Coolmore’s champion St Nicholas Abbey, who underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a fractured pastern, is “well and comfortable” but remains in intensive care, according to a Thursday morning update that Coolmore released via Twitter.
The 6-year-old Montjeu horse fractured a pastern Tuesday morning during training with Aidan O’Brien at Ballydoyle in Ireland.
Behrens, a three-time Grade 1 winner with more than $4.5 million in earnings, has retired from stud duty in California, Ellen Jackson of Victory Rose Thoroughbreds confirmed Wednesday. Plans call for him to reside at the Old Friends at Cabin Creek facility in New York.
Grade 1 winner Desert Blanc was successful in his return to racing after a season at stud earlier this year, winning a weight-for-age race in France on Monday.
The 5-year-old son of Desert Style covered just three mares during the 2013 breeding season according to a report in Racing Post, prompting a return to the track He began his stallion career at Haras du Hoguenet in Lessard-et-le-Chêne for an advertised fee of $4,630 (3,500 Euros).
Local standout and freshman sire Nationhood was represented by his first winner at stud on July 13 when Zafari Nation won a maiden claiming race at Emerald Downs by 1 1/2 lengths.
The 2-year-old bay filly completed the 4 1/2-furlong race in :53.83 seconds over a fast track. Homebred in Washington by Karen Angelos and Keith Swagerty, and also co-owned by Terry Pierce, Zafari Nation is out of the multiple stakes-winning Jazzing Around mare A Jazzy Venture.
Six-time Grade 1 and Group 1 winner St Nicholas Abbey, who had been favored to win the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes this Saturday, fractured a pastern during training Tuesday in Ireland and is scheduled to undergo surgery Wednesday, according to Coolmore Stud. On Tuesday afternoon, Coolmore Stud tweeted that the operation to stabilize the fracture “will be long and complicated.”
“We will need a bit of luck, so fingers crossed for St Nicholas Abbey,” the tweet concluded.
The opening of Saratoga and Del Mar, respectively, signaled an upturn in graded stakes action around North America that will last through Labor Day as the popular summer meets in upstate New York and Southern California kicked off with stellar racing. Perhaps the most impressive performance of the weekend, however, came on Saturday at Delaware Park, as champion Royal Delta rebounded from a subpar performance last out with an absolutely dominating win in the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap.
Spring Moon made an auspicious debut on Saturday at Del Mar, running unchallenged in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race and drawing off to win by four lengths under jockey Martin Garcia.
The 2-year-old gray or roan filly was the fourth winner from the first seven foals to race out of the debut crop of freshman sire Zensational, a multiple Grade 1 winner who stands at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms in Lexington, Ky. for an advertised fee of $15,000.
European Horse of the Year Sea The Stars, winner of the 2009 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, was represented by his first winner on Monday when Stars Over the Sea took the first race at Ayr in England.
The 2-year-old colt took command with two furlongs remaining and powered to a three-length win, covering seven furlongs in 1:30.60 on turf rated good to firm. He was unplaced in his first two starts earlier this summer in England.
Forefathers, a multiple graded stakes-placed half-brother to Grade 1 winner Pioneerof the Nile, was represented by his first winner at stud on Saturday when Home of America won a maiden claiming race at Gulfstream Park by 3 3/4 lengths.
Darley shuttle sire Exceed And Excel will be the first mate for unbeaten two-time Australian Horse of the Year Black Caviar when the Southern Hemisphere breeding season begins in September.
