CANDY RIDE: ANOTHER GRADE 1 WINNER!

Dec. 28, 2009: CANDY RIDE (ARG) is proving as impressive in the breeding shed as he was on the track. Over the last weekend of 2009, the top five sophomore sire notched his second Grade 1 winner of the year when the superb sprinter Evita Argentina stormed down Santa Anita’s stretch to prevail in the G1 La Brea S. It was the chestnut’s sixth win in 13 starts, including a victory over males in the G2 San Vicente S., as well as tallies in the G2 A Gleam H. and G3 Sorrento S.

CANDY RIDE’s other Grade 1 winner is Capt. Candyman Can, who like Evita Argentina excels at the tricky seven-furlong distance. The gelding landed one of the most prized spoils on the horse racing calendar, the G1 King’s Bishop S., to add to his victories in the G2 Hutcheson S. and G3 Bay Shore S. He is four-for-four going seven furlongs.

In all, CANDY RIDE has five graded stakes winners to his credit. They include his progressive son Misremembered, who on the same afternoon as Evita Argentina’s La Brea win came flying for second in the G1 Malibu S. at Santa Anita. The Bob Baffert homebred previously won the G2 Indiana Derby and G2 Swaps Breeders' Cup S., ran a game second in the G2 Clark H., and has now finished first or second in seven of nine.

Meanwhile, CANDY RIDE’s son El Brujo won the G3 Kentucky Cup Sprint at Turfway Park in September, then doubled up with a tally in the G3 Perryville S. at Keeneland a month later, while multiple Grade 1-placed Chocolate Candy won the G3 El Camino Real Derby earlier in the year.

CANDY RIDE’s nine 2009 stakes winners puts him in a tie with Speightstown for third-most stakes winners for a sophomore sire, and he has more than double the number of Birdstone (4), etc.

CANDY RIDE’s emergence as a top young sire was recently recognized in the sales ring at Keeneland September. Despite a down market, his yearlings were in top demand, averaging an outstanding $146,920 from 10 offered, 10 sold (through Sept. 21). That number’s even more impressive considering it came off a $12,500 stud fee, and was in his third year at stud, often considered a ‘bubble’ year. Leading the way was a colt out of the Heaven’s Gate mare Septieme Ciel who sold to Let’s Go Stable for $630,000. Others sold for $340,000, $185,000, $150,000, etc.

With numbers like these, Bill Oppenheim recently called CANDY RIDE outstanding value at his 2010 fee of $25,000:

“CANDY RIDE, unbeaten on the racecourse and sire of five GSWs in his first crop. He seems to have a new black-type horse every time you open up the paper.”

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ARAGORN: UNLIMITED POTENTIAL, LIMITED PRICE

A multiple Grade 1 winner of over $1.5 million. A course-record holder who excelled at a mile. A grandson of Storm Cat, by his best sire son. An exciting young stallion whose first-crop weanlings made up to $329,000 and whose first yearlings were outstanding. And all for $7,500?

ARAGORN (IRE) is indeed one of the best values around, and in a time where breeders are searching for the next big thing without the big price tag, the striking son of Giant’s Causeway fits all the criteria of a successful stallion in the making.

At this year’s yearling sales, youngsters by ARAGORN were purchased by Cash Counter Stable ($200,000), Let’s Go Stable ($160,000), Cormac McCormack ($100,000), etc. Keep an eye out for ARAGORN’s runners at the two-year-old in training sales!

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THIRD SW FOR ROCK HARD TEN!

Dec. 7, 2009: ROCK HARD TEN tallied yet another stakes winner over the weekend--the third from his first crop--to emphasize why he’s one of the most exciting young stallions in the country. On Saturday, Dec. 5, his son Bear Hard Ten captured the $155,000 Display S. at Woodbine. Off at 5-2 odds in his route and stakes debut, the Bear Stables-owned, Reade Baker-trained colt was hard held in second before closing from between rivals at the quarter pole. Shaken up shortly thereafter, he powered clear with huge strides to register the 3 3/4-length success in what track announcer Dan Loiselle called a “dazzling” display.

The victory came a week after the filly The Mailet became ROCK HARD TEN’s second graded stakes winner. At Hollywood Park on Sunday, Nov. 29, The Mailet took the G3 Miesque S. in late-running fashion. Owned by J.W. Singer LLC, The Mailet was well off the leaders as she settled into a smooth stride early, then parlayed a powerful move on the turn into a comfortable half-length win. The New York invader was coming off a victory in her grass debut at Belmont.

The Thanksgiving weekend also saw ROCK HARD TEN register another new maiden special weight winner. At Churchill Downs Nov. 28, WinStar’s Doubles Partner rallied launched a furious rally over the grass to get up and win by a head to become ROCK HARD TEN’s seventh first-crop winner. Doubles Partner, trained by Todd Pletcher, was a $450,000 FTSAUG yearling and was produced by a full-sister to Serena’s Song.

