Stonerside Stable has been sold to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Darley, according to a Stonerside release Sept. 1. Included in the transaction will be approximately 80 horses in training, plus another 170 or so broodmares, yearlings and weanlings, as well as the main 2,000-acre farm near Paris, Ky., and the training center in Aiken, S.C.

Bob McNair, who with his wife, Janice, founded Stonerside in 1994, explained that a commitment to his NFL football team, the Houston Texans, has meant that they have not had sufficient time to devote to Stonerside and this was behind their decision to sell to Darley.

“Janice and I have loved every minute of owning Stonerside,” McNair said, “but I have a duty to the Houston Texans now and it has become increasingly difficult to focus on both ventures. We decided to sell to Darley and an important aspect of the deal to us is that the Stonerside staff, who have worked so hard for the family and contributed so much to our success, have been assured that their futures are secure.”

Terms were not disclosed.

John Ferguson, representing Darley, said, “Stonerside and the McNair family have a record to be proud of. John Adger, Bobby Spalding, David Sorrell, and Tim Jones, along with the entire Stonerside team, have done a great job and Darley looks forward to working with them. We have no plans to change anything at the present time, and it will be business as usual at Stonerside. Sheikh Mohammed is delighted to have been given this opportunity. Stonerside has bred some great horses in the past, and we are confident it will continue to do so.”

The McNairs will keep one horse in training, 3-year-old graded stakes winner Cowboy Cal, and retain their homebred stallions Congaree, Bob and John, and Stonesider, as well as their other stallion interests.
(Source: The Blood-Horse)

Me the Sea and G T rallied from off the pace, took the lead in the stretch, and held on to win by a head on Saturday in the fourth race at Woodbine and become the first winner for freshman sire Dance to Destiny.

Me the Sea and G T, who is out of G T’ S Miss Gretch, by Accelarator, completed six furlongs on the synthetic Polytrack surface in 1:11.08 as the 4.15-to-1 second choice under Patrick Husbands in his fourth start for owner G. T. Heat Stable and trainer Steve Owens.

Dance to Destiny, a nine-year-old by Mr. Prospector out of 1991 Canadian Horse of the Year and Eclipse Award winner Dance Smartly, stood the 2008 season for $4,750 ($5,000 Canadian) at Colebrook Farms Stallion Station in Uxbridge, Ontario. He has 34 two-year-olds in his first crop.

Campaigned by breeder Sam-Son Farms, Dance to Destiny recorded three wins in 11 career starts and earned $170,854. He finished third in the 2003 Dominion Day Handicap (Can-G3) and is a full brother to Canadian champion Dancethruthedawn and Canadian classic winner Scatter the Gold.
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)

McCann’s Mojave, the multiple-stakes-winning California-bred, has been retired to stud after recent tests revealed damage to a tendon, owner Mike Willman said.

McCann’s Mojave was scratched from the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 24 because of concern over a tendon. Additional tests on Friday revealed that the tendon had not improved, Willman said.

“The risk of injury was there,” Willman said. “He’s taken us on the ride of a lifetime and we had to do right by the horse.

“He’s been a miraculous horse for us. It’s a sad, sad day. It hurts a lot because of how well he was doing going into that race.”

Bred by Willman and Nikki Hunt, McCann’s Mojave, 8, won 12 of 35 starts and $1,513,565. His biggest win was a 33-1 upset in the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic for California-breds and Florida-breds at Gulfstream Park in 2007.

McCann’s Mojave later won two Grade 3 stakes at Golden Gate Fields - the All American Stakes last November and the Berkeley Stakes in May of this year. In his final start, he finished fourth in the Hollywood Gold Cup on June 28.

Willman said that McCann’s Mojave will stand at stud at Rancho San Miguel in San Miguel, Calif.
(Source: NTRA)

Superbly bred Silent Action stands his first season at Michael Fitzgerald’s Bengalla Stud, Muswellbrook in 2008 and offers breeders the chance to use a son of champion sire Sunday Silence for the value fee of just $3300.

Silent Action, a handsome chestnut standing 16.2 hands, was a $450,000 yearling and won five races from 1250m-2048m. He was in the money at three starts at two and continued to race in great heart in subsequent seasons.

