One of John G. Sikura’s guiding philosophies in operating Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm is, “When everybody agrees, it’s too late.”

Sikura didn’t have to look hard to find dissent when he wanted to stand Maclean’s Music at his Lexington, Ky., farm. All he had to do was look at the comments sections under online stories on the stallion’s retirement to find a handy rundown of reasons why his newest resident would never make it – too fragile, too unproven, too unlikely to sire foals who could withstand the rigors of racing or get a route of ground.

Champion Classic Empire will stand at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky., upon his retirement from racing, following a deal brokered by bloodstock agent Justin Casse to secure his breeding rights.

The 3-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile will continue to race for owner John Oxley and trainer Mark Casse, Justin’s brother.

“Everybody’s delighted to be working with one another,” Justin Casse said. “The Oxleys, the Casses, Coolmore, everybody has a great track record, and for everyone to come together, it should be a winning team in all phases of the horse’s career.”

Broodmare of the Year Leslie's Lady, dam of four-time Eclipse Award champion Beholder, has been confirmed in foal to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

Coolmore’s Ashford Stud, which stands American Pharoah in Kentucky, said via its social media outlets that Clarkland Farm, which owns Leslie’s Lady, had confirmed her in foal over the weekend. Leslie’s Lady delivered a Medaglia d’Oro colt on April 4.

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Devil His Due, a five-time Grade 1 winner and veteran sire, was euthanized Monday due to the infirmities of old age. The pensioned resident of Margaux Farm in Midway, Ky., was 28.

Bred in Kentucky by Peter Blum, the son of Devil’s Bag won 11 times in 41 starts for trainer Allen Jerkens for earnings of $3.92 million.

Shaman Ghost continued to establish himself as one of the better older horses in the country with his victory in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special last Friday, a score that built on family ties for his connections.

Stalwart sire Distorted Humor has been the gift that keeps on giving for his connections. He quietly played a role in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, as his son Maclean’s Music was represented by a first-crop classic winner in Cloud Computing.

Japanese sire Heart’s Cry has accomplished much in both his racing and stallion careers, but there is one thing he’s done infrequently. He was represented by just the second U.S. stakes winner of his career on Saturday, when his promising son Yoshida captured the James Murphy Stakes on the Pimlico turf.

In the Darwinian world of Thoroughbred racing, stakes victories are the test of genetic fitness that largely determine whether male racehorses are allowed the chance to pass on their genes. The exceptions like Danzig or Malibu Moon are memorable precisely because of their extreme rarity.

Time to Travel

Hard Spun-Like a Gem, by Tactical Cat

(Bred in Ontario by Garland E. Williamson)

Queen’s Plate contender Time to Travel’s family tree has been good to owner and breeder Garland Williamson.

The Hard Spun colt’s second dam is the Rubiano mare It’s a Ruby, whom Williamson purchased for $35,000 at the 1998 Keeneland September yearling sale. The mare’s racing career was unremarkable, but she made up for it in her produce record.

Unusual Heat, a six-time leading stallion in California, was euthanized on Wednesday due to complications of arthritis-induced laminitis.

Harris Auerbach, the managing partner of the Unusual Heat syndicate, announced the stallion’s death in a statement. In a brief interview at the Barretts May sale of 2-year-olds in training at Del Mar, Auerbach said Unusual Heat had been in declining health in recent months.