Impressively, all of ROCK HARD TEN’s winners have come in special weight company, bar Long Lashes, who debuted a winner in the Listed Ballygallon Stud S. The strapping bay later added the G3 Sweet Solara S. for Team Godolphin to become ROCK HARD TEN’s initial graded/group winner.

Other winners by ROCK HARD TEN include:

• Krypton, who while making his first start at a route and on the green stuff led every step in a Belmont maiden special weight Oct. 3;
• Addahab, another Godolphin representative, who took her second career start at Wolverhampton Oct. 29.
• Octogarian, a good-looking wire-to-wire heroine at Hollywood Park for owner J. Paul Reddam.

ROCK HARD TEN’s early success has ensured his continued popularity in the sales ring. Last year’s second-leading freshman sire by yearling average is now the leading sire from his crop by average! Thus far in 2009, 25 of his yearlings have sold for an average of $115,309. He boasts a better yearling average than Pulpit, Gone West, Tiznow, etc.

ROCK HARD TEN’s 2009 yearlings include a half-sister to PLEASANTLY PERFECT’s SW Pomona Ball who sold to John McCormack for $425,000; a filly out of Incredible Story who went to Mercedes Stable for $350,000; a colt out of Betty Gar who was purchased by Nicoma Bloodstock for $325,000; a colt out of Quiet Dream who went to Silverton Hill for $260,000, etc.

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NEWS ‘FLASH’: ANOTHER G1 WIN FOR A.P. INDY!

Dec. 11, 2009: Even by A.P. INDY's own high standards, 2009 has been particularly noteworthy for the stallion Bill Oppenheim recently called "North America's best sire."

Thus far in 2009, A.P. INDY is:

• Co-leading sire by Grade 1 winners (4);
• Second-leading sire by graded winners (10);
• Third-leading sire by stakes winners (17);
• Second-leading sire by stakes wins (27).
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, A.P. INDY saw his three-year-old daughter Flashing successfully add a second Grade 1 triumph to her resume. That's when the Godolphin colorbearer rolled home a 4 1/4-length winner in the G1 Gazelle S. at Aqueduct, defeating a deep field that included champion Stardom Bound. Flashing also won the G1 Test S. at Saratoga in August and the G3 Nassau County S. in May and has now taken six of 10 starts.

A few days earlier, on Thanksgiving Day proper, A.P. INDY's daughter Serenading became her sire's 78th career graded stakes winner when running away with the G2 Falls City H. at Churchill Downs. The five-year-old was making her final career start and heads to the breeding shed having been first or second in 13 of 18 starts and with earnings of over $530,000.

The next round of A.P. INDY's stars also made their presence felt over the holiday weekend. The two-year-old filly Protesting was a game second in the G2 Demoiselle S. at Aqueduct, while the juvenile colt Worldly was third in the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club S. The pair have the distinction of being A.P. INDY’s 199th and 200th career stakes horses!

Add to that the maiden victory of Darley's $3.1 million Chimayo, by A.P. INDY out of Chimichurri at Aqueduct Nov. 27, and 2010 looks very bright for the two-time leading sire.

Other runners by A.P. INDY to star in 2009 include:

• Godolphin's Music Note, who won the G1 Ballerina S. and G1 Beldame S., finished third in the G1 Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic and was retired with five Grade 1 victories on her resume;
• Just as Well, winner of the G1 Northern Dancer S. at Woodbine Sept. 20;
• Telling, winner of Saratoga's G1 Sword Dancer Invitational S.;
• Girolamo, the up-and-coming three-year-old who dominated the G2 Jerome H. Oct. 11;
• Friesan Fire, one of the premier three-year-olds in the country this spring and winner in succession of the G3 Lecomte S., G3 Risen Star S., and G2 Louisiana Derby;
• Marchfield, Champion Older Horse in Canada in 2008, who won the Aug. 23 G2 Sky Classic S. at Woodbine to become his sire's newest millionaire;
• Eye of the Leopard, who gave his sire another Classic winner when he took the Queen's Plate at Woodbine;
• Eldaafer, winner of the G2 Brooklyn in June;
• El Crespo, winner of the G3 Palm Beach S. in March.

These runners only serve to underscore what's most impressive about A.P. INDY's stakes horses: their quality. Of his 200 black-type runners, 128 are stakes winners. Of those, an incredible 77 are graded stakes winners and 26 are Grade 1 winners. A.P. INDY's get includes eight champions, led by Horse of the Year MINESHAFT, the leading third-crop sire in the nation by stakes winners. He is currently fifth on the General Sire List, and after his 2010 fee was announced, Bill Oppenheim added that he considered A.P. INDY to be priced at the right level:

“A.P. INDY...has twice been Champion Sire in North America, and five times the leading sire by A Runner Index, using the APEX system. Number five on the General Sire List this year, and the sire of [26] Grade I winners in 14 crops of racing age, he’ll be 21 next year. Lane’s End dropped his fee 40 percent, from $250,000 to $150,000. As long as you’re breeding for North American racing, he’s been the number one sire for over a decade.”

