Darley's New Sires Offer Grade I Appeal

After playing a starring role in a story that the racing world–and many circles outside the equine industry–will not soon forget, Cody's Wish will now work toward cementing his legacy as he takes up stud duty at Darley's Jonabell Farm.

With a $75,000 initial fee, the son of Curlin is the priciest newcomer to join the Kentucky stallion ranks this year, but also the only one to boast five Grade I victories. His resume is further enhanced by a Grade I-winning dam–a distinction that only one other incoming stallion can claim and it's another member of the Darley roster.

Proxy, a son of 2007 GI American Oaks Invitational S. and Juddmonte Spinster S. victress Panty Raid (Include), earned his own Grade I status in last year's Clark S. The son of Tapit will launch his stud career at $25,000.

With two homebreds joining the stallion barn on the heels of champion Essential Quality and MGSW Maxfield getting started last year and Grade I winners Mystic Guide and Speaker's Corner coming in for 2023, there will be plenty of activity at Jonabell once the shed doors open for 2024.

“For our operation to have produced two homebreds that hit these high notes on the racetrack and then complete the circle and come to the stallion barn is hugely gratifying and hugely exciting,” said Darley Sales Manager Darren Fox.

There was no shortage of demand as Fox and the rest of the team fielded calls from eager breeders when Cody's Wish arrived at Jonabell following his hard-fought Breeders' Cup victory. The back-to-back Dirt Mile champ who was never off the board in 16 career starts quickly accumulated plenty of high-caliber race mares and producers.

“We are very pleased with breeders' reception to him and the book of mares he has assembled,” said Fox. “It is going to be a very strong book of young mares, a lot of graded stakes winners and producers, and Grade I winners. It certainly is going to set him up for every success going forward.”

Over his three-year career Cody's Wish earned eight triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures including a standout 112 in this year's Met Mile, so breeders were more than familiar with the multi-millionaire's race record. Fox said that breeders studying the horse during the busy open house season at Jonabell over the past few weeks only served to further interest.

“Cody's Wish is just an imposing, jaw-dropping physical,” he explained. “He's quite a good-sized horse–16'3 and three quarters. So he's a substantial horse, but he is so well balanced and so well proportioned. From afar, you would be forgiven for not thinking he was that big at all. He is just so well made with the depth of his shoulder, the strength of his hip, the length of his limbs and how he carries himself.”

Cody's Wish gets his fourth of five Grade I scores in the GI Metropolitan H. | Sarah Andrew

The only son of Curlin on the Darley America roster, Cody's Wish's pedigree suggests an appealing blend of speed and stamina. His dam Dance Card (Tapit) won the 2012 GI Gazelle S. as a 3-year-old going a mile and an eighth but turned back to finish third in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint the next year. While Cody's Wish didn't break his maiden until October of his 3-year-old year, his half-brother Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro) won on debut at Saratoga as a juvenile and has been a presence for the last six seasons since, this year claiming the GIII Fred W. Hooper S. and GII Gulfstream Park Mile S.

“Curlin as a sire of sire is one of the most sought-after lines in North America currently, so it's very exciting to add a son of Curlin to our roster both for our own broodmare brand and our clients and to complement our existing roster,” said Fox. “Being by Curlin out of a Tapit  mare, he certainly is a little sharper in terms of his distance aptitude than one might initially expect based on a cursory glance of his pedigree. But when you delve a little deeper into his dam's race record and you watch his replays and see the speed he had from seven furlongs to a mile, it makes him a very exciting stallion prospect to mix that stamina and speed crossed with some of the best mares in the country. It really sets him up to have a very exciting stallion career going forward.”

Across the barn aisle, Cody's Wish's new studmate Proxy has also garnered plenty of looks during open houses.

Breeders will recall the talents of not only his dam, but also his half-sister Micheline (Bernardini), a Grade II winner for Godolphin who was runner-up in the 2020 GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S., as well as Panty Raid's full-sister St. John's River (Include), who was second by a neck in the 2011 GI Kentucky Oaks.

Proxy at Jonabell Farm | Sara Gordon

“Proxy is a horse who has definitely attracted a lot of fans from people viewing him in person,” said Fox. “He is a stunning-looking horse. 16'3, a lot of class and quality, very sharp and attractive with a lot of shoulder and a lot of shape. I've said repeatedly during our open house season that anyone who brings a yearling version of Proxy to the sales will be very handsomely rewarded. He is just that commercial type and breeders have recognized that and supported him accordingly. He's got the multiple Grade-I winning race mare, he's a half to a really good filly and he is a very high-performing racehorse in his own right.”

Fox said that many might forget how Proxy showed brilliance at two, breaking his maiden in November and following that effort with a two-and-a-half length allowance win at Fair Grounds a month later.

A presence on the Triple Crown trail early on at three and the winner of the GI Clark S. over GISW West Will Power (Bernardini) at four, Proxy continued his upward trajectory this year with scores in the GII Oaklawn H. and GIII Monmouth Cup S., a pair of runner-up efforts in the GI Santa Anita H. and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, and a fast-closing third to conclude his career in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

All in all, the competitive son of Tapit placed in all but four of his 20 lifetime starts and earned over $2.7 million. Plus, Proxy holds an interesting record at Jonabell.

“He defeated 18 Grade I winners throughout his career, which is a record for the barn,” Fox shared. “For context, Medaglia d'Oro lies second on 17. So it really tells you how good of a racehorse this guy was. He kept top company throughout his career and was so consistent. He has that toughness, soundness and durability and certainly has high level form as well. He is a very well-rounded, high-performing horse to bring into the stallion barn.”