SANDRA Solomon’s Ideal Horse Farms, just four years into operation, yesterday topped the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) of Jamaica’s 2025 Mixed Sale, Lot 35 fetching $5.2m, a bay colt sired by Outshine out of the Natural Selection mare, Devine Lexie.
Ideal Horse Farms, an outfit located in the Ebony area of St Catherine, totalled $11.3m from four horses consigned to the mixed sale, leaving Cayman Islands-based Solomon at a loss for words.
“I feel really elated. I work hard, putting my best into my animals. I try to ensure my farm is as efficient as possible, so I produce my own grass,” Solomon pointed out.
“Somebody called me to say the horse had reached $3m. When I heard $4m, I was like, “What…?”
“I bought the mom, Devine Lexie, for my birthday. People didn’t like the fact that I bought Devine Lexie for $250,000. When she had the baby, she was badly torn, picked up an infection and died, so this colt is an only-one,” Solomon added.
Though Devine Lexie only won four races, her dam, Preach Preacher, was a prolific winner and producer for late 18-time champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, who raced all her offsprings, including Governor’s Cup winner Drummer Boy, and Jamaica Two Year-Old Stakes champion Tomohawk, as well as multiple winners, Trial Lawyer and Fly Messenger Fly.
Solomon capped what could be described as a terrific weekend for ladies’ investment in horse racing.
On Saturday Cassiopeia Racing Inc, a group of seven prominent Jamaican women, experienced the thrill of their pink silks with gold stars, landing the US$300,000 Mouttet Mile won by RIDEALLDAY with United States Hall of Famer Javier Castellano aboard.
“When I heard of the seven women coming together, I said that was beautiful. I was very happy when they won,” said Solomon of the consortium that only purchased RIDEALLDAY after the three-year-old colt’s victory in the November 16 Port Royal Sprint.
TOBA’s Mixed Sale totalled $65.5m bid on 53 lots in an auction hit by 16 withdrawals, averaging $1.23m per horse falling under hammer.
Ian Parsard of Paradise at Spring Village said the average lot sold fell approximately $200,000 under the $1.4m consignors would have put in to get a horse to the sale.
“It’s not bad but, at the same time, not great because the consignors would have lost approximately $200,000 per lot. At around 50 lots, that would be an overall loss of $10m.
“It’s not surprising because of what’s happening in the industry. What needs to happen is that a segment of the local-racing programme needs to incentivise local-bred horses.
“What we see happening at the sale is an unintended consequence of the Mouttet Mile. Folks are gonna want to invest in a better quality horse from overseas for a chance at a US$300,000 purse,” he explained, pointing to RIDEALLDAY’s recent purchase as an example.
Parsard suggested that TOBA should play the lead role in approaching promoting company Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited to hammer out details of a race, or series of races, with adequate purse monies, spurring breeders to invest in better quality mares and stallions, which would attract owners.
“It is my view that it is urgent. TOBA needs to coordinate with SVREL to carve out a lucrative race programme for local-bred horses,” he said.
