First Dude had something of a star-crossed career. The dual classic-placed runner was among the most respected performers of his division, but suffered a frustrating string of narrow defeats in major events. He finally broke through with his first Grade 1 victory – but was promptly forced into retirement by an injury.

Champion Songbird delivered her first foal, a filly from the first crop of champion Arrogate, early Monday morning at Timber Town Farm in Kentucky.

Songbird has been boarded at Timber Town since Mandy Pope purchased her for a near-record $9.5 million as a broodmare prospect at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale.

"Songbird is a fantastic mother and both she and her foal are doing well," Timber Town wrote on its social media channels.

Awesome Again and English Channel aren’t just represented in Gulfstream Park’s Pegasus World Cup races this Saturday, they’re represented in double. Awesome Again has two offspring in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup, and English Channel has two in the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf.

Love the Chase, dam of two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome, will be among the highlights of Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Accelerate’s first book when he begins his stallion career in a few weeks’ time at Lane’s End Farm.

Kitten's Joy clawed his way past Candy Ride atop the general sires earnings list for 2018.

In late December, More Than Ready made his flight from Vinery in Australia to Kentucky for the final time. More Than Ready, who officially turned 22 with the turn of the calendar, has concluded his days of shuttling to a continent where he was phenomenally successful and beloved, represented by champions More Joyous, Phelan Ready, Sebring, Samaready, and Entisaar.

Another majorly successful season for Quality Road cemented his place among North America’s leading stallions, and for 2019 he joins the ranks of North America’s six-figure sires.

Quality Road’s advertised stud fee has more than doubled for 2019 at Lane’s End, with his $150,000 price tag placing him among the elite on the continent. He stood for $70,000 in 2018 – up from $35,000 the prior year – after a 2017 season in which he was represented by champions Abel Tasman and Caledonia Road.

Adena Springs’s homebred champion Ghostzapper hinted that he was developing as a broodmare sire at a relatively early point in his career when Drefong, out of his daughter Eltimaas, was named the champion male sprinter of 2016.

Lookin At Lucky had a career year in 2018 and capped it by coming within a length of a historic accomplishment.

Mark Valeski didn’t get the press of Cross Traffic, whose first-crop daughter Jaywalk coasted in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. He also lacked the numbers of runners to reach the top ranks of a competitive freshman sire earnings list, in which four individuals had progeny earnings of more than $1 million. But what Airdrie Stud’s homebred lacked in quantity, he made up in consistency and quality.