MAPLETON THOROUGHBRED FARM OUT OF THE GATE FAST AS OHIO’S LEADING BREEDER

For the fifth time in 2024, Dr. George Sikora and his partner Dr. John Byk gained honors for Breeder of the Year with their Mapleton Farm in Polk, Ohio. Upon receiving the honor, Dr. Sikora stated the farm’s breeding philosophy, “We believe strongly in creating a broodmare band that are mostly stakes winners, stakes producers and/or come from proven black type female families. We then painstakingly research the sire lines with the most potential for success in our program. After closely monitoring their earliest days of development, we let them be horses. We don’t raise them like hot-house roses, and they have a lot of good pasture to grow.”

Well, that undulating Mapleton greensward continues to bloom with winning thoroughbreds and are off to a sharp start in 2025 for their sixth title. First to get to the winner’s circle was Right On the Munny, who captured the $75,000 Ohio Sales Graduate Stakes for horses sold at any Ohio Sale. Trainer Robert Gorham selected the son of Cowtown Cat-Fortheloveofmunnings by Munnings for a bargain $4,500. In the March 3 event, Right On the Munny dominated the field and lived up to his favoritism with a strong 51⁄2 length win.

Top trainer Bob Gorham trains Noonan winner Superwolf. Gorham has been a long supporter of the Mapleton Thoroughbred Farm breeding program. Photo courtesy of Conrad Photography.

Last week, Mapleton put another notch on the farm halter when their homebred horse, Superwolf (Instagrand-Sunshineandsilence-Speightstown) won the $50,000 Howard B. Noonan Stakes at Mahoning Valley. Aggressively ridden by Erik Barbarian, Superwolf responded to the urging and defeated the odds-on, multiple stakes-place Boots Malone late in the lane. Trainer Robert Gorham apparently recognized the bay gelding’s potential as he choose the $100,000 Best of Ohio Cleveland Kindergarten Juvenile for his career debut. Proving his conditioner correct, Superwolf put in a strong second to eventual champion Fortissimo. In his brief career he has compiled a record of 6-3-2-0 for $156,790.

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LOFTY COWTOWN WINS WHEN BACK TO BEST DISTANCE AND COMPANY

Lofty Cowtown drew a good group of supporters after her Dr. T.F. Classen Memorial win last season. Photo courtesy of J.J. Zamaiko.

HMDC trainer Megan Fadlovich had our mare ready to run, but the cards she was dealt forced her to race against open company in her first two starts of the season. Nice way to ease into a new season, eh?

She had to smile when the stakes-winning daughter of Cowtown Cat-Lofty Lizzy-Unbridled’s Song drew a spot alongside Accredited-bred fillies and mares sprinting on March 30. Megan may not have been smiling during the rainy walk over, “Lofty” had never won on a “Sloppy/Sealed” track. Well, not until a few minutes later.

Under her regular rider David Haldar, she broke cleanly and rated well, but Haldar seemed to sense Kichi Kitsu was getting away from the field with a 3 ½ length lead after a half-mile. Haldar earned his jocks fee and went to work urging the Mapleton-bred who picked up the pace. He kept her to task with a left-hand reminder at the 1/6th pole and she hit the wire a length in front.

Here’s Megan’s recap and plans – “LOFTY COWTOWN showed her stuff against accredited company going her preferred distance on the 30th. Congrats to all! She put up her best Equibase number yet. Doc picked her up on Wednesday so she can spend some time at the farm for R&R. The plan is to bring her back around April 21 so we can prep for the June 21 DR. T.F. Classen Memorial Stakes which she won last year. I think she has a chance to repeat.”

Sounds like a plan to me! The HMDC colorbearer will hopefully bring her 17-6-1-1 $176,957 in search of a repeat in the Classen.