Dixiana sells its first seven-figure horse

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The team behind the historic Dixiana Farms sold its first million-dollar horse last week at the Keeneland September yearling sale – and, to make the experience even more memorable, did so with a yearling out of a sentimentally named mare sold to a longtime connection.

Dixiana’s Quality Road colt out of Brielle’s Appeal sold to Mayberry Farm for $1.15 million during the Book 1 portion of the sale. He is the first foal out of his dam, a Grade 3-placed Dixiana homebred daughter of English Channel.

“The mare is named after my daughter Brielle,” Dixiana owner Bill Shively said. “Brielle’s Appeal was a nice filly for us, a big strong filly, and this one came out right. I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and this is the first time we’ve broke a million, so we’re very happy with that. I expected him to be the best we had, but I didn’t expect him to get to a million.”

Shively was especially tickled that bloodstock agent David Ingordo signed the ticket in the name of Mayberry.

“I’ve known him forever,” Shively said. “I think we have a good running relationship where we’ve sold him some good horses. We try to keep it natural and let them outside a lot, so I think he’s comfortable with what we do.”

In recent years, Ingordo has purchased the likes of multiple graded stakes winners Midcourt ($450,000 in 2016) and Express Train ($500,000 in 2018) from Dixiana at Keeneland September.

“I’ve worked [with] Dixiana Farms since I was 21 years old,” Ingordo said. “I bought [this colt’s] second dam for Dixiana in 2006 when she was carrying Authenticity. I have followed the family. Dixiana is one of the better breeders, and I don’t think they get the recognition that they should.”

The aforementioned Authenticity, bred and raised by Dixiana and sold as a yearling, is one of the better horses raised by Dixiana in recent years. The mare was a multiple graded stakes winner in a strong division in 2013, including a score in the Grade 2 La Troienne over a field that included Kentucky Oaks winner Believe You Can. The race was upgraded to a Grade 1 the following year. Authenticity also was Grade 1-placed behind multiple champions Beholder and Royal Delta, and ended the season by finishing third to champions Beholder and Close Hatches in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, finishing ahead of Royal Delta and Kentucky Oaks winner Princess of Sylmar.

Dixiana, which has raced graded stakes winners Letgomyecho and homebred Tiger Ride in recent years, has more than a century of history in Kentucky. It was founded in 1877 by Barak Thomas and was the birthplace of the great Domino. The farm changed hands several times over the ensuing century – at one point, it was part of historic Elmendorf Farm – before Shively purchased it from Mary Wibel in 2004.