Vieux Carre Farms brings something for everyone to Harrisburg

by Debbie Little

Vieux Carre Farms heads to Harrisburg with two dozen, cousin.

Having had a good showing at Lexington, the veteran farm’s general manager Mark Egloff would like to view similar results at the Standardbred Horse Sales Company’s (SHSC) yearling auction in Harrisburg, PA.

“I’ve got a lot of good yearlings to sell,” Egloff said. “I don’t really have a lot of headliners or anything, but I think they look good. They’re in good shape, and, you know, there’ll be some bargains in there.”

The 24-horse offering from the Gettysburg, PA farm, as usual, is pacer forward with 15 sidesteppers and nine diamond gaiters.

Nearly half of their consignment, 10 of 24, they show as agent, but all the yearlings were raised at Vieux Carre’s family-owned farm.

Their first in the ring, and only one on Day 1, at the Pennsylvania State Farm Show Complex is Hip #106 Smithville, a son of Huntsville out of Somebeachsomewhere mare Momas Got A Gun with five winners from five previous foals.

“He’s a very nice colt,” Egloff said. “He’s a big, strong, correct colt out of a mare that hasn’t really had a good one yet, but she’s supposed to. She’s been knocking on the door and she’s a daughter of Hall of Famer Benear, so he may be the one, and, I think he’ll sell really well.

“I think the two main points on him is he’s a very nice individual out of a really great racemare with a lot of pedigree, and she’s never been bred to anybody but Always B Miki.

“This is the first time she’s been bred a different way, and I think they’ll like that. He’s the first Huntsville by the mare, so I think he’s going to sell well. When they see him, they’ll like him.”

Vieux Carre has 10 showing on Day 2 (Nov. 3) — four colt pacers and two each of filly pacers, colt trotters, and filly trotters — and Egloff highlighted a couple.

“I’ve got a Father Patrick filly I like a lot out of a Muscle Hill mare [Danielle Hill],” Egloff said. “It’s her first foal, and she’s got some pedigree. I like her as an individual, it’s Hip #285 Daring Dani.”

Daring Dani’s maternal family includes world champion Guccio (2, 1:55.4; 3, 1:52.1; 4, 1:51.1f; BT 1:51; $1,021,809).

Egloff also mentioned a son of Sweet Lou, the cleverly named Hide Behind, Hip #529, out of Solar Eclipse. The daughter of Western Ideal has produced five winners from five previous foals.

“Can’t take credit for that name, that’s the owner,” Egloff said. “As far as an individual, I like him a lot. He’s a tall, racy, very correct colt.

More than half of Vieux Carre’s consignment, 13 of 24, sells on Day 3 (Nov. 4).

“I’ve got a couple of Volume Eights to sell that I think are nice,” Egloff said. “I’m not exactly sure how they’re going to sell, but it’s first crop of a son of Chapter Seven, so we’ll see.”

Hip #655 Straight Eight is a colt out of the SJ’s Caviar mare Chips N Caviar with a maternal line that includes multiple Dan Patch and Nova Award winner Winky’s Goal. Hip #809 Eight Days is out of Conway Hall mare New Day with nine winners from 12 previous foals.

Another mentioned by Egloff was Hip #861 Wildcatter a colt out of the Well Said mare Search Light.

He is a really nice individual,” Egloff said. “He’s a Huntsville out of a granddaughter of a mare that was really good to us. So, he may be one to consider.”

Light Up, the dam of Search Light, has produced 15 winners from 15 living foals.

“Probably my favorite colt in the consignment [Hip #622 Blackmail] is selling on Day 3, and he is a Tall Dark Stranger half-brother to Perfect Body who’s a really nice Perfect Sting filly that’s won about close to a-quarter-of-a-million dollars this year at 2. She wasn’t nominated for the Breeders Crown, but we’re hoping she’s going to come back at 3 and be a real top stakes filly… She’s out of a mare named Sweet Body who’s from that Silky line of horses that’s been very good to us over the years.

“It seems like it doesn’t matter who you breed her to, she’s coming up with very nice horses… and this colt, he’s just the colt that you notice out in the field. He’s got a lot of presence. He’s very handsome. He’s just the right size and I think they’ll like him.

“Tall Dark Strangers won’t average anywhere near the top at the sale, but like I said, this mare seems to throw nice ones and fast ones by anybody, so they’ll like him as an individual for sure.”

Perfect Body (2, 1:50.2m, $237,300) has hit the board in nine out of 10 starts including four wins and was the morning-line favorite in this past Saturday’s Grade 3 Kindergarten final for freshman filly pacers.

“We were sorry she wasn’t nominated for the Breeders Crown, but they’re taking good care of her, and hopefully she’ll come back strong next year,” Egloff said. “That mare’s off to a good start… She’s a nice young mare that’s producing for us.”

“We’ve got a little bit for everybody, trotters and pacers,” Egloff said. “I’m happy with our consignment. We’ll see what they bring.”

With a Tactical Landing filly and two Perfect Sting colts in their consignment, Egloff was happy to hear the recent news from The Meadowlands about the new 3-year-old trots as well as a bump in purses for several other stakes all of which include a 20 per cent bonus if won by a New Jersey-sired horse.

“Any good news is welcome,” Egloff said. “Anything they’re doing over there that’s positive, that’s going to help the yearlings bring more that are bred there, I mean, I’m all for it.