For all the visits he has made to the winner's circle, for all the times he has watched the colors of him and his partners get carried away by dutiful runners on racing's biggest days, no entity has made Jay Hanley's stomach flip and heart flutter like the dark bay distaffer with the pit bull attitude.

He first fell for Lady Eli when she was an obstinate baby turning in what he and trainer Chad Brown felt was the best breeze of the 2014 Keeneland April 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. And throughout her roller coaster of a career, one that featured everything from a Breeders' Cup triumph to a near-fatal freak accident to—finally—a trip on stage at the Eclipse Awards ceremony in January to accept her year-end hardware, Hanley and co-owner Sol Kumin of Sheep Pond Partners always felt their chests get that much tighter whenever the daughter of Divine Park was the center of attention.

"We have a lot of other horses that we run, and there are no butterflies that compare to the butterflies I always felt with her," Hanley said of the horse he originally purchased for $160,000. "Especially after she came back from her injury. It's amazing. I had horses running in the Breeders' Cup a couple days ago, and it's just not the same."

In the same pavilion where Hanley first took home his favorite girl, he bid an official farewell to her Nov. 5. As she so often did in her 14 career starts, Lady Eli lived up to her billing during the opening session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale when she sold to John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farms for $4.2 million to lead the select Book 1 portion of the catalog.

Sikura was well-versed in Lady Eli's class. His Hill 'n' Dale operation was originally slated to consign the 2017 champion turf female at last year's November auction, but she was withdrawn from the sale when she emerged from her seventh-place run in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) with several lacerations on her hind legs. She has resided at the bucolic farm since, making a visit along the way to leading Claiborne stallion War Front , and when she returned to the Hill 'n' Dale consignment this time around, Sikura was determined not to let her leave.

"Every time she ran, she ran her eyeballs out. She's a champion. Chad Brown did a great job with her. We're thrilled to add her to our broodmare band," Sikura said after winning a protracted bidding battle. "We try to keep adding elite quality mares.

"She's a mare that has really everything one could ask for—courage, heart, ability, in foal to a great horse. It's a lot of money, but I thought she was extremely good value. We've had her since after the Breeders' Cup. She's just indomitable."

Lady Eli's will was flaunted in every avenue possible during her time in Brown's shedrow. She won her first six starts, including the 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T), but it was the aftermath of her victory in the 2015 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) that nearly ended her career and her life.

In the walk back from the test barn following that 2 3/4-length victory, Lady Eli stepped on a nail, and about a week later, she began showing signs of lamintis in both front feet. That battle kept her sidelined for more than a year, but she returned in 2016 to capture the Flower Bowl Stakes (G1T) and finish just a nose away from victory in that year's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

The storybook comeback wasn't done with its remarkable chapters, either. Lady Eli won three more races in 2017, including the Gamely Stakes (G1T) and Diana Stakes (G1T) en route to her long-awaited divisional honor.

"At the (2014 Keeneland April sale), I think she had the best breeze of the sale," Brown recalled. "Just the way she did it, time-wise, and the way she galloped out, she had the fastest gallop out of the sale. She just looked like a runner. And when we went to go see her a couple times at the barn, she had that real sassy territorial attitude, and I guess that probably threw some people off. That made it affordable for Jay in his partnership with Sol Kumin … and the rest is history.

"I feel proud that she made it to this point where so many people are following her to the ring, and it feels like she's getting the recognition she deserves to be out there on center stage."

The cellphones, iPads, and cameras tracking Lady Eli to the Keeneland pavilion signaled that star was indeed about to light up the scene. After opening with a bid of $1 million, the board climbed in $200,000 and $300,000 increments, blowing past the $2 million mark in moments.

With the bidding at $4 million, Sikura threw down another $200,000 raise—not entirely confident the market would see it stick. It proved to be enough, and the dark bay mare in impeccable physical condition left the ring to a round of applause.

"It's a lot of money for a horse, but I thought she was extremely good value," Sikura said. "We're thrilled to own her. I'm going to get her home first, have this foal, and then worry about who to breed her back to."

Added Brown, "The breeding business is not my area, but I'm pretty certain John Sikura made the best buy of the sale there. He's going to be paid back in the years to come."

Out of the Saint Ballado mare Sacre Coeur, Lady Eli is a half sister to multiple graded winner Bizzy Caroline.

As he watched her leave the ring and officially leave his care, Hanley reflected on the horse who put his partners on the map and left an indelible mark on his heart.

"The last couple weeks have been very bittersweet thinking of her leaving our stewardship, but she owes us nothing at all," Hanley said. "She's been the best sort of ride we could have ever hoped for, me and my partners. She was the first horse I bought for the partnership with Chad, and she truly is a once-in-a-lifetime individual.

"We're really happy she's going to stay home here and be in Kentucky, and we can come and visit her with our kids. Now we can just enjoy her for the rest of our lives."

