The Jockey Club is projecting a 2024 North American registered Thoroughbred foal crop of 18,000, which is 500 fewer than the 2023 estimate.
Since the foal crop was 35,274 born in 2008, before the recession later that year, the number has made a year-to-year rise just once – and that was a very minor move from 23,001 in 2014 to 23,047 in 2015.
Jim and Dana Bernhard began buying Thoroughbreds in the summer of 2021, and have already found success, as the first yearling they purchased, Geaux Rocket Ride, won the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational this summer.
The Bernhards found a home base for their operations last year, purchasing the Pin Oak Stud of the late Josephine Abercrombie in Versailles, Ky. They’ve wasted no time in continuing to build their operation, ranking among the Keeneland September yearling sale’s leading buyers, and also recently adding a parcel of land to Pin Oak’s acreage.
Grade 1 winner Volatile got off to an explosive start with a filly from his first crop selected to the elite Book 1 of the Keeneland September yearling sale, as she lit up the bid board at $1.15 million.
Volatile, who stands at Goncalo Torrealba’s Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Ky., was the first of this year’s first-crop sires to break the seven-figure threshold. Gainesway’s McKinzie joined him with a $1.2 million colt sold in Book 2.
“His first crop have been super impressive to us,” Three Chimneys COO Chris Baker said.
Grade 1 winners Arabian Lion, Taiba, and Zandon will stand at Spendthrift Farm in 2024, the Lexington, Ky., farm announced Saturday night.
Arabian Lion and Taiba are both campaigned by Zedan Racing, with Bob Baffert the trainer. Zandon, who races for Jeff Drown, is trained by Chad Brown. Taiba will stand for a $35,000 fee in 2024. Stud fees for Arabian Lion and Zandon will be announced at the end of their respective racing careers.
Godolphin was named national owner of the year and national breeder of the year as the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association honored its annual award winners in Lexington, Ky.
TOBA held both an awards luncheon on Friday at WinStar Farm, honoring state and Canadian breeders of the year, and an awards dinner on Saturday at Fasig-Tipton to honor all award winners, including national honorees.
Country Grammer, whose multiple Grade/Group 1 wins included the 2022 Dubai World Cup, has been retired and will begin his stud career next year at WinStar Farm.
The 4-year-old son of Tonalist will debut for a fee of $10,000, the farm announced Thursday evening. Country Grammer retires with earnings of $14,921,320, behind only champions Arrogate and Gun Runner among North American-based horses.
A full brother to Canadian Horse of the Year Pink Lloyd sold for $150,000 to lead the way as the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society’s Ontario division hosted the Canadian premier yearling sale on Wednesday. The sale finished with more horses sold for a gain in gross receipts, but drops in average and median prices.
The CTHS reported 168 yearlings sold on Wednesday at Woodbine's sales pavilion in Toronto for a gross of $4,017,790. Last year, 150 yearlings brought $3,837,700.
It was already a celebratory day in the Virginia Thoroughbred community. The Grade 1 Arlington Million and its undercard stakes were contested for the first time at Colonial Downs on Aug. 12, creating the state’s biggest day of racing. In a nice twist, that meant the Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes would be run for the first time on Colonial’s Secretariat Turf Course, as the racing industry celebrates the 50th anniversary of Virginia-bred Secretariat’s Triple Crown triumph.
Touch’n Ride
Gelding by Candy Ride – Niigon’s Touch, by Niigon
Bred in Ontario by Chiefswood Stables
Supplemental entrant Touch’n Ride is a late addition to the King’s Plate party. A maiden winner in July, he is seeking to become the first horse to win the Plate in their third career start since Awesome Again in 1997. Among Touch’n Ride’s attributes, he has a route-oriented pedigree with plenty of Canadian classic success.
