A popular expression used to describe an appealing horse in the bloodstock market is to say that he or she “ticked all the boxes.” For breeder William S. Farish III, Palace Malice’s triumph in the Belmont Stakes did just that.
Breeder of record? Check. The bay colt took his first steps at Farish’s Lane’s End in Versailles, Ky., as the third foal out of the stakes-winning Royal Anthem mare Palace Rumor.
Indian Evening, a Grade 2-placed stakes winner, will begin his stallion career in 2014 at Ellen Jackson’s Victory Rose Thoroughbreds in Vacaville, Calif., standing for an advertised fee of $3,000.
The 4-year-old son of Indian Charlie won two of three starts during his racing career, including a victory in the Swynford Stakes at Woodbine. His lone defeat came in a third-place effort in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special Stakes.
W. Cothran “Cot” Campbell, president of the trailblazing Dogwood Stable partnership, always felt there were bright things in the future for Palace Malice, a well-regarded colt who, through a run of bad luck, entered the Belmont Stakes without a graded stakes victory to his name.
“He deserved this – I said, ‘He deserves a blue sky somewhere,’ ” Campbell said. “And luckily, that blue sky appeared at about 6:30 Saturday.”
Courtesy Lane's EndCurlin
There was a time in American Thoroughbred breeding when soundness and stamina were cherished right alongside speed and class in a prospective stallion. If a horse had aged well on the racetrack, so much the better. If he could stay 1 1/2 miles, better still.
Who was the fastest racehorse who ever lived? Well, the answer to that question depends on many factors, not least one’s definition of “fastest.” Is it the horse who reaches the highest top speed in a race? Is it the horse who records the fastest time over normal racing distances, which is a measure of average speed over those distances? If so, which distance?
Park Stud in Orangeville, Ontario, concluded its breeding season slightly ahead of schedule in response to the recent outbreak of the equine herpesvirus at Woodbine.
A pair of 64-horse barns at Woodbine were placed under quarantine by the Ontario Racing Commission on Wednesday after five horses tested positive for the virus. The ORC also implemented a seven-day restriction on horses shipping out of the track without approval, with further action depending on how the situation has progressed.
The legendary trainer Henry Cecil, who died on Tuesday at age 70 following a battle with cancer, trained several top-level runners who went on to make an impact on American racing and breeding.
Shipping horses coast-to-coast and internationally by van and airplane has become about as common as shipping a package. But horses, of course, are far more perishable and temperamental than your average box on a FedEx truck.
Equine-transportation companies have many special considerations, from non-slip ramp surfaces to veterinary first-aid kits, and a lot more in between, to ensure horses reach their destination safely.
Shipping horses by air has become more common in the last few decades, and, like shipping by ground, it requires careful planning for safety, from takeoff to landing.
Van drivers shipping horses are often told to drive as if they have a full teacup on the dashboard, and pilots transporting horses also must proceed with caution, said Mike Payne, operations manager for the H.E. “Tex” Sutton Forwarding Co.
