Taiba

The TDN's popular annual series 'Mating Plans, presented by Spendthrift,' continues today in a conversation with Mulholland Springs' John Mulholland.   MEAL TICKET (10, Malibu Moon--Rainbow's Song by Unbridled's Song) to be bred to Into Mischief Second in the GII Royal Heroine S. at Santa Anita and the listed Golden Poppy S. at Golden Gate, we purchased this mare privately after her final start of her career. Meal Ticket was bred her first year to Into Mischief and produced an absolutely stunning colt that we sold to BC Stables for...

The TDN team barely had time to stop in at Spendthrift Farm to visit Forte this past November before the champion was booked full for 2024. Here's our video feature on the son of Violence. But Forte is just one of the four in-demand newcomers at Spendthrift, where the breeding shed is sure to be busy as ever this year as Into Mischief continues his reign as the leading sire in North America and the top four freshman sires of 2023 take on their fifth season at stud. To learn...

A season with a 2025 breed back to Cody's Wish (Curlin) has been added to the Thoroughbred Charities of America's (TCA) Live Auction and Celebration scheduled to run Sunday, Jan. 7, with the majority of the proceeds going to support the local chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, announced the TCA Saturday. The offering was donated by Godolphin in memory of Cody Dorman, the 17-year-old Kentuckian whose story and special connection with his namesake was widely beloved in and outside the industry. Any remaining proceeds will go to honoring his memory...

And so another cycle opens, bringing all the usual dilemmas. To assist their resolution--albeit the exercise seldom fails to entail a degree of provocation, sometimes even offense--today we commence our annual quest for value among Kentucky stallions. This time round, value feels likely to prove quite elusive. With the middle market increasingly porous, stud fees overall are at a challenging level. If they were driven up by a long bull run in international bloodstock, that appears to be tapering away and there's evidently going to be quite a lag before...

After hearing from Chris McGrath in his 2024 Value Sires Part I, we thought we'd ask several breeders who they thought offered particularly good value this year. Here's what they said: Jody Huckabay The horses I have chosen are expensive, but I think they are good value. GOLD: Elite Power (Curlin--Broadway's Alibi, by Vindication), Juddmonte Farms, $50,000. The first horse I like for his body of work, race record, and pedigree is Elite Power. To me, he's on top of the list, with everything being considered. I look at it...

Four-time leading sire Into Mischief, who has broken records with 15 seven-figure yearlings to sell this year, will head the Spendthrift Farm stallion roster once again for 2024, the Central Kentucky farm announced Thursday afternoon. Into Mischief will stand for $250,000 S&N in 2024, identical to his advertised fee for 2023. Into Mischief is currently leading the general sires list for 2024 by a comfortable margin. His progeny for 2024 include 21 black-type winners, nine graded winners, and four Grade I winners, led by GI Kentucky Oaks winner and 'TDN...

Zedan Racing Stables' Taiba (Gun Runner), a three-time Grade I winner and 'TDN Rising Star', has been retired from racing and taken up residency at Spendthrift Farm, where he will begin his stud career in 2024 along with Zandon (Upstart) and Arabian Lion (Justify) as was announced Saturday. Taiba will stand for an introductory fee of $35,000 S&N and is available for inspection by appointment. "There are very few stallion prospects that tick all the boxes, to use the old cliché. Taiba is certainly one of those horses that possesses...

Grade I winners and 'TDN Rising Stars' Taiba (Gun Runner) and Arabian Lion (Justify) will join Zandon (Upstart) and stand at Spendthrift Farm for the 2024 breeding season. Spendthrift announced the news Saturday. "We are really excited to be bringing in three new stallion prospects of the caliber of Taiba, Arabian Lion and Zandon for the 2024 breeding season," said Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey. "All three are superior physicals, and all three displayed immense talent in winning some of America's biggest 3-year-old races on dirt. Obviously, the Breeders' Cup...

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said Zedan Racing Stables' MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner) will skip Saturday's GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap, at Belmont Park. Taiba worked seven-furlongs in 1:27.40 Friday at Santa Anita in what was to be his final prep for the one-turn mile. He has not raced since an eighth-place effort in the G1 Saudi Cup February 25 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse. "His works have been good, but not like I'd like to see them. I just don't think he's ready for...

Dr. Schivel (Violence) breezed three-quarters of a mile in 1:13 flat at Santa Anita Saturday morning after which connections confirmed that the 5-year-old will make his next start in the GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. at Belmont Park next Saturday. The multiple Grade I winner, third in the 2022 G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, returned from a near 14-month absence with a sharp allowance victory in Arcadia May 13. He was also under consideration for next Saturday's GII True North S. in New York. "We think both races are very...

National Treasure (Quality Road), winner of last Saturday's GI Preakness S., has made his way to Belmont Park for a potential start in the GI Belmont Stakes June 10. Bob Baffert said National Treasure got a feel for the Belmont Park main track Thursday with a light jog. "He's going well. We're going to get him up there, train him and see how he's doing," Baffert said. He added National Treasure will have one work at Belmont before a decision is made whether to test the 1 1/2-mile race. "When...

Going into Saturday's Saudi Cup meeting at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, there was approximately one way that this year's results could better the massive success achieved by Japan in 2022. And who better to orchestrate it but trainer Yoshito Yahagi, who has won major races everywhere with the possible exception of Mars, as Hiroo Race Co. Ltd's Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), one of six top-shelf gallopers signed on from the Land of the Rising Sun and making just the second start of an already successful career on the...