Thu, 01/17/2019 - 11:06

Into Mischief powers big year for Spendthrift stallions

Barbara D. Livingston
Into Mischief continues to lead the juvenile sires list, keying a big season for Spendthrift Farm.

Maximus Mischief notched the top Beyer Speed Figure for a 2-year-old of 2018, recording a 98 for an allowance win at Parx, which preceded his score in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes to cap an unbeaten campaign.

Thu, 01/17/2019 - 11:06

Ohio: Stalwart sires and new faces in market

Barbara D. Livingston
Cowtown Cat's first Ohio-conceived foals will race this year.

Cowtown Cat began his stud career in Florida and established himself among the leading stallions there, siring horses such as Canadian champion Calgary Cat. He moved to Mapleton Thoroughbred Farm in Polk, Ohio, beginning with the 2015 season and has made himself right at home in the Midwest region. Represented by his first locally sired runners, Cowtown Cat reigns as Ohio’s leading general sire for 2018.

Thu, 01/17/2019 - 11:06

Kentucky stallions: Strategy pays off for War Front

Barbara D. Livingston
War Front will stand for $250,000 in 2019 at Claiborne Farm, the highest fee in North America.

As War Front’s stallion career has developed, his handlers have prioritized quality over quantity – and the market has responded.

Thu, 01/17/2019 - 11:06

Kitten's Joy claws his way to top sire title

Barbara D. Livingston
Kitten's Joy led the general sires earnings list in 2018, topping that chart for the second time in his career.

On Jan. 27, 2018, it seemed a fait accompli that Candy Ride would be the leading general sire of the season, as his son Gun Runner stormed to a win in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup, taking home the winner’s share of $7 million in his career finale.

Mon, 01/14/2019 - 12:36

Pittman, de Sousa honored by USEF

Steuart Pittman, founder of the Retired Racehorse Project, and Isabela de Sousa, several times a winner at the event, were honored by the U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) at its Pegasus Awards on Jan. 10 in Florida.

Mon, 01/14/2019 - 12:36

Multiple graded winner American Lion up for adoption through New Vocations

Barbara D. Livingston
American Lion, who stood at stud last season in Oklahoma, has been gelded to be retrained for a second career.

Multiple graded stakes winner American Lion has been pensioned from stallion duty, gelded, and is available for adoption as a sport horse prospect at New Vocations in Lexington, Ky.

Mon, 01/14/2019 - 12:30

Biondetti, Rivers Run Deep to stand in Ohio

Coady Photography
The Ohio-bred champion Rivers Run Deep has been retired to stand at Poplar Creek Horse Center in his home state.

Italian Group 1 winner Biondetti, Florida’s leading freshman sire of 2016, will relocate to continue his stallion career at Poplar Creek Horse Center in Bethel, Ohio. He is part of a duo of incoming stallions for the farm, with the other coming from much closer to home, as Ohio champion sprinter Rivers Run Deep retires for 2019.

Wed, 01/09/2019 - 11:30

Abel Tasman sells for $5 million as prices surge at Keeneland sale

Keeneland Photo
Abel Tasman's sale price tied a record for the Keeneland January sale of horses of all ages.

Powered by the auction-record-tying $5 million sale of champion Abel Tasman, the Keeneland January horses-of-all-ages sale wrapped up its Book 1 portion this week with year-over-year gains.

Tue, 01/08/2019 - 18:32

Pensioned sire and Grade 1 winner Stephen Got Even dies

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Stevie Wonderboy (above), winning the BC Juvenile under Garrett Gomez, is favored in his division.

Grade 1 winner and sire Stephen Got Even has died, Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Ky., reported on Tuesday. The 23-year-old stallion spent his entire stud career at his birthplace of Lane's End, and continued to reside there after being pensioned following the 2015 season.

Wed, 01/02/2019 - 12:06

Solid year for freshman sire Mark Valeski

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 a million. But what Airdrie Stud’s homebred lacked in quantity, he made up in consistency and quality.