A2O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 31,2003
Florida Horse Sends Sunshine
(Continued from Page Al 9)
the horses may be at the track or
sent off to a stud farm before
they return to Minnich’s farm to
foal.
About four years ago a client
who had boarded horses at Min
nich’s operation for three years
brought Peace Rules’ dam, Hold
To Fashion, to the Annville farm
when Peace Rules was a yearling.
The mare was one of 14 that
the client boarded at Minnich’s
farm.
The client’s bill began to stack
up, and with a tab of
more than $40,000, the
client began to look for
ways to alleviate the
debt.
Minnich’s son Bryan,
who had worked and
studied for more than a
year at a large horse
farm in Kentucky, coun
seled his father to work
out a deal with the cli
ent for Hold To Fash
ion.
The mare had the
right conformation,
her own racing victo
ries, and a foal that
was already racing
and turning in wins.
She didn’t come
free, however. Minnich
signed off much of the
client’s debt, then paid
the mare’s sale price,
as she was sold for
$lB,OOO in Ocala, Flor
ida but not paid for.
He also paid the
$25,000 stud fee in ad
dition to $14,000 in
boarding fees to the
stud farm in Ken
tucky.
“I spent money I
didn’t have and I
normally don’t do that
just to pay for this
horse,” said Minnich.
“I’m not a big guy
and it was rough over
the winter. I was
boarding as many
horses as I possibly
could, just to make
money” to pay the
mare’s fees.
To help him out of
his money stresses,
Minnich hoped to see
a win out of one of his
horses at the track.
However in August
2002 his promising
filly, agitated by race
track excitement,
reared up and flipped
over on the blacktop
and killed herself,
adding another layer
to Minnich’s woes.
With the harsh, cold
winter increasing to
Minnich’s challenges,
“I was wondering why
I was even in the busi
ness. I guess the good
Lord helped me out by
sending this horse my
way.”
As Peace Rules
began to create a buzz
on the racing scene,
calls began coming in
to Minnich about the
mare.
“We knew she was
worth something, but
not this kind of
money,” said Minnich,
referring to the mare’s
upsurge in value with
the success of her son.
A Kentucky sales
agent company be
lieves the mare is now
worth $750,000. Al
ready 14 years old, she
could produce foals
until she is 22-24 years old.
Now in foal to Thunder Gulch,
winner of the Derby and Bel
mont, and third in the Preakness
in 1995, the mare may be sold at
a Keeneland, Kentucky sale in
November, decided Minnich.
She also has a foal at her side.
After purchasing and foaling out
Hold To Fashion, Minnich bred
the mare to Forest Wildcat, son
of famed Storm Cat.
The result, a filly, now a year
ling, is now in his hands. Minnich
is deciding whether to sell the
Above and at right this foal, nicknamed “Buddy,” lost his
mother shortly after she gave birth and enjoys free rein of
Minnich’s yard and barn.
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filly at a sale in Saratoga in Au
gust or a Kentucky sale in July.
Close Calls
Minnich has already had a
number of close calls with the
pair.
“I had the horse (Hold To
Fashion) sold for $40,000 but the
buyer couldn’t come up with the
money,” he said.
He also had the filly tagged for
sale. “I was going to sell her for
$lOO,OOO but the deal fell
through,” he said. Minnich was
told the filly is worth approxi-
mately $250,000-$350,000 be
cause of the success of her older
half-brother.
“Every time a deal fell
through, I just thought T guess
that was not supposed to hap
pen,’” he said.
The filly may be sold this sum
mer in a Kentucky sale, and Min
nich plans to travel down to
watch the sale, “or bring her back
to race” if the price isn’t right.
Hold To Fashion, a speed
horse herself running best at
distances less than a mile tends
to produce speed horses, accord
ing to Minnich. She won her first
race by 12'/2 lengths, he said.
Peace Rules is also a speed
horse, said Minnich. “Speed
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Looking forward, reaching higher
horses have to go out front,” said
Minnich. “They (jockeys) can
take more out of a horse by hold
ing it back.
“They almost have to let them
go there and see what they’ll do,
then when the others start com
ing, pour it on,” he said.
At the time Hold To Fashion
was sold in Ocala, Florida, the
mare was carrying Wild Kipper,
a foal by Kipper Kelly, and
foaled on Minnich’s farm. Min
nich has decided to keep and
race the colt, now training in
Florida.
The colt will come back to
Pennsylvania by July, where he
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