In a list of top 150 North American consignors in 2014, Hidden Brook ranked 17th in cumulative sales totaling $12,261,100. We ranked 12th amongst all yearling consignors, 18th in broodmare sales, and 12th in horses of racing age. These results would not be possible without the continued support of our clients, and we thank you all for letting us represent you.

In addition to averaging $154,500

The media was buzzing with stories about the sale, with feature articles covering this particular purchase in Bloodhorse, the Louisville Courier-Journal, and The Daily Racing Form, among others.

Another sale success came at the New York Bred Preferred Yearling Sale in Saratoga, where we sold all seven of  our offerings for an average price of $97,429, beating out the sale average of $80,258.

The seven horses sold for a total of $682,000, but simply selling one-hundred percent of our offerings in a market generally marked by a high percentage of RNA's is an accomplishment in itself.

At the Keeneland September Sale, Hidden Brook had total sales of $5,437,000 for an average of $79,995 per hip number sold. Only 17% of our horses did not attain their reserve, with the sale average being 21%. 

Hidden Brook saw some further success at Fasig-Tipton October, surpassing the sale average of $38,500 with an average selling price of $55,386, while selling 14 of our 17 offerings and having a buy-back rate that was 3% less than the average.

Of the 236 horses that Hidden Brook consigned in 2014, 205 of them sold, leaving a low 13% that did not attain their reserve, which is well-below the average RNA percentage. Of these 205 sold, 43 of them reached a selling price of $100,000 or more.

On June 8, the Hidden Brook racing partnership filly Catch My Drift won her first career start by ¾ of a length. Trained by Chad Brown, the three-year-old overcame a slow start, moved to the rail, and steadily improved her position before taking the lead in the deep stretch and holding on for the win.

Catch My Drift

Catch My Drift also won her second career start at Monmouth Park on July 19, improving her record to 2-2-0-0. The three-year-old finished the one mile and seventy yard contest on dirt in 1:41.22, 4 ½ lengths ahead of the pack.

In September, Catch My Drift won her third race out of four career starts after an impressive performance at Parx. She won the race going away with authority, crossing the finish line 2 ¼ lengths ahead of the rest. She finished the one mile and seventy yard contest with a respectable time of 1:41.65.

Catch My Drift continued to impress with a 2nd place finish in the G3 Turn Back the Alarm Stakes at Belmont Park on October 26, missing out on the win by just a half length while improving her record to 5-3-1-0 and accumulating over $160,000 in earnings over her first five races.

She is by the multiple graded stakes winner Pioneer of the Nile, and out of Drift to the Lead. Hidden Brook purchased Catch My Drift as a yearling for $95,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September sale. She was bred by Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Fielding. She is currently training at Hidden Brook South in preparation for a 2015 campaign as a four-year-old.

Handoverthecat, returning from a nine month layoff due to injury, displayed her true talent with a victory in a six furlong allowance race on June 30, which she won by 1 ¼ lengths. She finished on the all-weather track with a respectable final time of 1:10.21, improving her record to 4-2-0-0. Handoverthecat rallied in the stretch three-wide, closed in on the leaders and began drawing clear late in the race.

In her following start, despite drawing the 10-hole in the 5 ½ furlong Fort Monmouth Stakes, she was only beaten by 4 ¾ lengths, just missing blacktype by a couple of lengths. Unfortunately, injury struck again, and it was decided that this would be her last race. She is being sold as a broodmare prospect at the upcoming Keeneland January sale as Hip #1491. 

Hidden Brook's promising two-year-old, Cool Tears, won her first career race, in December, by a decisive 3 ¼ lengths in a maiden special weight. She is trained by Graham Motion and is expected to race in an NW1X allowance race on January 16.

In August, our partnership filly Pianist closed out her career with a 3rd place finish in the Fasig-Tipton De La Rose Stakes. This was her first race after a 7 month layoff. She was beaten by only a length and ¼ by eventual Breeder's Cup Fully and Mare Turf winner Dayatthespa.

Pianist

The five-year old was purchased by Hidden Brook as a yearling for $100,000 at the 2010 Keeneland September sale and has gone on to be a multiple G3 stakes winner and G2 stakes placed.

While competing at the highest levels, Pianist compiled a record of 15-6-2-1, with earnings over $500,000. Hidden Brook sold her as a broodmare prospect for $425,000 at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

All totaled, our partnership horses had 38 starts in 2014, accumulating 7 wins, 5 seconds, and 5 thirds in the process. That results in an 18% winning percentage and a 45% in-the-money percentage with total race earnings of $317,433.

These were respectable results by industry standards, but not as good as we expected, mostly due to injuries, many last-second changes from turf to dirt, and the constant struggle to fill races.