The only son of Sunday Silence available in the Hunter Valley this year, he offers owner-breeders in particular to access the most successful branch of the Halo male line via US Horse of the Year and Kentucky Derby winner Sunday Silence (Halo-Wishing Well by Understanding).

Sunday Silence was Champion Sire in Japan from 1994-2006 (inclusive) and his 169 stakes winners include 43 Gr.1 winners led by Deep Impact, Dance Partner, Dance in the Dark (sire of 2006 Melbourne Cup winner Delta Blues (JPN)), and shuttle sires like Tayasu Tsuyoshi (JPN) (sire of VRC Oaks/Arrowfield Stud Stakes-Gr.1 winner Hollow Bullet) and Genuine (JPN) (sire of Australian Cup-Gr.1 winner Pompeii Ruler.

The Halo sireline was really firing last season with its Australian-bred representatives including the Golden Slipper winner Sebring, by Champion Sire of 2YOs More Than Ready (USA) (Southern Halo), while the unraced Sunday Silence horse Any Given Sunday (now deceased) sired the Queensland Oaks and Derby heroine Riva San and shuttler and Sunday Silence son Fuji Kiseki (JPN) had the winner of the Dubai Sheema Classic-Gr.1 winner via his Australian-bred daughter and dual South African Gr.1 winner Sun Classique.

Silent Action’s dam Nance Chrissie (Bluebird (USA)-Clystalla (USA) by Pia Star) is a sister to South African Gr.1 winner Race Master and Group-placed Chagall (sire) and a half-sister to triple Oaks (VRC, AJC, QTC) heroine November Rain (Estaminet (GB)), dam of the South African Oaks-Gr.2 winner Stormy Hill (Danehill (USA)) and grandam of Shannon Stakes-Gr.2 winner Stormhill (Danehill) and South Australian Derby-Gr.1 runner-up Hurricane Storm.

Nance Chrissie is also a half-sister to Star Style Girl (Without Fear (FR)), whose five wins included the Queen of the South Stakes-Gr.2 and who is the dam of Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes-Gr.1 winner and sire San Luis (Flying Spur).

Nance Chrissie is by one of the best of the early shuttlers, Bluebird (Storm Bird-Ivory Dawn by Sir Ivor), a brilliant sprinter who won the King’s Stand Stakes-Gr.1 (5f) at Royal Ascot by four lengths and left 13 Gr.1 winners among his 73 stakes winners, notably Flitter, the successful sire Dolphin Street (FR), Azzurro and Lake Coniston (IRE) (sire). His daughters have produced 37 stakes winners led by seven Gr.1 winners including Universal Prince, Yell, Thorn Park and Zaglia.

Silent Action’s second dam Clystalla (ex Glass of Fashion by Ambiorix) is a half-sister to the American Gr.1 winner Trojan Bronze (by Australian champion Tobin Bronze).

Glass of Fashion, Silent Action’s fourth dam is intensely inbred to a famous family being by Ambiorix (Tourbillon-Lavendula by Pharos) and from Giff Gaff (Nasrullah-Source Sucree by Admiral Drake). Giff Gaff, a three-quarter sister to multiple Gr.1 winner and successful sire Turn-to (great-grandsire of Sunday Silence) is a daughter of Lavendula (Pharos-Sweet Lavender by Swynford). Lavendula’s descendants also include My Babu, Irish River, Sayani, Cagire and English Prince.

Michael Fitzgerald is keen to attract city winners and proven producers to Silent Action and owners of such mares would do well to give him a call on 0428 429 614. Bengalla Stud, also home to Gr.1 sire Bite The Bullet (USA) and young Nureyev horse Dance Dreamer (USA), is at Old Bengalla Road on the Denman side of Muswellbrook.
(Source: Breednet)

Pat O’Brien Handicap (G2) winner Lewis Michael will begin his stud career in 2009 at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Kentucky.

A stud fee will be announced upon his retirement. The four-year-old Rahy colt out of stakes winner Justenuffheart, by Broad Brush, is being pointed to a start in either the Sentient Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) or Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on October 25 at Santa Anita Park.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to stand this outstanding son of Rahy, who continues to be one of our most prolific stallions,” Three Chimneys owner Robert Clay said. “Lewis Michael ensures that the Rahy influence will continue for years to come.”

