Lou’s Pearlman to stand at Hickory Lane in Ohio

December 1, 2023 – by Chris Tully, for Hickory Lane Farm

FINDLAY, OH – The ownership group of 2021 Little Brown Jug champion Lou’s Pearlman p,3,1:47.4 ($1,242,987) has announced that their horse has been retired and will stand in Ohio at Hickory Lane Horse Farm beginning with the 2024 breeding season.

North America’s fastest 2- and 3-year-old pacing colt of his respective freshman and sophomore seasons, Lou’s Pearlman retired as the second richest, and third fastest, stallion sired by Sweet Lou.

In 2020 at age two, Lou’s Pearlman started his career with a four-race winning streak, along with a 1:49.1 victory in the $119,100 Bluegrass Stake at Lexington’s Red Mile.

The following season Lou’s Pearlman captured eight races, including an elimination heat and the final of the $661,800 Little Brown Jug; $235,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Final; $100,000 Max C. Hempt Memorial (Cons.), etc. He earned $593,519 during his 2021 sophomore campaign, defeating such top horses as Perfect Sting, Charlie May, Hellabalou and Southwind Gendry.

Leading trainer Ron Burke stated this about his homebred champion, “Lou’s Pearlman is a great horse from my favorite maternal family. His ultra-game Jug victory is one of my most enjoyable wins ever.”

Royally-bred, Lou’s Pearlman is from the same maternal family as World Champion and top sire Western Ideal p,2,1:54.3f; 1:48 ($1,455,422), and his full sister, My Girl EJ p,2,1:49.1-’23 ($698,397) won the 2023 Breeders Crown for 2-year-old pacing fillies.

Handy on all sized tracks, Lou’s Pearlman took a 1:52.4 half-mile track record in his Jug victory on a track labeled ’good,’ and scored in 1:48.4 on Pocono’s five-eighths mile track.

This year at five he earned $332,250, highlighted by a second place finish behind stable mate Bythemissal in the $600,000 Breeders Crown Open Pace, defeating the likes of Tattoo Artist, Allywag Hanover and Abuckabett Hanover. He was also stakes placed in the $185,000 Hoosier Park Pacing Derby and the final of the $455,100 Canadian Pacing Derby.

Co-owner and breeder Mark Weaver is excited about the next phase of his horse’s career. “I’m thrilled that Lou’s Pearlman landed in Ohio. With his speed and ability to cross with most mares, he is a great option for the best stakes program going.”

Of course, this son of Sweet Lou heading to the breeding shed in the ‘Year of the Lou’ may be no coincidence.

“We are grateful to the ownership of Lou’s Pearlman for entrusting Hickory Lane with their Little Brown Jug-winning son of Sweet Lou,” noted Kevin Greenfield, president of Hickory Lane Horse Farm.

“He is sure to be very popular with breeders throughout North America, and has already been well-received in Ohio.”

Lou’s Pearlman will stand for an introductory fee of $5,000. For more information regarding shares and breedings to Lou’s Pearlman, contact either R. Kevin Greenfield, at 419.346.0609 or kgreen56@gkflaw.com; or Ashley Stickel, office manager, Hickory Lane Farm, at 419.422.3004 or ashley@hickorylanefarm.com.

Branded By Lindy to stand in Ohio

September 27, 2023, from Hickory Lane Farm

Findlay, OH — Lindy Farms of Connecticut has announced that Branded By Lindy, 3,1:50.3 ($561,392) (Chapter Seven–The Lindy Label-Cantab Hall) will be syndicated and will stand in Ohio at Hickory Lane Farm beginning with the 2024 breeding season.

Branded By Lindy is the fifth fastest son of Chapter Seven, behind the likes of Gimpanzee and Walner. As a 2-year-old, in 2021, he won eight out of his 11 starts — reeling off seven in a row — and finished out of the top three once. His victories were all major stakes wins, including: the Breeders Crown elimination, where he beat the likes of King Of The North, Double Deceiver and Fast As The Wind; the Bluegrass Stakes, where he bested Rebuff and Temporal Hanover; and the International Stallion Stakes, where he again beat King Of The North and 2022 Hambletonian champion Cool Papa Bell.

