Saratoga 2025 Wrap-Up

The 2025 Saratoga meet once again proved why it remains the pinnacle of summer racing in New York. From breakout 2-year-olds to established graded stakes winners, McMahon & Hill Bloodstock clients and partners enjoyed an exciting and rewarding season at Saratoga Race Course.

Partner Success and Commitment to Aftercare

The meet began with a highlight from one of our longtime partners, Maggie Seidman, who celebrated a win with Vino Samara. Beyond the winner’s circle, Maggie was recognized by the New York Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund (NYBDF) for her leadership in Thoroughbred aftercare. Ensuring meaningful second careers for racehorses is vital to the long-term health of our industry, and Maggie continues to set an example we are proud to stand behind.

Rising Stars on the Racetrack

The racing action started early with Curtain Call (out of Deep Trouble), who made an immediate impression by breaking his maiden on debut, earning TDN Rising Star honors. He closed the meet with a third-place finish in the prestigious Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes. Congratulations to breeder Nancy Stone, who partnered with us on this successful mating.

Our clients saw additional graded success when Praying (out of Pray for Leslie, bred by Jeff Kerber) captured the Grade 3 Prioress Stakes. That same family shined again when Spa Prospector, also out of Pray for Leslie, broke her maiden and ran third in the Grade 3 Adirondack Stakes.

Success with NY-Breds and Stakes Horses

We also celebrated victories on the New York-bred stage:

• Trail of Gold (out of Bene Pista, bred by Spruce Lane Farm et al.) won the NY Stallion Stakes alongside America’s Pastime. Trail of Gold is an exciting graduate of our broodmare co-ownership program, a reminder of the value in joining these partnerships.

• Oriole Way (out of Elegant Zip, bred by Spruce Lane Farm et al.) finished second in the Seeking the Ante Stakes, continuing a family tradition that traces back to Elegant Finish, Bourbon Lane’s very first winner.

Other notable runners included Bold Journey, a 2-year-old we purchased at OBS March for Seidman Stable. After running second in the Disco Partner Stakes at Saratoga, he has since moved on to his new connections.

Consistency Across the Board

The always-tough turf mare Spinning Colors (owned by Bourbon Lane, HGS Thoroughbreds, Mark and Rosemary Hennig, and bred by Terry and William Parsons Jr.) put in two strong efforts, running second in the De La Rose Stakes on opening day and third in the Yaddo Stakes on Travers weekend.

Additional maiden special weight (MSW) winners at the meet included:

• Spirit of the Law (out of Bourbon Endowment, bred by SLF et al.)

• Undisputed (out of Thin Disguise, bred by SLF et al.)

Remembering a Special Pinhook Graduate

While the summer brought many highs, we also paused to honor the memory of Mopotism, a graduate of Spruce Lane Pinhook (SLPH). The multiple graded stakes winner and dam of Preakness and Haskell winner Journalism passed away in July. We fondly remember her alongside other SLPH stars such as Pavel, Union Strike, and Rocketry. What an unforgettable group of pinhooks that was.

Looking Ahead

From Saratoga to the upcoming fall sales, McMahon & Hill Bloodstock remains committed to helping our clients succeed, whether in the winner’s circle, in the breeding shed, or at the sales ring. Our results this summer highlight the strength of our bloodstock services, the value of broodmare partnerships, and the lasting impact of supporting aftercare initiatives.

We look forward to building on this momentum as we head into the next chapter of the year.

Keywords: McMahon & Hill Bloodstock, bloodstock agent, Bourbon Lane, horse racing, Saratoga Race Course, Thoroughbred breeding, New York-breds, aftercare, broodmare partnerships, 2-year-old winners, pinhooking, Thoroughbred sales