Archive for November, 2006
Friday, November 24th, 2006
As of today, 28 stallions have retired to stud in Kentucky for the 2007 breeding season with stud fees of $5,000 or more. They are:
STUD FEE STALLION (Sire) Farm
$100,000 BERNARDINI (A.P. Indy) ————— Darley
$50,000 BLUEGRASS CAT (Storm Cat) ———- Winstar Farm
$40,000 FIRST SAMURAI (Giant’s Causeway) — Claiborne Farm
$40,000 HENNY HUGHES (Hennessy) ———— Darley
$30,000 ARAGORN (Giant’s Causeway) ———- Lane’s End Farm
$25,000 FLOWER ALLEY (Distorted Humor) —– Three Chimneys Frm
$25,000 SILVER TRAIN (Old Trieste) ———— Vinery
$20,000 A.P. WARRIOR (A.P. Indy) ————- Stonewall Farm
$20,000 BORREGO (El Prado) ——————- Wintergreen Stallions
$20,000 ROCKPORT HARBOR (Unbridled’s Song) – Darley
$17,500 BANDINI (Fusaichi Pegasus) ———— Walmac International
$17,500 SUAVE (A.P. Indy) ———————- Darby Dan Farm
$15,000 ARTIE SCHILLER (El Prado) ———— Hurricane Hall
$15.000 BADGE OF SILVER (Silver Deputy) ——- Airdrie Stud
$15,000 GOOD REWARD (Storm Cat) ———– Three Chimneys Frm
$12,500 ANDROMEDA’S HERO (Fusaichi Pegasus) – Richland Hills
$12,500 SHARP HUMOR (Distorted Humor) ——- Winstar Farm
$12,500 GIACOMO (Holy Bull) ——————- Adena Springs
$12,500 WAR FRONT (Danzig) —————— Claiborne Farm
$10,000 BELLAMY ROAD (Concerto) ———— Hurricane Hall
$10,000 IT’S NO JOKE (Distorted Humor) ———-Stonewall
$10,000 UNBRIDLED ENERGY (Unbridled’s Song) – Crestwood Farm
$7,500 FOREST GROVE (Forestry) ————– Airdrie Stud
$7,500 SHANIKO (A.P. Indy) ——————– Millennium Farms
$7,500 SIR SHACKLETON (Miswaki) ———— Castleton Lyons
$5,000 ALUMNI HALL (A.P. Indy) ————— Lane’s End Farm
$5,000 BRITISH BLUE (Storm Cat) ————–Stonewall Farm
$5,000 SUPER FROLIC (Pine Bluff) —————-Millennium Farms
Of the 28 new stallions for 2007, 5 of them are by A.P. Indy, and 3 by Storm Cat. With 2 each are Distorted Humor, El Prado, Fusaichi Pegasus, Giant’s Causeway, and Unbridled’s Song. Darley and Stonewall leads all farms with 3 new stallions, followed by Airdrie, Claiborne, Hurricane Hall, Lane’s End, and Three Chimneys with 2 each. I will keep this updated throughout the 2007 breeding season, and I will be commenting on some of these stallions that I particularly like in future posts.
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Tuesday, November 21st, 2006
They are:
- A. P. WARRIOR — $20,000
- BRITISH BLUE — $5,000
- DONERAILE COURT — $10,000
- LAWYER RON — To Be Announced
- LEROIDESANIMAUX — $25,000 (down from $30,000 in 2006)
- MARQUETRY — $7,500
- MEDAGLIA D’ORO — $40,000
- VALUE PLUS — $12,500 (up from $10,000 in 2006)
Final score: 1 stud fee UP, 1 stud fee DOWN, and 3 stud fees remain the same.
