Perennial top sire Medaglia d'Oro once again heads Darley's Jonabell Farm roster for 2023 with his fee remaining at $100,000, the same amount as 2022.
Darley has also added two new stallions to the now-11 horse roster, including G1SW Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) and GISW Speaker's Corner (Street Sense). Mystic Guide, who won the 2021 G1 Dubai World Cup, was retired earlier this year. He will stand for a fee of $15,000 in his initial season at stud.
Speaker's Corner, a Godolphin homebred out of Tyburn Brook (Bernardini) who is bred on the same cross as fellow Darley stallion Maxfield, won the GI Carter H. in April with a dominating performance and a 114 Beyer Speed Figure. He also won this year's GII Gulfstream Park Mile S. and GIII Fred W. Hooper S. before finishing behind Flightline (Tapit) and Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in the GI Metropolitan H. and GII John A. Nerud S., respectively. He retires with a record of 13-6-2-2 and earnings of $739,963. Speaker's Corner will enter his first season at a fee of $20,000.
“We've been very fortunate in the last two years to have produced five high-level performers [Mystic Guide, Speaker's Corner, Essential Quality, Maxfield, and Cody's Wish] and it's even more gratifying that they are all homebreds,” said Darley Sales Manager Darren Fox. “Following last year's retirement of Essential Quality and Maxfield, to again be able to add more top-caliber horses is very, very exciting.”
Essential Quality and Maxfield, who both await their first foals in the spring, will remain at $75,000 and $40,000, respectively. Both had full books for 2022 in their first seasons. Street Sense will also remain at his 2022 fee of $75,000, while Midshipman will see a fee increase to $20,000.
“Optimism abounds currently in the Thoroughbred industry,” said Fox. “The sales are strong, purses are strong, and close to home, we experienced unprecedented demand during the 2022 booking season. With all these positives, only one of our stallions will see a fee increase for 2023 and that's Midshipman, who continues to go from strength to strength in his stud career.”
The Darley roster is rounded out by Nyquist at $55,000, Hard Spun at $35,000, Frosted at $10,000, and Enticed at $5,000.
Retirement plans for GI Forego S. winner and future Darley stallion Cody's Wish (Curlin) will be made after the Breeders' Cup.
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