About Us

Craig & Holly Bandoroff

As a young boy, Craig Bandoroff  lived in Cherry Hill, NJ very close to Garden State Race track. He developed a passion for racing and began working summers on the track as a groom. In high school he participated in a vocational program school day, in which he worked at the track in the morning and attended honors classes in the afternoon. Upon graduation, he chose the track over college, and worked full time as a groom, exercise rider and eventually an apprentice jockey for long time New Jersey trainer, Marty Fallon. In December of 1974, Craig was seriously injured in a track spill, ending his riding career. He spent nearly a year in a rehabilitation hospital and upon leaving, he enrolled in the University of Virginia (1977-78) and graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1981 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture Economics and Animal Science. From 2008-2010, he attended and completed the Owners and Managers Program at the Harvard Business School.

“The opportunity was invaluable and the chance to learn from the case study method at Harvard from their faculty was truly rewarding. The program had huge impact personally and in the management of making Denali Stud a better company and business.”

After working for Fasig- Tipton auction house and Barry Weisbord’s Executive Bloodstock where he developed many connections, he started Denali Stud in 1990. Craig and his wife Holly have three children: Katherine, Conrad and Isabel.

Board Positions: Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, Kentucky Equine Education Project, The Lexington School, The Jockey Club, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA)

Click here to read story on the early years.

Every year since 2000, Denali Stud has ranked among the nation’s leading consignors

2020

• Colt by American Pharoah out of Swingit sold for $1.25 million at Fasig- Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase
• Filly by Medaglia d’ Oro out of Baffled sold for $1.1 million Keeneland September Book 1.
• Sold She’s A Julie for $3 million at the Fasig- Tipton November Sale.

2019

• Denali co- topped the Saratoga Yearling Sale with two seven-figure sons of Curlin– https://www.paulickreport.com/news/bloodstock/follow-day-two-of-the-fasig-tipton-saratoga-selected-yearlings-sale/

•  Sold a colt by Medaglia d’ Oro out of Tara’s Tango for $2.15 million during Book 1 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.- https://www.paulickreport.com/news/bloodstock/follow-day-1-of-the-keeneland-september-yearling-sale/

• Sold a filly by Curlin out of Dreaming of Julia for $1.05 million during Book 1 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
• Photo Call (IRE) sold for $2.7 million in foal to Quality Road at the Fasig- Tipton November Sale.
• Baffled was sold for $1.8 million in foal to Medaglia d’ Oro at the Fasig- Tipton November Sale.
• Conquest (IRE) sold for $1.25 million in foal to Justify during book 1 of the Keeneland November Sale.

Top Selling Horses:

Calendar Lady in foal to Mr. Prospector, $1.1 million at 1998 Keeneland November sale; Serena’s Tune (Mr. Prospector–Serena’s Song), $1 million, 1999; Gone to the Moon (Gone West– Miraloma), $2.8 million, 1999; Sophisticat (Storm Cat–Serena’s Song), $3.4 million, 2000; Official Flame (Deputy Minister–Fire the Groom), $1.6 million, 2000 Elegant Cat (Storm Cat–Elegant Glance), $1.1 million, 2000; Virtuosa (Seeking the Gold–Escena), $3.7 million and Golden Ballet (dam of Droselmeyer) in November 2001 for $1.6 million, Harlington (Unbridled-Serena’s Song), $2.8 million Keeneland Sept. 2003, 2nd highest price colt of the year; Storm Cat-Exing colt, $1.75 million; Purrfectly in November 2003 for $3.15 million and Stylestich for $1.3 million; In 2004, the second highest broodmare of the year, Santa Catarina, for $4.8 million as well as Storm Beauty for $2.2 million, Mill Lodi for $2 million, Unbridled Beauty for $1.4 million at Keeneland November, then topped the Tattersall’s December sale with champion Ipi Tombe, who brought over $1.6 million; In 2005, sold $3.5 million Storm Cat colt out of Serena’s Song and a Kingmambo filly out of Escena for $2.7 million at Keeneland September and returned in November to sell $1.4 million Gone West filly; In 2006, topped the Saratoga Select yearling sale with a filly, Mushka (Empire Maker-Sluice) at $1.6 million, then sold Saree for $2 million that November; In 2007, sold $2 million yearling in September (A.P. Indy-Fire the Groom); In 2010, sold Playa Maya (dam of Uncle Mo) for $1.65 million, the 4th highest broodmare at Fasig-Tipton November that year; In 2011, sold Gypsy’s Warning for $1.05 million at Keeneland November, and Her Smile for $1 million at Fasig-Tipton November; In 2012, sold a full brother to Mushka for $1.1 million at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, second highest colt of the sale; In 2014, sold War Front-Score colt for $1.3 million; In 2015 sold Tapit-Appealing Zophie colt for $1.2 million at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga and Photo Call (IRE) for $3 million at Keeneland November. In 2016, topped the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select sale when selling a Medaglia d’Oro-Whisper to Me filly for $1.45 million and sold Lassofthemohicans for $1.05 million at Keeneland November. In 2017, sold the co-sale topper at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, a colt by Curlin out of River’s Prayer sold for $1 million. In 2018, Appealing Zophie sold for $1.2 million at the Fasig-Tipton November sale. In 2019, we co-topped the sale with a colt by Curlin out of Wapi (CHI) for $1.5 million at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale along with a colt by Curlin out of Yes Liz for $1 million. Keeneland September Yearling Sale 2019- Medaglia d’ Oro colt out of Tara’s Tango sold for $2,150,000. Sold a filly by Curlin out of Dreaming of Julia for $1.05 million during book 1 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Photo Call (IRE) sold for $2.7 million at the Fasig- Tipton November Sale. Baffled was sold for $1.8 million at the Fasig- Tipton November Sale. Conquest (IRE) sold for $1.25 million at the Keeneland November Sale. Colt by American Pharoah out of Swingit sold for $1,250,000 at Fasig- Tipton Selected Yearlings Sale. Filly by Medaglia d’ Oro out of Baffled sold for $1.1 million Keeneland September Book 1.  Sold She’s A Julie for $3 million at the Fasig- Tipton November Sale.