Kaizen's Solo Consignment a Standout Bernardini Filly

Kaizen Sales owner Richard Kent may have just one horse consigned to The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected sale of yearlings Aug. 9-10 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., but she's a standout. The filly is the lone yearling in the catalog by the late leading sire Bernardini, Darley America's 18-year-old son of A.P. Indy who was euthanized July 30 due to complications from laminitis. Bred in Kentucky by Hope Stock Farm and Godolpin and consigned as Hip 85, the filly is out of the winning Elusive Quality mare Elusive Hope. The mare is the dam of the black-type-winning, grade 2-placed Algorithms gelding Vanish and the stakes-placed City Zip filly, Evangeline's Hope. From five starters, she has produced four winners. This is also the family of Japan Cup (G1) winner Tap Dance City and Schuylerville Stakes (G2) winner Freedom's Daughter. The filly's third dam is the Northern Dancer mare All Dance, a half sister to champion Winning Colors. "It's a great story. My mom's name was Hope and the filly (Elusive Hope) was named for her. My brother in Canada is a 50% breeder with Darley," Kent said. "With our history coming here, I've been selling here since the early nineties. It was just a good horse to bring here." Kent expressed his mixed feelings on the loss of Bernardini and the chance to offer the stallion's lone representative under lights Monday night in Saratoga. In recent years, the stallion had been making a name for himself as a record-breaking broodmare sire. In May 2021 he became the youngest stallion ever to reach 50 black-type winners as a broodmare sire, the farm said. Bernardini currently ranks among the top 10 leading North American broodmare sires with more than $8.8 million in progeny earnings and an Average Earnings Index of 1.58. BLOODHORSE STAFF: Bernardini Succumbs to Laminitis at Age 18 "It's a tragedy that we lost Bernardini. He was such an influence. He's leaving his stamp on the broodmare side, such a tremendous sire," Kent said. "Really one of the first Darley sires in North America that was a really dominant sire. We're very fortunate, unfortunately with his passing, but it's nice to have the only one. It's nice to be the only one of anything in a sale." Kent said Darley's half ownership of the filly also played into the decision to bring her to Saratoga. "It was nice to be here for the 100th (edition of the sale), with their influence in Fasig-Tipton," he said. "She's very athletic. Being out of an Elusive Quality mare, we just thought she'd really fit well up here." Showing his filly outside Barn 5 marks a welcome return to a sale that has been a vital part of Kent's life for the past 50 years. "I think there's a buzz in the air of so many people excited to be back. The races, which is the best meet in North America, are alive over there," he said. "I feel that everybody seems excited to be here … Everybody can make an excuse to get to Saratoga." The Kaizen team is hoping for good results when the filly heads into the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion. "Kaizen is actually a term in the auto industry which means trying to continually improve," Kent said. "In the horse business we're always trying to do that … We're always trying to get a little better."