All Equine All The Time

Spring is in the air and 2-year-old breeze up sales are kicking into gear with everyone flocking to Florida to add some horses to their stables. This week the fun kicks off with Fasig-Tipton’s The Florida Sale taking place on March 1 at Gulfstream Park. When the catalog was released, 162 hips were cataloged for the sale with 44 declared out as of the evening of Feb. 27. That same day, those still in the sale took part in the under tack show, giving buyers a preview of the sale's offerings. No one broke the 10 second barrier at the show, though five tied for the bullet time of 10 seconds flat on Monday. Here are just a few sires (other than the typical Uncle Mos and Tapits) who look like they may be interesting when their 2-year-olds go through the ring on Wednesday night. Candy Ride’s (Ride the Rails) 2-year-olds didn’t miss any time grabbing attention this sales season. While none of his five sale horses in the under tack show clocked the bullet, one clocked in at :10...

Every year hopes and expectations are high in breeding sheds around the world with the biggest weight placed on stallions whose first foals are arriving. While there are 11 months until breeders can first see how the foals are received by buyers at the winter breeding stock sales, how first foals look in the early months of breeding season can affect a sire’s second book. With multiple classic winners and champions retiring in Europe last year, it was a busy season for breeders. Here are six whose first foals arriving this year should garner attention from breeders and fans. Golden Horn has his first foals on the ground this year. An Australian champion, Brazen Beau (I Am Invincible) nearly got a Group 1 win in Europe in his second-to-last start when finishing second to Undrafted (Purim) in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot. The stallion won four group stakes in his career including two Australian Group 1s, all at sprint distance to show he has the speed t...

Pride of Dubai (Coolmore Photo) In an increasingly global market, finding a stallion that appeals to the worldwide breeding industry is always a coup. That is currently where Coolmore sits with new recruit Pride of Dubai, whose record and pedigree tick boxes for breeders around the world. A son of the late Street Cry, Pride of Dubai was bred, raised and raced in Australia. He finished third in his first start before earning blacktype when second in the Group 3 Sportingbet Blue Diamond Prelude next out. Two weeks after the Prelude, he pulled off the challenging feat of breaking his maiden in a Group 1 when winning the William Hill Blue Diamond Stakes to stamp himself as a serious 2-year-old. He doubled up on Group 1s in April when winning the Inglis Sires Produce Stakes. Injury sidelined the colt for exactly 10 months, and when he finished 10 th in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes in early 2016 it was discovered he’d reinjured himself. He was retired soon after the race to...

Every year hopes and expectations are high in breeding sheds around the world with the biggest weight placed on stallions with first foals are arriving. While there are 11 months until breeders can first see how the foals are received by buyers at the winter breeding stock sales, how first foals look in the first few months of the year can affect a sire’s book in his second breeding season. Over 145 stallions in North America are listed on Blood-Horse as entering stud in 2016 in a strong year of new recruits. Here are 11 stallions whose foals breeders and fans should look out for this year. The star of the new sires this year is obviously American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile), the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. Named Champion 3-Year-Old and Horse of the Year in 2015, American Pharoah stood his first season for $200,000 and covered a book of 208 mares that included some of the best broodmares in the sport with the foals from that first covering season starting...