Chris Welker

First-crop yearling sire City of Light (Quality Road - Paris Notion, by Dehere) was a physical standout long before he joined the Lane's End stallion roster. In 2015, the son of Quality Road bred by Ann Marie Farm topped the sixth session of the Keeneland September Sale by a landslide when he sold for $710,000 to Mark Reid of Walnut Green. It was the largest ticket price for a Keeneland Book 3 horse since 2007. Allaire Ryan recalls watching City of Light develop at Lane's End Farm in the days...

Sometimes you talk to a breeder and know instantly that each and every horse he or she raises is their pride and joy. There might be no better example than Chris Welker. As the co-breeder of 'TDN Rising Star' Travel Column (Frosted), Welker can share dozens of stories of the youngster's time at Spring Ridge Farm. She can tell you about the many frustrating sessions they went through when Travel Column was a hard-headed yearling, but if you bring up the filly's win in last year's GII Golden Rod S.,...