Mon, 01/13/2025 - 09:07

First Foal for Mage

Leading breeders Carrie and Craig Brogden and Dr. Sandra Fubini have reported that Lil Miss Moonlight, a stakes-placed City of Light mare who was carrying her first pregnancy, has foaled a bay colt by Airdrie Stud’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner Mage at their Machmer Hall in Paris, KY. Out of a Malibu Moon half-sister to the top-class European miler Taareef, Lil Miss Moonlight was purchased by Machmer Hall at the 2023 Keeneland November Sale and sent to Mage for her first covering.

Thu, 01/09/2025 - 11:19

Taiba, Gun Runner’s 3-time G1-winning son, sires first foal

Spendthrift Farm’s Taiba, Gun Runner’s only 3-time Grade 1-winning son to date, sired his first reported foal this week when a colt was born late Monday, January 6th at Castleton Lyons in Lexington.

Bred by Castleton Lyons & Kilboy Estate, the chestnut colt is out of the Exaggerator mare Wecallherqueenmary, whose dam is a full sister to the late leading sire Speightstown.

Wed, 01/08/2025 - 10:14

First foal by Cody's Wish arrives

Barbara D. Livingston
Cody's Wish won two consecutive editions of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and entered stud last year for an advertised fee of $75,000.

Jan. 1 marked the official start of foaling season in the Northern Hemisphere, and among the notable arrivals this year will be the first foals for a quintet of Eclipse Award winners standing in Kentucky. The first of those represented was 2023 Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish, whose first reported foal is a colt born Jan. 6 in Kentucky.

Wed, 01/01/2025 - 11:27

Into Mischief had another record-setting year in 2024

Barbara D. Livingston
Into Mischief led all sires by earnings for the sixth consecutive year in 2024.

Familiar names were atop the lists of leading sires, breeders, and owners of 2024.

Into Mischief, who stands at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky, claimed his sixth consecutive North American general sire earnings title, a streak that puts him in league with some of the all-time greats. The stallion’s progeny earned $35,406,575 in 2024, according to Daily Racing Form statistics. That not only easily outpaced runner-up Gun Runner, with $22,488,544, but smashed his own single-season earnings record of $28,568,753 from the 2022 season.

Wed, 01/01/2025 - 08:43

Rich Strike nearing deal to stand stud in Pennsylvania

Barbara D. Livingston
Rich Strike, with Sonny Leon up, scores an upset victory in the 2022 Kentucky Derby.

Rich Strike, upset winner of the 2022 Kentucky Derby who had a roller-coaster year-plus trying to make it back to the races, is expected to begin his stud career at Mountain Springs Farm in Palmyra, Pa., in 2025.

Owner Rick Dawson, who campaigned Rich Strike in the name of his RED-TR Racing, has long expressed his desire to strike a domestic stud deal for his star. He confirmed in a social media post on New Year’s Eve that he has entered into a purchase and sale agreement with the farm. 

Fri, 12/27/2024 - 09:55

The Street Fighter Relocates To Rancho San Miguel

The Street Fighter, a stakes-caliber performer by multiple Grade 1 winner Street Boss, has relocated to Rancho San Miguel in California for the 2025 breeding season. The 10-year-old stallion will stand for a fee of $2,500, with a live foal guarantee.

Mon, 12/23/2024 - 14:37

California-bred Big Fame succeeding in second career as a sport horse

In the summer of 2023, it was announced that Golden Gate Fields, the major remaining Thoroughbred track in Northern California, would be closing. The Bay Area track staged its final card this June.

With that closure pending, Thoroughbred breeder Dr. Dorothee Kieckhefer was keeping an eye on a filly she had co-bred in California, Big Fame. After being well-beaten in two outings on the Southern California circuit, the filly had scored both her career wins in claiming company at Golden Gate, as well as running on the fair circuit at Pleasanton, Sacramento, and Santa Rosa.

Mon, 12/23/2024 - 14:37

Local favorite Brickyard Ride leads new California stallions in 2025

Benoit Photo
Brickyard Ride was blazingly fast. He raced six seasons, won 13 of 31 starts, and earned $925,000.

Brickyard Ride won his stakes debut in the California Cup Sprint at Santa Anita way back in January 2021. The race became an annual stop in his prolific career, which ended earlier this year with 13 wins in 31 starts.

Brickyard Ride won the 2022 California Cup Sprint and was second in the 2024 running.

Overall, Brickyard Ride won eight stakes and earned $925,477.

Mon, 12/23/2024 - 14:37

Alexander still finding success on track as he pares back his stock

Benoit Photo
Nick Alexander and Kyle Frey celebrate Connie Swingle’s victory in the $100,000 Daisycutter Handicap in July at Del Mar.

It is possible that in the final days of the year, a runner owned by Californian Nick Alexander will win or place in a race or two at Santa Anita and push the stable past $1.5 million in earnings for the fifth time in the last six years.

Through Dec. 16, Alexander-owned runners had earned $1,457,317 with a win by Shea Brennan in the $102,000 King Glorious Stakes for 2-year-old California-breds at Los Alamitos on Dec. 15 being the latest success.

Mon, 12/23/2024 - 14:37

Grazen, Stay Thirsty in close race to lead stallion rankings

Benoit Photo
Like her sire Grazen, who was the state’s 2023 leading stallion, Connie Swingle was bred and is owned by Nick Alexander.

In a race that looks like it is coming down to the wire, veteran California sire Grazen is looking to hold off Stay Thirsty and secure his second straight leading sire title.