All Equine All The Time

Brody's Cause at Spendthrift Farm in 2018. Though first crop stallions (in this case, those whose first runners are two) have been at a disadvantage this year with 2-year-old races starting later than normal, many have come out firing. In Europe, they have Mehmas (Acclamation) leading the charge while in the United States, Not This Time (Giant's Causeway) is doing the same. It’s proving to be another bumper group of freshmen and as always, there are some hidden gems among them. For today's blog I’ve picked out six freshmen worth watching … and in some cases, the common trend that plays a part in their success. All stats from Arion and the Weatherby’s Stallion Book as of August 19, 2020.   Europeans Coulsty (Rathasker Stud, Ireland – 2020 Fee: €4,000) Stats: Five winners from 14 starters include a G3 winner, three additional placed runners Standing for €5,000 in his first year at stud, Group III winning Coulsty (Kodiac) has seen 14 of his 43 2-year-olds make a...

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...

Note: This New Sires blog is an updated blog first run after California Chrome’s Dubai World Cup victory in 2016. California Chrome at Taylor Made in 2015. One of only three Kentucky Derby winners this century to race past his 4-year-old season, California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) continues to make history years after most high profile horses have been retired. In March of 2016, the horse became the all-time highest earner outside of Japan when he won the $6-million winner’s share of the Dubai World Cup purse and boosted his earnings to $12,532,650. Later that year, he became the first horse to win two Horse of the Year titles in non-consecutive years since John Henry pulled off the feat in 1981 and 1984. The winner of 16 of 27 races, the California-bred son of Lucky Pulpit was under the radar as a 2-year-old, winning only three of his seven starts but has quickly risen to be one of the most popular racehorses in the world in recent years after dominating the Kentucky Derby t...

Only months after his son Golden Horn topped off a stellar career with a Cartier Horse of the Year award in 2015, Cape Cross was back with another big horse with Awtaad. Awtaad started his career on Oct. 11, 2015, a week after Golden Horn won the Group 1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. While it wasn’t a victory, with Awtaad getting nosed out for second close to home, it was the final time he’d lose for over six months. From his debut, Awtaad went on a four race win streak, winning those four starts by a combined 11 ½ lengths. While he looked the real deal early on in Ireland, it was the Group 1 Irish 2,000 Guineas that confirmed that fact when he faced Group 1 QIPCO 2,000 Guineas winner Galileo Gold (Paco Boy), who was looking to win back-to-back classics. Awtaad took the lead with less than two furlongs to go and won by 2 ½ lengths over Galileo Gold. The win made him his sire’s second classic winner in as many years after Golden Horn’s win in England’s Group 1 Investec D...

A horse born in the wrong generation of racing, Frosted gets a second chance to show his talents in the coming years after retiring to the breeding shed for 2017. Hitting the track as a 2-year-old in 2014, the same year his sire Tapit got his first classic winner, Frosted lived up to the “third time is the charm” saying when he broke his maiden third time out at Aqueduct after two second place finishes. That eye-catching 5 ¼ length maiden victory was enough to convince his connections to enter him in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes. Starting what would become a trend in his career, Frosted ran second to Leave the Light On (Horse Greeley) in the Remsen then came back two months later to run second again in the Grade 2 Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes to Upstart (Flatter). A fourth place finish behind Itsaknockout (Lemon Drop Kid) in the Grade 2 Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth Stakes convinced trainer Kiaran McLaughlin to change things up before his next race. After a change in ...

After nearly a month hiatus, All Equine All the Time returns with the first new stallion blog of the season. Follow along in coming months as I look at new stallions hitting the sheds in 2017. Bobby's Kitten A familiar horse to both American and Europeans is new stallion Bobby’s Kitten, who won stakes in both North America and Ireland. The first Kitten’s Joy son to stand in Europe, Bobby’s Kitten may be known most for his thrilling finish in the 2014 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint where he edged out fellow European stallion No Nay Never (Scat Daddy) by half a length at Santa Anita. But that is far from the only thing the bay accomplished. A winner at Saratoga in his second start, Bobby’s Kitten proved to be one of the best – if not the best – U.S. 2-year-old turf horses of his year. Breaking his maiden at 1 1/6 miles by 2 ¾ lengths, Bobby’s Kitten went on to lead the 2013 Grade 3 Pilgrim Stakes wire-to-wire with a 6 ¼ length victory at the same distance. Tha...