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52nd SW FOR PLEASANT TAP

Nov. 24, 2009: Veteran sire PLEASANT TAP, long considered a prominent source of top-class, durable race horses, was represented by his 52nd career black-type winner when Pleasant Storm kept his record perfect in the Oklahoma Classics Juvenile S. at Remington Park Nov. 22. The colt opened his account with a debut victory at the track Oct. 17 and looked sharp in a two-length tally in the Juvenile S.

Earlier in the fall, the four-year-old filly Leamington led every step and came home a sharp winner of Saratoga’s grassy Voodoo Dancer S. Sept. 4. It was the first stakes victory for the Hickory Tree Stable colorbearer, who has been first or second in eight of 12.

On Sept. 7, daughter Pleasantly Blessed launched a strong bid to secure her own initial--and well-deserved--black-type score. Previously second in four stakes events, she won the one-mile Ricks Memorial S. at Remington Park by a length. The consistent performer has been first or second in 13 of 16.

PLEASANT TAP’s five-year-old mare Indescribable capped off a strong September. The Courtlandt Farms homebred was a convincing 3 1/2-length winner of the Sept. 26, G3 Kentucky Cup Distaff S. Indescribable won last year’s G3 Arlington Matron H. and G3 Cardinal H. and was third in the GI Go For Wand H., and won the G3 Doubledogdare S. earlier this season. She has seven victories to her credit and has banked $474,492.

PLEASANT TAP is the sire of seven percent stakes winners to foals, and has 20 graded stakes winners to his credit, including Grade 1 winners David Junior, Premium Tap, Tap Dance City, Tiago, Tap to Music, Pt's Grey Eagle, and I Believe In You.

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SAINT LIAM’S ‘BUDDY’ KEYS LANE’S END TRIFECTA

Dec. 1, 2009: It was a big Thanksgiving weekend for Lane’s End’s late SAINT LIAM, whose son Buddy’s Saint stamped himself as a top Triple Crown contender with a dazzling victory in the G2 Remsen S. at Aqueduct Nov. 28. Hammered down to 3-5 favoritism coming off a tally in the G2 Nashua S., Buddy’s Saint settled into an easy gallop behind the leaders, launched a wide bid into the lane and strode away with authority to win by 4 3/4 lengths. Track announcer Tom Durkin’s exclamation at the wire--“He is geared down--he absolutely subjugated this field today”--spoke to the ease at which he won. SAINT LIAM led home a 1-2-3 for Lane’s End sire’s, with STEPHEN GOT EVEN’s Peppi Knows in second and LEMON DROP KID’s Citrus Kid third.

A day later, another youngster by SAINT LIAM earned black-type. Daughter Moment of Majesty, who was produced by the A.P. INDY mare Lady Indy, ran third in the Ontario Lassie S.

SAINT LIAM now has two black-type winners from his first crop. South of the border, his son Coccolo (Mex) captured the CL Carlos Gomez S.-G1-Mex and has now taken four of five starts. SAINT LIAM, the 2005 Horse of the Year and GI Breeders’ Cup Classic hero, has 12 individual winners in 2009 and is a top 10 freshman sire.

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ANOTHER BREEDERS’ CUP WINNER FOR SMART STRIKE!

Dec. 11, 2009: Leading sire SMART STRIKE has enjoyed great success on Breeders’ Cup day with the likes of English Channel and CURLIN, and the son of Mr. Prospector registered yet another winner at racing’s biggest event when the progressive Furthest Land upset the GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita. Though the four-year-old was a big price at 21-1, he had shown he was a talented horse when setting a track record while winning the Golden Bear S. at Indiana Downs before an initial graded stakes win in the G2 Kentucky Cup S. at Turfway Park. Furthest Land, who has won six of nine in 2009, has now earned nearly $870,000.

But for a wide draw, SMART STRIKE may have added another Breeders’ Cup to his resume. The highly regarded Lookin at Lucky, the favorite in the G1 Breeders’ Cup juvenile after putting together an unbeaten record that included wins in the G1 Del Mar Futurity, G1 Norfolk S. and G2 Best Pal S., was always going to have to run a huge race to overcome his 13 post. And run a huge race he did. Forced very wide, the Mike Pegram and partners’ colorbearer settled toward the back of the pack, then unleashed a furious rally in the stretch only to fall a head short and finish second. Despite the narrow defeat, the colt remains the favorite to collect an Eclipse as the nation’s top juvenile colt.

While Lookin at Lucky has made the case for himself as the best two-year-old colt in the nation, the veteran Fabulous Strike continues to be one of the country’s top sprinters. The six-year-old Grade 1 winner annexed the G2 True North H. in June (111 Beyer), the G2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt in August (112) and was recently a hard-trying second in the G1 Vosburgh H., which was contested over a rain-soaked Belmont track Oct. 3.

