Addition of Olympio a big plus

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Three new stallions and the addition of 26 acres will give Hideaway Farms in Hemet, Calif., a different look for the 2003 breeding season.

Earlier this week, Hideaway Farms announced that Olympio, Strike Gold, and Tricky Creek will stand at the 120-acre farm next year. Farm owners Gary and Marlene Howard recently purchased a parcel of land near the training center and breeding farm that will allow further expansion.

Olympio and Tricky Creek previously stood at JZ Stock Farm in Temecula, while Strike Gold stood at Circle H Ranch in Murrieta. All three are owned by John Zamora, who has sold his racehorses and Temecula farm, but is staying involved in breeding.

Gary Howard said Zamora will support the stallions with his own broodmares.

Earlier this year, Hideaway Farms stood six stallions, with stud fees ranging from $1,500 to $3,500. The addition of Olympio, who will stand for $8,500, adds a more recognizable name to the stallion roster, which is expected to undergo further changes in coming months, Gary Howard said.

"Olympio is a name horse and a proven horse," Howard said. "He's got a lot of California-breds coming. Tricky Creek is the same type of thing."

Olympio began his stud career in Kentucky and has been in California for three breeding seasons. He will be represented by four yearlings at the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association's yearling sale at Del Mar on Aug. 11-12.

Howard said Hideaway Farms is offering a discounted stud fee of $7,000 for Olympio if the mating is booked by Dec. 31. He said Tricky Creek will stand for $3,500 next year, with a discount of $2,500 available if booked this year. Strike Gold will stand for $2,500 and a discounted fee of $1,500.

Howard said the additional land recently acquired will be used as pasture for broodmares and foals and is located near the training and breeding center.

"The breeding operation will remain where it is," he said. "Most of [the additional land] was just bare property. Another property was a smaller farm, a 10-acre parcel."

Image of Super named top broodmare

Image of Super, the dam of four stakes winners, has been named the California Broodmare of the Year for 2002.

The 17-year-old Image of Super is owned by Harris Farms and has produced four stakes winners - Image of Glory, Super High, Super Interco, and To B. Super.

On July 5, Super High won her second stakes of the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting, scoring a front-running win in the $110,000 Flawlessly Stakes for 3-year-old fillies over a mile on turf. Owned by Harris Farms and trained by Carla Gaines, Super High won the California Sires Stakes for

3-year-old fillies on turf earlier at this meeting.

Image of Super (Zanthe-Super Sovereign, by Imperator) was a two-time stakes winner during her racing career. She finished fourth in the balloting for the 2001 California Broodmare of the Year, losing to Cee's Song, the dam of Tiznow and Budroyale.

Image of Super does not have a 2-year-old this year - the foal was listed as slipped - but does have a yearling by Cee's Tizzy.

Global Finance, Magic Smoke eye CTBA

Global Finance and Magic Smoke, California-bred 2-year-old fillies who have won stakes at Hollywood Park this year, are being pointed for the $125,000 CTBA Stakes at Del Mar on July 26.

The CTBA Stakes is restricted to statebred fillies and run over 5 1/2 furlongs.

Global Finance won the Nursery Stakes on May 11, but finished last in the Cinderella Stakes won by Magic Smoke on June 2.

Magic Smoke started as the favorite in the Landaluce Stakes on July 4, but was out of contention after a half-mile and finished eighth.

"She didn't handle the dirt coming back," trainer Sandy Shulman said. "We'll be looking to the CTBA."