Hill 'n' Dale acquires breeding rights to Charlatan

Hill 'n' Dale Farm has acquired the future breeding rights to Kentucky Derby hopeful Charlatan, who remained unbeaten with a dominant victory in a division of the Arkansas Derby last Saturday.

The 3-year-old son of Speightstown is campaigned in partnership by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Stonestreet Farm, Madaket Stables, Fred Hertrich III, John D. Fielding, and Golconda Stables, and is trained by Bob Baffert.

“Horses with Charlatan’s immense ability combined with superior pedigree, conformation, depth of female family, and star-quality appeal are a very rare commodity,” Hill 'n' Dale president John G. Sikura said in a press release. He cited Gone West, the sire of Speightstown, along with Charlatan's first two broodmare sires, Quiet American and Deputy Minister, as major pedigree influences.

“I love Gone West as a prepotent sire influence, and both Quiet American and Deputy Minister are foundational influences," Sikura continued. "His raw talent and athleticism enables him to carry his brilliant speed around two turns with ease. . . . I look forward to watching Charlatan build upon his impressive resume under the management and guidance of their team until his retirement to Hill ‘n’ Dale."

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Charlatan, who was making his stakes debut in his third career start in the Arkansas Derby, is the second foal out of Authenticity, who was on the board in 11 of 12 career starts. That mare blossomed as a 6-year-old in 2013, winning the Grade 2 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs and the Grade 3 Shuvee Handicap at Belmont. She also earned four Grade 1 placings that season behind the likes of Eclipse Award champions Beholder, Royal Delta, and Close Hatches.

Authenticity was subsequently purchased by Stonestreet for $1.2 million at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale. Her first two foals are both stakes winners, with Charlatan preceded by Hanalei Moon.

The Hill 'n' Dale stallion roster has connections to a number of Charlatan's racing partners – most notably to breeder Stonestreet, which sold the colt for $700,000 as a Keeneland September yearling to SF and Starlight. Stonestreet campaigned, alone or in partnership, the Hill 'n' Dale stallions Curlin, a two-time Horse of the Year who has become a consistent classic sire; Curlin's classic-placed champion Good Magic, whose first foals are arriving this year; the solid sire Kantharos; and Maclean's Music, sire of Preakness winner Cloud Computing in his first crop.

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“Physically, he’s one of the best physical horses we’ve ever bred," Stonestreet bloodstock adviser John Moynihan said of Charlatan. "What sets him apart is the way he moves. He moves like a great horse. He is just a real athlete. He is the epitome of what we’ve tried to breed up to this point. Charlatan is a perfect combination of the genes meeting the physical. He is an absolute standout."