Other 2009 stars for SMART STRIKE include:

• Smart Bid, who on the Breeders’ Cup Saturday undercard registered this first stakes win in the Damascus S. at Santa Anita;
• Daughter Mining My Own, who produced G1 Kentucky Derby hero and G1 Preakness S. runner-up winner Mine That Bird;
• The five-year-old mare Smart Surprise, who has won four of seven this term. The Lane's End-bred and -sold mare has missed the board only once in 21 starts, with her wins including the G3 Hendrie S. at Woodbine, etc.;
• The two-year-old colt Zanzibari, who carried Sheikh Mohammed's Darley silks to victory in the G3 Prix de Cabourg at Deauville;
• Atomic Rain, who won the Long Branch S. at Monmouth in June and also placed in the G1 Wood Memorial S. Atomic Rain was recently purchased privately by Godolphin;
• Papa Clem, who won the G2 Arkansas Derby and who, like Lookin at Lucky, was produced by a BELONG TO ME mare;
• Denomination, a three-year-old filly who won Longchamp's G3 Prix Vanteaux-Beachcomber Hotels Le Royal Palm;
• Twilight Meteor, winner of the G3 Canadian Turf S. at Gulfstream.
SMART STRIKE has 15 stakes winners in 2009--nine of whom have won at the graded level and two at the Grade 1 level. SMART STRIKE is tied for fourth in the nation by number of stakes winners and is the co-second-leading sire by graded stakes winners, along with A.P. INDY. He is currently fourth on the Leading Sires List. Notably, SMART STRIKE is third by highest Average Earnings Index (2.68 AEI vs. 2.04 CI) among sires with horses four years old and up.

His accomplishments--and a 2010 fee of $75,000--prompted Bill Oppenheim to call him one of the best values among North America’s premier sires:

“Lane’s End...dropped two-time leading sire SMART STRIKE by 40 percent, from $125,000 to $75,000. Considering he’s proven at all ages, over all surfaces, and in Europe as well, this is a really righteous price. Both SMART STRIKE (he’ll be 18 next year) and A.P. INDY will be standing in 2010 for half of what they stood for in 2008.”

On the sales scene, SMART STRIKE has seen 25 of his 2009 yearlings sell for an average of $225,349 (off a $75,000 stud fee). They include a Lane's End co-bred and sold daughter at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale who elicited a bid of $875,000 from John Ferguson. The chestnut miss was produced by a half to another Lane's End-bred and -sold horse, Dunkirk, and is a granddaughter of Lane's End's G1 Kentucky Oaks heroine Secret Status (A.P. INDY).

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BELONG TO ME: 10 G1SW AND COUNTING

Nov. 10, 2009: BELONG TO ME has been a consistent source of top-class stakes winners since his early days, and the son of Danzig showed over the past weekend why, at a fee of just $7,500 for 2010, he is one of the best values in the business.

At Flemington in Australia Nov. 7, BELONG TO ME’s All Silent (Aus) annexed the A$500,000, six-furlong G1 Patinack Farm Classic by 3/4 lengths. The gelding was coming off a tally in the G2 Gilgai S. and won the G1 Emirates S. last term.

One day earlier, on Breeders’ Cup Friday, BELONG TO ME’s brilliant daughter Forever Together rallied into a slow pace to be a close-up third in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. George Strawbridge’s filly won the race in her championship 2008 season. Forever Together was likely making her last start before heading to the breeding shed. An earner of over $2.8 million, the gray has won seven graded races, including two renewals of Saratoga’s G1 Diana S. and Keeneland’s G1 First Lady S.

BELONG TO ME has a total of nine stakes winners in 2009, including four graded stakes winners. Over his career, BELONG TO ME has sired the likes of Grade 1 winners Jersey Girl, Circle of Life, Lucky Roberto, Miss Houdini, etc., as well as group/graded winners Jack Sullivan, Ebony Breeze, Ocean Drive, etc. He is also establishing himself as a broodmare sire. His daughters have produced, among others, the top SMART STRIKE runners Lookin at Lucky and Papa Clem.

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STEPHEN GOT EVEN THUNDERS!

Nov. 9, 2009: With runner's like champion Stevie Wonderboy and G1SW I Want Revenge to his credit, STEPHEN GOT EVEN has always shown the ability to get precocious horses. In the last few weeks, he’s underscored that point with two new juvenile stakes winners. On Halloween, the gelding Peppi Knows battled the length of the stretch and asserted to win the Finger Lakes Juvenile S. by a head. Peppi Knows, now a winner of three of four lifetime, had previously been a close third to subsequent Grade I winner Noble’s Promise in the Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile S. at Presque Isle.

