An opportunity to own a product of an ultra-successful breeding and racing operation can be found in the sales ring with yearlings bred by Stonestreet Farm, the successful nursery located on more than 1,800 acres near Lexington.
Four horses are set to go through the ring Aug. 8-9 at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected yearling sale in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Stonestreet hopes the group exemplifies the farm motto: "Born to run, raised to win." Ahead of the sale, Stonestreet owner Barbara Banke weighed in on the draft of young horses that made their way to New York this year.
Hip 152, a Good Magic filly out of the Storm Cat mare Cat Dancer, is consigned by Warrendale Sales and is a half sister to 2011 Del Mar Futurity (G1) winner Drill . The sire, champion 2-year-old male of 2017, was campaigned in partnership with Stonestreet and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds. The son of Curlin finished his racing career as a multiple grade 1 winner with nearly $3 million in earnings. Stonestreet purchased Cat Dancer in 2011 for $1.4 million from Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency's consignment to The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's marquee breeding stock sale.
"Kitty Taylor from Warrendale is consigning her out of Barn 1, she's a beautiful filly," Banke said. "(She) looks really fast, looks like she could be early ... I'm really proud of that sire and I think he's going to do great things. I know a number of Good Magic horses are going to be racing here in the next month or so."
"She's a great mover with a beautiful walk," Taylor added. "She's leveled and drops her head right from the beginning. I love the sire; she reminds me of him. She's just lovely. We've sold out of Cat Dancer before and she's been a solid, good mare."
Taylor Made Sales Agency consigns another Stonestreet-bred, an Uncle Mo colt consigned as Hip 180. The colt is out of the Harlan's Holiday mare Fantastic Style, a graded stakes winner in both the 2015 Great Lady M Stakes (G2) and the 2016 Las Flores Stakes (G3).
"First of all he's a Stonestreet-bred and I love selling Stonestreet horses because they have such a history of running and they really raise and breed a good horse," said Frank Taylor, vice president of sales at Taylor Made Farm. "They produce a really good product. When they have the Stonestreet name on them, it's a real plus. They've got a great team over there and Barbara has done a great job.
"He's an Uncle Mo, he's the kind of Uncle Mo I like. A lot of them can be kind of bigger, this horse is not. He is medium-sized, well-balanced, and looks sound. He's got a good head, neck, and shoulder and a nice walk. He just looks like a horse that will have ability and stay sound."
Over at Denali Stud's consignment is Hip 183, a Ghostzapper colt out of the graded stakes-winning Pulpit mare Fiftyshadesofhay. She won the 2013 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) and the Ruffian Stakes (G2) the following year, and was runner-up in both the 2013 Alabama Stakes (G1) and the 2014 Personal Ensign Stakes (G1).
She finished her career with more than $1 million in earnings and a record of 5-5-4 from 20 starts.
"(Fiftyshadesofhay) was a great racehorse, she raced in California ... Ghostzapper of course being 2004 Horse of the Year and was a super-fast horse at many distances and many different surfaces," Banke said. "We think (the colt) is lean and graceful and looks like he could be anything."
Banke's personal favorite is Hip 56, a Speightstown colt out of the unraced Medaglia d'Oro mare Rainier consigned by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck's Summerfield.
"(This colt) has very good breeding. That's the magic cross (Speightstown over Medaglia d'Oro), that's the Olympiad , Rock Fall cross that has led to so many graded stakes winners and grade 1 winners," Banke said. "He looks really, really good to me and I think he'll go over very well."
Looking back on past sales, Banke believes the group she has brought this year will more than stand up to scrutiny.
"First and foremost you have to bring a very good physical up here because people are up here for a long period of time, there aren't that many horses, and they have a lot of time to look and say, 'Hmm I like this one except for this.' Your horse almost has to be bulletproof," Banke said. "We've started bringing pretty good pedigrees up here too. I would say these are some of the best yearlings we've brought up."
