Home to a roster of world class stallions and clients, Hill ’n’ Dale at Xalapa is building upon a nearly 3 decade long dedication to customer service, unparalleled horsemanship and a reputation for seeking quality, in all forms, at the highest level. The sales division of the farm, Hill ’n’ Dale Sales Agency, has been responsible for setting several world records at public auction.
Our first class staff of both seasoned and up and coming horse men and women are setting a new standard of care. The park like setting which is Xalapa is a veritable oasis from which to raise a world class athlete. The most important names in the history of thoroughbred racing have staked their claim in the soil in Bourbon County outside of Paris. We believe that the soil, the water, the setting, and our staff will usher the farm into a new era whose legacy will be lasting.
Xalapa, referred to as the Biltmore of the Bluegrass, traces its origins to 1827. The farm had once been owned by Thomas Buckner, whose son Henry had served during the Mexican War and when he returned named the farm after a small town whose name loosely translates to "the happy land." In the early 1900s, the land passed to Edward Simms, a co-founder of Sinclair Oil Co. As a Thoroughbred breeder during the 1920s, Simms was considered in the same league as icons John Madden, Arthur B. Hancock Sr., and Col. Phil Chinn. Simms built a one-mile training track and the stone training barn with its high ceilings, expansive windows, and wide breezeway that could serve as an indoor training track when the weather was bad. In the late sixties and seventies, the training facility was leased by the mighty Claiborne whose legendary trainees included the likes of Ruffian, Buckpasser, Mocassin, Gamely, Dahlia, and Wajima to name a few.
The farm is steeped in history and quality horse flesh. Simms imported Prince Palatine and Negofol to stand at stud at Xalapa Farm. Among his offspring, Negofol sired 1917 Belmont Stakes winner Hourless and the 1925 Preakness Stakes winner Coventry. Among the best known horses bred at Xalapa Farm were Suave Dancer who won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the Irish Champion Stakes and “blue hen” broodmare Hildene who was sold to Christopher Chenery in 1939 following Edward Simms' death. For Chenery, Hildene produced the 1950 American Horse of the Year Hill Prince as well as Champion First Landing who sired U.S. Kentucky Derby and Belmont winner Riva Ridge.
Driven by passion, farm owner John Sikura has restored the 1,400 acre Central Kentucky landmark to its original glory, having done the equivalent of 10 years' worth of work in 18 months. The extensive restoration included building eight new barns, a breeding shed, renovating the training barn to be a stallion barn, renovating 14 houses, adding landscaping, and building tens of miles of fence and adding roads and utilities. Sikura is not just restoring Xalapa; he is creating a world-class operation that exceeds what the farm was in its heyday.
We invite you to share our vision of success and welcome you to Hill ’n’ Dale at Xalapa.
Hill ‘n’ Dale Stallions arrive at Xalapa ©TDN
The Xalapa Story
Chapter 1: The Biltmore of the Bluegrass
Chapter 2: A New Chapter
Chapter 3: There’s Something in the Soil…
Chapter 4: A Storied Past
Chapter 5: Terroir
Hill ‘n’ Dale Stallions at Xalapa
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