On Labor Day, STEPHEN GOT EVEN’s daughter Sound of Thunder made as auspicious a debut as a two-year-old can make when she rallied to take the $125,000 Muskoka S. at Woodbine in her career opener. Bred by Terra Farms in Ontario and purchased by our own Woodford Racing for $105,000 as a yearling, Sound of Thunder was dismissed as a 41-1 shot in the seven-furlong race, and had a bad draw leaving from the 13 hole. In last through the opening three furlongs, the Mark Casse-trained filly began to mow down rivals with a powerful move rounding the turn and, once straightened for home, closed resolutely to get up in plenty of time and win by a long neck.

In 2009, STEPHEN GOT EVEN is also the sire of the aforementioned G1 Wood Memorial S. winner I Want Revenge and an additional 11 stakes winners or placed runners for 10% lifetime stakes horses to starters.

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MINESHAFT - LEADING THIRD-CROP SIRE

Oct. 25, 2009: In a tough sire class that includes Empire Maker, Sky Mesa, Harlan’s Holiday, etc., no third-crop stallion has more stakes winners in 2009 than MINESHAFT’s eight.

His get includes the up-and-coming juvenile Mineralogist, a smartly bred filly who captured her second straight stakes over the weekend in the Maid of the Mist S. at Belmont Park. Off slowly and dead last in the early going, the 3-5 pick was some 10 lengths back after the first quarter. She began picking off foes with a dazzling move rounding the turn and, after opening a clear lead, held well in what announcer Tom Durkin called a “remarkable win.”

In the Sept. 27, $108,500 Joseph A. Gimma S. at Belmont, Mineralogist, a Chester and Mary Broman homebred out of Grade 2 winner Seeking the Ante (Seeking the Gold), drove clear to a 3 3/4-length victory as the 2-5 choice.

MINESHAFT has some exciting juvenile colts, too. His son Discreetly Mine, an E. Paul Robsham Stables homebred, was a dead-game second in the prestigious G1 Champagne S. at Belmont Park Oct. 10. The bay, a half-brother to Discreet Cat, romped by six lengths in a Saratoga maiden Aug. 22 and was second in the G2 Futurity S. at Belmont Sept. 19.

Among MINESHAFT’s 2009 stakes winners are his promising daughter Platinum, who captured Saratoga’s Mollie Wilmot S. near the close of the meet. Hammered down to 1-2 favoritism coming off a pair of daylight victories in maiden and allowance company, the three-year-old Platinum didn’t let her backers down, laying down all the leading fractions and cruising home a facile 3 3/4-length winner in what was her stakes debut. Platinum is a Peter Blum homebred.

Horse of the Year MINESHAFT is also the sire of another filly to keep an eye on in the form of Patricia’s Gem. The B. Wayne Hughes colorbearer, a $1.75 million juvenile purchase, was recently a good third in the G1 John C. Mabee S.

Other offspring by MINESHAFT to star in 2009 include his son Coal Play, owned by Robert LaPenta and trained by Nick Zito, who was a sharp winner of the G3 Salvatore Mile at Monmouth in July. La Penta and Zito are also responsible for the talented MINESHAFT sons Cool Coal Man and Miner's Escape. Lane's End Sales grad Cool Coal Man, hero of last year's G2 Fountain of Youth S., captured the Albert the Great S. at Saratoga, while Miner's Escape won the $100,000 Federico Tesio S. at Pimlico.

Donald and Mary Zuckerman's homebred three-year-old Platinum Girl, meanwhile, won Monmouth’s Little Silver S. in a wicked 1:33 3/5; Strut the Canary won Laurel's Marshua S.; and Rock Candy took Tampa Bay's Gasparilla S.

In all, MINESHAFT has no fewer than 18 stakes horses in 2009, including last year's star three-year-old Casino Drive.

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PLEASANTLY PERFECT: 10 BLACK-TYPE HORSES

Nov. 23, 2009: PLEASANTLY PERFECT registered an impressive 10th black-type runner from his first crop when son Pitched Perfectly finished a close second in Aqueduct’s one-mile Monarch's Maze S. Nov. 20. According to the chart, the colt, “dropped back soon after the start, trailed to the turn, circled five wide into the stretch and closed strongly in the middle of the track to gain the place.” Pitched Perfectly is owned by Lael Stables and trained by Barclay Tagg.

Last month, PLEASANTLY PERFECT’s Shared Account solidified her status as one of the better three-year-old turf fillies in the nation with a runner-up finish in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. at Keeneland Oct. 17. The Sagamore Farm colorbearer assumed command from the outset, turned back the challenge of favored Gozzip Girl and ran on gamely to be second to Hot Cha Cha. It was Shared Account’s second straight placing in a Grade 1. In September, she was easily second best in the G1 Garden City S. at Belmont. That effort followed her powerful victory in the G2 Lake Placid S. at Saratoga in August. The bay, a $170,000 KEESEP Lane’s End Sales graduate, was bred by William Carl. She was produced by the SMART STRIKE mare Silk n' Sapphire and had earlier finished second in the G3 Virginia Oaks.

