Enjoying Breakout Year, DeVaux Adds Yearlings to Stable - Belladonna TB

Cherie DeVaux admits her initial years of training were filled with a degree of anxiety as she sought to establish her stable. She recalls how she did not win her first race until late March of 2019, nearly a year after she embarked on her career.

These days, the wins are coming regularly, topped by three victories in graded stakes races this year, as her Kentucky-based stable has expanded from the ground up to currently number 85 horses. And she is eyeing even more growth.

On Sept. 14 at Keeneland, DeVaux, as agent, acquired six horses through 6 p.m. ET for Belladonna Racing, a partnership of owners she heads with her husband, renowned bloodstock agent David Ingordo. The purchases include fillies by Street Sense   (Hip 786—$260,000), Not This Time   (Hip 885—$200,000), City of Light   (Hip 906—$400,000), and Maclean’s Music   (Hip 938—$300,000), plus a Vekoma   colt (Hip 896—$87,000) and a Constitution   colt (Hip 1040—$450,000).

Following five earlier buys over the first three days of the sale, Belladonna Racing’s acquisitions at the sale stand at 11, making the partnership among the most active buyers.

Belladonna Racing was originally formed, as DeVaux said, to “get horses in the barn” and “to recruit new owners.” Now, it is a growing sales power player.