Our Racing  Partnership horses sold for a total of $602,500 in 2014, highlighted by the sales of Pianist for $425,000 to Stonestreet Stable and Sca Doodle for $145,000 to Machmer Hall. With a combination of race earnings and sales proceeds our partnership horses achieved a total 2014 revenue of, $919,933.

 We look forward to the prospects of a strong 2015 with Catch My Drift returning, Cool Tears continuing her career, as well as a couple of promising unraced three-year-olds nearing their first starts, and an exciting threesome of two-year-olds currently in training at Hidden Brook South.  

On March 8, Game on Dude, a Hidden Brook yearling graduate trained by Bob Baffert, won the G1 Santa Anita Handicap for the third time-a feat no other horse has ever accomplished. He was less than half a second off Spectacular Bid's 1980 track record of 1:57.80, finishing the 1 ¼ mile race in 1:58.17and bringing his lifetime earnings up to $6,163,893.

Dad's Cap, who was born and raised on Hidden Brook for breeder and owner Vince Scuderi, finished 1st in the $500,000 G1 Carter Handicap in Aqueduct, beating the field by 1 ½ lengths.

Happy My Way

Happy My Way increased his career earnings to $362,485 with his first graded stakes win in the G3 Maryland Sprint Handicap, marking his third win in a row (four of his last five). 

Owned by Mel Paikoff and trained by Joe Orseno, Happy My Way was purchased by Hidden Brook as a two-year-old for $23,000.

Coming off an allowance win and making his third start in the month of March, Hidden Brook sales graduate Hey Leroy won the $100,000 G3 Appleton Stakes at Gulfstream Park. He was bred by Spruce Lane Farm.

Purchased by Hidden Brook as a two-year-old in April of 2010, Alpha Bettor and his superb performance in 2013 helped earn him the title of Canada's Champion Older Male at the 2013 Sovereign Awards at Woodbine on April 11.

Originally purchased for just $27,000, the son of Alphabet Soup has gone on to earn $789,055 throughout his career.

On April 26, Purely Hot, who was sold by Hidden Brook in 2013 for Tuozzo Racing, earned her first graded stakes win with a victory in the G3 Whimsical Stakes at Woodbine.

Merry Meadow

Merry Meadow, who was born and raised at Hidden Brook, won the G3 Vagrancy Handicap at Belmont Park on May 17.

Merry Meadow finished the 6 ½ furlong race in 1:17.36, winning by a widening margin of 3 ¾ lengths and adding $90,000 to her bankroll. 

The win increased Merry Meadow's lifetime earnings to $428,600 and marked her fifth win in twenty career starts. She would go on to win her second and third stakes race of the year in the Sky Beauty Stakes at Gulfstream Park on November 1 and the G3 Sugar Swirl Stakes on December 12, making her record 8-4-1-1 in 2014 with year-end earnings of $318,350.

The four-year-old is trained by Mark Hennig, and was bred by David Howe and William Parson's.

Southern Honey, who was sold for $180,000 by Hidden Brook as a yearling for Spruce Lane Farm, won the G3 Winning Colors Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 26. Her final time was an impressive 1:08.67 in the six furlong dirt race.

Bred by Whisper Hill Farm and owned by Ashbrook Farm, Southern Honey improved her record to 5-3-1-0 with this victory.

Finnegans Wake

Finnegans Wake, raised at Hidden Brook for breeder Jerry Crawford, added black-type to his record with a victory in the G3 Arlington Handicap, winning by a head in the 1 ¼ mile race. He overcame a light bump and the start and maintained a good position before making a bid for the lead into the stretch.

Finnegans Wake would later go on to finish 1st in the G2 Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes in November at Del Mar. His 1st place finish at Del Mar marked a new track record, finishing the 1 ½ mile race on turf in 2:27.35.

On August 4, Hidden Brook hit a milestone when Street Prancer won the Manitoba Derby. It marked the 100th stakes winner directly associated with the Hidden Brook program. Street Prancer was bred by Hidden Brook along with Jonathan Mills and Darley.

In September, Ball Dancing won the G2 Sands Point Stakes at Belmont, which brought her record to 6-3-2-0 and added $300,000 to her career earnings. She was bred by Kirk and Deby Wycoff.

On October 5, two-year-old Paulassilverlining won the G2 Matron Stakes at Belmont in her third career race, bringing her record to 3-2-0-0. By Ghostzapper and out of Seeking the Silver, she was foaled and raised at Hidden Brook for breeder Vince Scuderi.

In 2014 alone, Hidden Brook had 47 stakes horses, 25 graded stakes horses, 22 stakes winners, 13 graded stakes winners, 2 Grade-I winners and 7 Grade-I stakes horses, and improvement upon our 2013 numbers in every category.

We once again would like to thank all of our owners, buyers, boarders, partners, and staff for a terrific 2014. We wish you all a prosperous and happy new year!