PLEASANTLY PERFECT’s other stakes horses include Ned Evans’s very talented homebred Light Green, who notched her first stakes win in Belmont’s Fall Aspen S., which she won by eight lengths and for which she was awarded a gaudy 109 Beyer Figure. It is currently the fourth-best Beyer on the year for a sophomore filly. Light Green then came back to be second to Cat Moves in July’s G1 Prioress S., where she was beaten just 3/4 lengths by her rallying stablemate despite having already battled through wicked :21 2/5 and :44 flat fractions. Light Green, sidelined by a minor injury, is scheduled to return to action at Gulfstream.

Evans also bred PLEASANTLY PERFECT’s three-year-old colt Silverside, who in May captured the Premio Cimera Paras las Carreras at Hipodromo La Zarzuela-2,000 Guineas, the first leg of Spain’s Triple Crown, by 2 1/4 lengths in Madrid. Unfortunately, Spain is a Part III country in the International Cataloguing Standards so this race does not receive black type.

Another PLEASANTLY PERFECT sophomore to make an impact in Europe is Edmund Gann’s up-and-coming filly Pearlescence, a €140,000 DEAAUG yearling who was third in the G3 Prix Minerve at Deauville in August.

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CANDY RIDE: NINE 2009 SW AND COUNTING!

Dec. 14, 2009: CANDY RIDE (ARG) is proving as impressive in the breeding shed as he was on the track. In the month of October alone, the sophomore sire has been represented by four black-type horses, three of which are stakes winners. On Oct. 17, his son El Brujo, who had become the fifth graded stakes winner from CANDY RIDE’s first crop when he took the G3 Kentucky Cup Sprint at Turfway Park in September, doubled up with a tally in the G3 Perryville S. at Keeneland.

CANDY RIDE witnessed his ninth 2009 stakes winner courtesy of the filly Ride Me Fast, who captured the six-furlong Sun Devil S. at Turf Paradise Oct. 3 in a fast 1:08 3/5. The three-year-old is a homebred for Mike Pegram, who also bred and owns the up-and-coming three-year-old colt Spaniard. Highly regarded as a two-year-old but forced to the sidelines, the half-brother to champion Indian Blessing made a sharp return to the races when he blazed his way to victory in a seven-furlong maiden at Santa Anita Oct. 7.

Both of Pegram’s horses are trained by Bob Baffert, who, is himself the owner, breeder and trainer of CANDY RIDE’s son Misremembered. Winner of the G2 Swaps S. over the summer over Hollywood’s synthetic track, Misremembered handled the switch to conventional dirt with a game tally in the $500,000, G2 Indiana Derby Oct. 3.

Also in October, CANDY RIDE’s Grade 1-winning son Capt. Candyman Can ran a game second, beaten just a head, in the G3 Phoenix S. at Keeneland. Earlier, the gelding had landed one of the most prized spoils on the horse racing calendar, the seven-furlong G1 King’s Bishop S., to added to his victories in the G2 Hutcheson S. and G3 Bay Shore S. He is now four-for-four going seven furlongs.

Another who has excelled at the tricky seven-furlong distance has been CANDY RIDE’s daughter Evita Argentina, who defeated males in the G2 San Vicente S. and, more recently, rallied from last to capture the G2 A Gleam H. at Hollywood Park. The three-year-old filly was beating an accomplished field of older fillies and mares in the latter, and was registering her fourth black-type victory.

CANDY RIDE’s second crop, two-year-olds of 2009, have come out running, too. The Sid and Jenny Craig Trust homebred Sidney's Candy was tabbed a ‘TDN Rising Star’ after lowering Del Mar’s 5 1/2-furlong track record to 1:02.71 in his second career start Sept. 5, while juvenile son Fudge Truffle ran third in the two-turn, $150,000 Sunday Silence S. at Louisiana Downs Sept. 19.

CANDY RIDE’s nine stakes winners this year puts him in a tie with Speightstown for second-most stakes winners for a sophomore sire. He has more than Medaglia d'Oro (8), and double the number of Birdstone (4), Lion Heart (4), etc.

CANDY RIDE’s emergence as a top young sire was recently recognized in the sales ring at Keeneland September. Despite a down market, his yearlings were in top demand, averaging an outstanding $146,920 from 10 offered, 10 sold (through Sept. 21). That number’s even more impressive considering it came off a $12,500 stud fee, and was in his third year at stud, often considered a ‘bubble’ year. Leading the way was a colt out of the Heaven’s Gate mare Septieme Ciel who sold to Let’s Go Stable for $630,000. Others sold for $340,000, $185,000, $150,000, etc.

