Glen Hill Farm Returns to Consignor Ranks

After selling horses at public auction through other vendors, Glen Hill Farm is moving into the sales arena as a consignor at the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale Jan. 13-17 in Lexington.

Based in Ocala, Fla., with a division in Kentucky, Glen Hill is an iconic breeding and racing entity founded in 1966 by Leonard and Bernice Lavin. The Lavins established the farm after achieving success with Alberto-Culver, the beauty products corporation they purchased in 1955 and developed into a multibillion-dollar operation.

Glen Hill previously sold horses in Florida under its own name and with other consignors at Kentucky auctions, including Jonabell, Darby Dan, Three Chimneys, and, most recently, Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency.

The farm's foray into the sales arena with its own consignment is a natural progression, said Glen Hill president and chief operating officer Craig Bernick. The Lavins' grandson, Bernick took over the farm in 2008, working closely with Leonard Lavin, who died in 2017 at age 97.

Bernick, a former Alberto-Culver marketing consultant, concentrated on learning the racing aspect of the horse business upon taking over Glen Hill and acquired a hands-on knowledge of sales by attending major auctions as a buyer and by observing the Hill 'n' Dale sales team and the selling approach of other consignors. 

"Getting immersed in the business, I thought it made a lot of sense to concentrate on what I really needed to learn, which was the racing stable, and being able to walk around the sales and learn how horses are evaluated," Bernick said. "We had a great relationship with Hill 'n' Dale, and they did a great job for us for 11 years."

Having honed his sales skills within the horse business, Bernick said he felt it appropriate that Glen Hill begin offering its own horses to the public. Lindsay Schultz, who manages Glen Hill's Florida farm, is overseeing the Keeneland consignment.

"I've been at every Keeneland sale, either as a buyer or seller, since 2008," Bernick said. "I know the people and our horses very well. We just wanted to do it ourselves and represent the horses ourselves because, in most cases, we've raced the horses or they are from families we've been involved with for a long time. We just felt like we could do a good job speaking for the horses."

Glen Hill is bringing a small but select group of mares and broodmare prospects to the Keeneland sale, headed by Inflamed (Hip 795E), the dam of grade 1 winner Mo Forza. A daughter of the late stallion Unusual Heat, a stalwart in the California sire ranks, Inflamed was purchased by Glen Hill for $170,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Just before the mare was purchased by Bernick, Mo Forza won the Qatar Twilight Derby (G2T) at Santa Anita Park. The son of Uncle Mo  has added wins in the Hollywood Derby (G1T) and Mathis Brothers Mile Stakes (G2T). Those accomplishments have made the now 4-year-old one of three finalists for champion turf horse of 2019. Inflamed, who is a supplemental entry in the sale, is being sold in foal to Tapiture , a young stallion whose offspring have been quick out of the gate.

"Mo Forza has won four in a row and is a finalist for champion turf horse, which is very hard to do for a 3-year-old," Bernick said. "(Inflamed) is a daughter of Unusual Heat, who is a good sire and is becoming a good broodmare sire, and she's in foal to Tapiture, a freshman stallion whose offspring have done very well off a low stud fee."

Glen Hill's offerings also include Confidently (Hip 595), a 4-year-old winning daughter of War Front  who is a half sister to Uncle Mo . The filly's full sister, Could It Be Love, finished second in the Tattersalls Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1).

"She's a beautiful mare, and when people come and see her, they are going to like her very much," Bernick said.

Also included in the Glen Hill group is Hassler (Hip 676), another War Front mare, being sold in foal to Violence . The 5-year-old was produced from millionaire Turbulent Descent, whose eight wins from 14 starts included four grade 1 stakes. Hassler's first foal, a 2019 daughter of Frosted  named Camaraderie, is scheduled to follow her dam into the sale ring.

"We bought her (privately) as a broodmare prospect, and her Frosted filly is a really nice filly, so that is a nice package," Bernick said.

Also expected to attract buyer attention are Summer Dress (Hip 469), an unraced daughter of Candy Ride  in foal to Orb , and Culver Miss (Hip 605), a 4-year-old Orb filly being offered as a broodmare prospect.

Summer Dress is out of multiple grade 3-winning mare Rich in Spirit, also the dam of grade 2 winner Wishing Gate.

"She goes back to one of our best families, and she is a daughter of Candy Ride in foal to a good stallion in Orb," Bernick said.

Of the group overall, Bernick said, "It's an impressive group, especially for a January sale. They are nice horses, and we're excited."