The blog at Werk Thoroughbred Consultants
By Sid Fernando If you blinked, you missed it. Coolmore Stud’s popular Ashford-based Galileo stallion Cape Blanco, who covered more mares (220) in his first year at stud in 2012 than any other stallion in North America, was sent to Japan for the 2015 season, but without missing a beat and with little fanfare Coolmore … Continue reading Magician is a body double for Cape Blanco
By Sid Fernando It’s not often you’ll find a first-year sire priced at $10,000 or less with serious commercial appeal—G2 winner Trappe Shot at $10,000 at Claiborne proved to be one with his first yearlings this year—but Hill ‘n’ Dale has one in Flashback at $7,500, and he promises to be very popular at the … Continue reading Flashback has bang for the buck
By Sid Fernando Cairo Prince, a one-time winter book Kentucky Derby favorite, is the new horse at Airdrie Stud. The son of the surging young sire Pioneerof the Nile will stand for $10,000 in 2015 and is a great commercial bet at the price range. Here’s why: For as long as it’s been around since … Continue reading The new Prince at Airdrie
By Sid Fernando Had the opportunity last month to stop off at historic Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky., to visit the stallions and take a walk through history. Not much has changed on this 3,000-acre property that the Hancocks have cultivated for more than 100 years since Arthur Boyd Hancock established it through marriage to … Continue reading War Front’s 2015 fee promises to surge
By Sid Fernando WinStar Farm’s Pioneerof the Nile has impeccable timing. With the Keeneland September yearling sale looming next week, the son of Empire Maker did what all consignors of his 33 sons and daughters hoped he’d do: catch fire. And how! Yesterday, his two-year-old son American Pharoah won the G1 Del Mar Futurity to … Continue reading Pioneerof the Nile gets his G1 winner
By Sid Fernando What a weekend it was for the young WinStar sires Super Saver and Pioneerof the Nile, both of whom were represented by first-crop SWs. The latter’s oldest runners are three, and two of them, Midnight Storm and Jojo Warrior, won graded races at Del Mar on August 31. Pioneerof the Nile is … Continue reading Derby horses are Super for WinStar
By Sid Fernando City Zip was safely on his way to a nice stud career in New York when fate, in the name of Ghostzapper, intervened. A 1998 son of Carson City and the Relaunch mare Baby Zip, City Zip was a typically precocious but exceptional two-year-old representative of his sire. And he had a … Continue reading City Zip more than Ghostzapper’s bro
By Sid Fernando It seems there’s change afoot in the breeding and racing industries. After years of criticism from observers (including this one) leveled at breeders, owners, and racetracks that North American racing was too preoccupied with speed and two-year-old racing to the detriment of the sport’s and breed’s classic heritage, it appears, at least anecdotally, … Continue reading Turf sires showing the way