The Boniface family of Bonita Farm in Darlington, Md., is the subject of the critically acclaimed series "Thoroughbred," on the Animal Planet cable TV channel. What could be more exciting than that?
Welcome Mojave Moon. The recent arrival of Bonita's new stallion Mojave Moon - with the looks, pedigree, and racing talent to rival any in the region - is front-page news.
The Ocala Breeders' yearling sales, held Aug. 20-24, was, in these generally uncertain economic times, a vote of confidence by the buyers.
Those who race were as busy as those who pinhook. The select session of the yearling sale was led by Padua Stable, which is ostensibly a racing enterprise. As reported last week, Padua Stable bought five yearlings in the select session for $642,000.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Wajima, the record-priced $600,000 yearling who became 1975's champion 3-year-old colt, was euthanized on Aug. 27 because of the infirmities of old age. Wajima, 29, died at Stone Farm near Paris, Ky., said farm owner Arthur Hancock III, son of Wajima's legendary breeder, the late A. B. "Bull" Hancock Jr.
Wajima, a son of Bold Ruler and the Le Haar mare Iskra, was from one of the last crops of horses bred by Bull Hancock. Hancock, who died in September of 1972, did not live long enough to see the bay colt sell at Keeneland's July auction.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The internationally successful stallion Theatrical was moved from his home base at Diamond A Farm (formerly Brookside Farm) to Hill 'n' Dale Farm last week. The champion turf horse in America in 1987, when he also won the Breeders' Cup Turf, Theatrical is the most proven son of Nureyev at stud, and Theatrical's arrival at Hill 'n' Dale is an important change for the young stallion operation run by the farm's president, John Sikura.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Paseana, the two-time champion female who was inducted into racing's Hall of Fame earlier this month, is being sent to South America next week in an attempt to get in foal.
Ron McAnally, who trained Paseana for Sid and Jenny Craig, said Paseana will arrive at Dr. Ignacio Pavlovsky's farm in Buenos Aires, Argentina, late next week. Sid Craig said a stallion has not been chosen, but that Southern Halo and Lode are under consideration.
"I want her to have as many babies as she can," Sid Craig said. "I want her to stay down there."
Broken Vow, winner of the Grade 2 Iselin Handicap at Monmouth last Sunday, will retire from racing at the end of this season to take up stud duty at Pin Oak Stud near Versailles, Ky. No fee has been set.
Josephine Abercrombie, who bred and campaigns Broken Vow, owns Pin Oak. Broken Vow will not be syndicated, according to Pin Oak manager Clifford Barry.
Barry said Abercrombie and trainer Graham Motion haven't finalized the 4-year-old Unbridled colt's racing plans for the rest of the season.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Housebuster, North America's champion sprinter in 1990 and 1991, will return from Japan's East Stud this fall to resume his stud career in North America.
Donna Hayes's The Stallion Company, a stallion agency in Middleburg, Va., purchased Housebuster privately from a group of Japanese breeders and is now negotiating with Kentucky farms interested in standing him.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Fasig-Tipton's Texas summer yearling sale got under way Monday with a 2 percent increase in its select session's average price and an early high price of $95,000 for a Holy Bull filly.
The select session, consisting of the first 121 lots offered Monday, sold 74 yearlings for a total of $1,841,600, down 3 percent from last year's select returns. In 2000, the select portion sold 78 lots for $1,901,100. Average price this year was $24,886, up from last year's average of $24,373.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The five-day Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's August yearling sale that ended Friday yielded mixed results, with gains at its select session followed by open sale declines.
The sale got under way with a single select session on Aug. 20 that produced a sale-topping a $305,000 Valid Expectations-Dame's Rocket (by Timeless Native) colt. The select average increased 6 percent to $44,076, and median remained level at $35,000. Buybacks increased from 32 percent to 34 percent.