Divisidero

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...

Having dealt with the new sires as a case apart, today we start our journey through the price bands of Kentucky stallions by seeing what we can do with a four-figure budget. Even at this end of the market, the perennial dilemma remains that value means different things to different people. A breeder operating at this level tends to appreciate every cent of a commercial return, however marginal. If your belt is already at the last notch, then the understandable inclination is to leave any selfless consideration of the breed's...

Everybody understands the deal with new stallions. Most will never again command so high a fee, nor so potent a book, and many will complete their principal service to commercial breeders long before any of their stock has actually entered a starting gate. Once they reach that point, you need only browse the freshman tables of years past to get a chastening sense of how many "exciting" newcomers will establish a lasting eligibility to keep seeding the breed. On the other hand, their window of opportunity is ruthlessly brief. If...

Girvin (Tale of Ekati), the sire of three graded stakes winners including Grade I winner Faiza, and Upstart (Flatter), the sire of GI Toyota Blue Grass S. winner Zandon, will both stand for a stud fee of $30,000 at Airdrie Farm in Midway, Kentucky, for the 2024 season, Airdrie announced Wednesday. "We couldn't be looking more forward to the 2024 season as we continue to build momentum in our stallion barn," said Airdrie's Bret Jones. "We believe we have two very special stallions in Girvin and Upstart headlining our roster...

Vote No (g, 2, Divisidero--Sistas Ready, by More Than Ready) became the first stakes winner for his freshman sire (by Kitten's Joy) with a 12-1 upset in Wednesday's $500,000 Pepsi Juvenile Sprint S. at Kentucky Downs. He raced in a midpack fifth through an opening quarter in :21.79, set his sights on the top two in the stretch and came rolling over the top to reel in favored Hedwig (Maclean's Music) by 3/4 of a length. Please Advise (Palace Malice) was third. Vote No became the first winner for Divisidero with...

5th-Presque Isle Downs, $29,900, Msw, 8-23, 2yo, 5 1/2f (AWT), 1:04.41, ft, 1 1/2 lengths. VOTE NO (g, 2, Divisidero--Sistas Ready, by More Than Ready) became the first winner for his Airdrie Stud-based freshman sire (by Kitten's Joy) with this debut win. The 5-2 chance forced the issue in an outside third, set his sights on the leader on the far turn and powered clear in the stretch to graduate by 1 1/2 lengths. Sales history: $7,500 Ylg '22 KEEJAN; $11,000 Ylg '22 OBSOCT; $50,000 2yo '23 OBSOPN. Lifetime Record:...

4th-Mth, $55K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5fT, 2:02 p.m. AMO Racing's MADAME MISCHIEF (Into Mischief), out of a half-sister to MGISW Divisidero (Kitten's Joy), went for $550,000 at OBSMAR after clocking .10 flat during the under-tack breeze show. The Jorge Delgado trainee gets Isaac Castillo in the irons. TJCIS PPS 1st-HAW, $35K, Msw, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, 3:30 p.m. Another recent OBSMAR grad who fetched $500,000, Dorothy Crowfoot (Audible) makes her first start for trainer Larry Rivelli. Her dam, Enjoy This Moment (Midnight Lute), is a half-sister to MGSW Sum of...

The Brereton C. Jones/Airdrie Stud consignment will be bustling in just a few weeks at the Keeneland September Sale as an assembly of over 60 yearlings bred and raised at the landmark Midway farm prepare to go through the ring. The majority of these youngsters represent the dozen-strong stallion roster at Airdrie, which includes two sires that are represented by their first crop of yearlings this year in Grade I-winning millionaires Preservationist (Arch - Flying Dixie, by Dixieland Band) and Divisidero (Kitten's Joy - Madame du Lac, by Lemon Drop...

On the same day it was announced trainer Todd Pletcher had so deservedly been chosen as a member of racing's Hall of Fame, another conditioner confirmed to Daily Racing Form's Marty McGee that he was retiring at the conclusion of the Churchill Downs meeting next month. This was the first year Pletcher was eligible and the announcement certainly came as a surprise to no one. Pletcher is one of the most successful trainers of all time, having won more than 5,000 races and holding the earnings record (increasing every day)...

Airdrie Stud's Divisidero (Kitten's Joy--Madame Du Lac, by Lemon Drop Kid) was recently represented by his first reported foal, a colt born at Airdrie. The chestnut colt was produced by Always Tomorrow (Badge of Silver), a winning full-sister to GISW Bigger Picture. "He's leggy and strong with good depth through the shoulder, all the things that you want to see in a newborn foal. We are very pleased," said Cormac Breathnach, Airdrie's Director of Stallion Nominations. "He is chestnut with two socks and a blaze, so you can really see...

Thursday, Chris McGrath covered the first half of the Kentucky stallions with first weanlings. Click here to read about Omaha Beach, Vino Rosso, Mitole, Audible, Catholic Boy and Yoshida. Part II appears below. Unusually enough, this intake includes a third Grade I winner on both dirt and grass in WORLD OF TROUBLE (Kantharos--Meets Expectations by Valid Expectations), held at $15,000 by Hill 'n' Dale. This was an unusually efficient machine for the chaotic environment of the sprint division. His only defeat in his final eight starts measured by the neck...

Dual Grade I winner Divisidero (Kitten's Joy) will become the next addition to a growing list of turf sires in the United States. A significant number of incoming freshman sires have won graded stakes on the grass, including Catholic Boy (More Than Ready), Demarchelier (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Disco Partner (Disco Rico), Force the Pass (Speightstown), Heart to Heart (English Channel), Om (Munnings), World of Trouble (Kantharos) and Yoshida (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}). Divisidero claimed five graded stakes over his five-year career, including back-to-back wins in the GI Woodford Reserve Turf...