California Chrome's initial stud fee set at $40,000

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Champion California Chrome, North America’s leading moneywinner, will debut at stud for a fee of $40,000 next year, Duncan Taylor of Taylor Made Farm said Tuesday while working at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

California Chrome, who finished second in last Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, is expected to make his final start in the inaugural running of the $12 million Pegasus World Cup next January at Gulfstream Park before arriving at Taylor Made in Nicholasville, Ky., in time for the 2017 breeding season. The Taylor family’s operation bought into the son of Lucky Pulpit last year and campaigns him as California Chrome LLC, in partnership with co-breeder Perry Martin and partners including the China Horse Club.

“We think that’s a very reasonable stud fee, and we’re hoping to get some really good mares, and that breeders will make money and we can make him a great stallion,” Duncan Taylor said.

“Even though I think he has a very good pedigree, it’s not an obvious pedigree,” Taylor continued. “I think it’s going to take some explaining, and I think, hopefully, with the price where it is, people will want to learn more.”

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With California Chrome preparing to enter stud, his ownership interests are gearing up to assemble his first book of mares. Martin, with Taylor Made consigning as agent, sold California Chrome’s dam, Love The Chase, for $1.95 million during Monday night’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale, a move he had previously said was engineered to raise capital to purchase additional mares.

On Tuesday at Keeneland November, California Chrome LLC, as agent for Martin, appeared on the $325,000 sale ticket for racing or broodmare prospect Right There, a Grade 1-placed stakes-winning daughter of Eskendereya. California Chrome LLC also purchased Uchitel, dam of Grade 3 winner Suddenbreakingnews, for $420,000.

Taylor said he believes California Chrome’s physical build will help him work well with a number of mares.

“He’s a medium-sized horse with great balance and a great neck,” Taylor said. “I don’t really think he’s going to be difficult to match up. He’s got a great hip, and with his body shape and type, he’s right in the middle. So I think he’s just naturally going to match with a lot of mares.”

Through the Breeders’ Cup Classic, California Chrome has won 15 of 25 career starts – including the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness and this year’s Dubai World Cup – for earnings of $14,452,650.