New Year's Day

In the last two years in particular, the $468,241 Listed Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun--the second of four legs on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby--has been won by horses that went on to become significant players on the world stage. The 2022 renewal was taken by Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits), subsequent winner of the G2 UAE Derby, a participant in the 2023 GI Kentucky Derby and cracking second in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at season's end. Last year's running was won by Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel...

Four time Grade I-winning champion Maximum Security (New Year's Day--Lil Indy, by Anasheed) sired his first foal at Dell Ridge Farm this morning when Pussyfoot (Tiznow), a full-sister to Grade I winner Morning Line, foaled a bay filly at 5:39 a.m. The filly was fittingly bred by Gary and Mary West, who also bred and raced Maximum Security, an earner of over $12 million on the track with wins including the GI Florida Derby, GI Haskell Invitational, GI Cigar Mile H., inaugural Saudi Cup and GI Pacific Classic. "She's outstanding....

Prominent owner/breeders Gary and Mary West will begin an annual reduction of their broodmare band at Keeneland November starting with the 2021 sale. With Paramount Sales consigning, the Wests will offer 31 broodmares and broodmares prospects at this November's auction. Mares will be offered in foal to Hard Spun, Union Rags and The Factor, as well as to the Wests' champions Game Winner, Maximum Security and West Coast and Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed American Freedom. The Wests had acquired a significant number of mares in past years to...

Coolmore's Ashford Stud welcomes a trio of new stallions to their program for the upcoming season. Maximum Security (New Year's Day) and Echo Town (Speightstown) will start off their stud career at the Versailles, Kentucky-based farm, while Caravaggio (Scat Daddy) will stand his first year in the States since relocating from Coolmore's headquarters in Ireland after spending two seasons there. Today we sat down with Adrian Wallace to discuss their two first-season sires. [tdn_vimeo_embed title="Echo Town and Maximum Security at Ashford Stud" admp4="https://player.vimeo.com/external/488087819.sd.mp4?s=902aa8d5fc7cddb1f9c4423d869f0f3bd1bc6402&profile_id=165" videomp4= "https://player.vimeo.com/external/488102033.sd.mp4?s=88e78676766612a22d9a36a5a2d5fd493be0cd34&profile_id=165" thumbnail= ""]   Maximum Security...

You know this adage well: "Sell a stallion overseas and he'll catch fire." The latest example is Daredevil (More Than Ready), whose remarkable first-crop daughter Swiss Skydiver put on a show for the ages on Saturday to deny Gl Kentucky Derby winner Authentic (Into Mischief) the Gl Preakness S. at Pimlico. Trained by a daredevil in Kenny McPeek, Swiss Skydiver and Authentic engaged in a protracted head-to-head stretch duel, but the filly never let Authentic get the better of her at any stage and won the Classic by a neck,...

Lightly raced Fighting Mad (New Year's Day) zipped away early and held sway late to take Sunday evening's GI Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar and stamp her ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. Looking to add to another productive weekend for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert that included Saturday scores in the GI Whitney S. and Shared Belief S., the Gary and Mary West homebred was backed down to 9-5 favoritism from a 4-1 morning line quote and wasted little time seizing command. Under a tight...

It's never easy being the hunted. Making his first start since the federal indictment of his former trainer Jason Servis and sent out for the first time by trainer Bob Baffert, Eclipse Award winner Maximum Security (New Year's Day) looked destined for defeat in Saturday's GII San Diego H. But the 4-year-old, last seen winning the $20-million Saudi Cup nearly five months ago, overcame some aggressive race riding and perhaps some ring-rustiness to grab Midcourt (Midnight Lute) to take it by a nostril. Given a positive ride from the gates...

Champion and MGISW Maximum Security (New Year's Day) appears unlikely to bid for a big-race double in Dubai following his win in the inaugural $20-million Saudi Cup over Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute). Before landing the inaugural running of the world's most valuable race Saturday, the Jason Servis-trained 4-year-old was best known for passing the post in front in last year's GI Kentucky Derby--only to be demoted. The Gary and Mary West and Coolmore partnership colorbearer was swiftly installed as favorite for the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 28--but speaking on...

On New Year's Day, David Grening broke the news in the Daily Racing Form that Coolmore had purchased a 50% interest in the racing and breeding rights of Gary and Mary West's homebred Maximum Security (New Year's Day). (Disclosure: The Wests and their racing manager, Ben Glass, are retained clients of WTC, Inc.). The colt is to stand at Coolmore America (Ashford Stud) in Kentucky at the end of his career, but he is scheduled to race this year and has some major targets on his slate, including the new...