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.