Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms has teamed with Monmouth Park to sponsor
the Jersey Shore’s biggest race for fillies and mares, the Grade 2, $250,000
Molly Pitcher Stakes.
The Hill ‘n’ Dale Molly Pitcher will be renewed for the 66th
time on Sunday, Aug. 28, and will for the first time feature stallion seasons
for the top three finishers. This year’s
stallions are Roman Ruler, Midnight Lute and Zensational.
“Hill ‘n’ Dale is proud to enhance the Molly Pitcher with
seasons to our stallions,” said John Sikura, president of Hill ‘n’ Dale. “This race is an important fixture on the
American racing calendar and we want to do our part to help promote great
racing at Monmouth
Park.”
Roman Ruler, the 2005 Haskell Invitational winner, stands
for $15,000. A son of Fusaichi Pegasus,
Roman Ruler, who is currently third on the third crop sires list, is the sire
of 2011 Belmont Stakes winner Ruler on Ice.
Midnight Lute ($17,500) is a two-time winner of the
Breeders’ Cup Sprint, including the 2007 edition at Monmouth Park. His first crop of horses are currently
yearlings.
Zensational ($22,500) is the only horse to win three
consecutive Grade 1 sprint races. The
son of Unbridled’s Song entered stud in 2010.
Twelve American champions and three Hall of Fame members
have contested the Hill ‘n’ Dale Molly Pitcher, a traditional feature at
Monmouth Park since the racetrack reopened in 1946. In addition, six Breeders’ Cup winners have participated
in the race.
The Hill ‘n’ Dale Molly Pitcher has also seen many of its
winners go on to be top broodmares, including the dams of champions Bold Lad,
Gulch and My Flag.
Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms has 1,300 acres in the heart of
Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region. In addition
to standing some of the industry’s top stallions, Hill ‘n’ Dale operates one of
North America’s most successful sales agencies
and is home to many elite race mares, including Silverbulletday, Madcap
Escapade, Indian Blessing and others.