Darley to auction off stallion seasons online

Darley’s American breeding operation will auction off seasons to three of its stallions, selling online without reserve. The Lexington, Ky.-based wing of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Darley operation, based at Jonabell Farm, will offer one season each to Lonhro, Medaglia d’Oro, and Street Sense through standard “stands and nurses” terms.

The auctions will begin Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 9 a.m. Eastern, and bidding will continue through Friday, Oct. 11 at 4 p.m. Bidding will be set up in a traditional online auction format, where interested parties may enter a maximum bid at the beginning of the auction and the system will bid on their behalf. All bids will be made in U.S. dollars.

Lonhro, who shuttles from Darley’s Australian base, was the Australia’s Horse of the Year in 2004 and carried his success into his stallion career, earning his native country’s leading sire honors in 2011. The 15-year-old son of Octagonal has sired eight crops of racing age, highlighted by Australian champion Pierro and Group 1 winners including Beaded, Mental, Denman, and Benfica. Lonhro stood his first Northern Hemisphere season in 2012.

Medaglia d’Oro, a 14-year-old El Prado horse, is best known as the sire of 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra. The multiple Grade 1 winner has six crops of racing age, with 25 graded/group stakes winners, including Grade/Group 1 winners Passion for Gold, Marketing Mix, Plum Pretty, and C.S. Silk.

Street Sense returns to the U.S. after standing the 2013 season at Darley’s Japan operation. The champion 9-year-old son of Street Cry has three crops of racing age, led by Grade 1 winners Aubby K and Sweet Reason, as well as Grade 2 winner Unlimited Budget.