Vino Rosso

Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher is on fire, unveiling one promising colt or filly after another in maiden, allowance, and stakes races it seems. Last month, Pletcher won his eighth Eclipse Award as North America's leading trainer. Not only that, but three horses trained by Pletcher also won Eclipses: Forte (Violence), champion 2-year-old colt; Nest (Curlin), champion 3-year-old filly; and Malathaat (Curlin), champion older female. Like Pletcher, Curlin shone at the Eclipses. Aside from Nest and Malathaat, his Elite Power was named champion sprinter of 2022, giving the Hill 'n'...

The smallest group profiled to date, numbering only 65, is led by its undisputed leader, undefeated Triple Crown champion and Horse of the Year Justify (Scat Daddy). Justify debuted early in his 3-year-old season with a gate-to-wire 9 1/2-length romp at Santa Anita. Two starts later, in an effort to earn qualifying points towards the GI Kentucky Derby, the chestnut defeated MGISW Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) by three lengths to take the GI Santa Anita Derby and a spot in the Derby starting gate. With the 'Curse of Apollo' fresh...

It was a banner year for TDNtv with over 11.3 million views of our TDN videos and advertisers' commercials. That number exploded from just 4.1 million views last year. Our videos brought in audiences from all the major horse racing countries, with the U.S. leading the way with 618,461 unique viewers this year, but people tuned in from every corner of the globe (shout out to our 24 viewers in Iceland!). While Kentucky accounted for the most total views by a state this year, New York led the way with...

Into Mischief once again leads Spendthrift Farm's roster for 2023 with his stud fee remaining at $250,000 S&N, the operation announced Thursday. Spendthrift has added four new stallions including MGISWs Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) and Cyberknife (Gun Runner), who are both pointing for the Breeders' Cup. The other new additions are GI Belmont S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) and GSW Greatest Honour (Tapit), who are both available for inspection at the farm. Champion Jackie's Warrior, the likely favorite in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, will command a fee of...

On the racetrack, News Carver (Curlin) did not meet the lofty expectations set by his talented full-brother Vino Rosso, but the 3-year-old gelding has all the potential to one day become a star in a different arena. After News Carver finished a distant sixth in his debut in May this year and showed little interest in pursing a racing career, his owner and breeder John Gunther decided to send the homebred to New Vocations. News Carver, who bears the same lustrous chestnut coat and blazed face as his older brother,...

   The 2022 class of first-crop yearling sires features a diverse batch of Kentucky-based young stallions including a pair of Breeders' Cup champions, two sons of reigning top sire Into Mischief, five graded stakes winners at two and five Grade I winners on turf. Throughout the course of the yearling sales season, we will feature a series of freshman sires as their first crop points toward the sales ring. Check out the first few editions of our series here. When no less a judge than Kenny McPeek purchases three colts...

Scott Miller has only been involved in breeding for a few years, but he's more than happy to stick around for a while longer now that he owns a half-sister to a Kentucky Derby winner. Miller's mare Lode Lady (Posse) is the first foal out of the Smart Strike mare Gold Strike, the dam of newly-acclaimed Derby hero Rich Strike (Keen Ice). Foaled in 2008, Lode Lady made three trips to the winner's circle at Woodbine and earned over $150,000 during her racing career before ending up with Miller eight...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency FULL TO VINO ROSSO DEBUTS IN NY 6th-BEL, $90K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1 1/16mT, 3:13 p.m. John Gunther homebred NEWS CARVER (Curlin), a full-brother to champion Vino Rosso, makes his career bow Saturday at Belmont for trainer Jorge Abreu. Ending his career on a high note with a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic and an Eclipse award, Vino Rosso now stands stud at Spendthrift Farm. News Carver is also a half to GSP So Alive (Super Saver). Their dam Mythical Bride (Street Cry {Ire})...

With the 2022 breeding season underway, we continue to feature a series of breeders' mating plans. Today we have Jake Bennett of Pike Place Farm. "My wife, Jaclyn, and I have just recently moved to Kentucky to start up our breeding operation," said Bennett. "We have a small farm in Georgetown with four broodmares (three that we will get bred this year), a retired gelding (that I joke is my wife's horse), one yearling that we are preparing to sell this fall after acquiring him at the Keeneland November sale,...

St. Elias Stables' Known Agenda (Curlin--Byrama {GB}, by Byron {GB}), winner of this year's GI Florida Derby, has been retired from racing and will take up stud duty at Spendthrift Farm in 2022. The chestnut, who will stand for an introductory fee of $10,000 S&N, will be offered through the farm's "Share The Upside" program on a limited basis. He is available for inspection by appointment. "Any time you can add a Florida Derby winner by Curlin with his looks and pedigree, you jump at the opportunity," said Ned Toffey,...

Spendthrift Farm's Vino Rosso (Curlin--Mythical Bride, by Street Cry {Ire}), the champion older dirt male and winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in 2019, was represented by his first foal Jan. 5 when the 6-year-old mare Shine Time (Malibu Moon) produced a filly at Jim and Pam Robinson's Brandywine Farm in Paris, Kentucky. "I tell you what, you could not ask for a better foal. She is just beautiful and very smart," Pam Robinson said. "Physically, she is a strong filly with good bone. I cannot say enough positive...

What an interesting crossroads we reach with the next group of young stallions in our survey. On the one hand, you have this new dynamic in the marketplace, with Spendthrift increasingly welcoming blue-chip prospects to build on its blue-collar successes. Yes, these may be looking to build more conventional, fee-based careers, as opposed to relying on the type of innovative promotions that helped Into Mischief evolve from a source of cheap commercial speed into the champion sire of a Kentucky Derby winner (who has himself now joined the roster, of...