ARCADIA, Calif. - In past years, California breeders have been slow to warm to stallions who specialized in turf racing. This year, they have a new candidate, with local credentials, to consider.
Bienamado, one of the top turf marathoners in the United States in the last few years, arrived at Cardiff Stud Farm in Creston on Thursday, just in time for the start of the breeding season next week.
To say that Samuel Bayard bided his time before getting into the horse business would be an understatement. Since the early 1960's, Bayard had savored the good times and suffered through the bad whenever any of the numerous accomplished runners of his parents, James and Nancy Bayard, took to the track.
But it was not until after his mother's death last summer that Samuel Bayard, the youngest of five children, became an owner in his own right.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Two-time Breeders' Cup Classic winner and Horse of the Year candidate Tiznow has taken up painting since his retirement from racing late last year. Now standing his first year at stud at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky., Tiznow is one of about 10 horses who will "paint" for an upcoming auction of literal equine art that will benefit ReRun, the racehorse adoption program.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - In an effort to help Kentucky stallion farms recoup losses they sustained during last year's mare reproductive loss syndrome, the state has amended breeding regulations to allow stallions to return to the breeding shed faster after covering imported mares.
The amendments remove a requirement that any stallion bred to an imported mare be held out of service for 12 hours. With that holdout period lifted, farms will be able to return stallions to the breeding shed faster and thus breed more mares to them.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A standout in a small catalog that produced a sales-record average of $114,395, a $500,000 Saint Ballado colt bought by James "Mattress Mac" McIngvale was the top seller Tuesday at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's select 2-year-old auction at Calder Race Course in Miami.
The one-day auction, cut by withdrawals from its slender 205-hip catalog, sold only 114 lots this year, down from 136 in 2001.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - With breeding season set to start within two weeks, University of Kentucky researchers are still studying a range of possible causes of last spring's mare reproductive loss syndrome.
The scientists acknowledged at an informational session Monday night in Lexington that they had yet to identify the disease's cause, and their initial theory - that Eastern tent caterpillars and wild cherry trees were the leading suspects - is now just one of many possibilities under investigation.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Nine months after mare reproductive loss syndrome first was discovered in a wave of fetal loss among Kentucky broodmares, researchers are still working to identify the cause of the disease.
Now, a Clemson University team has released results of an epidemiological study that appears to support one of many theories about the disease's cause.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Claiborne Farm has emerged as the leading contender to stand at stud Kentucky Derby winner , sources said on Friday.
Although there are still legal details to work out, the deal could be announced as early as Monday, according to sources in south Florida. Meanwhile, Monarchos remains in his stall at Gulfstream Park, where he was expected to be vaccinated for equine viral arteritis - a contagious viral infection - on Friday.
"His future plans are close to being finalized," a source said.
ARCADIA, Calif. - If this is February, then the young stallion Comet Shine must be at a new farm.
Later this month, for the third time in the last four years, the Canadian champion will launch the breeding season at a new location. This year's stop on what has become a world tour is Victory Rose Thoroughbreds in Vacavilla, Calif.
Previously, Comet Shine stood at Madera Thoroughbreds in Fresno for the 2000 and 2001 seasons. From 1995 to 1999, he stood at Contemporary Stallions in Coxsackie, N.Y. He also stood two seasons in Australia in the late 1990's.