New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc., will conduct its annual stallion season auction starting at 12 p.m. Eastern on Friday, Jan. 10, and ending at 12 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 13.
Stallions Kitten’s Joy, War Front, and Tapit all enjoyed breakout seasons in 2013, ranking first, fifth, and eighth on the general sire list through Dec. 26. Their accomplishments are remarkable considering their relative youth – Kitten’s Joy and Tapit are both 12, while War Front is 11. The average age of the other sires in the top 10 is 16.
Silver Train, winner of the 2005 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, died suddenly on Dec. 29 after suffering a bout of colic while shuttling back to the U.S. from Brazil.
Will Take Charge, a two-time Grade 1 winner and the leading contender for a 2013 Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old male, will stand at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Ky., upon the conclusion of his racing career.
One of the perks of being a turf writer is the privilege of voting on the Eclipse Awards. Come to think of it, for a semiretired gentleman of the turf, that might be just about the only benefit one could characterize as a perk. As horses make fewer and fewer starts each year, choosing the “right” horse can become more subjective and less fact-based. When the two leading contenders for champion 2-year-old male each made only three starts and never faced each other, how do you choose between them?
The recalibration of the bloodstock market took a big step forward in 2013, as several major auctions set records and foal-crop numbers stabilized to a degree following precipitous declines over the past several years.
The Thoroughbred Charities of America will hold its 24th annual stallion season auction from Jan. 2-4. The three-day fundraiser consists of a telephone and online auction culminating with a live select stallion season auction on Jan. 4 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern at the Keeneland entertainment center in Lexington, Ky.
Summer Bird, the champion 3-year-old of 2009 and winner of that year’s Belmont Stakes, died Tuesday of colic in Japan.
WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky., promoted David Hanley to general manager on Monday, where he will oversee the farm’s 23-stallion division and other business operations. Hanley previously served as director of development at WinStar, and will replace Chris Baker, who was named chief operating officer at nearby Three Chimneys Farm last week.
Veteran horseman and farm manager Chris Baker has been named the chief operating officer at Three Chimneys Farm. Baker, who has over 30 years experience in the horse industry, moves to the Midway, Ky., farm from nearby WinStar Farm, where he served two years as general manager.