Branded By Lindy, pictured in action at the Meadowlands, will stand in Ohio beginning with the 2024 breeding season. Lisa Photo.

As a 3-year-old, he won the $400,000 Kentucky Championship Series Final, finished second in both the Breeders Crown elimination and the Empire Breeders Classic, and was third in the Stanley Dancer Memorial.

Frank “The Elder” Antonacci, of Lindy Farms, says, “Branded By Lindy represents a deep Lindy Farm pedigree on both the paternal and maternal side. Chapter Seven’s dam, La Riviera Lindy, traces back to Dream Vacation, Harmonius and the outstanding mare Vanessa Hill. On the maternal side through Candy Crown, he is a direct descendent of the dams of Lindy’s Crown and Speedy Crown.” Lindy Farms will retain an interest in Branded By Lindy.

Trainer Domenico Cecere stated, “Branded By Lindy was a top 2-year-old in 2021. He was an extremely fast and talented colt. He was my top Hambletonian horse for 2022.”

Kevin Greenfield, president of Hickory Lane Farm, believes Branded By Lindy will be a perfect fit for the very successful and ultra-rich Ohio program:

“Branded By Lindy was a fast and talented 2-year-old who won often and beat the best of his age. With his pedigree, outstanding looks and conformation, he will be a very positive addition to Hickory Lane’s deep stallion roster.”

Branded By Lindy is being syndicated under favorable financial terms to ensure strong participation by breeders. For more information regarding the Branded By Lindy Syndicate and breedings, contact either R. Kevin Greenfield, syndicate manager, at 419.346.0609 or kgreen56@gkflaw.com; or Ashley Stickel, office manager, Hickory Lane Farm, at 419.422.3004 or ashley@hickorylanefarm.com.

McArdle, 24, dies

September 10, 2023, from Hickory Lane Horse Farm

Findlay, OH — It is with a heavy heart from all of us at Hickory Lane Farm that we announce that the great racehorse and stallion, McArdle, passed away peacefully at the Farm this past Saturday (Sept. 9) at age 24.

Born, raised and sold as a yearling by Perretti Farms, McArdle, the son of Falcon Seelster-Lilting Laughter, was owned by Norman Smiley, Gerald Smiley, Sampson Street Stables (Louis Damiano), and TLP Stables (Thomas Pontone) during his racing career from 2001 through 2003. He was masterfully trained by Chris Ryder and driven at two and three by Luc Ouellette, David Miller and Mike LaChance. As a racehorse, he earned a 1:49 mark at three and amassed $2,455,609 in earnings with while winning 28 races, the vast majority being stake races.

Following his racing career, McArdle was syndicated and began his stallion career in 2004 at Perretti Farms, New Jersey before moving two years later in 2006 to Pennsylvania to stand at Lindwood Farms until 2013 at which time, he arrived at his final destination, Hickory Lane Farm, Ohio while for most of his stallion career being shuttled to perform stallion duty in the Southern Hemisphere at Nevele R Farm, New Zealand.

As a stallion in North America, McArdle’s results are as impressive in the breeding shed as they were during in his racing career. Known for siring fast and durable horses, he sired winners of over eighty six million dollars ($86,000,000) including seven-million or double millionaires including superstar and current Canadian sire McWicked 7, 1:46.2 ($4,930,967); World Champion One More Laugh 3, 1:47.4 ($2,690,593); Ohio Champion Charlie May 4, 1:47.1 ($2,020,385); McCedes 3, 1:49.4 ($1,337,082); Nob Hill High 6, 1:50.1 ($1,110,703); McErlean 4, 1:49.1 ($1,039,646); Lispatty 7, 1:49.4 ($1,005,403) as well as Ohio filly champion, Queen of the Pride 4, 1:50.2 ($787,211).

As a racehorse and stallion, McArdle will be fondly remembered for forever touching the lives of many in a positive way both emotionally and financially. Anyone who was lucky enough to be directly associated with him knew he was a very special animal and truly one of the greats in our sport. He will be dearly missed.