Bred and raced by Frank Calabrese, Lewis Michael scored a 2 3/4-length victory in the seven-furlong Pat O’Brien on Sunday on the Polytrack surface at Del Mar. He also won the Washington Park Handicap (G2) last summer on Arlington Park’s Polytrack and the Grand Canyon Handicap in 2005 on the grass at Churchill Downs.

Lewis Michael has hit the board in five other graded stakes races for trainer Wayne Catalano. He has won seven of 22 career starts and earned $811,714.

“Lewis Michael is the full package that the middle market needs,” said Three Chimneys President Case Clay. “Standing at over 16 hands, he is a big, solid horse that is exceptionally good-looking. His balance and scope combined with a tremendous pedigree and quick turn of foot will marry well with a wide variety of mares.”
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)

Strawberry Reason, the dam of 2002 champion two-year-old male Vindication, died on June 29 from a head injury suffered in a paddock accident at Stone Farm in Paris, Kentucky. Her death came 11 days before Vindication was euthanized on July 10 because of an irreparable gastric rupture.

The 16-year-old Strawberry Road (Aus) mare out of Pretty Reason, by Hail to Reason, died after being kicked in the head, said Anna Colombo, general manager of owner-breeder Virginia Kraft Payson’s Payson Stud.

Strawberry Road was carrying an A.P. Indy foal and had delivered an Unbridled’s Song filly in February.

“It was a big loss, very shocking,” Colombo said. “If she died from some sort of a disease, that’s one thing, but a casual kick from another mare, it’s just tragic.”

Vindication, by Seattle Slew, was the third foal out of the 1995 Martha Washington Stakes (G3) winner.

Satish and Anne Sanan’s Padua Stables purchased Vindication for $2.15-million at the 2001 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of selected yearlings.

Vindication won each of his four career starts, and he capped his champion¬ship season with a ¬victory in the 2002 Bes¬semer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Arlington Park for trainer Bob Baffert. A suspensory injury ended his career the next year, and he stood five seasons at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms in Lexington.

Two other yearlings out of Strawberry Reason sold for seven-figure prices at public auction.

Patrick Biancone signed a $1.9-million ticket at the 2003 Fasig-¬Tipton Saratoga sale for an A.P. Indy colt out of Strawberry Reason. Payson raced the colt, named Scipion, and he won the 2005 Risen Star Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds. Scipion stood his first season in 2008 at Murmur Farm in Maryland.

Circle E Racing purchased a Storm Cat filly out of Strawberry Reason for $1.7-million at the 2005 Keeneland September yearling sale. The filly, Queenie Cat, never raced and delivered a Distorted Humor filly in 2008.

Strawberry Reason also produced Blackberry Road, a three-year-old Gone West colt who has placed in three graded stakes races. She was barren in 2006 and delivered an A.P. Indy filly in ’07.

Bred in Kentucky, Strawberry Reason won four of 17 starts and earned $153,226.
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)

Grade 2 winner Elite Squadron, a four-year-old Officer colt that hit the board in five consecutive graded stakes, was retired on Monday after developing a soft tissue injury.

“It’s really bittersweet because he was a fantastic racehorse,” owner Tom Walter said. “He really came into his own this season, winning or placing in all of his last five starts, all in graded stakes races.”

Trained by James Baker, Elite Squadron won the Churchill Downs Stakes (G2) on May 3 at Churchill Downs. He also earned runner-up finishes in the Commonwealth Stakes (G2) at Keeneland Race Course and the Triple Bend Invitational Handicap (G1) at Hollywood Park, and was third in the Richter Scale Sprint Handicap (G2) at Gulfstream Park and the Aristides Stakes (G3) at Churchill.

“The plan was to run him in the Phoenix [Stakes (G3)] at Keeneland and then in the Breeders’ Cup, but the injury, although he would have been able to easily come back, was just horrible timing because he’d be out for a couple months,” Walter said. “The amount of interest we received about standing him at stud, though, made the decision much easier.”

Elite Squadron is out of stakes winner Sweet Mama, by High Brite. Walter said stud plans have not been finalized.