With numbers like these, Bill Oppenheim recently called CANDY RIDE outstanding value at his 2010 fee of $25,000:

“CANDY RIDE, unbeaten on the racecourse and sire of five GSWs in his first crop. He seems to have a new black-type horse every time you open up the paper.”

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LANGFUHR: 3 DAYS, 3 NEW YORK BELMONT WINNERS

Oct. 13, 2009: LANGFUHR, a perennial leading sire, has been red hot thus far in October, with three stakes winners at Belmont Park in New York. On Oct. 2, Akilina, a three-year-old filly, rallied to a decisive score in the grassy, one-mile Shopping for Love S.

A day later, the classy old veteran Interpatation got a much-deserved initial Grade 1 tally in the G1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational S. Third in the race in 2007 and runner-up in 2008, Interpatation set the pace in monsoon-like conditions, lost the lead in the stretch to pro-tem divisional champ Gio Ponti, but re-engaged in the final sixteenth and was going away late to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Interpatation has now banked $1,156,630.

LANGFUHR completed the trifecta a day after that when his two-year-old daughter Dad’s Crazy won the $150,000 Miss Grillo S. Owned by Smarch Racing and trained by Todd Pletcher, Dad’s Crazy is now being pointed to the Breeders’ Cup!

Also in October, LANGFUHR’s Yield Bogey was third in the G3 Kelso H., First Circle was runner-up in the Carotene S., and Sweet Lorena, coming off a runner-up finish in the $400,000 Presque Isle Downs Masters S., was third in the Proud Puppy H.

Other runners by LANGFUHR to star in 2009 include:

• The Gustav Schickedanz homebred Woodsmoke, winner of Woodbine’s $150,000 Fury S. in May and that track’s Alywow S. in June. The gray is out of a Woodman mare and thus is bred on the same cross as Canadian Horse of the Year Wando;

• Ned Evans’s homebred Casanova Move, who this season has placed in the G1 Alabama S., G1 Acorn S., G2 Davona Dale, G2 Bonnie Miss S., and G2 Black-Eyed Susan S.;

• Absolutelyfabulous (Aus), winner of the G3 Cameron H. in September.

LANGFUHR is once again a top 20 sire in the nation and has 10 2009 stakes winners to his credit. He also continues to be an improving influence on his mares (1.62 AEI vs. 1.48 CI).

Return to Stallion News 2009

DIXIE UNION’S DYNAMIC RUNNERS

Oct. 14, 2009: From up-and-coming two-year-olds to established older horses, DIXIE UNION continues to be a source of top-flight runners, and his prowess was on display once again in the first weekend in October.

That’s when the Phipps Stable homebred Gone Astray, a three-year-old son of DIXIE UNION, confirmed his considerable ability in the G2 Ohio Derby. A dominating nine-length winner of the $1 million, G2 Pennsylvania Derby Sept. 7, Gone Astray was sent postward the 2-5 pick in the Ohio Derby and didn’t disappoint, stalking early under Eddie Castro before powering away to a 2 1/4-length decision.

In September,DIXIE UNION’s speedy daughter Bold Union took down the fourth black-type victory of her career when she annexed the G3 Endine S. at Delaware. Heroine of the Listed Astoria S. at two, Bold Union won the Femme Fatale S. in track-record time in July and the Lucky Lavender Gal S. in April.

DIXIE UNION’s offspring have always seemed to step up at Saratoga, and that again was the case on the penultimate day of racing at the historic track. That’s when his daughter Hot Dixie Chick solidified her status as the leading two-year-old filly in the country with a confident score in the G1 Spinaway S. The Grace Stables colorbearer, a $340,000 yearling and $435,000 juvenile purchase, was sent off the prohibitive 1-5 choice in the seven-furlong race. Up to press the pace from the inside draw, she took back a bit nearing the quarter pole, but powered through a narrow opening in upper stretch and cruised home in complete control. In her two previous starts, Hot Dixie Chick broke her maiden in a dazzling effort at Churchill Downs, when she scorched five furlongs in a track-record :56.48, then dominated the G3 Schuylerville S. on opening day at the Spa. She now boasts the two top Beyers in the nation for a juvenile of either sex and three of the top four in all. She won the Schuylerville with a 103 and the Churchill maiden with a 100, and received a 95 in the Spinaway while stopping the clock in a fast 1:22 1/5.

DIXIE UNION’s two-year-old gelding Dixie Band notched his initial graded stakes win in the G3 Arlington-Washington Futurity. Hammered down to 4-5 favoritism off a tally in Arlington’s Spectacular Bid S., the unbeaten colt tracked a modest pace while racing wide, then outran ‘em all to the wire to win going away by 1 3/4 lengths.

DIXIE UNION’s other stars in 2009 include:

6. Justwhistledixie, who has been one of the best fillies on the East Coast not named Rachel Alexandra. She won Gulfstream’s G2 Davona Dale S. and G2 Bonnie Miss S., then ran second in the G1 Acorn S. at Belmont;

7. Homebound, a three-year-old Joseph Allen homebred, who captured the G2 Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly in May;

8. Grade 1 winner Dixie Chatter, third in the G1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. at Santa Anita in March and winner of the G2 Arcadia H. in April.

