Bill Gates has joined Southern California Thoroughbred racing, or at least the property market.
In September, Gates, the co-founder of the technology giant Microsoft, finalized the $18 million purchase of Rancho Paseana, the picturesque training center in Rancho Santa Fe, just east of Del Mar racetrack. The purchase was reported on Wednesday by the Wall Street Journal.
Lucky Pulpit, sire of dual classic winner California Chrome, will see his advertised stud fee quadruple to $10,000 for the 2015 breeding season at Harris Farms in Coalinga, Calif.
The 13-year-old son of Pulpit began the 2014 season at an advertised fee of $2,500. His fee was most recently listed as private as California Chrome ripped through the San Felipe Stakes, Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby, and Preakness Stakes before finishing fourth in the Belmont Stakes.
Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Lexington, Ky. has revealed the advertised fees for its 2015 stallion roster, with a handful of stallions standing for lower fees.
Stormy Atlantic will once again stand for the highest fee among the Hill ‘n’ Dale stallions, at $25,000. The 20-year-old son of Storm Cat stood for $30,000 during the past breeding season.
Joining Stormy Atlantic as the farm’s highest-priced offering will be champion Midnight Lute. The 11-year-old son of Real Quiet’s fee remains unchanged at $25,000.
Claiborne Farm stallion Parading has been pensioned from stallion duty and will reside at the Paris, Ky. operation’s Marchmont Farm division.
The 11-year-old son of Pulpit has sired two crops of racing age, led by Puerto Rican Group 2 winner Stephania My Love and U.S. stakes-placed Blew By Too. He will have five total crops when the foals of 2015 are born. Parading stood for an advertised fee of $3,500 in 2014.
Tidal Volume, a stakes-winning son of Tapit, has been retired from racing and will stand at Poplar Creek Horse Center in Bethel, Ohio, for an advertised fee of $3,000.
The 7-year-old horse finished his career with 8 wins in 23 starts over five seasons of racing for lifetime earnings of $231,476.
Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky. has announced the stud fees for its 2015 stallion roster, with no immediate changes from the previous breeding season.
Popular commercial sire War Front once again leads the roster, standing for an advertised fee of $150,000. The rate will keep the 12-year-old son of Danzig among the highest-priced stallions in North America
Olly Tait, Darley’s chief operating officer, will leave the organization in November, concluding a 15-year tenure.
Tait, a native of Australia, became the COO of Jonabell Farm, Darley’s U.S. base of operations, in 2008. Prior to that, Tait worked at Darley Japan and served as general manager of Darley’s Australian interests, overseeing the purchase of Woodlands Farm and its horses.
Tait was relocated to Newmarket, England in 2010 to become COO of the Darley’s global operation, where he has since been based.
Soviet Star, a French classic winner and prominent sire, died Tuesday at Ballylinch Stud in Co. Kilkenny, Ireland, Racing Post reports.
The 30-year-old son of Nureyev was bred in Kentucky by Kinderhill Farm and sold as a weanling for $310,000 at the 1984 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Soviet Star was sent to the European shedrow of trainer Andre Fabre for Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, where he raced in England and France.
Silver Deputy, a stakes winner and leading sire, was euthanized Saturday due to the infirmities of old age at Brookdale Farm in Versailles, Ky., where he lived as a pensioner. He was 29.
The son of leading sire Deputy Minister was bred in Ontario by International Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. and was purchased by Windfields Farm for $200,000 at the 1986 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling sale. He was the first foal out of the stakes-winning Mr. Prospector mare Silver Valley, whose eight foals to race were all winners.