European Horse of the Year Giant's Causeway has not yet sired an American classic winner, but his legacy is playing an even bigger role on this Derby trail. His son Not This Time is the sire of four horses in this week's Derby Watch Top 20, with Epicenter, recent winner of the Grade 2 Risen Star, climbing the chart and Chasing Time looking to move forward in the Grade 2 Rebel.
Grade 1 winner Hog Creek Hustle arrived this week at Buck Pond Farm in Versailles, Ky., where he will debut at stud this breeding season, which recently got underway.
The Jockey Club has rescinded a controversial rule that would have capped the number of mares bred by a single stallion at 140 during a single breeding season, only two years after approving it.
2022 Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Smile Happy
Two Kentucky state legislators have introduced a bill seeking to stymie an effort by The Jockey Club to enforce a cap on the number of mares bred each year.
A decade after her first championship campaign, Groupie Doll is emerging as a solid broodmare, with two maiden winners early this year giving her four winners from as many starters.
An unexpected retirement can put a horse behind the eight ball in the process of securing a stud deal, attracting breeders, and assembling a strong book of mares. That is the case for more than two dozen stallions debuting in North America this season whose retirements were announced after Dec. 1 – some well after that.
Triple Crown winner American Pharoah got off to a fast start in his stud career with a number of strong turf runners, including 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Four Wheel Drive, who helped him to the freshman sire title. American Pharoah has continued his success and is now off to a fast start in 2022 with three graded stakes winners since the turn of the calendar – all on dirt.
Grade 3 winner Speightster, who arrived in Canada last month to continue his stud career, was euthanized Sunday after suffering an irreparable injury to a hind leg in his stall.
When the Eclipse Awards are presented Thursday night at Santa Anita, Essential Quality will be spending a quiet evening at his birthplace, Darley's Jonabell Farm in Lexington, Ky., while continuing to prepare for his upcoming first season at stud, with breeding sheds set to open in the coming week in Kentucky.
