Take Charge Brandi Commands $3.2M from Hill 'n' Dale

John Sikura of Hill 'n' Dale knows a good mare when he sees one, but he is especially familiar with champion Take Charge Brandi, and he isn't willing to part with the striking daughter of Giant's Causeway just yet.

Sikura went to $3.2 million Nov. 6 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, buying out a partnership during the opening Book 1 session and bringing Take Charge Brandi back to his Lexington broodmare band. Consigned by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency as agent for the Elevage Dispersal, the mare was offered as Hip 111 in foal to Triple Crown winner Justify .

Sikura first consigned and bid on Take Charge Brandi at the end of 2015, going to $6 million to take her home from owner Willis Horton. Going into partnership with Craig Bernick of Glen Hill Farm and Elevage Bloodstock, Sikura owned half of the two-time grade 1 winner.

"There was a change in the partnership strategy," Sikura said. "We were initially going to be a stallion investment company, which has been a big part of our portfolio, but then we started to buy some mares. Some of the partners thought that we should be more direct and concentrate our assets as we had originally planned, and they wanted to sell all of the mares here at the sale. I wasn't supportive of the idea as far as the best time to sell them, because the mares have had a couple of foals. It's kind of like how good's the half-baked cake going to taste? Well, it's not ready yet.

"But I understood and agreed with their philosophy of let's stick to our core purpose. So the mares are in, and me and Craig have a great relationship, there's no animosity whatsoever. He's bid and bought some, I've bid and bought some, and we've been outbid on others." 

Take Charge Brandi, champion 2-year-old filly of 2014 and earner of more than $1.6 million as a racehorse, was bred in Kentucky by Charming Syndicate out of the Seeking the Gold mare Charming, a daughter of blue hen producer Take Charge Lady. Charming also has produced Omaha Beach , the grade 1-winning 3-year-old War Front  colt who ran second last out in the Nov. 2 Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Santa Anita Park. Horton acquired Take Charge Brandi as a yearling for $435,000 from Paramount Sales' consignment to the 2013 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

"It's an impeccable female family," Sikura said. "You get almost no opportunity to get into this family. … Omaha Beach is a great stallion prospect. For me, it's a chance to collect fillies and mares that are a great opportunity. I have a long-term view. The commercial aspect is part of what I do, but trying to cultivate and develop female families and create things of significance is always the approach. When you get that opportunity, there's less concern about what they bring and more concern about having access and the opportunity to buy mares we hope can be important." 

Take Charge Brandi's first colt, a chestnut son of Curlin  named Take Charge Curlin, was purchased by John Oxley at last year's September sale for $850,000 and is in training with Mark Casse. Steve Asmussen has the mare's second foal, a son of Tapit  who was a $775,000 RNA at the September sale this year.

Moments after Take Charge Brandi went through the ring, Sikura purchased the mare's weanling colt for $600,000. The son of Tapit  (Hip 112) was also consigned by Hill 'n' Dale on behalf of Elevage.

"We'll get him home and develop him the best we can," Sikura said. "I guess all options are open. We're commercial sellers, so hopefully he'll be a good yearling to sell next year, or possibly a partnership horse.  

"We really like the horse. He stands down in his hocks a little bit, but he's very correct, a great mover; he's a long, pretty horse, Tapit is a great sire, and it's a good way to sort of control the process, when you buy the dam, to have the foal next to her. … I thought he was very well bought, a fair deal. I typically don't buy colts, but I think they opened at $500,000, and I bid once and they dropped the hammer. I don't really have a set plan going in. We'll just watch and see how we feel and see how the market reacts.

"I hope she's putting racehorse into her offspring," Sikura added of Take Charge Brandi. "You only find out when they run, so the way they sell and the way they train is sort of irrelevant. I mean, you can have a yearling that didn't vet or didn't sell well that turns out to be a superstar, so I just hope she produces racehorses. That's the goal. "

Take Charge Brandi was initially sent to Tapit when she was bred this season but failed to get in foal and was sent next to Justify.

"Tapit had some time off, and when he came back, we bred a couple mares and we didn't have any luck," Sikura said. "We switched to Justify, and she was in foal. We bred a couple other mares to Tapit and they were fine, but there was a period there where we weren't lucky with the horse, so they were gracious and let us switch.

"Justify is a great mating for that mare. He has some leg, some stretch, and she's a bit compact, so hopefully she'll take the best of physiques between sire and dam. He was a great racehorse, so we'll see what happens."