Violence to stand at Hill ‘n’ Dale

Grade 1 winner Violence has been retired from racing and will begin his stallion career in 2014 at John G. Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms in Lexington, Ky.

The 3-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro had emerged as one of the early favorites on this year’s Kentucky Derby trail after winning his first three career starts, including the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity and the Grade 2 Nashua Stakes.

He finished second by a half-length in his 2013 bow, the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes, after which he was discovered to have suffered a fractured right front medial sesamoid.

Violence finished his career with three wins in four races for lifetime earnings of $623,000, racing for owner Black Rock Stables and trainer Todd Pletcher.

“We are very excited to be partnering with John Sikura and Hill 'n' Dale Farms,” said owner Steve Marshall of Black Rock Stables. “The Hill 'n' Dale facilities are second to none, and John has a reputation for making stallions. They have a world-class broodmare band, launched Violence's sire, Medaglia d'Oro, and have a high profile customer base and sales agency.

“As difficult as it was to see his racing career end so abruptly, we are now looking forward to Violence becoming an outstanding sire extending his dominance on the racetrack to the breeding shed," Marshall said.

The stallion deal represents a return to Hill ‘n’ Dale for Violence, who was consigned by the farm’s sales branch during the 2011 Keeneland September yearling sale, where he was purchased by Black Rock Stables for $600,000.

Bred in Kentucky by Dell Ridge Farm, Violence is the second foal out of the winning Gone West mare Violent Beauty, who is the dam of two winners from as many to race. He is from the family of English Horse of the Year Dayjur, champion Sky Beauty, and Grade 1 winners Maplejinsky, Tale of Ekati, Pleasant Home, Point of Entry, and Pine Island.

“This family has been producing Grade 1 winners for over three decades at all distances and on all surfaces,” said Sikura. “This versatility will suit a great cross section of mares.

“Violence was an undefeated Grade 1 winner at 2, and showed so much courage in finishing second in the Fountain of Youth while sustaining an injury,” Sikura continued. “He is a great horse to look at, and possesses all the traits of an outstanding sire prospect–precocity with classic ability, physicality, and a huge pedigree. What we saw of him talent-wise was just the tip of the iceberg. He was absolutely a top-class horse. We are adding a really exciting sire prospect to our roster.”