Mon, 02/05/2024 - 13:10

Into Mischief success continues into 2024

Barbara D. Livingston
Eclipse Award champion and 10-time graded stakes winner Letruska delivered her first foal, a filly by top sire Curlin.

Not only did five-time reigning leading sire Into Mischief get on the board with his first graded stakes winner of 2024 on Saturday, he continued to advertise his growing legacy, as three of his sons sired stakes winners on the same day.

Thu, 02/01/2024 - 20:37

Spendthrift acquires breeding rights to National Treasure

Barbara D. Livingston
Pegasus World Cup winner National Treasure will stand stud duty at Spendthrift Farm at the conclusion of his racing career.

National Treasure, the 2023 Preakness Stakes winner who took last Saturday’s Pegasus World Cup in his most recent start, will have a future as a stallion at Spendthrift Farm.

The farm announced Thursday that it had acquired the breeding rights to National Treasure, a 4-year-old son of Quality Road who races for the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan. A next start has yet to be determined for the colt, who remains in training with Bob Baffert.

Tue, 01/30/2024 - 14:46

Mucho Macho Man moving to Adena Springs North in Canada

Mucho Macho Man Sept 18 2023
Barbara D. Livingston
Mucho Macho Man, winner of the 2013 Breeders' Cup Classic, will stand for $4,500 at Adena Springs North in 2024.

Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man has been moved from Kentucky to Adena Springs North in Aurora, Ontario, for the 2024 breeding season.

A 16-year-old son of 2-year-old champion Macho Uno, Mucho Macho Man has sired 10 black-type winners, including Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup victor Mucho Gusto, Grade 1-winning turf runner Mucho Unusual, and multiple graded stakes winner City Man.

Mucho Macho Man’s stud fee is $4,500 Canadian, stands and nurses.

Tue, 01/30/2024 - 11:56

Lucky Appeal is the first winner for Louisiana Stallion Breaking Lucky

On January 27, Lucky Appeal became the first winner for Blue Star Racing’s stallion Breaking Lucky. In the $33,000 Maiden Special Weight at Sam Houston Race Park, Lucky Appeal ralied from the rear and won by a neck –covering 5-1/2 furlongs on a fast track in 1:07.72. 

Mon, 01/29/2024 - 13:20

Justify has his first graded winner of 2024; could be sitting on huge year

Warm Heart wins Pegasus World Cup Turf at GP Jan 27 2024
Barbara D. Livingston
Justify has a strong book of mares lined up for 2024, including Warm Heart (above), who beat males in Saturday's Pegasus World Cup Turf.

Triple Crown winner Justify, coming off a breakout season at stud, has already recorded his first graded stakes winner of 2024 and appears lined up for continued success with a strong group of 3-year-olds coming into this year, a well-bred group of 2-year-olds, and a strong book of mares committed to him for the upcoming breeding season.

Fri, 01/26/2024 - 11:23

War Front quietly continues high-level performance

Barbara D. Livingston
War Front is the leading sire for historic Claiborne Farm.

War Front, the flagship of the current roster at historic Claiborne Farm, quietly put together another consistently outstanding season.

War Front was North America’s leading living turf sire by progeny earnings in 2023. He had a remarkable strike rate with 33 winners, including 10 stakes winners, from 91 starters for a turf bankroll of $5,863,936.

That placed him behind only the late English Channel (Calumet Farm), and just ahead of the versatile leading sire Into Mischief (Spendthrift Farm) to make him the living leader in the category.

Fri, 01/26/2024 - 11:22

Justify has breakout season

Barbara D. Livingston
Triple Crown winner Justify has been a breakout success at stud.

Justify was a breakout success as a racehorse, crossing the line first in all six of his starts in 2018, including a sweep of the Triple Crown series. The Horse of the Year, now based at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky, enjoyed breakout success as a sire in 2023, with six Grade/Group 1 winners, tied for most by a North American sire with Into Mischief (Spendthrift Farm).

Fri, 01/26/2024 - 11:17

Curlin continues to shine

Barbara D. Livingston
Two-time Horse of the Year Curlin has now been among the nation's leading sires for a decade, and sired 2023 Horse of the Year Cody's Wish.

Two-time Horse of the Year Curlin made the vast majority of his starts in Grade/Group 1 races and only missed the top three once while retiring as North America’s all-time leading money winner. His high achievement has continued into his second career as a stallion, as he has been a remarkably consistent sire of upper-level horses.

Fri, 01/26/2024 - 10:58

National Flag building career in Ohio

Barbara D. Livingston
Young Ohio stallion National Flag, pictured winning his maiden at Saratoga, was a graded stakes winner on the track.

A number of the most exciting sires currently standing in Ohio have moved there from other states. In the case of National Flag, he began his career in Ohio for one of the Buckeye State’s most prominent partnerships and is rewarding them as a rising star.

National Flag, who stands for a $2,000 fee for racing co-owner WinStar Farm and longtime Ohio partner Tim Hamm at the latter’s Blazing Meadows Farm in Ohio, was the state’s leading freshman sire of 2022. He stepped up to finish third on the state’s general sire list for 2023.

Fri, 01/26/2024 - 10:48

Great Notion continues long reign in Maryland

Jim McCue
Fille d’Esprit was one of Great Notion's top runners in 2023 to help him continue his reign in Maryland.

Great Notion led Maryland’s general sire list for the fifth consecutive year in 2023, with progeny whose longevity is helping him continue to dominate this market.