Uncle Mo was already the hottest young sire on the planet before the first Saturday in May, but just how much hotter will he get after Nyquist’s victory in the 142nd Kentucky Derby? Does any doubt remain that Uncle Mo is the real deal?
Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum's Darley America picked up another big win for its stallion roster on Friday when Cathryn Sophia, a daughter of Street Boss, drew away to win the Kentucky Oaks. The following day, future Darley resident Nyquist took home the roses as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby.
One of the earliest and best racehorses based in the United States for the sprawling international operation of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum was Street Cry. The Irish-bred son of Machiavellian (by Mr. Prospector) started his career in California with Eoin Harty, running third in the 2000 Breeders' Cup Juvenile before being turned over to Saeed bin Suroor and developing into one of the best older horses in the world, taking the Dubai World Cup in 2002 and following with a tour-de-force win in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap.
Nyquist was an unbeaten juvenile champion, just like his sire, and was made the morning-line favorite for the Kentucky Derby, just like his sire. The question was, could he go the classic distance, something his sire had never done?
On May 1 at Golden Gate Fields, Gold Rush Dancer won his second stakes – and first in California – in the $100,000 Silky Sullivan Stakes for California-bred 3-year-olds at a mile on turf. Owner and breeder John Parker, of Washington, said Gold Rush Dancer won despite showing signs of immaturity.
DRF sales editor Joe Nevills analyzes the Kentucky Derby field, in post position order, in the form of Haiku, a Japanese poem of 17 syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five.
Because there is no prior form to help judge who will have something left in the tank for that last eighth of a mile in the Kentucky Derby, a useful tool to help determine each horse's distance potential is the average winning distance of his sire and dam's progeny.
It would be off the mark to say that Barbara Banke simply “carried on” at Stonestreet Farm following the death of husband Jess Jackson five years ago. Instead, Banke, with her own style of leadership, has put her own spin on shaping what is now an international operation.
Lucy Gay Bassett, wife of former Keeneland President Ted Bassett, died on May 1 at her home on Lanark Farm in Woodford County, Ky. She was 87.
Zenyatta, the 2010 Horse of the Year and newly elected Hall of Famer, was bred to Medaglia d’Oro for the 2017 foaling season.