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Tuesday, November 21st, 2006
Who’s going to be the next major force among the Kentucky stud farms? I’m bettin’ on Darley. Considering Sheikh Mohammed’s yearling and broodmare acquisitions over the past few years (he spent $60 million alone in September), future stallion prospects are almost a given. The latest example is Darley’s three recently-retired high-profile stallion prospects: Rockport Harbor was a yearling purchase; Henny Hughes was a private purchase after he won his first two starts; and Barnardini is a homebred. From what I’ve heard, thier phones are ringing off the hook for all three, as well as Street Cry, sire of soon-to-be Champion Juvenile Colt Street Sense. This brings Darley Kentucky stallion roster to 12. Currently, Kentucky’s two biggest farms by number of stallions are Lane’s End with 22 and Ashford Stud with 17.
They’ve just announced their 2007 stud fees. They are:
- BARNARDINI — $100,000
- CHEROKEE RUN — $40,000
- CONSOLIDATOR — $20,000
- E DUBAI — $15,000
- ELUSIVE QUALITY — $100,000
- HENNY HUGHES — $40,000
- HOLY BULL — $15,000
- KAFWAIN — $10,000
- OFFLEE WILD — $10,000 (down from $15,000 in 2006)
- QUIET AMERICAN — $20,000
- ROCKPORT HARBOR — $20,000
- STREET CRY — $50,000 (up from $30,000 in 2006)
Final score: 1 stud fee UP, 1 stud fee DOWN, and 7 stud fees remain the same.
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Monday, November 20th, 2006
They are:
- ACTION THIS DAY — $10,000
- ANABAA — $40,000 (down from 45,000 euros in 2006)
- BERNSTEIN — $30,000 (up from $25,000 in 2006)
- MALIBU MOON — $40,000 (up from $30,000 in 2006)
- SIR SHACKLETON — $7,500
- TOCCET — $20,000 (up from $15,000 in 2006)
- WISEMAN’S FERRY — $8,500
Final score: 3 stud fees UP, 1 stud fee DOWN, and 2 stud fees remain the same.
Castleton Lyons’ announcement that top French stallion Anabaa (‘92 Danzig-Babonella, by Gay Mecene) will stand at their farm in 2007 is a surprising move, considering that many breeders consider Anabaa France’s best stallion, with the possible exception of Linamix. In fact, Anabaa was standing for 45,000 euros (about $57,644 in U.S. currency) in 2006, making him the HIGHEST-priced stallion in France!
Folks, this is a serious stallion. From 7 crops to race, Anabaa’s sired 41 unrestricted SWs (half of them graded/group SWs), 8 G1 winners and 3 champions. He’ll be just 15-years-old for the 2007 breeding season, and, with his stud record to date, his $40,000 stud fee should look like a bargain to U.S. breeders.
Of course, that’s provided U.S. breeders can get over their fixation of dirt sires vs. turf sires. While I don’t deny that many sires’ progeny distinctly prefer one surface over the other, it’s not always the case. Take El Prado, a Champion 2yo in Ireland who never ran on the dirt. His pedigree (Sadler’s Wells and out of a Sir Ivor mare) screams grass, grass, grass. Yet, of the 46 unrestricted SWs he’s sired to date . . . 23 of them on the dirt and 23 of them on the turf. Street Sense, his year’s soon-to-be Champion 2YO Colt, is by Street Cry (Machiavellian and out of a Troy mare). Street Cry’s sire, dam, and damsire did all of their racing on the turf and did their breeding in Europe. Yet, Steet Sense is undefeated and won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on the dirt.
Yes, stallions progeny can have a preference of one surface or the other. But opportunity can also play a factor. The progeny of European stallions rarely get a chance to run on dirt in America, and visa versa. Polytrack and Tapeta have now opened the door to European-bred stallions and their runners. We’re beginning to see European stallions make the move. Anabaa is among a small group in the first wave and Castleton Lyons is betting big on him. I wouldn’t bet against them on this one!