THE MIGHTY HILL LOOKS TO STAY ON TOP

by Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager

Trevor Smith thought highly of The Mighty Hill even before the 4-year-old male trotter joined his father’s stable earlier this year. The gelding’s performances in three starts since then have only solidified Smith’s opinion.

The Mighty Hill, who was Ohio’s champion 2-year-old male trotter in 2021, has posted two wins and a second at Miami Valley Raceway since owner Bet The House purchased the horse Feb. 11 and returned him to the Buckeye State after stints in New York and Pennsylvania.

In his first start at Miami Valley for trainer Jeff Smith and driver Trevor Smith, The Mighty Hill won a conditioned race in 1:53, establishing the track record for a 4-year-old gelding trotter. So far this season, only one trotter has gone faster on any five-eighths-mile track.

The Mighty Hill followed that performance with a second-place finish in the Open Handicap before rallying from third at the top of the stretch to win last week’s Open by three-quarters of a length in 1:54.

“He’s been very impressive,” Trevor Smith said. “He’s such a nice horse to be around, and on the track he’s such a nice horse. He’s got a great gait and is such a quick horse, a handy horse. You can do anything you want with him. If you want to leave, you can leave. If you want to back him off the gate and come from behind, you can do that as well.

“He doesn’t have any bad traits. When he’s on the track, his mind is on racing and that’s it. I think that’s his best quality. He loves to do it. He loves to be out there. He’s just a good-feeling horse. Even when you jog him, he’s never going to be one of those that would try to pull you off the track. He’d stay out there all day. Anything you ask him to do, he’s right there in the snap of a finger.”

The Mighty Hill, a son of What The Hill-Maxine The Mighty, began his career with trainer Chris Beaver. As a 2-year-old, he won the Ohio Sire Stakes championship with a world-record effort at Northfield Park and closed his campaign with a fourth-place finish in the Mohawk Million.

Last season, health issues prevented The Mighty Hill from finding his rhythm and he was limited to one win. This year, though, is off to a hopeful beginning with six on-the-board finishes, including four victories, in seven races.

“When we got him, I had been familiar with him through his 2-year-old and 3-year-old years in Ohio,” Smith said. “I drove him a few starts for Chris Beaver, and I absolutely loved the horse. He had high speed.

“Dad made a couple changes to him when he got him. Him and dad fit like a glove. When he trained him, dad said he loved the horse. We were in a little bit of a tough field the first start and he surprised us. I think I was more surprised than dad because he’s been around a while and he kind of knew what he had when he trained him.”

The Mighty Hill, who has won 10 of 30 career races and earned $358,005, returns to action Wednesday in the $30,000 Open Handicap at Miami Valley. He will start from post five and is the 7-2 second choice behind 3-1 morning-line favorite Combs Hanover from the stable of Ron Burke.

“We’ve been able to train him and race him week to week,” Smith said. “I think maybe that’s the biggest difference, that he’s a little sounder now than he was. I think dad has done a great job with him. Right when we got him, he kind of fit right into the schedule of how they do things.

“The potential is there. That makes it exciting. Who knows, maybe he just gets better with age. His quickness for a trotter is unmatched, I think, especially on a smaller track. With his quickness, he can outfoot a lot of horses without you even having to move the lines. When you pull him, he’s gone.”

Ohio Super Night

WHAT A WEEKEND at Eldorado Scioto Downs! It sure was a wet and sloppy night but the Ohio Sires Stakes finals sure were great for Hickory Lane!

Queen Of The Pride won the 2 Year Old Filly Pace final in 1:54.2, increasing her earnings to $225,552! This filly is by McArdle and out of Lionness Hanover, making her a half sister to Roaring To Go! Congratulations to all of her connections and to our very own Brad and Florence Wallace for raising a great filly!

Dejarmbro’s dominated the 3 Year Old Colt Trot Sire Stakes Final bringing home the first and second title! Two O B Wonkenobi took the win in 1:56.3 for driver Ronnie Wrenn. Pass The Vape was a close second for Derek Watiker. Two O B Wonkenobi increased his earnings to $275,565. Congratulations to all of the connections on these outstanding individuals!

Photo Credit : S.F.Johnson Photos