Spanish Steps, sire of Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Little Mike, has been sold to continue his stud career in Saudi Arabia.
The 12-year-old Unbridled horse, a full brother to the late, prominent sire Unbridled’s Song, most recently stood at Lake Shore Farms in Scottsburg, Ind. The deal to send him overseas was brokered by Chad Schumer Bloodstock.
Six mares have been confirmed in foal to Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom, who is standing his first season at stud at Arrowfield Stud in New South Wales, Australia.
The 5-year-old Leroidesanimaux horse is standing the Southern Hemisphere season for an advertised fee of about $36,375 ($38,500 Australian). He will shuttle to stand the Northern Hemisphere season at Darley’s Jonabell Farm in Lexington, Ky., after that operation purchased an interest in him following his dominant Dubai World Cup victory.
The former Richland Hills/Wafare Farm property in Midway, Ky., has been sold and re-named Endeavor Farm.
The property will be operated by M&T Equine Ventures, a partnership between Terry Nickell, who has been the farm manager at Richland Hills/Wafare for 21 years; and Mark Tsagalakis, who has been training on the southern California circuit for over 20 years and maintains a stable of homebreds.
New regulations that will go into effect in 2014 will effectively reduce the number of stakes that qualify for black type in sale catalogs.
Roughly eight months into the new system implemented to award black type to non-listed stakes races in 2014 and beyond, statebred programs in the Midwest and Canada have emerged as those expected to lose the most.
The most striking feature of the American breeding scene over the past decade has been the steady increase in influence of the male line of 1992 Horse of the Year and dual leading North American sire A.P. Indy as a source of North American graded stakes winners. That trend has been maintained this year, but its significance has been somewhat overshadowed by the growth in influence of another male line, that descending from 1984 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Sadler’s Wells.
Manhattan Johnnie, a colt from the family of sprint champion Midnight Lute, rolled to a 5 1/2-length victory in his career debut Saturday at Belmont Park, leading a parade of well-bred runners across the line in a solid maiden special weight event.
Sagamore Farm homebred Give No Quarter turned in an eye-catching performance while stretching out to a mile in his second career start Sept. 17 at Presque Isle Downs, romping by 22 ½ lengths against maiden special weight competition.
Record-setting sprinter Klassy Briefcase, a resident of Georgetown, Ky.-based Thoroughbred retirement organization Old Friends, died Sept. 18. The Medieval Man mare was 28.
New Jersey-bred Klassy Briefcase won 18 of 42 career starts, earning $362,959. She won eight stakes races and placed in an additional four.
The Keeneland Advisory Board of Directors has elected Ian Banwell, Luther Deaton Jr., Pope McLean Jr., Daisy Phipps Pulito and Bill Shively as new members, effective immediately.
Meeting semi-annually during Keeneland’s April and October race meets, the board represents a cross-section of Thoroughbred industry members, as well as notable community figures.