An idea that was hatched about fund raising for cancer research and awareness
over a glass of wine three years ago will become a reality at the Bluegrass
Kentucky Wine Auction on Thursday. The idea was: Instead of simply auctioning a
stallion season to raise funds, why not actually breed a mare, raise the foal,
and sell the yearling for the cause?
Donors got on board. Arthur Hancock gave a season to his homebred sire QUEST
(Seeking the Gold), who was just starting his stallion career, and Lori Kirk
Wagner provided the mare, Seiran (Ire) (Lomond), who was already the dam of five
winners from seven starters. Then, Peter O’Callaghan stepped up and agreed to
board the mare and raise the foal at his Woods Edge Farm near Lexington,
Kentucky, and Dr. Kevin Pfeister offered his services in the reproductive stages
while Dr. Bob Hunt performed the sales evaluation on this racy yearling.
The result of this team effort is a lovely chestnut yearling filly (Breeders
Cup and KTDF nominated). To sweeten the pot, board, breaking and training at
Stone Farm Training Center near Paris, Kentucky, and basic veterinary care by
Dr. Bryan Boone, are included until January 1, 2010, when the filly turns two.
To finish off the package, one set of personally designed racing silks has been
donated by Patricia Headley Green at Silks Unlimited.
In the end, the winning bidder will have a ready-made package to get to the
track, and 100 percent of the profits will benefit the Janice Jones Annual Fund
at the Lexington Cancer Foundation. Janice Jones, the late wife of prominent
Kentucky horseman John T. L. Jones Jr., lost her courageous battle with ovarian
cancer in 2003. A fund was founded in her memory to support the American Cancer
Society’s Hope Lodge located at the University of Kentucky. Lexington’s Hope
Lodge was founded by cancer survivor Bill Robbins, a local businessman and one
of Fasig Tipton’s most valued bid spotters.
“This filly is quite simply a lovely filly. She is well grown, with very good
bone and conformation, is an excellent mover and like most good fillies, she has
a beautiful head with an intelligent eye and importantly, a lovely temperament,”
O’Callaghan said.
“The Seiran filly is a very athletic individual — a very good racing
prospect,” Dr. Hunt noted.
“The Quest two-year-olds should be running any day now,” Hancock said.
“Reports are that they are training well. Quest has a license to make it at
stud. He had speed and could carry it; he is by a sire of sires and out of a
record-setting dam.”
The filly will be auctioned at The Lexington Cancer Foundation’s Kentucky
Bluegrass Wine Auction on Thursday at Keeneland Race Course, Lot No. 4.
For pre-auction inspection, please contact Woods Edge Farm’s Lisa Reynolds at
(859) 983-1412.
For bidding and auction information, please contact Lexington Cancer
Foundation’s Kristi Martin at (859) 388-2620.
To view the wine auction catalog, please go to the website:
http://www.lexfoundation.net/documents/2009%20LCF%20Wine%20Auction%20Catalogue.pdf