THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF HIDDEN BROOK FARM

SEPTEMBER, 2013 · VOL. 3  NO. 9

UPCOMING  

SALES  

............ 

Fasig-Tipton October Yearlings

October 21-23
 

Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale

November 5-14  

Hidden Brook's 2013
Stakes Horses:    

Alpha Bettor-G2 
Balooga Bull
Battling Brook 
Breitling Flyer
Cigar Street-G3 
Confesiones 
Customer Based

Dads Caps

Dannhauser

Darwin-G3

Discreet Girl

Dreaming Of Cara

Drill
Finnegans Wake-G2 SP
Game On Dude-G1 
Great Attack 

Lady Henrietta

Marvin's Miracle-G2 SP 

Millennia

Pianist-G3

Saint Arthur 

Seeking Toussaud
Shimaal Nibras

Silverette 

So Long George-G2
Starship Truffles-G1  
Stop Smiling-G2
Thunder Lord 
Travelin Man 

True Thought

Weekend Hideaway

White Rose 

........................................... 

Through August 2013...

Over 20% stakes horses from horses raised through their yearling year

Spotlight on
STAKES HORSES
of September 
BALOOGA BULL 
Won Gold Cup S. (CAN)

DADS CAPS 

2nd Aljamin S. (Belmont) 

DRILL

3rd Governors H.  

FINNEGANS WAKE 

2nd Bowling Green H. (G2-Belmont) 

.............
2013 Stats:
18 SWs - 28 SHs - 7 GSWs
To become a
part of the
HIDDEN BROOK program,
call today
(859) 988-9377

CONTACTS

 

Sergio de Sousa  

(859) 983-1897 

sergio@hiddenbrookfarmky.com

  

Jack Brothers

(917) 287-2273

jkckjbrothers@msn.com

 

Dan Hall

(859) 621-0526 

danhall@hiddenbrookfarmky.com

 

Mike Recio  

(859) 221-1809   

mrecio@hiddenbrookfarmky.com

  

Bryan Cross

HIDDEN BROOK

1770 Winchester Road

Paris, KY 40361

Tel: (859) 988-9377

Fax: (859) 988-9339

www.hiddenbrookfarmky.com

 

 

 

 

 

sales    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hidden Brook Grosses over $4.2 Million   

September Sale Reflects Improving Market  

Hidden Brook offered 66 yearlings at this year's Keeneland September Sale and sold 58 of them for a gross of over $4.2 Million, putting it within the top 20 of all consignors throughout the sale. Widely considered a "marathon" sale, Keeneland has been a source of success for Hidden Brook, which has fared remarkably well beating the averages at the venue.  


This year overall sale RNA's were at 20%, a lower figure than in past years, and Hidden Brook's was an even lower 12% that did not attain their reserve. Hidden Brook nearly topped the Sunday session, selling two of the top three yearlings - Hip 1372, a chestnut colt from the debut crop of Super Saver, out of the Polish Numbers mare Karla's Number, whose family included Any Given Saturday, for $360,000 to Shortleaf Stable; and Hip 1552, a bay Hard Spun colt out of a Grade III stakes producing mare by Coronado's Quest, who hailed from the family of Graded stakes winner Willa on the Move for $350,000 to Agent, Ben Glass.


Keeneland established a new format for its 2013 September Yearling sale, introducing one book which showcased the first four days of offerings, perceived as the higher end of the yearling crop, with sessions that began at noon each day Monday through Thursday, and a break, or "dark" day on Friday. Saturday and Sunday were included in Book 2, while the remaining days were spread amongst books 3-6. Keeneland's goal was to level the playing field for both buyers and sellers by spreading those higher end horses throughout the first week.


The new structure was put in place also to help buyers to have more time to look at more horses. For Hidden Brook's team, who canvasses the entire sale, this is especially important. While much of the sale was a sellers' market, Hidden Brook was able to fill its orders and purchased five top quality individuals for its clients, as well as its own partnerships.
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Grads Continue Stakes Success   
September Performers Improve 2013 Stats
Balloga Bull
Hidden Brook sales graduate
Balooga Bull led the way this month with his decisive stakes win in the Gold Cup Stakes (Can).  By Flashy Bull, out of the Crusader Sword mare Proud Crusader, Balooga Bull stalked the pacesetter through a half mile before taking control at the top of the stretch and opening up to win by a length and a half.  It was his second consecutive win in the Gold Cup Stakes. Balooga Bull now has total earnings of $252,686 for owner Peter Brandt.
 

Finnegan's Wake placed impressively in the Grade 2 Bowling Green Stakes at Belmont Park in early September. Tracking the field in last for much of the way, the bay son of Powerscourt (GB) found his best stride late and just missed the win in a photo finish. Finnegan's Wake was foaled at raised at Hidden Brook for Jerry Crawford and Donegal Racing. 

 
Dads Caps 

Dads Caps looked sharp against tough contender Shanghai Bobby in the Aljamin Stakes at Belmont, breaking in front and setting a quick 22 and 2 opening quarter followed by a half in 45 flat. Dads Caps hung tough and looked like a winner until the last few strides, settling for third by just half a length. The bay three-year-old Discreet Cat colt was foaled and raised at Hidden Brook from longtime broodmare resident Seeking the Silver, for owner Vince Scuderi.

