Adena Springs

Keeneland has named bloodstock consultant Cormac Breathnach, Ph.D., associated for many years with first Adena Springs and then Airdrie stallions, as its new Director of Sales Operations. Breathnach succeeds Geoffrey Russell, who retired in April after 25 years with Keeneland. Russell will remain in a consulting role with Keeneland through the rest of 2021. "We are excited to have Cormac join the Keeneland sales team as the Director of Sales Operations," Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. "I have long admired his professionalism, knowledge, and integrity, which is...

Breeders' Cup Classic winner and top sire Awesome Again (Deputy Minister--Primal Force, by Blushing Groom {Fr}) died suddenly Tuesday at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement farm in Georgetown, Kentucky. He was 26. (Click here for video feature 'The House That Awesome Again Built')  The exact cause of death is unknown. A full necropsy is pending and a full veterinary report will follow. The Canadian-bred had an exemplary resume as both a racehorse and a stallion. He broke his maiden at Hollywood Park in just his second start as a 3-year-old in...

Former Adena Springs stallions Awesome Again and Milwaukee Brew have been transferred to the Old Friends Thoroughbred retirement farm, according to a press release sent from Old Friends Friday afternoon. The announcement follows on the heels of the relocation from Adena Springs of three sires announced last Saturday--Awesome Again's Ghostzapper, Mucho Macho Man, and Point of Entry--who were moved to Hill 'n' Dale Farm's new Xalapa facility to stand at stud. Awesome Again and Milwaukee Brew were pensioned from stud duty in 2019. Awesome Again, now 27, retired after an...

Five-time Grade I winner Einstein (Brz) (Spend a Buck--Gay Charm {Brz}, by Ghadeer {Fr}) was euthanized at Park Equine Hospital Wednesday due to complications from cancer. He had been pensioned at Old Friends since 2019. Trained by Helen Pitts, Einstein captured the 2009 GI Santa Anita H. and four Grade I stakes on turf. In all Einstein made 27 starts, winning 11 races. He won or placed in 13 stakes, all of which were graded, and his career earnings totaled $2,703,324. Einstein retired from racing in 2010 to stand at...

All eyes will be on Santa Anita for their opening weekend feature in the GI Awesome Again S. as Bob Baffert trainees Maximum Security (New Year's Day) and Improbable (City Zip) go head to head for the first time since that consequential first Saturday in May last year. The $300,000 Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" contest could mark the emergence of an unusual stablemate rivalry. Over two decades ago, the race's namesake was part of a different rivalry-- one for 1998 Horse of the Year. Awesome Again had gone...

The $100,000 Perfect Sting S. at Saratoga features a talented field with several older mares who have the potential to be racing at Keeneland come November. The mile-and-a-sixteenth turf race will feature two Chad Brown trainees in Grade III winner Café Americano (Medaglia d'Oro) and the French-bred Altea (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), as well as Graham Motion's three-time graded stakes winner Secret Message (Hat Trick {Jpn}). Last year, the race was run over Belmont's turf and won by Uni (GB) (More Than Ready), who would go on to claim the GI...

The litigation between Frank and Elfriede Stronach, Belinda Stronach, Frank and Nicole Walker, Alon Ossip and Stronach Consulting Corp. has been dismissed by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice as the result of a settlement, The Stronach Group announced in a statement issued Thursday. Belinda Stronach will remain Chairman and President of The Stronach Group with full control of all of the company's racing, gaming, real estate and related assets, including the new 1/ST brands. Frank and Elfriede Stronach, through their own personal entity, will take control and ownership of...

Adena Springs will offer the service of its U.S. stallions for the upcoming Southern Hemisphere breeding season, beginning Aug. 15, and running through the summer and fall. Topping the roster at a fee of $20,000 is Ghostzapper. All stud fees are no guarantee payable at 90 days in foal or upon entering quarantine. Multiple mare discounts may be available. For more information, contact Ken Wilkins (859) 699-4887 or Donald Wells (859) 470-9963. The rest of Adena's Southern Hemisphere offerings are: Macho Uno, $2,500; Mucho Macho Man, $3,500, Point of Entry...

Chris McGrath's Value Sires series in the TDN has frequently touched on the difficulty in selling nominations to stallions in their third-year at stud, as well as to solid, established stallions standing for a moderate fee. We asked stallion managers and nominations teams as well as bloodstock agents what changes could be made, if any, to help the situation. Ken Wilkins, Adena Stallions I have read with interest the discussion that TDN has facilitated regarding the struggle to fill third-year sires as well as proven but moderately priced horses. As...

So now we come to a group who will typically, at this stage of their careers, find themselves clinging by their fingertips to the commercial precipice--even as the agents and pinhookers press down ruthlessly with their boots. Yes, any breeder using these stallions this spring will at least have some valid evidence with which to evaluate what tends, in many cases, to be a dwindling fee: a first group of sophomores in 2019, backed up by the most precocious juveniles of their second crop. These, nonetheless, should by any sensible...

Charming Lady (Ghostzapper) spotted her rivals two to three lengths with a slow break and then a left-hand turn, but she easily made up for the miscue and ran away from them late en route to 'TDN Rising Star' honors Saturday afternoon at the Fair Grounds. It is the second Tom Amoss trainee to secure the designation, following on No Parole (Violence) Jan. 11. Pounded into 7-10 favoritism off a very imposing worktab, the $185,000 Fasig-Tipton October Yearling turned $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic breezer (:10 2/5) quickly recovered to race on...