The somewhat irrational American prejudice against turf horses as stallions makes it difficult for a turf specialist to really succeed as a stallion in the United States.
Hootenanny, a Grade 1 winner, has been retired from racing and will enter stud at Buck Pond Farm in Versailles, Ky., during the 2018 breeding season.
The California stallion ranks are in a season of change. The state's general sire list provides a snapshot of that shifting landscape, with recently deceased state stalwarts, prominent active stallions with California-sired progeny, and accomplished newcomers to the region all playing a role.
Danzing Candy is one of the more prominent names among the new stallions in California in 2018, a group that includes first-year stallions and several relocated from other states.
When California owner Terry Lovingier left Kentucky in mid-November, he was bound for home with a renewed breeding operation. Lovingier had reached an agreement to stand Stay Thirsty at his Lovacres Farm in Warner Springs, Calif. To support the young stallion, Lovingier purchased 10 broodmares at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale alone.
During various check-ins with the media over the summer, Tim Ritvo, chief operating officer of The Stronach Group, said one of the most serious issues facing California's racing industry was a low horse population, which led to small field sizes. To help reverse that trend, Frank Stronach will once again reach from within his own infrastructure.
The ebbs and flows of racing seasons will see certain stallions fluctuate when it comes to the quality and quantity of top performers in a given year. One of the stallions seeing the biggest boosts in 2017 was Malibu Moon, whose foals achieved a Beyer Speed Figure of 90 or higher on 26 more occasions than in 2016.
More Than Ready leads all sires by the number of Beyer Speed Figures of 100 or more earned by his runners in dirt sprints during 2017.
Tricks To Doo's dominant score Saturday in the Inaugural Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs earned an 89 Beyer Speed Figure, helping grow Into Mischief's lead as the most prolific sire of juvenile runners with Beyers of 80 or higher in 2017.
Coolmore and Mike Repole will donate a total of $220,000 to the Thoroughbred Charities of America's Horses First Fund following the sale of two no-guarantee seasons to champion Uncle Mo to benefit racehorses and their caretakers displaced by the wildfires that devastated California's San Luis Rey training center earlier this month.
