For a second straight year, the nation's economic downturn continues to be felt in the ranks of regional Thoroughbred breeders throughout the Midwest. The Report of Annual Mares Bred released by The Jockey Club in August confirmed that the number of mares serviced in regional breeding programs was declining. Nationally, The Jockey Club is projecting a 2010 foal crop of 30,000, the smallest foal crop produced since 1977.
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DRF Past Performances
Leestown, a leading Louisiana sire, died in 2008. Sefapiano, another one of the state's more popular studs, died just last month. Yonaguska, new to the state in 2009, and one of Louisiana's top-level stallions, was recently sold to Turkey.
There exists a gap at the high end of the stallion market, and Brett Brinkman, who runs La Mesa Stallion Station in Carencro, La., hopes to help fill it with 11-year-old Yankee Gentleman.
Few breeders are as diversified as K.K. and Vilasini Jayaraman. The couple, which bred and owns champion Summer Bird, has broodmares in Arkansas, Florida, and Kentucky. And, in the last month, they have moved two stallions into Arkansas: Explosive Truth and Stark Ridge.
The Jayaramans have had a lot of success in Arkansas. Not only did Summer Bird get his start at Oaklawn Park a year ago, but the Jayaramans were the leading breeders in the state in 1997 and 1998. They also stood Lyphard's Ridge in Arkansas, and he was the state's stallion of the year from 1995-1997.
Rockin Z Ranch in Beggs, Okla., has signaled its move from a private to public operation by bringing in three quality stallions for the 2010 season: Omega Code, Service Stripe, and Fast Play.
All are owned in part by Robert Zoellner, a Tulsa-based doctor and entrepreneur who four years ago this month purchased Rockin Z Ranch. He initially used the 200-acre facility to house his own broodmares and a few belonging to friends. But after completing a series of improvements, the farm is now offering breeding, mare care, and foaling.
Three fillies and one colt posted the fastest eighth-mile time of 10 seconds flat Friday at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's under-tack show.
The show previewed horses entered in the company's February select 2-year-olds in training auction. That sale will take place on Feb. 16 at the sales company's pavilion in Ocala, Fla.
Seven Torrents ($3) went right to the front and never looked back to win the $49,600 Oregon Thoroughbred Breeders' Derby at Portland Meadows on Wednesday. . . . Keeneland has cataloged 181 juveniles to its April 5 select 2-year-old auction in Lexington, Ky., at the Keeneland sale pavilion. The catalog will be available at
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The 2-year-old auction season opens Feb. 16 with the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's February select sale, and there's one question on everybody's mind: Have we hit bottom yet?
Total North American juvenile sale revenues fell 33 percent as the global economic collapse carried over from the fall of 2008 into 2009. At the five boutique juvenile sales, average and median generally fell between 27 percent and 37 percent; Keeneland's April sale fared best with a 16 percent drop in average and 22 percent decline in median.
Denis of Cork, a Grade 3 winner, will enter stud this year at Vinery in Summerfield, Fla., the farm announced Tuesday. A 5-year-old son of Harlan's Holiday, he will stand for $2,500.
Denis of Cork retired last month with wins in half his six starts, as well as a third-place finish in the 2008 Kentucky Derby and a second-place finish in the Belmont Stakes. He is out of the Unbridled mare Unbridled Girl and from the family of his Belmont conqueror, Da' Tara.
Curlin's first foal, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Appealing Zophie, has died. The filly, produced by the Hawkster mare Zophie on Jan. 12 at Burleson Farms in Midway, Ky., injured herself in her paddock on Jan. 25 and was euthanized Jan. 29, farm owner Lyn Burleson confirmed.