Taylor Made Farm bulks up stallion roster

The sudden retirement announcement of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up Not This Time with a soft-tissue injury this week gives Taylor Made Farm, which is continuing to rebuild its roster, a third new stallion for 2017.

The Taylor family’s operation lost flagship stallion Unbridled’s Song suddenly in the summer of 2013. This past season, the farm advertised just four stallions, led by Graydar, a son of Unbridled’s Song whose first foals are yearlings, at $15,000.

The farm’s three new stallions for 2017 are led by California Chrome, Horse of the Year in 2014 and the favorite to be honored with that title again for 2016. Taylor Made 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. California Chrome, who has won 15 of 25 career starts for a North American earnings record of more than $14.4 million, will debut for a fee of $40,000.

“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.

Mshawish, a Medaglia d’Oro horse who is a Grade 1 winner on both dirt and turf, will debut at stud for $20,000 at Taylor Made.

Not This Time, by Giant’s Causeway, will stand for $15,000 in his initial season. The winner of the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes, he is a half-brother to 2015 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Liam’s Map.

“Physically, Not This Time is one of the best-looking horses I’ve ever seen,” Taylor said. “People will see it for themselves when they come out to look at him. He’s out of one of the very best families going right now, and everything in it is good looking. The genetics just don’t miss. He’s by a sire of sires in Giant’s Causeway, and his dam, Miss Macy Sue, is line bred to champion Ta Wee.”