Saratoga Spotlight For Lantern Hill

July 30, 2010

Thoroughbred Daily News - July 30, 2010 - Pages 11 & 12

Lantern Hill Farm heads into this year’s edition of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling sale with only two yearlings. However, the size of this year’s consignment is by no means indicative of the quality. Both yearlings offer plenty of draw from an international perspective, including hip 195, a colt by Cape Cross(Ire), whose top progeny include a pair of Horses of the Year—Sea the Stars (Ire) and OuijaBoard (GB). Out of the stakes-winning mare Two Clubs (GB) (First Trump {GB}), the Highfield Farm-bred colt is a half brother to G1 Sprint Cup hero Red Clubs (Ire) (Red Ransom).

“He has the most amazing walk of any yearling I have prepped in a very long time,” said Lantern Hill Farm’s Suzi Shoemaker. He's very smooth, very confident, has a huge overstep and very relaxed and loose way of walking through his hip and shoulder.”

Highfield Farm principal Dr. John Fike, who is based just outside Cleveland, Ohio, has had a presence in the horse racing industry for over a quarter of a century. A client of Lantern Hill through most of the last decade, Dr. Fike currently boards seven mares at the Midway area farm and has one sole representative, Two Clubs, boarded at Islanmore Stud in Ireland.

“Dr. Fike decided to keep him here, partially because of financial reasons, and also because he felt he would be showcased better at Saratoga,” explained Shoemaker. "There are far more Cape Cross yearlings in Europe, so to bring a really nice horse by the Darley sire over here, we thought this horse had a really good chance to be successful in the [United States]. No matter what side of the Atlantic you're on, a yearling like that is very compelling. I think it figures to be a good showcase for the stallion's progeny, as well as for the sale of this particular horse.”

Also enjoying recent overseas updates is hip 164, a bay filly by Distorted Humor out of the Sadler’s Wells mare Sand Pebbles (Ire). The Apr. 2 foal is owned and bred by Russell L. Reineman Stable Inc. Out of the Secretariat mare Clandestina, the filly’s 13-year-old dam is a full-sister to G2 Royal Lodge S. winner Desert Secret (Ire); Bineyah (Ire), runner-up in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks; and Group 3 placed In Camera (Ire).

“She takes a bit more from the Sadler's Wells side of the family,” Shoemaker pointed out. She has a bit more scope than Distorted Humor and a very big walk. Also, she is bred along a similar cross to a very impressive maiden winner [Pathfork, out of the Sadler's Wells mare Visions of Clarity {Ire}] at the Curragh [July 18]. There is also a Group 3 winning filly--Radharcnafarraige (Ire) (out of the Storm Bird mare Extraterrestrial)--that is bred along a similar pattern.”

Adding further luster to the filly’s bottom side is her third dam--My Charmer (Poker)--who is responsible for Triple Crown hero Seattle Slew (Bold Reasoning), G1 2000 Guineas winner Lomond (Northern Dancer) and $13.1-million yearling purchase Seattle Dancer (Nijinsky II), a Group 2 winner in Ireland and Group 1 placed in France.  “This filly comes from a very big female family that has a lot of quality,” remarked Shoemaker. Distorted Humor hasn't had a lot of notable success in Europe before this year, but he has two really top runners there this season and who are bred very similarly to this filly.”

Beacon of Light...

After graduating from Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences with a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science in 1978, Shoemaker leased a small tract of land and christened the new operation Lantern Hill, which was named in honor of Prince Edward Island's fictional lighthouse in the 1937 Lucy Maud Montgomery novel, Jane of Lantern Hill. Steadily building a successful operation through the 1980s and >90s, Shoemaker was able to secure a 75-acre farm in Scott County in 1989, before purchasing 144 acres of the former Parrishwood Farm in Woodford County in 1995. Already of historic significance as the birthplace of the 1984 Eclipse Award-winning older mare Princess Rooney (Verbatim), the latter property would become the launching pad for a recent champion; 2006 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Dreaming of Anna (Rahy), who was also foaled and raised at the nursery. Lantern Hill, which expanded to 185 acres following the purchase of an adjacent 40-acre tract of land in November in 2005, is now comprised of six barns with 62 stalls, and a late Victorian home which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Cooper House. Other notable Lantern Hill pupils who got their early start with the operation are Grade I winners Ordway (Salt Lake), Pampered Princess (Indian Charlie) and Capt. Candyman Can (Candy Ride {Arg}), a Keeneland September yearling grad who collected last year’s GI King’s Bishop S. at Saratoga.

While Shoemaker confirmed that the majority of her current yearling crop is slated for Keeneland’s September sale, she is confident that her current consignment has what it takes to make a splash at the Spa.

“Keeneland September tends to fit a wider range of our yearlings,” explained Shoemaker. “Any of our earlier maturing yearlings, like the ones we have this year, have always done well at Saratoga. The nice thing is that these yearlings fit a market that encompasses European trainers and end users that might not be present at some of the more regional sales. We think these are two very special horses and think they should do well here.”

--Christina Bossinakis