mating plans

Headley Bell has run Nicoma Bloodstock for 40 years, planning matings for clients at his Mill Ridge Farm and beyond. "It's like being an artist," says Bell. "You're crafting, and planning matings is part of that whole creation." Bell said he uses various tools for his matings, including TDN's statistics on percentages of black type to foals, mare produce records, five-cross pedigrees, and examines patterns of broodmare sires with certain families. Finally, he takes physical traits of mares into consideration to determine, he said, "who that mare really is." He...

by George Adams, Housatonic Bloodstock Wasabi has been focused on upgrading the quality of the foals that it's breeding over the last few years, and to that end will be using some higher-end stallions in 2024 than what we've bred to in the past. A stallion that we'll be patronizing heavily this year is Maclean's Music.  He's about to jump from a crop of 2023 2-year-olds numbering 41 and conceived off of a $20,000 stud fee (out of which he already has nine winners, three of whom have also picked...

With the breeding season underway, the TDN staff is continuing the '2023 Mating Plans' series, presented by Spendthrift Farm, to find out what stallions breeders have chosen for their mares this year, and why. Here Woodford Thoroughbreds shares their plans for the breeding season. As a commercial breeding farm, Woodford Thoroughbreds operates with two principles in mind when choosing our matings. 1) We are producing racehorses. In 2023, Woodford is the breeder of Mimi Kakushi (City of Light), a Group 3 winner on the Oaks trail; Rocket Can (Into Mischief),...

The Aga Khan Studs has one of Europe's leading Classic prospects for this season in the unbeaten Group 1 winner Tahiyra (Ire), whose sire Siyouni (Fr), unsurprisingly, has a stellar lists of mares booked to visit him in 2023. These include Tahiyra's half-sister Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal), who was also trained by Dermot Weld and won three Group 1 races among her nine career victories, as well as finishing runner-up in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.  An equally starry name features on the list as the brilliant, unbeaten Zarkava (Fr)...

With the breeding season underway, the TDN staff is continuing the '2023 Mating Plans' series, presented by Spendthrift Farm, to find out what stallions breeders have chosen for their mares this year, and why. Here Aidan and Leah O'Meara of Stonehaven Steadings talk us through their plans for the year. Before getting into their individual mares, Aidan discusses their process for drawing up the farm's mating plans each year. We usually begin our matings by drawing up a short list of stallions that we intend to use for the coming...

As we approach the opening of the 2023 breeding season, the TDN staff is once again sitting down with leading breeders to find out what stallions they have chosen for their mares, and why. Today we caught up with Jay Em Ess Stable's Samantha Siegel. ACTING HAPPY (m, 16, Empire Maker--Ain't Bluffing, by Pine Bluff) This mare is a reigning member of the decades-old breeding program established by Samantha Siegel and her late parents, Mace and Jan. The Empire Maker mare is a daughter of the 1998 GI Milady H....

Derek Veitch, famous for producing Group 1-winning sprinter Minzaal (Ire) and high-class runners Threat (Ire), Miss Amulet (Ire), Ubettabelieveit (Ire) and Indigo Lady (Ire), has outlined his intention to dramatically scale back his broodmare band to 15 or less at his Ringfort Stud base in County Offaly this year.  The move will come as a surprise to many, given the Rhode-based Veitch has just enjoyed his greatest year as a breeder after Minzaal scorched the Haydock turf when landing the G1 Sprint Cup, not least his wife Gay, who is...

As we approach the opening of the 2023 breeding season, the TDN staff is once again sitting down with breeders to find out what stallions they have chosen for their mares, and why. Up this week, Jim Connor. GIBBET (m, 8, War Front--Cross, by Mighty), in foal to Liam's Map and going to Practical Joke in 2023 I own this mare in partnership with my cousin Vincent Colbert, who bred Chocolate Gelato, so he is a big Practical Joke fan...didn't take much to convince me. We take turns picking the...

As we approach the opening of the 2023 breeding season, the TDN staff is once again sitting down with leading breeders to find out what stallions they have chosen for their mares, and why. First up: Bobby Flay. AMERICA (m, 12, A. P. Indy--Lacadena, by Fasliyev), booked to Gun Runner As she continues to produce quality foals, including MGSW First Captain (Curlin), the co-sales topper at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale for $1.5 million, and his full-sister, who sold for $2 million at Saratoga last August, I'm excited to see...

With the 2022 breeding season underway, we continue to feature a series of breeders' mating plans. Today we have Leah Alessandroni, Bloodstock and Office Manager of Bonne Chance Farm. GLORY AND POWER (m, 8, Medaglia d'Oro - Dance Quietly, by A. P. Indy) to be bred to Essential Quality    We bought this mare as a weanling and she went on to become a winner for us. Her first foal was Momentous (Speightstown), who was an debut impressive winner at Fair Grounds on Feb. 19. This mare is out of...

With the 2022 breeding season underway, we continue to feature a series of breeders' mating plans. Today we talk to China Horse Club's U.S. Representative Fabricio Buffolo. CARA MARIE (m, 10, Unbridled's Song -- Miss Kilroy, by A. P. Indy) to be bred to Uncle Mo This mare is a beautiful individual from a European female family that was developed by the late Stonerside operation. They raced her second dam Miss Caerleona (FR) (Caerleon). This year she goes back to Uncle Mo, which will be the same cross that produced...

With the 2022 breeding season underway, we continue to feature a series of breeders' mating plans. Today we have Cooper Sawyer, farm manager of Mt. Brilliant Farm. MORENA (PER) (m, 18, Privately Held--Charytin {Per}, by Summing) to be bred to Liam's Map This mare had a really nice Justify filly that we sold at the [Keeneland] September Sale last year ($375,000 to Japanese trainer Hideyuki Mori). This year she has a Constitution filly. We are going back to Liam's Map with her this year. Morena herself was a champion in...