Peppers Pride, a fan favorite who retired unbeaten after 19 starts in 2009, gave birth to her third foal on Feb. 22, a Malibu Moon colt born at Taylor Made Farm in Nicholasville, Ky.
The 10-year-old Desert God mare is also the dam of a 2-year-old Distorted Humor filly and a yearling Distorted Humor colt.
Peppers Pride, who raced exclusively in her home state of New Mexico, earned $1,066,085 for her career.
The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association has revealed its 2012 state-bred champions and year-end leaders, led by Grade 1 winners Plum Pretty and So Many Ways.
The divisional winners were selected based upon the recommendations of the PHBA’s awards committee, which consists of committee chairperson Jane White, James Lawrence, Connie Nesteruk and John Benson.
European classic winner and sire Hernando died Friday of a heart attack at Lanwades Stud in Newmarket, England. He was 23.
The French-bred son of Niniski was a multiple Group 1 winner in France, and was graded or group stakes-placed in Ireland, Japan, and the U.S. during his three-year racing career, when he won seven of 20 starts for earnings of $2,081,978. His biggest victories came in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) and the Prix Lupin, both in 1993.
Albertine, the dam of 1993 Breeders Cup Classic upset winner Arcangues, died from the infirmities of old age on Feb. 3 at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Ky.
The 32-year-old Irish River mare was the farm’s oldest resident. She was buried in the farm’s broodmare cemetery next to fellow Breeders’ Cup producer Golden Cat, dam of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Pounced.
Bred in France by Dayton Limited, Albertine was out of the stakes-winning Wild Risk mare Almyre, and was a half-sister to French champion Ashmore and Group 3 winners Acoma and Art Bleu.
B. Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm in Lexington has expanded its "Breed Secure" program to include nearly its entire roster of Kentucky-based stallions, effective immediately.
The Breed Secure program was launched two years ago to relieve commercial breeders of the risk of paying stud fees on some of Spendthrift's young stallions. The program guarantees a profit to breeders who sell the resulting in-foal mare, weanling or yearling at public auction before a stud fee is owed.
Seven-time leading Texas sire Valid Expectations recently passed another milestone in the Lone Star State. In late February, he moved ahead of 1983 Kentucky Derby winner Sunny’s Halo to become the all-time leading Texas-based progenitor by progeny earnings.
State City, a highweighted Group 1 winner in the United Arab Emirates, will stand his first season in Oklahoma at Caines Stallion Station near Wynnewood. The 14-year-old stallion previously stood in Kentucky, and between 2005 and 2007 shuttled to Australia.
Declan’s Moon, the 2004 champion juvenile, was voted Best Suited for Dressage Saturday at the Pennsylvania Horse World Exposition, the penultimate event in the Retired Racehorse Training Project’s 100-Day Challenge.
Rachel Alexandra, who earned Horse of the Year honors for her historic 2009 campaign, continues to make positive progress in her recovery from surgery related to foaling complications at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky.
"I couldn’t be happier with where she is right now," Dr. Brett Woodie, an attending veterinarian on the case, said.
