Issue link: http://nytbreeders.epubxp.com/i/471532
24 New York Breeder | nytbreeders.org | March 2015 Joanne Nielsen, owner of Sunnyfield Farm, enjoys Upstart's run JOSEPH DIORIO Joanne Nielsen with Upstart at Palm Meadows Training Center EVEN THOUGH SHE'S BRED one, Joanne Nielsen is certainly no "Upstart." A longtime player in the New York breeding community, Nielsen is feeling her oats of late while following the exploits of a 3-year-old she bred on the Triple Crown trail. Ralph Evans' Upstart, a striking dark bay or brown ridgling by Flatter out of Nielsen's New York homebred Party Silks won the Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes (gr. II), then fnished frst, but was disqualifed to second Feb. 21 in the Besilu Stables Foun - tain of Youth Stakes (gr. II). Upstart's star is clearly on the rise. The keystone to the success of Upstart and all of the other horses bred by Joanne and her late husband, Gerald Nielsen, has been Sunnyfeld Farm, a 230-acre gem near Bedford and about 10 minutes from the Connecticut border. Nestled in a little valley in Westchester County, the farm has about 100 acres of fenced farmland and the rest is wooded. Joanne's home is up on the hill and has a great view of the farm. With only about 20 Thoroughbreds to tend to, three of the fve barns on the prop - erty are leased to dressage outfts. "The land is wonderful and she's breeding some good stock," said Laura Larson, who has worked on the farm for four years. "It's so much fun because we have a small amount of horses. She has 12 mares and everyone's running and it's nice." Joanne Nielsen grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., but lived with her husband of 44 years in Darien, Conn. While she wasn't around horses growing up, Gerald was. His parents worked at the Ox Ridge Hunt Club near Darien and he took riding lessons Sunny Disposition B Y E VA N H A M M O N D S