Tangling with champions was commonplace for Collected in the late summer and fall of 2017. As a 4-year-old that season, Collected won three stakes, notably the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles at Del Mar, beating Arrogate by a half-length. Arrogate was the champion 3-year-old male of 2016 and later an inductee to racing’s Hall of Fame. In his following start, Collected bravely chased Gun Runner in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar, only to finish second by 2 1/4 lengths. Gun Runner was named the 2017 Horse of the Year and also is in the Hall of Fame. Collected was sent to stud in Kentucky in 2019 and was based at Airdrie Farm until last month, when he was moved to Rancho San Miguel in San Miguel, Calif., for the 2026 breeding season. Collected, 12, is the most prominent of a small group of stallions that have been moved to the state or are having their first seasons at stud in 2026. By City Zip, Collected will stand for $7,500, down from a published fee of $10,000 in 2024 and 2025. His relocation is part of a partnership between Airdrie Stud, Rancho San Miguel, and Thoroughbred owner and breeder Marsha Naify, who has had an extensive list of successful runners in recent decades on her own and through many partnerships. Through Dec. 14, Collected ranked 46th in the nation with 2025 progeny earnings of more than $6.6 million. Into Mischief led the list with $31.2 million in earnings. Collected’s position on the national list puts him well in front of established California-based stallions. Through Dec. 14, Stay Thirsty led the California list with progeny earnings of $3,710,024, narrowly ahead of Grazen’s $3,697,524. Collected, owned by Speedway Stable and trained by Bob Baffert, won 8 of 15 starts and earned $2,975,500 while racing from 2015 to 2018. While his greatest achievements were on dirt, Collected won his first start in a maiden race on the Santa Anita hillside turf course and was second in his stakes debut in the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes for 2-year-olds at a mile on turf at Del Mar in the fall of 2015. The Pacific Classic was by far his most prominent stakes win. Collected, who was bred to 52 mares earlier this year, according to Jockey Club statistics, is the sire of such notable runners as Thought Process, who won the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap at a mile on turf for 3-year-old fillies at Del Mar in July for an ownership group that includes the family of the late Brereton Jones, which operates Airdrie Stud. Collected, who is out of Helena Bay, by Johannesburg, has also sired Mansetti, winner of the King’s Plate Stakes at Woodbine in 2025; Taxed, winner of the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico in 2023; and Vibez, who won the Swingtime Stakes for fillies and mares on turf at Santa Anita in October. Collected is joined on the list of relocated stallions to the state by Smooth Like Strait, a six-time stakes winner from 2019 to 2021. Here is a glance at the new stallions in the state for 2026:   Air Force Red (Air Force Blue – Mesana, by Mizzen Mast) Farm: BG Thoroughbreds Fee: $2,500 Air Force Red was a fixture in turf stakes throughout California from the summer of 2022 until earlier this year. A 7-year-old ridgling, Air Force Red won 7 of 30 starts and earned $758,914 in his career, all on grass. Trained by Leonard Powell for Holly Golightly and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Air Force Red won three stakes – the restricted Lure Stakes at a mile on turf and Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in consecutive starts in the final months of 2022, and the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course last March. The San Simeon was Air Force Red’s lone victory this year in an eight-race campaign that included third-place finishes in three stakes at Santa Anita – the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes at a mile, the Siren Lure Stakes at six furlongs on the flat turf course, and the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course. In 2024, Air Force Red was second in two stakes, losing by a head the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate Fields and by 1 1/2 lengths in the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes on the hillside turf course. Bred in Kentucky, Air Force Red is the most successful foal produced by Mesana, who is also the dam of Candy Cornell, a three-time winner in dirt sprints who earned $229,744. Mesana started twice for trainer John Shirreffs, winning her debut at six furlongs at Hollywood Park in 2013.   Red Run (Gun Runner – Red House, by Tapit) Fee: $3,500 Farm: Milky Way Farm Red Run had a diverse career from 2021 until May of this year, winning a sprint on dirt and a stakes at a mile on turf while placing in marathon stakes on dirt and turf in recent seasons. Red Run had his final start at Churchill Downs in May, ending his career with 3 wins in 33 starts and earnings of $574,897. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Mike Maker, and Ron Moquett, Red Run’s lone stakes win was in the Texas Turf Mile for 3-year-olds at Sam Houston Park in January 2022. He was trained by Asmussen at the time. The preceding May, Red Run won his first start in a maiden race for 2-year-olds at five furlongs at Churchill. Racing at 1 1/2 miles in 2023, Red Run was third in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Stakes on dirt at Belmont Park. At the same distance on turf, Red Run was third in the Grade 3 John Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston in January 2024. Red Run is out of Red House, who did not start. Red House is a full sister to Untapable, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2014. Red Run is a full brother to Red Route One, who won 6 of 28 starts and earned more than $2.1 million in a career highlighted by wins in the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park in 2023 and the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds in 2024.   Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute – Smooth as Usual, by Flower Alley) Fee: $3,500 Farm: Eclipse Thoroughbred Farm Smooth Like Strait, a Grade 1 winner who nearly stole the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar, has been moved from War Place Farm in Kentucky to Eclipse Thoroughbred Farm for the forthcoming breeding season. Smooth Like Strait stood for an advertised fee of $4,500 in 2025 and has a published fee of $3,500 for 2026. An 8-year-old, Smooth Like Strait won 7 of 26 starts and earned $1,813,863 racing from the summer of 2019 to the spring of 2023. Smooth Like Strait was most effective on turf at distances ranging from a mile to 1 1/8 miles, though he did beat maidens on turf at 5 1/2 furlongs. Smooth Like Strait was at his best in 2021, finishing in the top three in all of his starts. The highlights of that season were a win Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita in May and a second by a half-length to Space Blues in the BC Mile at Del Mar. Smooth Like Strait frequently led or stalked the pace. That running style led to second-place finishes in three other Grade 1 races aside from the BC Mile – the 2020 Hollywood Derby at 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar, the Frank Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita in March 2021, and the Arlington Million at 1 1/8 miles at Churchill in 2022. Smooth Like Strait was bred to 10 mares earlier this year, according to Jockey Club statistics. His oldest foals will be yearlings in 2026.