TDN P HEADLINE NEWS 10/30/14 PAGE 18 of 20 thoroughbreddailynews.

com
FREE Catalogue-Style Pedigrees for
Grade I and Grade II winners
Check them out at
www.thetdn.com
KEENELAND
NOVEMBER
Nov. 4 & 5
11 a.m.
Nov. 6-14
10 a.m.
ESTIDHKAAR SUFFERS HOCK INJURY
Sheikh Hamdan=s G2 Superlative S. and
G2 Champagne S. winner Estidhkaar (Ire) (Dark Angel
{Ire}) emerged from his fourth-place effort in the
Oct. 17 G1 Dewhurst S. with a hairline fracture of a
hock, according to trainer Richard Hannon.
"We felt something had to be wrong in the Dewhurst,
because Paul Hanagan had rung me after he had
worked the Sunday before and said how well the horse
had gone,@ Hannon noted. "However, he did not move
well going to post at Newmarket and then didn't travel
well in the race, which is not like him, so we suspected
that all was not right, especially as he hadn't been keen
on leaving the stalls. Estidhkaar will have between four
to six weeks of box rest before going on the walker,
but it is nothing major and he will be back next
season."
LANDALUCE WINNER BACK IN TRAINING
by Ben Massam
Kaleem Shah=s Enchanting Lady (Tale of the Cat),
who earned J TDN Rising Star J status after an
impressive win in Santa Anita=s Landaluce S. June 22,
has resumed training after a
three-month hiatus,
according to conditioner Bob
Baffert.
"She just had a minor
setback that didn't require
any surgery after [the
Landaluce]," Baffert said.
"We didn't want to take her
to Del Mar, and we knew we
weren't going to make the
Breeders' Cup, so we just
gave her some time until she was ready."
The Hall of Famer continued, "She was at the farm
and has been doing fine ever since she came back. She
looks good."
Baffert added that he does not have any concrete
future plans Enchanting Lady, but she can be expected
to be back on the work tab in November.
"Everything has been fine with her and she's been
back for two weeks now, so she should start breezing
again in another one to two weeks if she continues to
do well," the trainer offered.
Second to Seduire (Elusive Quality) as the heavy
favorite in her 4 1/2-panel Arcadia debut May 22,
Enchanting Lady turned the tables on that rival next out
with an authoritative 6 1/4-length score in the
Landaluce. A $90,000 KEESEP buy, the dark bay
developed into a $650,000 juvenile purchase at the
OBS March sale after breezing a furlong in :10 1/5.
DON ALBERTO FARM: ONE YEAR LATER
by Brian DiDonato
Just over 12 months ago, Don Alberto Corp., a
relatively unknown outfit in the U.S. based in Chile,
made its presence felt with the $13.82-million purchase
of Dr. Tom Simon=s former Vinery Farm in Lexington,
Ky. If that was the group=s first major splash into the
North American bloodstock market, there were more
waves to come.
Only a couple weeks after purchasing the 440-acre
farm, Don Alberto, which is owned by the Solari
family=s expansive conglomerate Bethia Holdings, went
on a shopping spree at the November breeding stock
sales. Bethia President Carlos Heller and advisor
Fernando Diaz-Valdes purchased five mares at Fasig-
Tipton for a combined $2.95 million, and secured an
incredible 32 head at Keeneland for a gross of
$10.64 million, making them leading buyer by
expenditures at the country=s biggest sale of its kind by
more than $5 million.
"At the beginning, we bought this farm because it
was beautiful and a good opportunity,@ Heller said
through Diaz-Valdes. AThen, we needed to fill it. So we
bought all the mares... The goal is to have a beautiful
band of mares, and hopefully have some success racing
and possibly with stallions. Step by step, that's what
it's all about." Cont. p19
Enchanting Lady
Benoit Photo
Carlos Heller, veterinarian Roberto Navarrete and Fernando Diaz-
Valdes at last years Keeneland November sale
Keeneland Photo
TDN P HEADLINE NEWS 10/30/14 PAGE 19 of 20 thoroughbreddailynews.com
Don Alberto cont.
After Kentucky, it was on to Tattersalls December,
where Don Alberto was responsible for six purchases
totaling 1.77 million guineas. One mare the group didn=t
buy through the ring was Irish MGSW and G1SP
Chrysanthemum (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who was
signed for by Reiley McDonald=s Eaton Sales after she
was hammered down for 800,000 guineas in foal to
superstar Frankel (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). Don Alberto
purchased the mare privately after the sale, and was
the first owner of a foal by Frankel when
Chrysanthemum produced a colt at Coolmore Stud in
Tipperary on Jan. 11. Chrysanthemum was bred back
to Galileo.
Don Alberto=s additional purchases after acquiring the
Vinery property included 10 mares purchased privately
that had been bred to Frankel on Southern Hemisphere
time in Europe. The mares were shipped to Kentucky,
and produced 10 of the first Frankel foals to be born on
Southern Hemisphere time this summer. Diaz-Valdes
says the youngsters will likely be sent to Australia at
some point.
AThey=re very nice, very powerful and smart,@ Diaz-
Valdes said of his impression of Frankel=s produce so
far. AThey=re very good-looking.@
Heller, Diaz-Valdes and team were back at it this year
at Keeneland September. They scooped up four yearling
fillies for a total of $1.315 million, including a daughter
of leading sire Tapit out of MGISP Jade Queen (Giant=s
Causeway) for $775,000.
