A good horse can come from anywhere, and have any kind of pedigree.
But good horses occur far more rarely from unfashionable pedigrees than from those replete with the heavy black type of graded stakes winners.
That is why the California Chromes of our small, insular world make such wonderful, populist stories. It also is why we must celebrate the Grade 1 success of horses such as Warren’s Veneda, winner of the Santa Margarita Handicap on March 14 at Santa Anita.
Diabolical’s career at stud thus far has been all about starting fast.
Diabolical, a 12-year-old son of Artax, was New Mexico’s leading active sire by progeny earnings in 2014, propelled by a fleet of stakes-level 2-year-olds that made him the only North American sire standing west of the Mississippi River last year to finish in the top 50 by juvenile earnings.
Richard Hessee’s purchase of Brahms to stand at stud in Arkansas a few seasons ago could not have come at a better time. Sunbean was on the cusp of developing into one of the stallion’s leading earners, just starting to build a name for himself in his native Louisiana. At the same juncture, Hessee brought Brahms to his Trophy Club Training Center in Royal, Ark.
“That was fortunate, Sunbean coming along,” Hessee said.
Not For Love, a cornerstone stallion of the Maryland breeding program for close to two decades, has been pensioned from stud duty due to a reproductive hematoma.
Farm veterinarian Dr. Jayson Layfield advised Richard Golden, owner of Northview Stallion Station that the 25-year-old son of Mr. Prospector’s injury would take too long to heal at this point in the breeding season to consider going forward. He was standing for an advertised fee of $15,000 at the Chesapeake City, Md., farm, where he debuted at stud in 1996.
Multiple Grade 3 winner Wiseman's Ferry, best known as the sire of two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan, died March 17 at Dana Point Farm in Lenhartsville, Pa. A cause of death has yet to be determined for the 16-year-old Hennessy stallion.
Champion American Pharoah returned to action where he left off, leading throughout and pulling clear late to win his season debut in the Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel Stakes on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.
Ogygian, a multiple Grade 1 winner, prominent sire, and the oldest resident at Old Friends Equine Retirement in Georgetown, Ky., was euthanized Saturday due to complications from colic. He was 32 years old.
A son of Damascus, Ogygian was bred in Florida by Tartan Farms Corp. and raced as a homebred for the stable of William L. McKnight. He was out of the winning Francis S. mare Gonfalon, whose eight winners from 10 runners include Grade 1-placed stakes winner Lookinforthebigone and stakes-placed Diggings and Moving Shoulder.
News coverage
- Added quality in New York stallion market - By Nicole Russo
- El Kabeir, riding New York road to Derby, extends Storm Cat line - By John P. Sparkman
Profiles - 2014 New York stallion honors
