Maryland's Anchor and Hope Farm rebuilding

Bourbon Courage and Imagining, who have held their own nationally in a tough freshman sire class, get their chance to shine locally with several first-crop runners on the Maryland Million program this Saturday at Laurel Park. The stallions are part of a young roster for Anchor and Hope Farm, which is continuing to build its stallion operation even while rebuilding from a destructive fire, which its two freshmen escaped, in August.

A fire broke out in the main barn at Anchor and Hope, located in Port Deposit, Md., the morning of Aug. 12. Bourbon Courage and Imagining were inside, along with yearlings and mares. Forewoman Heather Cellinesi, who was first to discover the fire, managed to open the doors on each stall and get the horses out of the barn without any loss of life. For her efforts, Cellinesi was chosen to receive the 2019 Joe Kelly Maryland Million Unsung Hero Award, presented annually by the board of directors of the Maryland Million, Ltd.

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Because the barn that was lost was the main hub of activity at Anchor and Hope, rebuilding has required the primary focus of the staff and a good deal of money, resulting in some changes in business. For example, the farm offered a handful of yearlings for private sale, rather than spending the time pointing and prepping them for fall public auctions. However, even while rebuilding and these changes are underway, the farm has continued to build a young stallion roster. In fact, Anchor and Hope welcomes another new stallion for 2020 in Grade 1 winner Force the Pass. The farm’s current roster consists of Grade 2 winner Bourbon Courage and Grade 1 winner Imagining, both freshmen; graded stakes winner Holy Boss, whose first foals arrived this year; and U.A.E. Group 1 winner Long River, who entered stud this year.

Bourbon Courage, the sire of stakes winner Raging Whiskey, sits 22nd on North America’s freshman earnings list, with five winners from 13 starters. Among stallions standing outside of Kentucky, he ranks fourth on the continent, behind Khozan (Florida), The Big Beast (Florida), and Frac Daddy (Canada). Sitting fifth on that list behind Bourbon Courage is Imagining – who is 26th on the North American earnings list, with four winners from 14 starters.

Both Bourbon Courage and Imagining are represented in the $100,000 Maryland Million Nursery Stakes on Saturday at Laurel. Bourbon Courage is the sire of Stone Courageous, while Imagining sends out Dreaming of Love and Imagine Winning. In the sister race, the $100,000 Lassie for juvenile fillies, Bourbon Courage has a trio of entrants in Make It a Double, Punk Rock Princess, and Worstbestideaever.