Jes Sikura Emerges as Rising Trainer After Recent Breakthrough Successes

Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa elevated Jes Sikura to director of bloodstock, a move that immediately puts him at the center of decisions that could shift where the farm races and breeds its horses and how buyers and bettors react to upcoming entries. The appointment, announced in a Dec. 31, 2025 press release, was framed by owner John Sikura as meritocratic: “Jes has demonstrated a great passion and acuity for the business. He loves the farm and working with clients to serve their goals. This appointment is strictly about my belief in his integrity, ability, and commitment, and has nothing to do with him being a 'Sikura.'”

Sikura arrives with formal credentials and hands-on experience. He recently graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in marketing and spent the past two years working in the bloodstock division at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa while attending college full-time. In the release Sikura said, “I am extremely excited to officially join the team at Hill 'n' Dale. I feel ready to join at a time of tremendous opportunity. We have a lot to look forward to in the immediate future, from launching and managing the careers of several of our important young stallions to building on the momentum of a monumental year in 2025, which saw Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency top both Keeneland September and the Fasig-Tipton November Sale. In addition, Hill 'n' Dale acquired an ownership interest in (2024) Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna, who has joined our elite broodmare band. I will be enthusiastically working towards the bright future we have here.”

Public attention has followed the appointment. BloodHorse's daily newsletter profiled Sikura as “On the Rise” and advised readers to watch for his barn's entries in upcoming races. Equibase data as of 03.03.26 shows Sikura's owner profile with a single start and a single win for career earnings of $34,650, the top horse listed as Hey Cookie, a filly credited with $34,650 in earnings. That limited on-track résumé amplifies the immediate question industry insiders will watch: which horses will Sikura manage onto the racetrack and into stakes company as Hill 'n' Dale leverages its sales momentum?

The scale of the operation Sikura is joining underscores the resources behind those potential entries. Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa is a 1,400-acre Central Kentucky landmark whose restoration the farm describes as “the equivalent of 10 years' worth of work in 18 months.” Site copy lists eight new barns, a breeding shed, renovation of the training barn to be a stallion barn, renovation of 14 houses, added landscaping, tens of miles of fence, and new roads and utilities. Those improvements, combined with the farm's declared 2025 sales achievements and the acquisition of Thorpedo Anna, create a deep bench for bloodstock planning and stallion launches.

The business implications reach beyond breeding rooms. Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency topping both the 2025 Keeneland September and Fasig-Tipton November sales signals market leverage that can influence stallion fees, broodmare values, and entry plans for marquee events. Owner John Sikura has also been publicly engaged in industry politics; Ownerview reported that on the TDN Writers' Room podcast he challenged the Breeders' Cup to use some of an estimated $98.5 million endowment to shore up California racing, a stance that signals Hill 'n' Dale's willingness to press for structural change in the sport.

Industry attention to emerging figures in both training and bloodstock is part of the wider context. TDN's coverage of rising horses on Jan. 17, 2026 highlighted examples such as Ted Noffey, a $575,000 Keeneland September yearling who breezed three furlongs in 37.01 at Palm Beach Downs. Trainer Todd Pletcher said of that work, “It went super. Everything went great. He did it well in hand with good enthusiasm. It seems like he=s maintained his fitness level fairly well, so we=re very pleased. He=s put on some weight and filled out, but he was a pretty mature 2-year-old, physically. He was a good-sized colt to begin with, so we=re pleased with the way he=s developed physically. It was nice to see [...]” The same industry attention now turns to Sikura to see whether his stewardship of Hill 'n' Dale's bloodstock and young stallions will translate into stakes winners, higher broodmare values, and tangible returns at the sales ring.

As of March 3, 2026 Jes Sikura combines a formal marketing degree, two years of in-house bloodstock work, a fresh director title at a rebuilt 1,400-acre Xalapa, and a farm platform that dominated two major 2025 sales. The next measure of his rise will be in the entries he manages and the performances those horses post on racetracks and at the sales he vowed to build on.