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TDN: Tally One For Lantern Hill November 20, 2007 Reprinted with permission from Thoroughbred Daily News, 11/12/07
Picking the right day to sell a horse can be tricky for consignors. Sell too early, and your horse may get overlooked; too late, and the money might be gone. Lantern Hill's Suzi Shoemaker played the balancing-act game to perfection during yesterday's seventh session of the Keeneland November Sale, and was rewarded with the day's highest-priced lot. The Lantern Hill-consigned Tally Ho Dixie (Dixieland Band), just the fourth horse into the ring yesterday as hip 2192, made $285,000 after Taylor Made Sales Agency, as agent, won the battle for the five-year-old mare. "That was my philosophy, to be the jewel on the day," Shoemaker said afterward. "It's always a concern though. The money is generally there when you get to this point in the sale, if you have the right product. It's a calculated move, like a poker game. But I think she was a standout. I think she probably had about 50 shows; a lot of people were looking at her, and she's just a really pretty mare."
Whistlin’ Dixie...
Tally Ho Dixie was selected as a yearling by Randy Trimble, who bought her for $85,000 on behalf of Richard Otto at the 2003 Keeneland September Sale. The dark bay proved a solid runner for Otto, registering four wins, three seconds and four thirds in 16 starts while earning $103,920. She concluded her career with an allowance win sprinting over Arlington Park's sod in June of 2006 before being retired to the breeding shed and mated to Grand Slam. "Mr. Otto bred her to Grand Slam because he thought that was a good cross--the same one that produced Limehouse," explained Shoemaker, who admitted that Otto had some reservations selling the mare. "He put her in the sale not really wanting to sell her," she said. "He wanted to get the first foal out of her, and would have been just fine taking her home, but I think everything really worked out." She added of the price, "It was significantly higher than the reserve. She's a nice mare, so we expected six figures, but not necessarily that." In addition to being by a hot broodmare sire in Dixieland Band, Tally Ho Dixie boasts a strong female family. Her winning dam, Tally Ho Annie (Capote), is a half-sister to Starrer, a dual Grade I winner of $1,043,033; and Steller Jayne, a three-time Grade I winner of $1,534,964. "And those mares all being bred to nice stallions now, so the family is really poised to explode," added Shoemaker.
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