Coolmore

The families and children who rely on the Backside Learning Center have a GI Kentucky Derby horse to root for. Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), the winner of the GII Risen Star S. at the Fair Grounds, is partially owned by Brook Smith, who is part of a partnership led by Coolmore. Smith has been a generous supporter of the Backside Learning Center and, through the Purses for a Purpose program, donates a portion of his earnings every time a horse of his picks up a check. Smith joined this week's...

Chad Brown's barn includes a lot of fillies and is dominated by turf horses, which makes winning the GI Kentucky Derby more challenging than it is for trainers like Todd Pletcher, Brad Cox and Bob Baffert, who seem to have an almost endless supply of ammunition. The future Hall of Famer has started just seven horses in the Derby and the best he has to show for it is a second-place finish in 2018 with Good Magic (Curlin). But that doesn't mean the right horse won't come his way, and...

Unbelievable (Justify), a full-brother to the undefeated Cartier champion 2-year-old colt City of Troy and a veteran of five European starts when racing as Bertinelli for Coolmore and Aidan O'Brien, will become his boom sire's first starter in Hong Kong in the Class 3 Red Packet H. (1600m) at Monday's Chinese New Year meeting at Sha Tin Racecourse. A son of G1 Fillies' Mile winner Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), also the dam of Group 3 winner Military Style (War Front) as well as the latter's full-brothers--the Group 2-placed Absolute...

Deep Impact (Jpn), who died in 2019, has to some degree gone out in a blaze of glory with the dual Derby, Irish Champion S. and Breeders' Cup winner Auguste Rodin (Ire) among his final truncated crop of just 14 foals. What then of his old friend, the 12-time champion sire Galileo (Ire), with whom he has blended so well, and members of whose own last crop enter their juvenile season in 2024? There are just 13 Galileo two-year-olds and, according to the Weatherbys' sire report, only one of the...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale, which had never produced a seven-figure offering in its history, had three million-dollar mares go through the ring in an action-packed final hour of its two-day run in Lexington Tuesday. The final horse through the ring, Zetta Z (Bernardini), supplemented to the auction just Sunday, provided an exclamation point of the auction when selling for $2 million to Coolmore Stud. As expected, the dispersal of the bloodstock of the late Robert Lothenbach dominated the results sheet, accounting for the $1.3 million Bell's...

Zetta Z (Bernardini), who was added to the Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale catalogue just Sunday, a day after her son Nysos (Nyquist) produced a dominating victory in the GIII Robert B. Lewis S., sold for $2 million to the bid of Coolmore's Adrian Wallace Tuesday in Lexington. The 14-year-old mare, consigned by Grovendale Sales, sold in foal to Cyberknife. She is from the family of Unbridled Elaine and Glitter Woman.

Gerry McGrath, breeder of Champion Hurdler Jezki (Ire) (Milan {GB}) and high-class performers Jett (Ire) (Flemensfirth), Jered (Ire) (Presenting {GB}), Jetson (Ire) (Oscar {Ire}) and Jenari (Ire) (Milan {GB}) all out of the outstanding broodmare La Noire (Ire) (Phardante {Fr}), has outlined hopes that the legacy can continue with leading Dublin Racing Festival contender Jetara (Ire) (Walk In The Park {Ire}). A granddaughter of La Noire, the mare who was famously gifted to McGrath by his late father in the nineties, Jetara will take on the boys in the G1...

The first foal for 2022 Eclipse Award-winning champion 3-year-old male and GI Runhappy Travers S. winner Epicenter (Not This Time) arrived at Twin Creeks Farm on Saturday when the stakes-placed Peaceful (Declaration of War) produced a quality filly. "Excited about our new Epicenter filly out of Peaceful! Day one has us impressed, and we're big fans of the sire," said Randy Gullatt. The Coolmore stallion will stand the 2024 season for $40,000.

Whether you're a trainer, a pre-trainer, a breeder or just a general racing nut, it seems as though the Irish Stallion Trail was the place to be on Friday and Saturday. But how much can be gleaned from two days of stallion parades? Quite a lot, actually.  Relationships have been forged and business has been done on the Trail and luminaries of the industry Johnny Murtagh, Dick Brabazon, Guillaume Vitse and Craig McCracken were left singing the praises of Irish Thoroughbred Marketing [ITM] for what proved to be another stellar...

To many horsepeople and fans, the news that 2022 GI Preakness S. winner Early Voting (Gun Runner) had been cured of a syndrome that initially--apparently--spelled doom to his stud career was a complete surprise. To New Zealand-born veterinarian and scientist Dr. Padraig (Paddy) O'Casaigh, it was just another day at the office O'Casaigh, the 'brain and chief researcher/inventor' behind the 'unique' product Chaperonze (his birthplace a contributor to this intentional misspell), has treated 'about 100' stallions with breeding problems. "My experience in my 35 years," he said, "is that I've...

The first foal by Grade I-winning sprinter Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) was born early Tuesday morning at Keith & Ginger Myers' Coteau Grove Farms in Louisiana. The bay is the second foal out of Multi Strategy (Scat Daddy), a daughter of graded winner Freefourracing (French Deputy). The Coolmore stallion will stand the 2024 season at $25,000. "This is a strong colt with great bone and muscle", said Coteau Grove Broodmare Manager Jacob Cyprian. "He has a beautiful head with quality. We sold his half-brother for good money so hopefully this...

by Jessica Martini & Stefanie Grimm LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, which hadn't had a million-dollar mare since 2019, had two reach seven figures during its opening session Monday in Lexington, with 19-year-old Tom Wachman making the day's highest bid of $1.6-million to acquire the broodmare prospect Prank (Into Mischief) on behalf of his grandfather, John Magnier's Coolmore. Late in the session, Tomoyuki Nakamura of K I Farm purchased Curlin's Voyage (Curlin) for $1 million. "I think we've got to be very happy with...