Bred in Kentucky by Matt Herbener, Elite Squadron won five of 14 starts with two seconds, and two third-place finishes over three seasons and earned $507,059.
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)

Kia Ora Stud founder Percy Miller will join an elite group of breeders when he enters the Australian Racing Hall of Fame next Monday as an associate.

Miller was a breeding pioneer in Australia, establishing Kia-Ora Stud in 1914.

Kia-Ora produced 1925 Melbourne Cup winner Windbag and stood champion stallions Midstream and Delville Wood, horses which produced champions such as Hall of Fame galloper Shannon, VRC Derby & Cox Plate winner Hydrogen, and Melbourne Cup winners Delta and Evening Peal.

Breeders have been consistently recognised by the Hall of Fame selection panel since the concept’s inception in 2001.

That year, Widden Stud’s Thompson family were among five inaugural associates the join the Hall of Fame.

The following year, Segenhoe Stud founder James White entered the elite list, along with the Wootton Family, who left a lasting legacy on Australian breeding when Stanley Wootton imported the legendary sire Star Kingdom.

Jack and Bob Ingham entered the Hall in 2004 for their wonderful achievements in establishing the Woodlands Stud racing and breeding empire, while New Zealand’s Sir Patrick Hogan was recognised by the selection panel in 2005, with the Champion stallions Sir Tristram and Zabeel making Hogan’s Cambridge Stud a dominant force in Australasian racing and breeding.

Further to those breeders, William Inglis & Son was also inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2003.

Now Percy Miller will join that group.

After starting out as a successful businessman and a hobby breeder, Miller decided in 1914 – with just six mares – to try commercial thoroughbred breeding.

He purchased the cattle property Kia-Ora from the established Segenhoe Stud, just east of Scone and with manager Bert Riddle, he set about developing Kia-Ora as a fully operational horse stud.

By 1917, he was able to offer two yearlings at the Sydney Easter Sales; the start of a sustained and most remarkable breeding record.

In the same year a horse called Magpie ran second in the English 2000 Guineas and eventually came to Australia where he was acquired as a stallion by Percy Miller.

Over the next decade Magpie became one of Australia’s leading sires producing many feature race winners at Kia-Ora, including Windbag, Amounis and Talking.

This became the pattern at Kia-Ora with a succession of successful sires standing at the stud farm.

Most notable of these were Midstream and Delville Wood who also became premiership winning sires and produced such champions as Shannon, Delta, Hydrogen and Evening Peal.

They were to leave a legacy in a superb brand of broodmares, but what was most remarkable about the record of Kia-Ora was the high percentage of winners that came off the property and the huge numbers of well grown yearlings that were sold off the stud.

This number peaked with 105 offered at the 1941 Sydney Easter Sales, helping contribute to the total of yearlings presented for sale between 1917 and 1949 of 2,862.

Bert Riddle was the manager through all these years but on his death in 1952, four years after Percy Miller, the stud was cut back by the family and finally dispersed in May 1959.

The stud has had a series of owners since that sale, with Champions like Gunsynd and Baguette having stood at the famous property.

The present owners took over the stud in 2000 and the Kia Ora name lives on today, recognised as one of the leading vendors at major yearling sales around Australia.

Recent success stories graduating off the farm include Australia’s Champion First season sire from last season, the dual Group 1 winner Exceed And Excel (Danehill-Patrona).

Kia Ora also sold the $2million Redoute’s Choice-Procrastinate yearling at the Inglis Easter sale in 2007 and at this year’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, Kia Ora prepared She Will Be Loved for sale, where she made $2.4million.
(Source: Racing & Sports)

Sadler’s Wells, who topped the English/Irish sires list an incredible 14 times, came through with another milestone when he became just the second stallion to reach the 300 mark in number of stakes winners.

The glorious moment came when his unbeaten 2-year-old daughter Fantasia won the Toteswinger Prestige Stakes (Eng-III) at Goodwood in just her second start.

Sadler’s Wells, who was pensioned from stallion duty at John Magnier and partners’ Coolmore Stud in Ireland at age 27 earlier this year, trails only deceased Coolmore stallion Danehill in number of stakes winners. Danehill is represented by 349 stakes winners.

