BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Grade 1-winning Florida-bred millionaire Dorth Vader, who was fifth in the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) Saturday, was cataloged as Hip 209 in Monday night’s Fasig-Tipton November Sale but was bought back by owner and breeder John Ropes as a $1.95 million RNA. Ropes, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., said he will keep the 5-year-old daughter of Girvin and is currently making plans for her as a broodmare.
“We were pretty certain we would be above the reserve, the way the sale was going. We were a little surprised we didn’t reach it. It was disappointing,” Ropes said. “I think Boyd [Browning] with Fasig did a good job and Matt Bowling with [consignor] Vinery [Sales] did a good job. It just didn’t happen.
“The next day you have to look on the bright side and the bright side is I think she’s going be a phenominal broodmare. So we’re going to breed her.”
Dorth Vader is out of Yonaguska mare Hardcore Candy and earned $1,078,218 during a racing career that included a victory in this year’s Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Saratoga in June and a nose second to 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga in August. She retired with five wins in 18 starts with three seconds and a third.
Ropes said he has already been contacted by several stallion farms about plans for Dorth Vader and that he is considering several first-year stallions.
“We’ve had some calls in that direction,” he said. “If she can produce babies that look anything like her and pass along her heart, we’ll have some great babies. While I was disappointed it didn’t happen yesterday, we have a whole future ahead of her.”
Ropes has Hardcore Candy among his broodmare band at Rosegrove Farm in Ocala and said he is excited about a yearling full sister to Dorth Vader—Revenge of the Sis. Ropes sent Revenge of the Sis through this year’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale but bought her back in partnership with CJ Thoroughbreds for $500,000. He said Revenge of the Sis is in training at Ocala Stud.
Another weanling full sister resides at his Rosegrove Farm.
“She’s doing great,” Ropes said of the weanling filly. “She’s dominant. She occasionally kicks, so you have to be careful with her but I like the spunk. All of Dorth’s siblings have been the same way. But as they mature, they get a lot calmer.”
Ropes said he bred Hardcore Candy to Ocala Stud stallion Roadster in 2025.
Return to the November 4 issue of Wire to Wire
