LEXINGTON, Ky. - Da' Tara's front-running victory in the Belmont Stakes surprised a lot of people, including the colt's breeders, WinStar Farm. The race's longest shot at 38-1, Da' Tara denied a Triple Crown bid by Big Brown, who was eased to finish last. It also gave sire Tiznow, the stallion who launched the WinStar roster, his first classic winner.
The Jockey Club has issued a reminder to owners and breeders to submit their Reports of Mares Bred for 2008 by the Aug. 1 deadline and to file their Live Foal Reports within 30 days of the foal's birth. Both can be completed online at the Interactive Registration area at .
In a reversal of plans, popular shuttle stallion Red Ransom will return to Australia for the 2008 Southern Hemisphere breeding season, Vinery Stud Australia announced Friday.
Red Ransom missed last year's Southern Hemisphere season because of Australia's widespread equine influenza outbreak, and when he returned to Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum's Dalham Hall stud in England, it was announced he would not make the trip south again.
The Maryland Horse Breeders Association has helped to shape the Thoroughbred industry not just statewide, but also regionally and nationally.
The oldest state breeders' association in the country - founded in 1929 - the MHBA helped to create and continues to administer the Maryland-bred Fund, established in 1962 as the first statebred incentive program in the nation.
On Saturday afternoon, June 7, Peter Rosbeck was weeding in his garden on Martha's Vineyard, an island off Cape Cod, Mass.
"I was sweaty and covered with garden crud," he said.
Rosbeck recalls that he looked at his watch and noted that it was almost post time for the Belmont Stakes. So he set sail for the family TV room.
"My wife, Karen, took one look at me and asked where I thought I was going," he said.
Freud is one of several New York stallions represented by multiple offerings in the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company June 2-year-olds in training sale that takes place Tuesday and Wednesday.
More than 80 New York-bred juveniles are consigned to the sale, including five offspring of Freud.
Nathan Wallis, agent, has consigned a New York-bred Freud colt out of Concernia, by Concern. Concernia's mother, Sanctionize, is a half-sister to the classy Regal Sanction, winner of the Grade 2 Pegasus Handicap.
Freud 2-year-olds have averaged $52,667 so far in 2008.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - When War Admiral won the Belmont Stakes to complete his Triple Crown in 1937, nobody would have dreamed that the Fair Play-Man o' War line was about to pass into obscurity on the American classic scene.
Yet the victory by Da' Tara in last week's Belmont Stakes is a bit of bloodstock history as the first classic success for a colt from the Man o' War line since War Admiral's victory in the same race 71 years ago.
Breeding a top racehorse is, according to pedigree experts, all about balance.
The favorites for this year's Queen's Plate at Woodbine on June 22 are a good illustration of breeding a sire's stamina to a mare's pure speed and producing a classic contender.
Not Bourbon's ability to win a two-turn race was under scrutiny as early as last fall when he motored through a smart juvenile campaign that included two sprinting stakes wins.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Divine Park, winner of the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on Memorial Day, will stand at Brereton and Elizabeth Jones's Airdrie Stud when his racing career ends, the farm announced Tuesday. Airdrie has purchased a majority interest in Divine Park's breeding rights for an undisclosed sum.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Yanks Music, 1996's champion 3-year-old filly, was euthanized on May 15 because of complications after colicking, the manager of Adena Springs, Steven Nicholson, confirmed Friday.
Yanks Music was 15 and was carrying a Thunder Gulch foal who was not saved. Her 2008 Smart Strike colt is doing well.
Adena's owner, Frank Stronach, purchased Yanks Music in foal to Storm Cat for $1 million at Keeneland's November mixed sale in 1997.