Lane's End raises some fees

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Lane’s End Farm, home of such stallions as Smart Strike and his son Curlin, has raised the fees for five of its 18 horses, including Smart Strike.

A 19-year-old Mr. Prospector horse, Smart Strike remains the Versailles, Ky., farm’s most expensive sire. He will stand for $85,000 in 2012, up from $75,000 last year. His runners this year have included Grade 1 winners Never Retreat and My Miss Aurelia, and such graded winners as Grade 1-placed Smart Bid, Air Support, Denomination, Smart Sting, Dominus, and Salty Strike. He also is the sire of 2011 Group 1-placed Zip Top.

Also getting a raise is Candy Ride, sire of debuting Lane’s End stallion Twirling Candy and Sidney’s Candy. He goes from $40,000 to $50,000 for the coming season. Twirling Candy will begin his stud career alongside his sire in 2012, and his initial fee will be $15,000.

Others getting fee hikes are Mineshaft, from $25,000 to $35,000; City Zip, from $15,000 to $20,000; and Pleasantly Perfect, from $7,500 to $10,000.

The farm lowered the fees for two stallions, Belong to Me and Rock Hard Ten. Belong to Me drops from $7,500 to $5,000, and Rock Hard Ten gets a trim from $25,000 to $20,000.

In addition to Twirling Candy, Lane’s End also will be standing two other stallions for the first time in 2012. Breeders’ Cup Mile contender Courageous Cat will retire immediately after that Nov. 5 race, and the farm will announce his fee after his retirement. Shakespeare recently relocated from Signature Stallions in Florida, and his fee will remain the same this year at $10,000.

The other Lane’s End stallions will have the same fees they had in 2011, as follows: After Market $7,500, Curlin $40,000, Discreetly Mine $15,000, English Channel $25,000, Langfuhr $15,000, Lemon Drop Kid $35,000, and Quality Road $35,000.

All fees are live-foal and payable on stands-and-nurses terms.