Hill 'n' Dale Farms
Hill 'n' Dale Farms is a thoroughbred race horse breeding farm with operations in Canada and the United States.
History
Hill 'n' Dale was founded in 1960 in Ontario, Canada by Czechoslovakian immigrant John Sikura, Jr.[1] Following John's death in an automobile accident in 1994,[2] Hill 'n' Dale's American and Canadian operations were taken over by sons John G. Sikura and R. Glenn Sikura, respectively.[1]
Notable broodmares that have resided at Hill 'n' Dale include Horse of the Year Azeri, 1999 Champion 3-Yr-Old Filly Silverbulletday, 1991 Canadian Triple Crown champion Dance Smartly, and Better Than Honour, the mother of Belmont Stakes winners Jazil and Rags to Riches. In 2007, Azeri gave birth to a chestnut colt by another Horse of the Year, A. P. Indy.
The old Hill 'n' Dale farm in Lexington, Kentucky is the burial place of Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew.[3]
Hill 'n' Dale closed its Lexington operations in October 2020 and the entire roster of horses was moved to Xalapa Farm in Paris, which John G. Sikura purchased in 2019.[4] The operation is now referred to as "Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa."
References
- Duckworth, Amanda (8 November 2016). "The 'horrible day' that began the transformation of John Sikura". thoroughbredracing.com. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- "Death of prominent horsebreeder was accidental - coroner". cbc.ca. CBC News. 21 January 2002. Archived from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- Crump, Steve (3 May 2017). "Seattle Slew: Kentucky farm proud to be final resting place of 1977 Triple Crown hero". wave3.com. WAVE. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- Nevills, Joe (8 October 2020). "'It Wasn't Like Anything I'd Seen Before': Sikura, Hill 'N' Dale Go 'All-In' On Xalapa Farm". Paulick Report. Retrieved 4 January 2022.