By Wendy Post —
It was a brisk autumn day at Allerage Farms in Sayre, Pa., just days after a sale in Lexington, Kentucky, where all but two of the yearlings from the farm went to the highest bidder. The remaining two Standardbred yearlings sold recently in Harrisburg.
But back at the farm, it was business as usual as the workers readied what they called the “nursery” in preparation for the next cycle, while the babies on hand were groomed and the mares were cared for.
Ashleigh Bailey, who has a Bachelor’s in Equine Breeding from SUNY Morrisville, has been working for Allerage Farm, owned and operated by Jeff and Paula Gural, since 2013. Gural, owner of Tioga Downs in Nichols, N.Y. and the chairman of American Racing and Entertainment, built the farm in 2006, similar to his existing farm in Stanfordville, New York, which has been in operation since the 1980’s.
Pictured, this six-year-old Standardbred mare, Plum Wine, is one of approximately 20 at Allerage Farms in Sayre, Pa. Plum Wine was born on the farm and is now having babies of her own. (Photo by Wendy Post)
Gural owns and operates several harness racing tracks, including the track at Tioga Downs, Vernon Downs, and The Meadowlands in New Jersey. Horse racing is in his wheelhouse, and Gural takes great pride in the Standardbreds and the sport.
And so does Bailey. Her own colt, Fallin for Muscles, also known as Jaguar, is Canadian-bred. He was sold in Harrisburg but will race in Canada.
Towering over her in height and weighing over 1,000 pounds, Bailey has been with Jaguar from conception to the field, where he majestically runs freely among the farm’s rolling acres. And it all starts in what Bailey refers to as the maternity ward.
Working with a couple of extra hands, Heather Lineburg, Courtney Kinney, and Ashleigh Bailey offered a brief tour of the farm and a sneak peek into the paddock where the babies were resting, and then out to the field where pregnant mares would soon retreat for their gestation period.
Ashleigh Bailey is pictured with her colt, Fallin for Muscles, also known as Jaguar, at Allerage Farms in Sayre, Pa. (Photo by Wendy Post)
“We are the midwives for the horses,” Bailey said of her work.
She went on to explain the process and noted that of the approximately 45 horses, including 20 mares, on the farm, they are expecting 16 babies to be born this spring.
The horses are artificially inseminated, and as they get close to birth, there are cameras in the birthing barns to watch through an app, and an internal alarm chip is installed to alert workers to take action. She described the lights that are utilized early in the process to help the mares go into heat, a process that Bailey stated takes about 60 days.
At the end of the 11 month gestation period, as Bailey explained, the mares will try to be discreet since they are prey animals. But labor is noticeable. She exclaimed that labor is about 20 minutes but can be longer.
“From the time their water breaks until the foal is safely out should not be more than 20 minutes,” said Bailey.
The babies in the barn were awakened for this photo shoot at Allerage Farms in Sayre, Pa. Pictured standing is Ruby. (Photo by Post)
“Every ten minutes after that, you approach fetal viability,” Bailey added, noting that fetal sac checks and fetal position are crucial.
All of this, in addition to keeping the 12 stalls and 12 paddocks cleaned and prepped keeps the workers busy.
Over in another area, off of the stalls, a handful of babies were resting, several of them quickly standing up and moving around in a welcoming fashion, even pointing a nose at the camera for a closer look.
Bailey explained that they will handle and raise the babies, but that when the yearlings get prepped, it’s a bit more work with daily brushings, exercise, and manners.
And when snow begins to fall and winter sets in, Bailey and her helpers will be preparing the barn for spring, and as they rotate the mares and yearlings and prepare for the new babies, most from champion bloodlines, and ready for an eventual run on a harness track.
To date, according to Bailey, their top-selling Standardbred went for $625,000. His name was Ice Fall, the sire was Walner, and Ice Attraction was the dam. Both are world champions.
A sneak peek at what Ashleigh Bailey refers to as the maternity ward at Allerage Farms in Sayre, Pa. (Photo by Wendy Post)
The horses are always nicknamed, with this year’s babies ending up with the moniker Echo, Spice, Pie, and Cougar.
Some popular frontrunners at the track also came from the farm, like Whiskey Tax, Beautiful Sin, and Lady Landia,” said Bailey.
And some of the horses are familiar faces! In August, a “Name that Foal” contest at Tioga Downs Casino’s racetrack revealed “SippinonCaptain” as the new name for one of Allerage Farms’ newest additions to the crew.
Another of their Standardbreds, according to Bailey, was sold this year and will race in New Jersey, and then will travel to Italy to be a broodmare.
“It’s a labor of love,” said Bailey, adding, “It’s fun to inseminate, help with the birth, care for the horses, and see them on the track.”
The farm is open for tours once a month on Sundays during the summer months. Sign-ups for the tours take place at the track at Tioga Downs Casino, located on West River Road in Nichols, New York. Just look for the promotions table during live racing next season.
Among these rolling hills, champions are born! A broader view of Allerage Farms in Sayre, Pa. (Photo by Wendy Post)
Once a month, Allerage Farms also brings a horse, usually a mare or foal, to the track for people to come see and pet.
To learn more about Allerage Farms and their breeding operation, visit www.alleragefarm.com, or you can find them on Facebook.
To learn more about harness racing at Tioga Downs, visit www.tiogadowns.com.
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