 

Another Hidden Brook graduate and Grade 1 winner, Drill, ran a solid third in the $75,000 Governor's Cup Handicap at the Barretts race meet at Fairplex. The dark bay colt is by Lawyer Ron out of the Storm Cat mare, Cat Dancer.
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Racing Partnership Update 

Hidden Brook Racing made several hard knocks on the door this month with its strong contingent of young runners.

Miss Lech

Miss Lech made her second lifetime start at Belmont Park in an $80,000 maiden special weight, closing well and improving from her first start to a second place finish.  She earned a 70 Beyer for her effort and has come out of the race in good order. Her stats are now two starts, one third and one second.

Canaryinacoalmine was impressive in her debut at Churchill Downs in a maiden special weight.  Running five wide, she chased down the
Canaryinacoalmine
winner, who was able to save all the ground on the inside and had the benefit of a prior start, for a second place finish.

Neilos improved from his first start with a second place finish in a maiden special weight at Parx, earning an almost 15 point jump in his Beyer assignment.  He has come out of the race well.

 

Neck of the Moon increased her earnings to nearly $100,000 after a game second place effort in
Neck of the Moon
a Belmont Allowance. Fanned five wide into the stretch, she made up much of the ground and just missed the win.

 

New additions to the Hidden Brook racing partnership scene include two fillies and a colt purchased at Keeneland September. They have all settled in at the farm for a brief stay before they will ship to conditioner Randy Bradshaw in Ocala, Florida.  Randy was responsible for the early development of our recent stakes horses, Pianist, Street Life, and LaReine Lionne.  Highlights of each to come in next month's newsletter.
Inside the WINNER'S CIRCLE
with Dan Kelliher     

One of the most popular features of The HIDDEN BROOK TIMES is a Q&A with some of our valued clients. Dan Kelliher, a private racing and gaming industry consultant, has been associated with Hidden Brook since 2008.  Dan was co-owner of a mare named Klassy Briefcase, a World record-setting sprinter and stakes producer, and was responsible for finding her late in her breeding career and subsequently retiring her to Old Friends, a retirement home for Thoroughbreds, where she recently passed away at the ripe old age of 28.   

 

Born: Wisconsin

Residence:  Centennial, Colorado   

Family: Married with two sons, ages 20 and 19. Wonderful young men. Very proud of who they are!

Age: 43

Primary business: Business Consultant, Racing Industry

 

What kind of work do you do?

I represent the U.S. business interests of international clients involved in the Racing and Gaming Industry globally. I'm their Mr. America! Technology insights, Industry relationships, Regulatory and licensing representation, Content acquisition.

Tell us how you got started in the horse industry:

Boy meets girl, girls loves horses, boy develops interest in horses.

What is the first race you can remember watching?

Happy Apollo winning at long odds at Prineville Meadows in central Oregon. Our family truckster vacations growing up involved driving from Wisconsin to Oregon to visit relatives. My older brother and I both picked the long-shot. He bet to win I bet to show (loser I was..."mother said only to show."). I learned very quickly the difference between win and show pay-offs.

Tell us about your own personal most exciting moment in racing.

Everyday. I get to wake-up each day making my living involved with Horse-Racing. I've seen countries I never imagined I would and met people and made friends throughout the Industry.  I love horse racing and feel very blessed to be able to spend my days immersed in it. Nothing I would rather be doing.

What drew you to Hidden Brook?

I met the Hidden Brook team through a friend. What keeps me involved with Hidden Brook year after year is the great respect I have for the team there. No one knows a horse better than Mark, Dan, Serge and Jack. Great advice on bloodlines, conformation, setting reserves, etc.

You have bred and foaled mares, as well as sold youngsters with Hidden Brook. How has that experience, the team, been different for you than any others?

To put it simply I trust them. I've never had a bad experience working with them. I could give you a list of problem experiences I've had other places. The Hidden Brook experience is always top-shelf.

What advice would you have for others who want to get in the game?

Someone new to the game or even someone in the game who's not enjoying the experience as much as they hoped should talk to the Hidden Brook team. Not only do they know their horses and the Industry, they're great people with enjoyable personalities.

Favorite racetrack?

Santa Anita

What aspect of the business do you enjoy most?

Working out matings, racing, going to the track, Breeders' Cup, the charisma you can feel in being near a good Stakes horse. 

 

What is the first thing you read in the morning?

Drudge report...sad as that is.

You travel quite a bit for your career, can you tell us about any of the more exotic locations you have visited?
Brazil is awesome!! Sao Paolo is amazing and quite different than I expected. I've been to Peru,Germany, France, Ireland, Spain, Gibraltar with more travel on the horizon.

Tell us a little about sports and your interest there.

In addition to horse racing I love American football. My youngest son is a red-shirt freshman long-snapper at University of Wisconsin in Madison. He led his high school team to an undefeated State of Wisconsin championship as the starting QB prior to going to Madison.

Best advice you ever got from someone?

If you take the time to listen, everyone has something worth hearing. Wisdom doesn't come in a flood but from these little drops of knowledge/insight/experience.

Any final words for our readers? Racing has its challenges but there's no better sport and no better opportunity for participants of any size, scope, financial level to compete at the highest level. I'll never own an NFL team or a MLB franchise but with the right horse I have the potential to compete against the biggest names in racing without restriction. No other sport offers this same opportunity.

 

Thank you Dan Kelliher, for giving us a few minutes of your time inside the Winner's Circle.