While Don Alberto may not be a household name in
America--yet--the group operates a large farm in Chile
with some 300 mares, and have leased a number of
stallions, including Stormin Fever, Proud Citizen,
Fusaichi Pegasus, Dylan Thomas (Ire), Rock of Gibraltar
(Ire), Bluegrass Cat, Henrythenavigator,
Mastercraftsman (Ire), Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) and
Stevie Wonderboy, during Southern Hemisphere
breeding seasons. Bethia Holdings also owns and
operates the local racetrack, Club Hipico de Santiago.
It may be easier to list the other businesses in which
the Solari family is not involved in, but Bethia=s
interests include retail, television, transportation,
banking, utilities, health care, communications,
agriculture, wineries and real estate.
Alberto Solari, Carlos Heller=s grandfather, was the
driving force behind his family=s empire and instilled a
passion for breeding and racing in his family. Heller=s
mother, Liliana Solari, founded Haras Don Alberto in
1987, and later that year, the farm enjoyed its first
racetrack success at Santiago with 3-year-old filly
Bethia (Chi), a Group 1 winner in her native country
who went on to win a stakes race in the U.S. for new
connections. The family also bred and campaigned in
partnership 2004 GI Hollywood Gold Cup winner Total
Impact (Chi) (Stuka), who now stands at their farm in
Chile. Another Don Alberto-bred Group 1 victor, Vamo
a Galupiar (Chi) (Proud Citizen), won the 2012
GII Santa Ana S. for Shel Evans and Neil Drysdale.
AMy grandfather was a big breeder in Chile, and that
passion for racing was passed on to my mother and to
me,@ explained Heller. AUnfortunately, the new
generation is not interested much in horses--they have
other interests and we=re missing that continuity of love
for the horse business that we=ve had for years... In
South America, it=s been quite difficult to maintain the
industry... For us, it=s been a rich investment in terms
of enjoyment and excitement, but it doesn=t make any
sense financially.@
A desire to turn their passion for racing into
something more financially viable, plus the increased
ease with which such an endeavor can be carried out
thanks to technological improvements in
communication and transportation, have been major
factors behind Don Alberto=s Northward expansion.
"For us, it's always been a dream to be on the world
stage, and where better than in the United States,
where you have racing all year round at different
racetracks with great purses? It's fantastic,@ Heller
offered. ABefore, it used to be so much more
complicated... We now can send horses to different
places so much easier--you just put them on a plane.
Before it was terrible in terms of health and
quarantines... I'm president of the racetrack in Chile,
but now that I have a farm here [in Kentucky], I can go
anywhere. I've been to Australia, New Zealand,
everywhere."
Heller added, AWe=re into horses to enjoy it and have
fun, but we need a break-even point. It=s not that we=re
expecting to make millions, but we don=t want to lose
millions either.@
Diaz-Valdes cites similar factors behind the general
influx of South American money into the American
breeding industry in recent years.
AIn our countries, we take it as a hobby, and that's
the problem,@ the California-based agent and director of
Indoamerica, S.A. explained. AIt's not an industry. That,
to me, is a huge difference. The Argentinians, Chileans,
Brazilians, etc. have been close before to making that
step and buying here before, but now it's easier with
things like improved communication. Now it's a
different world and it makes sense, because the
experience here is so much better." Cont. p20
Infanta Branca (Henrythenavigator) and her Frankel foal born on
Southern Hemisphere time at Don Alberto Farm in Kentucky.
Lucas Marquardt Photo
TDN P HEADLINE NEWS 10/30/14 PAGE 20 of 20 thoroughbreddailynews.com
Don Alberto cont.
When asked if building Don Alberto Farm from the
ground up in just a year has been more work or less
than he anticipated, Heller replied, "It's been a little bit
more work than expected, but we're so lucky to be
surrounded by such great people. They make our lives
much easier--everything starts with [farm veterinarian]
Dr. George Mundy and [farm manager] Francis Relihan
and everyone else who works on the farm. We're very
grateful to them."
While they wait for their American-based yearlings
and weanlings to reach racing age--and determine who
will train them--Don Alberto already has an exciting
racing prospect Stateside in Friday=s GI Breeders= Cup
Dirt Mile entrant Bronzo (Chi) (Fusaichi Pegasus). The
Chilean Group 1 winner earned his spot in the starting
gate thanks to a 3 1/4-length victory in the June 22 G2
Copa de Oro Vinas de Chile at Santiago for Jorge Inda.
AHe=s training very, very well,@ said Diaz-Valdes of the
bay gelding, who will stay in California after the
Breeders= Cup and join Neal Drysdale=s barn. AIt=s a
tough race, but he=s been acclimating very well since
coming to America. His coat is shiny and his weight is
good--everything=s fine. We=re very happy with how
he=s coming into the race. There=s a lot of speed and
we wish the race was a little longer, but he=ll run well
and should be even better in races here at a mile and an
eighth or a mile and a quarter--this isn=t his perfect
distance.@
Don Alberto will certainly be back in action next week
at the sales, but with something like 130 head already
on the farm, Heller noted, AThe first time it was quality
and quantity, now we need to be more selective.@



Bronzo carries the Don Alberto silks
Courtesy John Fulton
Did You Know?...
Goldencents (Into Mischief)
was tabbed as a
J TDN Rising Star J
Visit the TDN Rising Stars section on our
website!