Third on the list is another deceased stallion, Danzig, who reached the 200 mark the end of July. Danzig stood at the Hancock family’s Claiborne Farm near Paris, Ky.
Fantasia, bred in Great Britain by Ronchalon Racing UK, races for Fittocks Stud and Andrew Bengough.

Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer—Fairy Bridge, by Bold Reason) is represented this year by 16 stakes winners, including European group I winners Saddex and Yeats.
(Source: The Blood-Horse)

Jeannie Liz set an uncontested pace and cruised to a three-length win in the first race at Hastings Race Course on Saturday to become the first career winner for freshman sire Recreation.

Trained by Tom Longstaff for owners TNT Racing Stable, Street Range, and Rainbow Stables, Jeannie Liz completed the 3 1/2-furlong maiden claiming race in :40.38 on a track rated fast as the even-money favorite. She is out of stakes-placed winner Rainbows Forever, by Vying Victor.

A ten-year-old by Storm Cat out of the Grade 1-winning Devil’s Bag mare Devil’s Orchard, Recreation stood the 2008 breeding season for $956 ($1,000 Canadian) at Road’s End in Abbotsford, British Columbia. He has six two-year-olds in his first crop.

Winless in six career starts for owner-breeder Shannon Farms, Recreation is a half brother to stakes winners Mountain Orchard and Unification. Group 1 winner Favourable Terms (GB) is a notable member of the female family.
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)

Jitter in Rome quickly gained command after stumbling at the start of her racing debut, opened a 14-length lead in early stretch, and posted a dominant 11 1/2-length victory in the second race on Friday at Mountaineer Race Track to become the first career winner for Grade 1 winner Burning Roma.

Heather Marino owns and trains Jitter in Rome, who won the six-furlong maiden special weight race in 1:13.57 on a track rated as fast. The two-year-old filly is one of two winners from as many starters out of the unraced Tactical Advantage mare Twitch and Jitter.

Burning Roma, the winner of the 2000 Futurity Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park, stood the for $7,500 in ‘08 at Hidden Point Farm in Ocala. A ten-year-old by Rubiano out of the winning Overstake mare While Rome Burns, Burning Roma has 24 two-year-olds in his first crop.

Burning Roma concluded his five-year racing career in 2004 with $1,500,200 in earnings and 13 wins in 36 starts for owner Harold Queen, the breeder of Jitter in Rome. Bred in Kentucky by William S. Farish, Burning Roma earned three of his wins in graded stakes, including a victory in the 2000 Futurity for trainer Tony Dutrow.
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)

Brookdale Farm announced Aug. 22 the death of their stallion Forest Wildcat. The graded stakes-winning son of Storm Cat died the evening of Aug. 21 at Rood and Riddle Equine Clinic near Lexington. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.

According to the farm’s release, he had undergone emergency surgery Aug. 20 after showing signs of discomfort. The sire of 55 stakes winners including Puerto Rico Horse of the Year D’ Wildcat Speed, Forest Wildcat will be buried at Brookdale, where he has stood since 1997.

Out of the Bold Native mare Victoria Beauty, Forest Wildcat was bred in Florida by Ocala Stud Farm and was a $325,000 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’ select sale 2-year-old in early 1993. He was a half-brother to grade II winner Queen Alexandra.

Forest Wildcat was a four-time stakes winner and earner of $478,862 while taking nine of 20 starts for Everett “Eb” Novak’s New Farm and trainer Ben Perkins Sr. In 1996, he won the Maryland Breeders’ Cup Handicap (gr. III; equaling Pimlico’s six-furlong track record of 1:09) and the Finger Lakes Breeders’ Cup Handicap (gr. III). Later in the year, in the Ben Cohen Stakes at Pimlico, he equaled the track record again. He closed out his career with a one-length victory in the six-furlong Phoenix Breeders’ Cup Stakes at Keeneland.

He entered stud in 1997 for a fee of $10,000 at Fred Seitz’ Brookdale Farm near Versailles, Ky., and sired 678 foals from nine crops of racing age. He has sired 379 winners (56%) and his runners have earned in excess of $34 million.

Forest Wildcat’s other major stakes winners include English sprint champion Var, Acorn (gr. I) winner Forest Secrets and young stallions Wildcat Heir and D’wildcat. Both Wildcat Heir and D’Wildcat won Laurel Park’s grade I Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash Stakes.