For all the visits he has made to the winner's circle, for all the times he has watched the colors of him and his partners get carried away by dutiful runners on racing's biggest days, no entity has made Jay Hanley's stomach flip and heart flutter like the dark bay distaffer with the pit bull attitude.

He first fell for Lady Eli when she was an obstinate baby turning in what he and trainer Chad Brown felt was the best breeze of the 2014 Keeneland April 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. And throughout her roller coaster of a career, one that featured everything from a Breeders' Cup triumph to a near-fatal freak accident to—finally—a trip on stage at the Eclipse Awards ceremony in January to accept her year-end hardware, Hanley and co-owner Sol Kumin of Sheep Pond Partners always felt their chests get that much tighter whenever the daughter of Divine Park was the center of attention.

"We have a lot of other horses that we run, and there are no butterflies that compare to the butterflies I always felt with her," Hanley said of the horse he originally purchased for $160,000. "Especially after she came back from her injury. It's amazing. I had horses running in the Breeders' Cup a couple days ago, and it's just not the same."

In the same pavilion where Hanley first took home his favorite girl, he bid an official farewell to her Nov. 5. As she so often did in her 14 career starts, Lady Eli lived up to her billing during the opening session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale when she sold to John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farms for $4.2 million to lead the select Book 1 portion of the catalog.

Sikura was well-versed in Lady Eli's class. His Hill 'n' Dale operation was originally slated to consign the 2017 champion turf female at last year's November auction, but she was withdrawn from the sale when she emerged from her seventh-place run in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) with several lacerations on her hind legs. She has resided at the bucolic farm since, making a visit along the way to leading Claiborne stallion War Front , and when she returned to the Hill 'n' Dale consignment this time around, Sikura was determined not to let her leave.

"Every time she ran, she ran her eyeballs out. She's a champion. Chad Brown did a great job with her. We're thrilled to add her to our broodmare band," Sikura said after winning a protracted bidding battle. "We try to keep adding elite quality mares.

"She's a mare that has really everything one could ask for—courage, heart, ability, in foal to a great horse. It's a lot of money, but I thought she was extremely good value. We've had her since after the Breeders' Cup. She's just indomitable."

Lady Eli's will was flaunted in every avenue possible during her time in Brown's shedrow. She won her first six starts, including the 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T), but it was the aftermath of her victory in the 2015 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) that nearly ended her career and her life.

In the walk back from the test barn following that 2 3/4-length victory, Lady Eli stepped on a nail, and about a week later, she began showing signs of lamintis in both front feet. That battle kept her sidelined for more than a year, but she returned in 2016 to capture the Flower Bowl Stakes (G1T) and finish just a nose away from victory in that year's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

The storybook comeback wasn't done with its remarkable chapters, either. Lady Eli won three more races in 2017, including the Gamely Stakes (G1T) and Diana Stakes (G1T) en route to her long-awaited divisional honor.

"At the (2014 Keeneland April sale), I think she had the best breeze of the sale," Brown recalled. "Just the way she did it, time-wise, and the way she galloped out, she had the fastest gallop out of the sale. She just looked like a runner. And when we went to go see her a couple times at the barn, she had that real sassy territorial attitude, and I guess that probably threw some people off. That made it affordable for Jay in his partnership with Sol Kumin … and the rest is history.

"I feel proud that she made it to this point where so many people are following her to the ring, and it feels like she's getting the recognition she deserves to be out there on center stage."

The cellphones, iPads, and cameras tracking Lady Eli to the Keeneland pavilion signaled that star was indeed about to light up the scene. After opening with a bid of $1 million, the board climbed in $200,000 and $300,000 increments, blowing past the $2 million mark in moments.

With the bidding at $4 million, Sikura threw down another $200,000 raise—not entirely confident the market would see it stick. It proved to be enough, and the dark bay mare in impeccable physical condition left the ring to a round of applause.

"It's a lot of money for a horse, but I thought she was extremely good value," Sikura said. "We're thrilled to own her. I'm going to get her home first, have this foal, and then worry about who to breed her back to."

Added Brown, "The breeding business is not my area, but I'm pretty certain John Sikura made the best buy of the sale there. He's going to be paid back in the years to come."

Out of the Saint Ballado mare Sacre Coeur, Lady Eli is a half sister to multiple graded winner Bizzy Caroline.

As he watched her leave the ring and officially leave his care, Hanley reflected on the horse who put his partners on the map and left an indelible mark on his heart.

"The last couple weeks have been very bittersweet thinking of her leaving our stewardship, but she owes us nothing at all," Hanley said. "She's been the best sort of ride we could have ever hoped for, me and my partners. She was the first horse I bought for the partnership with Chad, and she truly is a once-in-a-lifetime individual.

"We're really happy she's going to stay home here and be in Kentucky, and we can come and visit her with our kids. Now we can just enjoy her for the rest of our lives."

