Sun, 04/20/2014 - 10:24

Zenyatta delivers War Front filly

Kyle Acebo/Zenyatta.com
Champion Zenyatta delivered her third foal, a War Front filly, early April 20.

Champion Zenyatta delivered her third foal, a filly by popular young commercial sire War Front, early April 20 at Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, Ky.

The filly arrived at 12:03 a.m. Eastern.

Zenyatta, a 10-year-old Street Cry mare, has been boarded at Lane's End for owners Jerry and Ann Moss since her retirement from racing in late 2010. The mare is also the dam of Cozmic One, a 2-year-old colt by Bernardini, who is in training at Mayberry Farm in Ocala, Fla.; and Ziconic, a Tapit yearling colt, who resides at Lane’s End.

Fri, 04/18/2014 - 17:52

Sparkman: Northern Dancer the biggest little horse

At the time I left Windfields Farm in Maryland for Kentucky in 1974, debate raged between the Oshawa, Ontario, office of Windfields Farm and the Maryland office over whether to raise Northern Dancer’s stud fee for 1975 to $25,000. Less than 10 years later, no-guarantee seasons to Northern Dancer sold on the open market for $1 million.

Thu, 04/17/2014 - 13:53

Take Charge Lady named Kentucky's Broodmare of the Year

Barbara D. Livingston
Take Charge Lady, a multiple Grade 1 winner herself and the dam of champion Will Take Charge, has been named Kentucky's Broodmare of the Year.

Multiple Grade 1 winner and producer Take Charge Lady added another feather to her cap Thursday, as she was honored with the Broodmare of the Year award by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association (KTA) and Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders (KTOB).

The 15-year-old Dehere mare, whose season was highlighted by the racetrack performance of champion son Will Take Charge, was honored with the award – presented since 1946 –as part of the Kentucky-bred champions program, presented at an annual awards luncheon in Lexington, Ky.

Thu, 04/17/2014 - 11:15

Appeal against artificial insemination ban struck down in Australia

The Federal Court of Australia issued a unanimous judgment Thursday in denying an appeal by Bruce McHugh that sought to overturn the country’s ban on artificial insemination of Thoroughbreds.

The ruling upholds the rules of the Australian Stud Book with regards to breeding Thoroughbreds and denies McHugh’s contention that banning artificial insemination restricts his right to free trade.

Tue, 04/15/2014 - 19:31

Santiva relocated to Swifty Farms in Indiana

Grade 2 winner Santiva has relocated to Swifty Farms in Seymour, Ind., where he will stand for an advertised fee of $3,000.

The 6-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway previously stood at War Horse Place in Lexington, Ky., where he began his stallion career in 2013 and stood for $7,500.

Tue, 04/15/2014 - 17:13

Darby Dan names Hamilton director of client development

Darby Dan Farm in Lexington, Ky.,  has named John Hamilton its director of client development.

Hamilton has worked in the Thoroughbred business for 31 years, 20 of those in his most recent post at Three Chimneys Farm, where he worked in bloodstock sales and client relations.

Tue, 04/15/2014 - 11:58

Noble Tune retired to stud in South Africa

Barbara D. Livingston
Noble Tune, a Grade 2 winner and runner-up in the 2012 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, will stand the 2014 Southern Hemisphere breeding season in South Africa.

Graded stakes winner Noble Tune has been retired and will begin his stud career with the upcoming Southern Hemisphere season at Rathmor Stud in South Africa. He will stand for a fee of 25,000 Rand, or about $2,365 in U.S. funds.

Tue, 04/15/2014 - 11:41

Grade 1 winner, producer My Flag dies at Claiborne

Barbara D. Livingston
Grade 1 winner My Flag died due to foaling complications after delivering a healthy Bernardini colt last Saturday.

My Flag, a Grade 1 winner and dam of champion Storm Flag Flying, was euthanized due to complications from foaling after producing a healthy Bernardini colt on April 12. The Easy Goer mare was 21.

Fri, 04/11/2014 - 16:18

Sparkman: Another California comet emerges

Benoit & Associates
California Chrome won the Santa Anita Derby on April 5 at Santa Anita.

In 1955, a chestnut-coated “California comet” named Swaps streaked from Santa Anita to the finish line at Churchill Downs, beating the favored Nashua in the Kentucky Derby. Fifty-nine years later, Swaps’s then-18-year-old exercise rider, Art Sherman, is the trainer of the latest chestnut California comet, the appropriately named California Chrome, the smashing winner of the Santa Anita Derby on April 5.

Fri, 04/11/2014 - 16:15

Hoppertunity brings Betz back to spotlight

Coady Photography
Rebel winner Hoppertunity will try to give trainer Bob Baffert his seventh Santa Anita Derby victory.

Thoroughbred industry veteran Bill Betz knows how hard it is to taste success in the Kentucky Derby.

“It takes a lot of luck ... The Derby has its own life,” he said. “The stars have got to align.”

The stars have been kind to Betz. He is a co-breeder of 2009 Kentucky Derby upset winner Mine That Bird. This year, he has a rooting interest in Grade 2 Rebel Stakes winner Hoppertunity, recently second to divisional standout California Chrome in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. Betz co-bred Hoppertunity and consigned the colt to sale as a yearling.