Forest Wildcat is represented by 12 stakes winners in 2008, including Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II) winner Behindatthebar, grade III winners Brownie Points, Coragil Cat, and Chatain. Ranked among the top 25 leading sires of 2008, he stood the 2008 breeding season for $35,000.
(Source: The Blood-Horse)

New York grade II winner Sightseeing has been retired from racing and will enter stud at Richland Hills near Midway, Ky., in 2009. The 4-year-old son of Pulpit raced as a homebred for Ogden Mills “Dinny” Phipps in the name of Phipps Stable.

As a 3-year-old, Sightseeing won the Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II) and was beaten a half-length in the Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I) while finishing second to Nobiz Like Shobiz and ahead of Any Given Saturday. He also placed to champion Street Sense in the Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. II) and ran third in the Dwyer Stakes (gr. II).

“Sightseeing went toe-to-toe with top 3-year-olds belonging to one of the best crops in recent memory,” said Richland Hills president Nathan Fox. “He is a very impressive individual who has great stamina and soundness, and together with his great pedigree is one of the most exciting stallion prospects for 2009.”

Sightseeing won or placed in a dozen of 18 races and earned $508,401 while trained by Shug McGaughey. He ran second in the Nashua Stakes (gr. III) at 2 and was third in this year’s Westchester Handicap (gr. III) to Divine Park and Grasshopper.

His dam, Resort (by Pleasant Colony), placed in three graded stakes, including the Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) and Gazelle Handicap (gr. I).

Sightseeing is being syndicated. His fee will be announced later.
(Source: The Blood-Horse)

Young stallions Catastrophe and Dow Jones U S have been moved to the Philippines to stand at Augusto Santos near Manila. Both stood for Elliott-Walton Partnership at The Horse of Course near Benton, La.

Eleven-year-old Catastrophe (Storm Cat—Real Jenny, by Valid Appeal) has sired nine winners, including stakes-placed Brendyn Jo. Catastrophe is a half-brother to three stakes winners.

Dow Jones U S, whose dam is a half-sister to champion Easy Goer, is a 7-year-old son of Unbridled. He is out of the Danzig mare Napping.
(Source: The Blood-Horse)

Polish Miner, a graded stakes-placed son of Danzig, has been moved to Bar C Racing Stables near Hermiston, Ore. He formerly stood at Allaire Farms near Poulsbo, Wash.

An 11-year-old, Polish Miner is represented by 34 winners, including 2008 stakes-placed runners On My Hip and stakes-placed Allotrope. His progeny earnings are $1.1 million.
A full brother to graded winner Survivalist, Polish Miner is out of the Mr. Prospector mare Miner’s Game, who is a full sister to major sire Seeking the Gold.

Allaire announced the death of Trail City. The 15-year-old stallion, who died July 20, is represented by 46 winners, including stakes winners Trail Mix, Trail This, Sawtelle Belle, and Skyline Trail. He has progeny earnings of $2.5 million.

Bred in Kentucky by Prestonwood Farm, Trail City raced for trainer Bill Mott and Robert Verchota. He won or placed in 16 of 25 races and earned $658,794. His big win came in the 1996 Arlington Classic Stakes (gr. IIT).

By Red Ransom, Trail City was produced from the Alydar mare Willow Runner.
(Source: The Blood-Horse)

Triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva is doing well after giving birth to her second foal, a filly by Fusaichi Pegasus, at Segenhoe Stud in NSW.

“Makybe Diva has taken to motherhood as a true professional. She has come through the foaling in fantastic order,” said a spokesman.

“Tony Santic is currently on vacation and was anxiously awaiting the phone call. He was extremely happy to hear it was a filly, but more important, they are both fit and well.”

Santic confirmed last month that the triple Melbourne Cup winner and Cox Plate heroine’s first foal, by Galileo, would be part of the group of yearlings to be offered at the 2009 Australian Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney.

“The Galileo colt is doing extremely well and continues to impress.Obviously he will be very popular,” the spokesman said.

Makybe Diva and her new foal will head to Coolmore Stud in NSW where she will be served by leading stallion Encosta de Lago.
(Source: Racing & Sports)

Grade 2 winner and freshman sire Bowman’s Band, who had been standing at William S. Farish’s Lane’s End Farm, was euthanized on Saturday at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington following complications from colic surgery.

