New Quartet Drives Breeders to Gainesway

Four new sires have joined Gainesway's stallion barn for 2025, bringing their roster up to 12 members.

Tapit still reigns supreme at the Paris, Kentucky farm and the leading sire's stud fee will hold steady at $185,000 next year. McKinzie, whose first crop of 2-year-olds include Grade I winners Chancer McPatrick and Scottish Lassie, is in a tight battle for leading first-crop sire and his fee has increased from $30,000 to $75,000. Also in 2025, Raging Bull, a son of Dark Angel (Ire), will be represented by his first 2-year-olds while Olympiad and Drain the Clock will see their first yearlings. Muth (by Good Magic), Seize the Grey (by Arrogate), Tapit Trice (by Tapit) and Charge It (by Tapit) are the latest stallions to join the ranks at Gainesway.

As breeders and bloodstock agents have dropped in to visit the new recruits at Gainesway over the past few weeks, it was actually the newcomer standing for the lowest stud fee that seemed to catch people by surprise. Charge It, a Whisper Hill Farm homebred out of a daughter of Broodmare of the Year Take Charge Lady (Dehere), will stand for $12,5000 in his debut season.

“I was impressed with his size,” said Eduardo Terrazas of Terrazas Thoroughbreds. “I didn't expect him to be such a tall horse. He has a beautiful hip on him and a lot of quality. He's got that smart look that I always enjoy seeing on a stallion. I think he should fit a wide variety of mares because he also has plenty of leg under him.”

“I thought Charge It has a speedy look to him,” said bloodstock agent Mike McMahon. “He really has a nice bottom line and just looks like he's fast.”

Runner-up in the 2022 GI Florida Derby coming off his maiden win, Charge It went on to claim the GIII Dwyer Stakes by 23 lengths, earning a 111 Beyer Speed Figure. As an older horse, the Todd Pletcher trainee won the GII Suburban Stakes and placed in the GII Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes and GIII Westchester Stakes.

Tapit Trice takes in the scenery at Gainesway | Sara Gordon

Tapit Trice, another son of Tapit new to Gainesway in 2025, will stand for a fee of $20,000. A homebred for Gainesway out of the Grade III-placed mare Danzatrice (Dunkirk), he went through the ring at the Keeneland September Sale and sold to Whisper Hill for $1.3 million with Gainesway staying in for a share.

“He broke his maiden at two and at three is when he really started to shine,” said Gainesway's Stallion Director Ryan Norton. “In his first start at three he was named a 'TDN Rising Star.' He won the GIII Tampa Bay Derby, followed it up with a Grade I win in the Blue Grass and went on to place in the GI Belmont and the GI Travers.”

Returning to the racetrack this year at four, Tapit Trice won the GIII Monmouth Cup Stakes by over five lengths and then earned another victory in the GII Woodward Stakes.

Norton noted that Gainesway's hope is that Charge It and Tapit Trice can someday carry the torch for their perennial leading sire Tapit, who celebrated his twentieth year at stud this year.

“We're on a constant search to try to find the next son of Tapit, so with Charge It and Tapit Trice both being well-bred horses and fantastic, brilliant racehorses, I think there's a real opportunity,” said Norton. “Charge It was a brilliantly fast horse, so if you're looking for a stallion that will infuse some speed in your mare I think Charge It is probably where breeders will tend to go. Tapit Trice had a little bit more Classic style. If you look at him, he's got a little bit more of the Dunkirk and Unbridled's Song look. He's a little bit bigger, more of a two-turn horse, so I think he will provide stamina for breeders.”

Seize the Grey raced to two Grade I victories for MyRacehorse | Sara Gordon

Rounding out the 'grey brigade' amongst the new Gainesway stallions, Seize the Grey will stand for a fee of $30,000. Purchased by MyRacehorse for $300,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, Seize the Grey went on to become the highest-earning son of the late Arrogate when he reeled off victories in this year's GII Pat Day Mile Stakes, GI Preakness Stakes and GI Pennsylvania Derby.

“We first noticed Seize the Gray when we were at the Derby and watched him win the Pat Day Mile on the undercard,” recalled Norton. “That's when he first came on our radar here and then obviously after the Preakness, he had really established himself as one of the top 3-year-olds in the country so we contacted MyRacehorse and we were fortunate enough to get a deal done. Being by Arrogate, a horse that left us too soon and was a brilliant racehorse, I think Seize the Grey epitomizes the traits of Arrogate and will hopefully pass it on to future generations.”

Seize the Grey is out of a stakes-placed half-sister to Grade I winner and sire Power Broker (Tapit) and hails from the family of Grade I winner Miss Shop (Deputy Minister).

“He's the type of horse that we like to buy,” said McMahon after inspecting the newcomer. “He's a racey type and I think breeders who use him will be really happy.”

Muth stands out as the only progeny of Good Magic to earn Grade I wins at two and three | Sara Gordon

Purchased by Donato Lanni for $2 million as a juvenile, Muth was another 'Rising Star' when he broke his maiden by nearly nine lengths on debut. He continued to build his resume as a juvenile with a win in the GI American Pharoah Stakes and runner-up performances in the GIII Best Pal Stakes and the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile behind champion Fierceness (City of Light).

Returning to the track at three, Muth claimed the GII San Vicente Stakes and then became the only progeny of Good Magic to earn Grade I wins at two and three when he scored in the GI Arkansas Derby.

“The Good Magic start has been fairly incredible and I love that he's a Grade I winner at two and three,” McMahon said when asked about Muth. “He's a lot of horse. He's big and tall and he's got good conformation, great hind leg, went through the 2-year-olds sales, all the things I really look at.”

“He's got a lovely hip with great balance,” added Terrazas. “I just like to see that natural muscle formation that they get. He's my type of horse.”

Leading his class of newcomers at Gainesway, Muth will stand for $35,000 in 2025.

“These open houses have been great and we've been very busy,” said Norton. “With four new stallions, it's going to be an exciting year at Gainesway.”