For all the visits he has made to the winner's circle, for all the times he has watched the colors of him and his partners get carried away by dutiful runners on racing's biggest days, no entity has made Jay Hanley's stomach flip and heart flutter like the dark bay distaffer with the pit bull attitude.

He first fell for Lady Eli when she was an obstinate baby turning in what he and trainer Chad Brown felt was the best breeze of the 2014 Keeneland April 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. And throughout her roller coaster of a career, one that featured everything from a Breeders' Cup triumph to a near-fatal freak accident to—finally—a trip on stage at the Eclipse Awards ceremony in January to accept her year-end hardware, Hanley and co-owner Sol Kumin of Sheep Pond Partners always felt their chests get that much tighter whenever the daughter of Divine Park was the center of attention.

"We have a lot of other horses that we run, and there are no butterflies that compare to the butterflies I always felt with her," Hanley said of the horse he originally purchased for $160,000. "Especially after she came back from her injury. It's amazing. I had horses running in the Breeders' Cup a couple days ago, and it's just not the same."

In the same pavilion where Hanley first took home his favorite girl, he bid an official farewell to her Nov. 5. As she so often did in her 14 career starts, Lady Eli lived up to her billing during the opening session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale when she sold to John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farms for $4.2 million to lead the select Book 1 portion of the catalog.

Sikura was well-versed in Lady Eli's class. His Hill 'n' Dale operation was originally slated to consign the 2017 champion turf female at last year's November auction, but she was withdrawn from the sale when she emerged from her seventh-place run in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) with several lacerations on her hind legs. She has resided at the bucolic farm since, making a visit along the way to leading Claiborne stallion War Front , and when she returned to the Hill 'n' Dale consignment this time around, Sikura was determined not to let her leave.

"Every time she ran, she ran her eyeballs out. She's a champion. Chad Brown did a great job with her. We're thrilled to add her to our broodmare band," Sikura said after winning a protracted bidding battle. "We try to keep adding elite quality mares.

"She's a mare that has really everything one could ask for—courage, heart, ability, in foal to a great horse. It's a lot of money, but I thought she was extremely good value. We've had her since after the Breeders' Cup. She's just indomitable."

Lady Eli's will was flaunted in every avenue possible during her time in Brown's shedrow. She won her first six starts, including the 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T), but it was the aftermath of her victory in the 2015 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) that nearly ended her career and her life.

In the walk back from the test barn following that 2 3/4-length victory, Lady Eli stepped on a nail, and about a week later, she began showing signs of lamintis in both front feet. That battle kept her sidelined for more than a year, but she returned in 2016 to capture the Flower Bowl Stakes (G1T) and finish just a nose away from victory in that year's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

The storybook comeback wasn't done with its remarkable chapters, either. Lady Eli won three more races in 2017, including the Gamely Stakes (G1T) and Diana Stakes (G1T) en route to her long-awaited divisional honor.

"At the (2014 Keeneland April sale), I think she had the best breeze of the sale," Brown recalled. "Just the way she did it, time-wise, and the way she galloped out, she had the fastest gallop out of the sale. She just looked like a runner. And when we went to go see her a couple times at the barn, she had that real sassy territorial attitude, and I guess that probably threw some people off. That made it affordable for Jay in his partnership with Sol Kumin … and the rest is history.

"I feel proud that she made it to this point where so many people are following her to the ring, and it feels like she's getting the recognition she deserves to be out there on center stage."

The cellphones, iPads, and cameras tracking Lady Eli to the Keeneland pavilion signaled that star was indeed about to light up the scene. After opening with a bid of $1 million, the board climbed in $200,000 and $300,000 increments, blowing past the $2 million mark in moments.

With the bidding at $4 million, Sikura threw down another $200,000 raise—not entirely confident the market would see it stick. It proved to be enough, and the dark bay mare in impeccable physical condition left the ring to a round of applause.

"It's a lot of money for a horse, but I thought she was extremely good value," Sikura said. "We're thrilled to own her. I'm going to get her home first, have this foal, and then worry about who to breed her back to."

Added Brown, "The breeding business is not my area, but I'm pretty certain John Sikura made the best buy of the sale there. He's going to be paid back in the years to come."

Out of the Saint Ballado mare Sacre Coeur, Lady Eli is a half sister to multiple graded winner Bizzy Caroline.

As he watched her leave the ring and officially leave his care, Hanley reflected on the horse who put his partners on the map and left an indelible mark on his heart.

"The last couple weeks have been very bittersweet thinking of her leaving our stewardship, but she owes us nothing at all," Hanley said. "She's been the best sort of ride we could have ever hoped for, me and my partners. She was the first horse I bought for the partnership with Chad, and she truly is a once-in-a-lifetime individual.

"We're really happy she's going to stay home here and be in Kentucky, and we can come and visit her with our kids. Now we can just enjoy her for the rest of our lives."