Nine is fine for Vieux Carre Farms in Lexington

by Debbie Little

Vieux Carre Farms fielded a team for the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale that any major league diamond would be proud to host.

The Gettysburg, PA-based nursery has been on cloud nine since farm founder Dr. John “Tad” Egloff was inducted into the Hall of Fame in Goshen, NY, earlier this year, so there is a symmetry to them bringing that number to Kentucky, including one as agent, with seven pacers and two trotters.

According to the family-owned farm’s general manager Mark Egloff, Vieux Carre’s compact consignment is complete with correct, comely, competent, customer-pleasing characters.

Their first in the ring is Hip #102 Captain’s Sweetie a daughter of Captaintreacherous out of the Omen Hanover mare Sweet Phenomena.

“She’s a sister to Someomensomewhere [p, 2, 1:51.2m, $527,739],” Mark said. “It’s a very prominent filly family and pretty current, and this is her first foal. With [Sweet Phenomena] being a daughter out of Omen Hanover, it’s a great filly family.

“This is a nice big, strong Captaintreacherous filly. You know, the competition is stiff that first night for sure, but I think we’ll be OK with her. I think she’ll get a lot of looks; she’s had a lot of interest already and I think they’ll like her.”

Mark said he’s also very happy with the Captaintreacherous male trio that he’s offering.

“I’ve got three very nice colts,” he said. “They’re all a little different.

“The one out of Bodacious Hanover [Hip #171 Colonel Hanks], which has been a really good mare for us. He’s a very long, lanky, racy kind of horse. The other two [Hip # 284 Tycoon Time and Hip #364 Gagster] are more typical Captaintreacherouses, kind of more blocky and muscular, but both very nice.”

Bodacious Hanover is a daughter of Dragon Again out of Bunny Lake, which makes Colonel Hanks a full brother to Captain Luke (p, 4, 1:47.3m, $953,059).

“It’s a great family, [Bodacious Hanover’s] been a very good producer with lots of speed in the family, so hopefully Colonel Hanks will pick up the torch,” Mark said.

Tycoon Time out of the Heston Blue Chip mare Margarita Time is from the family of world champions Tequila Monday (p, 4, 1:49.4f, $993,712) and Bolt The Duer (p, 3, 1:47.4f, $1,828,995), while Gagster, out of the Art Major mare Tell Me A Joke, traces back to Glowing Report (p, 5, 1:49.2m, $2,095,144).

“[With Tycoon Time] it’s a current family, and this is a very nice colt,” Mark said. “So, I think he’ll do fine. And the other one for our client [Gagster] is a very nice individual. Like I said, he’s a very typical Captaintreacherous, kind of a plain bay, built very correct, but muscular and very well put together.”

Hip #632 Rebel Rose a daughter of Always B Miki mare Teen Dream also has family ties to Glowing Report.

“It’s a good family and [Teen Dream’s] first foal,” Mark said. “It’s a nice filly, shows a lot of pace on the video, and we have high hopes for her.”

Mark added with a laugh, “She’s got four white feet and when she paces on the video, it really sets it off. She’s a nice filly.”

Rebel Rose is from the first crop of Confederate which Mark thinks will be well received.

“He was such a dominant horse that I would expect they’ll be seeking them out,” he said. “I mean he was definitely head and shoulders above the field for his age group.

“I would say more often than not you’ll get a little premium for the first crop because this business is built on optimism. I mean, everybody’s trying to build a better mousetrap, so they are paying for what they think could be better. It doesn’t always work out with first crop sires, but for ones that have been as dominant as Confederate was, it usually works out pretty well for you. Those will be sought after when they’re from a true champion like he was.”

Along with their typical super selection of Pennsylvania eligibles, Vieux Carre is also offering something a little different that should appeal to anyone who appreciates the great money they offer North of the Border.

“I’ve got a nice Bulldog Hanover colt [Hip #598 Bull Pen] out of a good family, and then I’ve got a nice Sweet Lou colt as well, [Hip #155] Sweet Cider.

Bull Pen is out of the Somebeachsomewhere mare Sailaja Deo, a granddaughter of Worldly Beauty.

“We bought a share in [Bulldog Hanover], so we’re breeding to him, and he’s had a good year. I think they’ve done quite well, and this is a nice colt. His brother [Tank Louis, p, 2, 1:52m, $20,955] is getting better every week it seems like now that they’ve got him figured out. So, hopefully he’ll pull off another win or so before we sell this one. But it’s going in the right direction, and he’s a very nice colt.”

Tank Louis, a son of Sweet Lou that Vieux Carre sold last year at Lexington under the name Legal Eagle for $80,000, won his last start at The Meadowlands and hasn’t failed to get a check in all six starts this season.

Sweet Cider is out of the Somebeachsomewhere mare Ava Hanover.

“He’s a big strapping, very correct colt,” Mark said. “I mean, he looks the part, and that mare, the best one she ever had [South Point, p, 4, 1:51.1f, $260,411], was a Sweet Lou, so I think it was good going back to that sire with her. So, he’ll sell well.”

Vieux Carre’s only trotters in the sale are two Captain Corey daughters, Hip #197 Cool Mistress and Hip #637 Quiet Dreams.

“So, we brought nice horses and a few from some different sires, and then this year we are excited to have some Captain Coreys to sell because he’s kind of put himself up in the league with the Walners and the Chapter Sevens,” Mark said. “Is there a big divide between those three and the rest of the field now? It seems like it. So, we’re excited to be bringing some of those to the sale.”

Cool Mistress, a first foal out of the Bar Hopping mare Cool Miss Wendy, is selling on Day 2.

“She’s a nice, big, correct  filly, and I liked her videos,” Mark said. “She’s out of a Bar Hopping mare, which is kind of interesting. So, I think that she’ll get some lookers too, and like I said, a Captain Corey, which everybody wants to be selling those this year.”

Quiet Dreams, a black filly out of the Credit Winner mare To Dream On, is selling on Day 3. To Dream On was the Dan Patch Trotting Filly of the Year in 2012.

“Well, [Quiet Dreams would] be beautiful any color,” Mark said, adding with a laugh, “She’s not only black, but she’s got this long wavy hair and we even hate to pull any of it off. For the sale, we usually thin them out, but her mane’s so gorgeous that she might end up with a little longer mane than most of ours have. She’s a very elegant filly, just beautiful. I guess the Captain Corey and the Credit Winner black came through, and her mother’s black, and she’s very nice.

“I think there are also great fillies in that family, like Pampered Princess [t, 3, 1:53m, $1,648,362]… I would not bet against this filly. She looks the part and she’s my last one to sell in Lexington, so I’ll have lots of time to tout her.”

As far as selling one he likes so much on Day 3, Mark said, “It’s always a crapshoot. I’m of the belief that if you have a really nice horse a little later in the sale and they’re running out of options, sometimes you can do better. But I think she’d sell well wherever she goes, and, you know, we’re happy to have her. She’ll be the third day, and I think there’ll be plenty of interest.”