Saturday Sires: City of Light

When City of Light won the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in 2018, it was one of the more impressive performances of the day. Although it had already been announced he would enter stud in 2019 at Lane's End Farm near Versailles, Ky., he had one race remaining on his dance card: the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes the following January. He romped that day as well, besting a slightly favored GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner with a 112 Beyer Speed Figure, which topped his 110 Breeders' Cup mark, and was sent to Lane's End with a marked buzz about his future as a stallion.

“We were obviously thrilled to get City of Light,” said Lane's End's Bill Farish. “It was an interesting thing, actually. He was owned by Mr. [William K.] Warren, a good friend who we stood Saint Liam for, but unfortunately that horse died young. It was exciting for us to get another horse for Bill, a really neat thing to have another chance to do that with him.

“One of the things that attracted us to City of Light is that he's a son of Quality Road.”

Quality Road, one of the elite stallions on the continent, also stands at Lane's End. Farish said that multiple Grade I winner and sire of three Eclipse winners passed on several qualities to City of Light.

“Physically they're both big horses, not super heavy, but tall and long and very athletic. They're similar in that sense, but if anything, City of Light is a more refined and elegant version of his sire.

“The offspring of both are very commercial horses. It is always a wonderful, added benefit when a good stallion also has commercial appeal, as they do both do.”

TDN Stallions: City of Light from Thoroughbred Daily News on Vimeo.

City of Light had the sire line, the race record, the support of breeders, and yearlings that both looked and sold the part. Was there any doubt he would come up with good horses?

His best to date is, of course, Fierceness, the 2023 champion 2-year-old colt and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner. Fierceness, who also won this year's GI Florida Derby, was back in action last weekend, taking a scintillating edition of the GII Jim Dandy Stakes over fellow 'TDN Rising Star' and Grade I winner Sierra Leone (Gun Runner).

“It's great to get a big horse early,” said Farish. “We've all seen plenty of stallions that start off with plenty of winners, but don't have that big horse. If anyone has any doubt in their mind, it erases the doubt to have a champion right off the bat.

“The other trait that I think he seems to have is that they're staying sound and racing on like Chop Chop. I love that. It's very important.”

Chop Chop, a member of City of Light's first crop, winner of Keeneland's GIII Bewitch Stakes in April, and third Thursday in Saratoga's GII Glens Falls Stakes, has another eight black-type wins or placings, including a sharp second in the GI Alcibiades Stakes at two. City of Light also has G3 UAE Oaks winner Mimi Kakushi and six other black-type winners. With another 14 stakes performers and five 'TDN Rising Stars', City of Light gives a sense we haven't seen the best of him yet.

To date, he has three 2-year-old winners of 2024–his third crop to the races–and they include Mentee, a full-brother to Fierceness. The colt debuted at the Belmont at the Big A meet June 16 and promptly set a new track record of :56.97 for five furlongs. He was scratched the morning of the GIII Sanford Stakes with a fever as the morning-line favorite.

“They [his runners] are just what we'd hoped they'd be,” said Farish. “We supported him a lot this year as well because we're so encouraged by the versatility he's getting and the commercial appeal he has. We've used him particularly with our young mares that are just getting started because we think he gives them a great chance.”

Farish said City of Light bred about 145 mares this year, a number the farm “tries to be in with all of our stallions, if we can.” He added that in terms of quality, this year's book was similar to his previous books.

City of Light's 216 yearlings to set foot in a sales ring–and that includes short yearlings–have grossed $48,295,809. That's an average of $223,592, or nearly 6 1/2 times his stud fee. Two members of his first crop sold for seven figures, as did two members of his second crop, all at Keeneland September. He has one entered (hip 32) in Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga Select sale next week.

Himself a $710,000 Keeneland September yearling out of the Lane's End consignment, City of Light wrapped up his race career while never off the board in 11 starts. He registered seven triple-digit Beyers with four Grade I victories. The Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren colorbearer's own versatility was on vivid display in those Grade I wins, as two were at a sprint, one was at a middle distance, and another came at 1 1/8 miles. Before the 2018 Breeders' Cup, trainer Michael McCarthy had said he found himself in the position of having to choose between the Sprint, the Dirt Mile, or the Classic. It's a special horse who can give connections such options.

Fierceness wins last Saturday's Jim Dandy at the Spa | Sarah Andrew

Interestingly, there's another type of versatility City of Light seems to be passing on. Although he never raced on grass, his stakes performers are proving dual surface. Of his 23 runners who have won or placed in stakes, 14 have gotten black-type exclusively on dirt, four exclusively on turf, and five on two surfaces.

“He's just a lovely horse,” said Farish. “He seems to be like his father and get both dirt and turf. He's a pretty big horse, but has beautiful lines and great balance.

“I also think they're continuing to improve. That's a trait that both horses also have: the ability to get good horses early and then continue.”

Unraced at two and debuted in the summer of his 3-year-old year, City of Light didn't try stakes company until December of that sophomore season, when he entered Santa Anita's Malibu Stakes a maiden winner and emerged a Grade I victor. As such, he was probably not expected to be the most likely candidate for precocious 2-year-olds, but runners like Fierceness and Mentee are saying otherwise. Additionally, his athletic-looking, premium-priced yearlings have also contributed to stud fee fluctuations. Retired at $35,000 for 2019, he was so popular his fee actually increased for 2020 and 2021 to an advertised $40,000, then rose again for 2022 and 2023 to $60,000. Most horses go the other direction, particularly during the bubble years when they're not the shiniest, newest stallion options and don't yet have runners. On the heels of a 2023 champion, City of Light was back at $35,000 for 2024.

“We were thrilled with his book this year,” said Farish.

When asked what type of mare suits the horse best, Farish said, “I think he likes a medium-sized to slightly bigger mare because he's big himself, so breeding something really small isn't ideal.”

Among the top 10 freshman sires in North America of 2022, City of Light ascended to the top five as a sophomore sire. He's holding steady among the top five as a third-crop stallion.

“I would love to see him continue to climb up the ranks and be a top stallion,” said Farish. “We'd love to see him be a champion sire.”

If City of Light's stud career continues at the same slow burn of ever-expanding excellence his race career did, his future looks very bright, indeed.