Love the Chase, the dam of California Chrome, delivered a Tapit half-brother to her two-time Horse of the Year at midnight Thursday at Atlas Farm in Nicholasville, Ky.
Love the Chase has been boarded at Atlas since selling for $1.95 million at last November’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale, where bloodstock agent John McCormack said he purchased her for undisclosed domestic clients. Since then, Tom Ryan, a representative for S.F. Bloodstock, has shared news about the mare.
Taylor Made Farm hopes California Chrome can end his racing career with a bang in the $12 million Pegasus World Cup before shipping to its farm the next day to begin his stud career. But the Taylor family may have a soft spot in their hearts for two of the two-time Horse of the Year’s challengers as well.
Juddmonte Farms manager Garrett O’Rourke could have been forgiven for looking a little tired last Saturday night at Gulfstream Park. He hiked from his seat to the stage to accept Eclipse Award statues on three separate occasions, as Juddmonte was honored as outstanding owner on the strength of diverse runners Arrogate (3-year-old male) and Flintshire (turf male), who won their divisional championships.
Curlin and Lookin At Lucky have much in common – both are Preakness Stakes winners by the late Smart Strike, and both put together consecutive championship seasons. Both will have classic-performing starters in the inaugural Pegasus World Cup, with Keen Ice and Breaking Lucky, respectively. Both also are among the highest-ranked stallions on Daily Racing Form’s Beyer Sire Performance Standings.
Frank Stronach is the mastermind behind the $12 million Pegasus World Cup at his Gulfstream Park – and his carefully constructed breeding program, out of his Adena Springs, will be well-represented in inaugural edition of the world’s richest race.
A spot in the gate for the Pegasus World Cup cost each of the 12 investors $1 million. The average auction price for the horses that will fill those gates is $208,091.
All but three of the entries in the new race changed hands at least once at a North American auction, meaning one consignor could have a bragging right to which no contemporary could lay claim.
What that consignor does with the ground-breaking accolade is one of many variables surrounding the Pegasus World Cup’s long-term effect on the Thoroughbred industry.
Reigning leading sire Tapit, who sired his second American classic winner last year, leads all stallions by early nominations to the 2017 Triple Crown series. The nominations were released Tuesday.
The Gainesway resident’s 19 nominees include the graded stakes-placed Capitaine and Ticonderoga; Japanese-bred Foggy Night, who won at Tokyo Racecourse in his first start; and two fillies, Grade 1 winner Pretty City Dancer and Grade 2 winner Unique Bella.
Box Score, an unraced full brother to young Kentucky sire Temple City, will enter stud at Milky Way Farm in Temecula, Calif. for the 2017 breeding season, where he will stand for an advertised fee of $1,000.
The 6-year-old son of Dynaformer was hampered by injury throughout his attempts to begin his ontrack career as a homebred for Spendthrift Farm and trainer Carla Gaines, most recently turning in a four-furlong breeze in 50.60 on Oct. 25 at Santa Anita.
Grade 2 winner Ethnic Dance will enter stud at Pacific Coast Thoroughbreds in Hemet, Calif., for the 2017 breeding season at an advertised fee of $1,500.
The 7-year-old son of Tribal Rule finishes his ontrack career with three wins in 13 starts and earnings of $302,210, highlighted by a win in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby in 2013.
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