Archive

For all the round-the-clock pedigree scrutiny and conformation analysis that goes into finding a stallion that will produce a winner on the first Saturday in May, it took a horse standing for $5,000 and lacking that coveted Grade I win on their race record to get the job done. Of the 26 fifth-year stallions standing in Kentucky today, Protonico was one of five to breed less than 20 mares last year. And yet, here he is now sitting atop the Leading Second-Crop Sires list after his son Medina Spirit charged...

200 and Counting for Dubawi

He may not be flashiest sire on the Darley stud roster, but the quietly efficacious Midshipman (Unbridled's Song- Fleet Lady, by Avenue of Flags) might just be the most consistent. He ranks second amongst his studmates, behind Jonabell's elder statesman Medaglia d'Oro, in terms of blacktype runners to named foals at over a 12% clip, and his $7,500 stud fee this year only adds to his appeal. This year, Midshipman's runners are shining at the highest level. His progeny have already collected five blacktype wins with potential for bigger things...

"He was one of those horses that there was a buzz about before he ever stepped foot on a racetrack," Airdrie Stud's Bret Jones said of their new addition in Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Complexity (Maclean's Music). The 2018 Champagne S. hero will kick off his stud career fully booked off a $12,500 fee.

The buzz started around this time last year. The first crop of 2-year-olds from Sequel New York's Laoban were fast. One banner weekend at Keeneland's fall meet last year helped seal his destined Bluegrass move. First his daughter Simply Ravishing takes the GI Darley Alcibiades by over six lengths. Then the next day, his son Keepmeinmind runs second to Essential Quality (Tapit) in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity. Later that month, it was announced that Laoban would be relocating to WinStar Farm. Read more on the TDN: https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/laoban-receives-warm-bluegrass-welcome/

A wise man changes his mind, but a fool never will. Such is the association between the commercial market and Daredevil (More Than Ready-- Chasethewildwind, by Forestry). Luckily for the third-crop sire, the market was quick to change its opinion and Lane's End jumped on the opportunity to bring him back. The son of More Than Ready has returned from his season abroad and will stand at Lane's End for $25,000 in 2021 as property of the Jockey Club of Turkey. Read more on the TDN:  https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/daredevils-audacious-return/

This year, 2018 GII Risen Star winner Bravazo (Awesome Again) became the first homebred for Calumet Farm to join their stud barn since the farm was placed under new ownership in 2012. The Calumet team is excited to welcome the new addition, who earned over $2 million over his four-year career and will stand for $6,000 in 2021. Read more on the TDN: https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/risen-star-upsetter-continuing-sire-making-tradition/

Honest Mischief (Into Mischief-Honest Lady, by Seattle Slew) is the first son of the record-setting leading sire Into Mischief to stand in New York. He also hails from the blue-blooded Juddmonte family that produced Empire Maker who died at age 20 in January of 2020, leaving a void in the Thoroughbred breeding industry. Raced by Juddmonte and trained by Chad Brown, Honest Mischief now begins his stud career at Becky Thomas's Sequel New York.

Lane's End Farm brought their stallion roster up to 21 members this year as they welcomed several new additions for the 2021 season in Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}), Gift Box (Twirling Candy), Honor A. P. (Honor Code) and Daredevil (More Than Ready). We sat down with Bill Farish and spoke with him on Game Winner and Gift Box, both Grade I-winning millionaires who will join Twirling Candy and Unified in carrying on the Candy Ride (Arg) legacy at Lane's End. Read more on the TDN: https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/fulfilling-the-candy-ride-legacy-at-lanes-end/

It took just two words for Mark Toothaker to explain why he believes Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) will excel in the Spendthrift stud barn: looks and pedigree. Those same characteristics are what kept the Albaugh-Spendthrift partnership bidding at the 2018 Keeneland September Sale until they brought the colt home for $1 million. The new Spendthrift colorbearer now embarks on his career at stud as a three-time stakes winner and will stand his first season for $7,500. Read more on the TDN: https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/thousand-words-a-veritable-picture-at-spendthrift/

Rick Burke's Irish Hill Century Farm, established by his ancestors in 1883, is located in Stillwater. In partnership with Michael Lischin and Anya Sheckley's Dutchess Views Farm, Irish Hill will stand six stallions in 2021 including New York's leading sire, Big Brown (Boundary), and New York's leading sire of 2-year-olds, War Dancer (War Front). New to stud in 2021 and new to the roster at Irish Hill are King for a Day (Uncle Mo) and Lookin At Lee (Lookin At Lucky). Read more on the TDN:  https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/ny-favorites-top-sire-lines-head-to-empire-state/

There were just 56 days between Tiz the Law's (Constitution) dazzling sophomore debut in the GIII Holy Bull S. on the first day of February to his next start in the GI Florida Derby. How much could change in that time? As it turned out, just about everything. So maybe that's why, during a dark time, this bay colt with the bright, white-blazed face was so easy to cheer for. During uncertain circumstances, the Sackatoga silks with the familiar connections brought a piece of near normalcy to the starting gate. Read...