Kentucky by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. and Stretch Run Ventures, LLC--trace their lineage back to the millionaire and brilliant two-time Saratoga Grade I winner and the Asmussen-trained Lady Tak (Mutakddim). After acquiring an interest privately in the GI Test S. and GI Ballerina H. heroine from owners...