The ten-year-old by Dixieland Band out of Grade 1-placed stakes winner Hometown Queen, by Pleasant Colony, was his sire’s leading earner after winning seven of 34 starts and finishing on the board in 17 others to compile $1,315,774 in earnings in four seasons.

Bowman’s Band won his seven races between the ages of three and five, including the 2003 Meadowlands Breeders’ Cup Stakes (G2). He also won the ‘01 Summing Stakes, also at the Meadowlands, as well as the ’02 R.R.M. Carpenter Jr. Memorial Stakes and the ’03 Brandywine Handicap, both at Delaware Park.

Campaigned by Martin Schwartz, he finished second or third in 14 stakes races during his career, including runner-up finishes in the ’02 Oaklawn Handicap (G1) and the ’04 Metropolitan Handicap (G1), and third-place finishes in the ’04 Pimlico Special (G1) and Whitney (G1) Handicaps.

Bowman’s Band was retired following his six-year-old season and stood his first two years at Maryland Stallion Station in a joint venture with Lane’s End. Bred in Kentucky by John Rooker, he was relocated to Lane’s End in Versailles, Kentucky, for the 2007 season.

His first crop of runners went to the track this year, and from five starters he has two winners—Just Hummm and Miss Charm City—as well as two placed runners.
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)

Romeo Again dueled for the lead under Ivan Gonzalez and launched his winning bid at the quarter pole to win the sixth race on Sunday at Pinnacle Race Course and become the first winner for freshman sire Secret Romeo.

Romeo Again, who is the first winner from two starters out of the winning Wild Again mare Post It Again, won the five-furlong race by 1¾ lengths in 1:01.04 on a track rated as fast for trainer Ronald Allen Sr. and owner Kimberly Allen.

Secret Romeo, a ten-year-old by Service Stripe out of the winning Romeo mare Berry Point, stood the 2008 season for a private fee at Dickinson Farms in Montgomery, Michigan. He has 17 two-year-olds in his first crop.

Secret Romeo won 23 races and earned $865,790 in 55 starts during his five-year racing career. He won eight stakes races as a four-year-old in 2002 during his most lucrative season and amassed 17 career stakes wins.
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)

Genuine Risk, the oldest-living Kentucky Derby (G1) winner, died on Monday morning at Newstead Farm in Upperville, Virginia. She was 31.

The farm said Genuine Risk died peacefully shortly after being turned out in her paddock.

“Genuine Risk was an amazing horse with tremendous heart that lived a life befitting a champion,” owners Bert and Diana Firestone said in a statement. “We are truly blessed that she was a part of our life, and we are deeply saddened by her passing.”

In 1980, Genuine Risk became the first filly in 65 years to win the Derby. She is the only filly to hit the board in all three legs of the Triple Crown—she finished second in both the Preakness Stakes (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1).

Genuine Risk also won the 1980 Ruffian Handicap (G1) and received the Eclipse Award as champion three-year-old filly. The chestnut Exclusive Native mare out of Virtuous, by Gallant Man, finished on the board in each of her 15 career starts, collecting ten wins and earnings of $646,587. She was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1986.

Unable to transfer racing success into her breeding career, Genuine Risk produced only two foals, and neither of them raced. She was pensioned in 2000.

With her death, 1987 Kentucky Derby winner Alysheba is the oldest living Derby winner at age 24.
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)

Lionel Cohen, the part of owner of Sun Classique, has confirmed to SAHorseracing.COM that he has sold her dam to Australian interests.

Elfenjer was bought by Nathan Tinkler who created the big spending breeding operation, Patinack Farm. The mining magnate has splashed out at all the major sales in Australia this year and purchased Elfenjar in April according the Cohen.

Sun Classique, a freakishly brilliant filly, won the Dubai Sheema Classic and her dam returns to her place of birth - Australia.

Lionel Cohen of Odessa Stud fame said, “We sold her to Nathan Tinkler, but I cannot disclose the price.” Cohen runs a smooth stud farm operation and the astute businessman has interests in the Equimark Sales company as well.
(Source: SA Horseracing)