Virginia horseman and real estate entrepreneur Randy Rouse has donated the Middleburg Training Center, once owned by Paul Mellon, to the Thoroughbred Retirement Fund (TRF), providing additional acreage to house its retired racehorses and programs. The deal was completed on Dec. 29 – one day before Rouse, a noted figure in the steeplechase community, celebrated his 100th birthday.
Triple Crown winner American Pharoah's first foal has arrived. The highly anticipated arrival, coming early in the foaling season in North America, is a colt born Tuesday at the Seitz family's Brookdale Farm in Versailles, Ky.
Triple Crown winner American Pharoah's first foal has arrived. The highly-anticipated arrival, coming early in the foaling season in North America, is a colt born Jan. 3 at the Seitz family’s Brookdale Farm in Versailles, Ky. The farm, a full-service Thoroughbred boarding and sales operation, “happily” reported that the bay colt with white points was born at 12:30 a.m.
Mary Jo Pons, matriarch of Maryland’s Country Life Farm, died Jan. 2 at Bright View Assisted Living in Bel Air, Md. She was 87.
Group 2 stakes winner Acapulco will be bred to Coolmore’s flagship sire Galileo this spring in Ireland, but prior to her official retirement, she will race in foal for the first half of the season, with a return engagement at Royal Ascot the chief target.
The Korean stallion roster has added four new U.S. imports, including graded winners Concord Point and Cowboy Cal, for the 2017 breeding season. They will join expats Colonel John and Take Charge Indy, sold to Korean interests late last year.
Oscietra, the first foal out of unbeaten champion Black Caviar, finished third in her career debut at Flemington in Australia on New Year's Day.
Texas Red, whose biggest victory came in the 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, will begin his stallion career this year at Pope McLean's Crestwood Farm.
DRF Breeding sales editor Joe Nevills makes his selections for the 2016 Eclipse Awards in the form of haiku; a Japanese poem of 17 syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five. Ballots for the Eclipse Awards are due Tuesday, Jan. 3, with the finalists being announced shortly thereafter. The awards will be presented on Saturday, Jan. 21 at Gulfstream Park.
Night Shift’s best son Azamour has become his best son at stud, most recently through Robert J. Frankel Stakes winner Goodyearforroses.
