Mon, 11/28/2016 - 11:50

Sparkman: War Front scoring at home and abroad

Benoit & Associates
Journey Home, by War Front, wins the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes at Del Mar.

The parallels between the stud careers of War Front and his sire, Danzig, are undeniable. Both went to stud with little fanfare and almost non-existent expectations. Both sired multiple Grade 1 winners in their first crops (Danzig three and War Front four from a larger crop), first crops that included stakes winners on both dirt and turf. And both horses eventually came to be regarded primarily as turf sires, especially effective in Europe.

Sat, 11/26/2016 - 19:56

Tapit breaks his own single-season record for progeny earnings

Barbara D. Livingston
Tapit sired his second Belmont Stakes winner with Creator.

With more than a month remaining in 2016, two-time reigning leading sire Tapit has again broken his own single-season progeny earnings record for a North American stallion.

The 15-year-old Pulpit horse, who stands at Gainesway Farm in Lexington, Ky., came into Saturday with earnings of $18,371,097. His runners on Saturday included Divining Rod, who earned $100,000 for finishing a close second in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. That effort pushed Tapit’s seasonal earnings past his previous record of $18,397,691 for 2015.

Fri, 11/25/2016 - 19:57

Untapable to be bred to Frankel

Debra A. Roma
Winner of the 2014 Breeders' Cup Distaff, Untapable earned nearly $4 million throughout her racing career.

Champion Untapable, who was retired in June, will travel to England to be bred to unbeaten champion Frankel in 2017, her first season as a broodmare. David Fiske, manager for the mare’s owner and breeder, Winchell Thoroughbreds, confirmed the pairing Friday evening at Churchill Downs.

Wed, 11/23/2016 - 16:28

Take Charge Indy sold to stand in South Korea

Barbara D. Livingston
Take Charge Indy is winless in five starts since taking the 2012 Florida Derby.

Take Charge Indy, who stood at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky., his first three seasons at stud, has been purchased by the Korea Racing Authority and will stand in South Korea in 2017. Take Charge Indy had been scheduled to stand at WinStar for a fee of $15,000 for 2017. He stood for $17,500 in 2016.

Wed, 11/23/2016 - 15:49

Champion Dynamic Sky retired, will stand in Canada

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Dynamic Sky, winner of the Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap in 2014, retires with a record of 5 wins from 32 starts.

Canadian champion Dynamic Sky has been retired and will stand the 2017 breeding season at Shannondoe Farm in St. Thomas, Ontario. The son of Sky Mesa will stand for $2,965 ($4,000 Canadian).

Wed, 11/23/2016 - 13:26

Beholder settles in at Spendthrift

Susie Raisher
Beholder will begin her career as a broodmare at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky.

Three-time Eclipse Award winner Beholder is settling into her new life as a broodmare prospect after arriving at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky this week.

Wed, 11/23/2016 - 13:26

Taylor Made getting ready for Chrome

Barbara D. Livingston
California Chrome will make one more start before retiring from racing.

California Chrome will not arrive at Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky until after his planned final start in the inaugural $12 million Pegasus Cup on Jan. 28, but the wheels are already turning on his second career.

California Chrome LLC purchased nine mares at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale for a total of $2.79 million. Six of those mares were purchased for the horse’s co-breeder Perry Martin.

Wed, 11/23/2016 - 12:56

Taylor Made Farm bulks up stallion roster

Barbara D. Livingston
Not This Time was retired to Taylor Made Farm this week after suffering a soft-tissue injury.

The sudden retirement announcement of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up Not This Time with a soft-tissue injury this week gives Taylor Made Farm, which is continuing to rebuild its roster, a third new stallion for 2017.

The Taylor family’s operation lost flagship stallion Unbridled’s Song suddenly in the summer of 2013. This past season, the farm advertised just four stallions, led by Graydar, a son of Unbridled’s Song whose first foals are yearlings, at $15,000.

Mon, 11/21/2016 - 11:02

Ocala Stud adds Admiral's Kitten, Fort Loudon

Ocala Stud saw one of its best sires, Kantharos, move to Kentucky to stand the upcoming breeding season, and will have two new stallions on its roster to try to take that one’s place. New stallions for the Ocala, Fla.., farm in 2017 are Admiral’s Kitten and Fort Loudon, both moving from other Florida farms. Kantharos stood for $5,000 at Ocala Stud this past season, and will stand for $15,000 at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms in Lexington, Ky., in 2017.

Mon, 11/21/2016 - 10:56

Sparkman: Gunning for the classics

Coady Photography
Gunnevera, by Dialed In, wins the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot.

In 2015, Exaggerator captured both the Grade 2 Saratoga Special and the Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot on the way to 2016 victories in the Grade 1 Preakness, Santa Anita Derby, and Haskell Invitational. Last Saturday, Gunnevera completed that same double, but it is too early to speculate on whether he can emulate Exaggerator’s achievements as a 3-year-old in 2017.