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Friday, November 17th, 2006
They are:
- CHAPEL ROYAL — $10,000
- DEHERE — $20,000
- FUSAICHI PEGASUS — $75,000 (down from $125,000 in 2006)
- GIANT’S CAUSEWAY — PVT (up from $300,000 in 2006)
- GRAND SLAM — $35,000 (down from $50,000 in 2006)
- HENNESSY — $60,000 (down from $75,000 in 2006)
- HOLD THAT TIGER — $10,000 (down from $12,500)
- JOHANNESBURG — $65,000 (up from $25,000 in 2006)
- LION HEART — $25,000 (down from $30,000 in 2006)
- MONASHEE MOUNTAIN — $7,500 (down from $10,000 in 2006)
- MULL OF KINTYRE — $10,000 (up from 5,000 euros in 2006)
- POWERSCOURT — $10,000 (down from $12,500 in 2006)
- ROYAL ACADEMY — $15,000
- TALE OF THE CAT — $37,500 (down from $50,000 in 2006)
- THUNDER GULCH — $30,000 (up from $25,000 in 2006)
- VAN NISTELROOY – $7,500
- WOODMAN — $20,000
Final score: 4 stud fees UP, 8 stud fees DOWN, and 5 stud fees remain the same.
One of Ashford Stud’s great strengths is their willingness to aggressively adjust stud fees based on current market conditions. The result is that their stallions almost always attractive for commercial breeders, and even more so for those breeding to race in some cases. Here are a few examples:
Hold That Tiger stood his initial year at stud (2005) for $15,000. They lowered him to $12,500 for 2006, and now to $10,000 for 2007. He is a son of sire of sires Storm Cat and is a 3/4 brother to Hennessy, and he descends from a huge Overbrook Farm family. He was a G1 winner at two, ran 3rd in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and was named Champion 2yo Colt in Europe. And, at three, he ran 2nd to Mineshaft in the G1 Woodward Stakes. Where else can you find this much stallion potential in terms of pedigree and race record for $10,000?
Monashee Mountain is much like Hold That Tiger. He raced in Europe (4 stakes wins in 7 lifetime starts, including a G3 win at two and three); he is by a major sire of sires (Danzig); he’s a 1/2 brother to top horse – Horse of the Year Mineshaft; and he descends from a monster family (one of Lane’s End’s foundation families).
Monashee Mountain originally stood at Coolmore in Ireland. But they moved him to America for the 2005 breeding season after his first crop of 77 2yo’s yielded 14 juvenile winners and now has 7 SWs. All of from mares with a paltry 0.80 C.I. This begs the question – what can Monashee Mountain do with a better book of mares? He looks to be a credible ‘breeding to race’ proposition at $7,500.
Mull Of Kintyre is the latest arrival to Ashford Stud, moving here from Coolmore Ireland where he stood for 5,000 euros. At two, he was G2 winner in Ireland before shipping to the U.S. to run in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile where he finished 4th. Mull Of Kintyre is by Danzig and out of a daughter of Hay Patcher, the dam of Broad Brush and family of Capote. From his first crop, now 4yo’s, he’s had 3 SWs including Araafa, winner of the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, as well as the G1 St. James Palace Stakes. (Araafa will be standing for 15,000 pounds in 2007!) At $10,000, I sure think he’s worth a look.
What’s interesting about these three is that they have similar profiles. All three are by U.S. stallions who are considered sires of sires; all three are out mares descending from major U.S. families; and all three group SWs at two.
The foals from these three might very well benefit from the new artifical surfaces being installed at U.S. tracks around the country. In addition to being kinder on horses, I believe Polytrack and Tapeta will move up turf runners and bring the need for stamina back into American pedigrees. Even horses running 6 and 7 furlongs need more stamina to be competitive on artifical surfaces than on many of the hard dirt tracks. While Hold That Tiger, Monashee Mountain, and Mull Of Kintyre might not be strong commercial stallions at the moment, I can certainly make a case to those breeding to race.
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Jack Werk (1944-2010)
