At first glance, it may appear that Mongolian Groom, upset winner of the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita, and Ohio-bred Verissimo, who won the Catlaunch Stakes at Thistledown in his home state a few hours prior, have nothing in common. But they are linked through Calumet Farm’s large and diverse stallion roster, which includes representation in various regional and international markets.
It was no surprise to see Uncle Mo atop the freshman sire list in 2015. After all, he was an unbeaten juvenile champion himself, with every right to start his stud career off fast. But he exceeded expectations, shattering records with his first crop.
Palace Malice never set foot on turf during his own racing career – but, drawing ability from the stamina and versatility of his sire line, the freshman sire has found success with his first juveniles routing on the turf. This was in evidence over the weekend at Belmont Park. Structor, Palace Malice’s top earner to date, remained unbeaten in two starts by winning the Grade 3 Pilgrim Stakes on the turf Saturday and is now bound for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. A day later, his daughter Crystalle, winner of the P.G.
The Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover, set to take place this week in Lexington, Ky., showcases former racehorses who have moved on to second careers in a variety of disciplines. But learning new things is old hat for Mr. Hot Stuff, who is on to his third career.
The fall means the announcement of accomplished runners preparing to enter stud in Kentucky, the epicenter of the Thoroughbred industry in North America. Alongside that, the fall also often includes announcements of active stallions exiting the state to continue their careers in other regional or international markets, with the timing of the announcements allowing them to be inspected at their new locations prior to the season. That is already the case this fall, as, in the past week, new locations were announced for Grade 1 winners Flat Out, Itsmyluckyday, and Verrazano.
The popular New Mexico-bred Peppers Pride, who won all 19 of her starts, was euthanized last week after a battle with laminitis, leaving behind a handful of runners who have yet to hint at her accomplishments on the racetrack – but also two youngsters by promising young sires.
The third annual Real Rider Cup, a charity jumping challenge bringing together Thoroughbred racing personalities with ex-racehorses in order to raise awareness of their capacity as sporthorses, features a new venue and a slightly new look this season.
Into Mischief is the first of North America’s elite stallions to have his 2020 pricing revealed, with his advertised stud fee climbing to $175,000, Spendthrift Farm announced Sunday night. The farm also said that Into Mischief, North America’s leading general sire by earnings, is already booked full for the upcoming season.
Classy ’n Smart was a Canadian champion for Sam-Son Farm and went on to become one of the foundation mares for the dominant Ontario-based operation. The majority of her family’s continued fame and success has come via her Grade 1-winning progeny Dance Smartly and Smart Strike. Dance Smartly, a Canadian Triple Crown winner and a champion in both Canada and the United States, went on to produce five stakes horses, including a pair of Queen’s Plate winners, and her daughters and granddaughters have ably continued on production.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Last week, The Jockey Club floated a controversial proposal to limit stallions to 140 mares bred in a single North American season, and to some in the breeding industry, the measure could not come soon enough.
“It’s something that needs to be done, now,” said Bernie Sams, the longtime stallion manager at Claiborne Farm. “In fact, it needed to be done 15 years ago.”
