Indiana: Ready's Image atop strengthening stallion scene
In recent years, Indiana has bucked a downward national trend with its on-the-rise Thoroughbred industry.
Mary SimonJan 17, 2019
In recent years, Indiana has bucked a downward national trend with its on-the-rise Thoroughbred industry.
Despite a racing program that has witnessed steady growth in purse distribution and average purse per race, and offers a respectable incentive program, Iowa's breeding end of the business has trended in a different direction.
Not only did Into Mischief finish as the leading juvenile sire by several measures, but young Spendthrift Farm sires Cross Traffic and Goldencents, the latter a son of Into Mischief, led the freshman sire list.
Leading Ohio general sires Cowtown Cat, Mobil, Factum, and Awesome Patriot will be joined in 2019 by the young graded stakes winner National Flag, who will stand at Blazing Meadows Farm.
As War Front's stallion career has developed, his handlers have prioritized quality over quantity – and the market has responded.
Kitten's Joy, who has reigned as North America's leading turf sire each year since 2013, overhauled Candy Ride atop the general sires list with earnings of $19,083,421 to the latter's $17,972,878.
Steuart Pittman, founder of the Retired Racehorse Project, and Isabela de Sousa, several times a winner at the event, were honored by the U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) at its Pegasus Awards on Jan. 10 in Florida.
Multiple graded stakes winner American Lion has been pensioned from stallion duty, gelded, and is available for adoption as a sport horse prospect at New Vocations in Lexington, Ky.
Italian Group 1 winner Biondetti will relocate from Florida to continue his stallion career at Poplar Creek Horse Center in Bethel, Ohio. Ohio champion sprinter Rivers Run Deep joins him there for 2019.
Powered by the auction-record-tying $5 million sale of champion Abel Tasman, the Keeneland January horses-of-all-ages sale wrapped up its Book 1 portion this week with year-over-year gains.