Ashford Stud

by J.N. Campbell and Alan Carasso Champion 2-year-old colt and leading sire Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie--Playa Maya, by Arch) was euthanized at Ashford Stud on Thursday morning after suffering a left foreleg injury, according to a tweet by Mike Repole on X and post on the Coolmore America website. Surgery was performed on Wednesday. He was 16-years-old. "I am devastated and saddened to share with you that Uncle Mo was euthanized earlier today following a left foreleg injury," said Repole. "He had surgery yesterday. Unfortunately, this morning the recovery process...

Having dealt with the rookies separately, we now start our quest for value among those stallions already at stud. We'll be going through the pyramid by price band, and today kick off at the level most accessible to breeders on a budget. But do not be deceived that we must be scraping the barrel here. If anything, candidly, there are more horses standing at four figures that one could trust--above all, for a breed-to-race program--than among far more expensive newcomers featured in the first instalment. Whether one could also recommend...

Nearly two years ago, just prior to the 2023 breeding season, Ashford Stud's Robyn Murray spoke about Munnings on camera. At the time, she said: "Theoretically the best is still yet to come and we're so excited for him... We would expect all of this to elevate him over the next couple years." As the horses conceived that season, the year Munnings stood for $100,000, are currently just weanlings, her words seem prescient given the results of last weekend, when undefeated 2-year-olds by the Ashford Stud sire swept both divisions...

Ashford Stud's Practical Joke has enjoyed perhaps his strongest season yet with seven graded stakes winners so far this year. Only four stallions in North America can claim more, while both Quality Road and Not This Time also have seven graded stakes winners to their credit in 2024. Practical Joke, a three-time Grade I winner in his own right, retired to Ashford in 2018 and has produced four Grade I winners from his first four crops. In 2025, the son of Into Mischief's stud fee will increase from $45,000 to...

If it stays like this, a single maiden winner might settle it. Because all that separates McKinzie ($2,294,679) from current leader Tiz the Law ($2,339,575) in the freshman table is $44,896. But wait, there's more. McKinzie isn't even second. Between the pair lurks Vekoma ($2,306,457), ensuring a desperate three-way contest for the prized laurels of champion first-season sire. It's even closer than this time last year, when four stallions were divided by barely $200,000. In the end, Mitole actually extended his lead down the stretch. But the fact that the...

Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, and Brook T. Smith's Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), a $2.3-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling sale topper turned 'TDN Rising Star' turned $7-million GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner, will return to the races for a 4-year-old campaign, according to a post on X by Coolmore America Thursday afternoon. Sierra Leone arrived at Coolmore's Ashford Stud near Versailles, Kentucky from Del Mar--site of the 2024 Breeders' Cup last weekend--on Monday and will be freshened for 2025. The full text of Coolmore's post appears...

Champion juvenile and 'TDN Rising Star' MGISW Fierceness (City of Light) will join the ranks at Ashford Stud upon his retirement from racing, the farm announced via release Sunday. The champion juvenile from 2023 is a leading GI Breeders' Cup Classic contender and will likely be one of the favorites at post-time. Of the others, Coolmore will have two other rooting interests as well with 'TDN Rising Star' GISW Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) and 'TDN Rising Star' MG1SW-Eng City of Troy (Justify) in the race. That group accounts for three...

In a deal that came about unexpectedly for Rodney Eckenrode's Equistar--the training and breeding operation east of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that stands Smarty Jones and Brody's Cause--GSW Zozos (by Munnings) will join the farm's stallion roster for 2025 with a stud fee of $2,500 in the offing. The dark bay who was bred and campaigned by Minnesotans Barry and Joni Butzow recently retired from trainer Brad Cox's shedrow after a career which began at three. Zozos's career highlights include a runner-up finish in the GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds...

In a cozy, bedded down stall that resides within the inner courtyard of Atlanta Hall Farm's indoor track, you'll find Grade I winner and Grade I sire Cupid (Tapit), the first stallion to stand at the historic farm that encompasses 400 acres in Monkton, Md. With the ease at which Cupid strolls beside Garrett Murray, stallion manager and co-owner of the farm, as he mills around during a grazing session, or nickers to 13-year-old Genevieve, Murray's daughter, as she strides over with a carrot in hand, it's hard to believe...

After being purchased by Tom Magnier for AU$3.4 million ($2,250,545) at this year's Inglis Chairman's Sale, the G1 VRC Oaks winner She's Extreme (Aus) (Extreme Choice {Aus}) will head to North America to be covered by Justify in her maiden season, according to Coolmore in an article on TTR AusNZ. As has been well-documented, the Triple Crown winner is not returning to the Southern Hemisphere this spring, but will cover a limited book to Southern Hemisphere time at Ashford Stud. "Justify has quickly emerged as a world-class stallion but despite...

If you didn't know the sophisticated people behind the mating, you might imagine that Puca went to Good Magic on no better premise than to double down on the alchemy implicit in both names. Because a puca (or pooka) in folklore is a shape-changing sprite, capable of bringing good or bad fortune. Shakespeare named Puck accordingly in A Midsummer Night's Dream, but my favourite example is Elwood P. Dowd's invisible drinking buddy Harvey, a rabbit standing just under six feet four inches. Perhaps you've noticed his silhouette at Harvey's Bar...

Every now and then, a horse comes along who never seems to set a foot wrong. From record-setting freshman sire to perennial top 10 stallion, Uncle Mo is one of those horses. Additionally, it seems every time the Coolmore America/Ashford Stud sire reaches a new benchmark, he moves the bar just a little--or a lot--higher. The first-ever stakes winner for Repole Stables was a 'TDN Rising Star' on debut himself and has since been represented by 18 'Rising Stars' of his own, including three since May, and sired his 15th...