No near-miss this time for Hickman

Halmi became the first homebred stakes winner for owner Laurie Hickman when he won the Green Carpet at River Downs on May 30. Hickman got close last year when Allsarott was beaten a head in the $100,000 Best of Ohio Endurance last Oct. 4. Both horses, the 4-year-old Allsarott and the 3-year-old Halmi, are out of the same mare, Laura Lynn.

Hickman bought Laura Lynn privately. Laura Lynn won once from 17 starts at 2.

"She actually won her maiden race before her second birthday," said Hickman, whose middle name is Lynn. "She had the same name as I do, so I bought her. Our trainer, Jeff Greenhill, told me I shouldn't be buying horses because of their name, but it has worked out great for us."

Hickman and her husband, Eric, a dentist, got into the horse business eight years ago.

"There was an ad where a guy was trying to get 500 people together to buy broodmares and yearlings, as a stock option," Hickman said. "It didn't work out so he got a group of 10 of us. We each put up $2,500.

"Jeff was our trainer and he claimed Colors in Snow for $25,000 at Keeneland. We ran her back for $50,000 at Churchill and she won, and we all thought what an easy game it was."

When Colors in Snow bowed a tendon and couldn't run anymore, Hickman got into the breeding business.

"We were looking for a new house and a friend told us about a farm for sale," she said. "Both of us grew up in the suburbs and didn't know much about horses. I had bet them my whole life, but had never even touched one. We took a look at it and I fell in love with it."

The two half-brothers, Allsarott, named after Hickman's three children - Allison, Sarah, and Scott - and Halmi, her maiden name, will compete in the Gendleman Memorial locally Saturday.