DIXIE UNION now has 11 stakes winners in 2009 in three countries, including seven at the graded level! He is tied for fourth among North American sires by graded stakes winners.

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SMART STRIKE: ANOTHER JUVENILE STAR

Oct. 13, 2009: Last year, SMART STRIKE’s son Square Eddie was one of the best two-year-olds in the country, with his wins including the G1 Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity. This season, another son of SMART STRIKE, the California-based Lookin at Lucky, is making a similar impact on the division. On Labor Day, the Bob Baffert-trained colt improved his record to three-for-three with a victory in the G1 Del Mar Futurity, and on Oct. 4, he went to four-for-four with a driving, 1 3/4-length tally in the G1 Norfolk S. at Santa Anita. The colt, who also won the G2 Best Pal S., is now the prohibitive favorite for the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Nov. 7.

While Lookin at Lucky has asserted himself as the best juvenile colt in the nation, the veteran Fabulous Strike continues to be one of the country’s top sprinters. The six-year-old Grade 1 winner annexed the G2 True North H. in June (111 Beyer), the G2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt in August (112) and was recently a hard-trying second in the G1 Vosburgh H., which was contested over a rain-soaked Belmont track Oct. 3.

A week before that, SMART STRIKE, the country's leading sire over the past two years, registered his newest graded stakes winner when the four-year-old Furthest Land got up to take the G2 Kentucky Cup Classic by a neck Sept. 26. Owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey and trained by Mike Maker, Furthest Land had previously set a track record when winning Indiana Downs’ one-mile-and-70-yard Golden Bear S. in 1:40.80.

Other 2009 stars for SMART STRIKE include:

• Mining My Own, who produced G1 Kentucky Derby hero and G1 Preakness S. runner-up winner Mine That Bird;
• The five-year-old mare Smart Surprise, who has won four of seven this term. The Lane's End-bred and -sold mare has missed the board only once in 21 starts, with her wins including the G3 Hendrie S. at Woodbine, etc.;
• The two-year-old colt Zanzibari, who carried Sheikh Mohammed's Darley silks to victory in the G3 Prix de Cabourg at Deauville;
• Atomic Rain, who won the Long Branch S. at Monmouth in June and also placed in the G1 Wood Memorial S. Atomic Rain was recently purchased privately by Godolphin;
• Papa Clem, who won the G2 Arkansas Derby and who, like Lookin at Lucky, was produced by a BELONG TO ME mare;
• Denomination, a three-year-old filly who won Longchamp's G3 Prix Vanteaux-Beachcomber Hotels Le Royal Palm;
• Twilight Meteor, winner of the G3 Canadian Turf S. at Gulfstream.

SMART STRIKE, sire of the remarkable CURLIN, has 14 stakes winners in 2009--nine of whom have won at the graded level. SMART STRIKE is tied for fifth in the nation by number of stakes winners and is the co-second-leading sire by graded stakes winners, along with A.P. INDY. He is currently fifth on the Leading Sires List. Notably, SMART STRIKE is third by highest Average Earnings Index (2.68 AEI vs. 2.04 CI) among sires with horses four years old and up.

On the sales scene, SMART STRIKE has seen 25 of his 2009 yearlings sell for an average of $225,349 (off a $75,000 stud fee). They include a Lane's End co-bred and sold daughter at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale who elicited a bid of $875,000 from John Ferguson. The chestnut miss was produced by a half to another Lane's End-bred and -sold horse, Dunkirk, and is a granddaughter of Lane's End's G1 Kentucky Oaks heroine Secret Status (A.P. INDY).

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CITY ZIP: #1 JUVENILE SIRE! FOUR SW IN SEPTEMBER!

Oct. 1, 2009: After boasting seven stakes horses in August, leading sire CITY ZIP concluded September with four individual black-type winners during the month!

The nation's number one leading sire of juveniles saw his two-year-old daughter Silver Cup become his newest stakes winner after taking the Golden Gull Chris Brown Memorial S. at Charles Town Sept. 26. Earlier in the day, the turf sprint ace Canadian Ballet collected her fifth overall stakes victory when she determinedly made all to prevail in the $200,000 Turf Amazon H. at Philly Park. The four-year-old has now been first or second in 11 of 16 and earned $479,202.

Gleam of Hope, a two-year-old colt by CITY ZIP, romped by 2 1/4 lengths in the Cradle S. at River Downs Sept. 7. The victory improved Gleam of Hope's record to three wins in four starts and boosted his earnings to over $150,000. On the same day, CITY ZIP's three-year-old son Rooster City was beaten just a head when second in the nine-furlong Emerald Downs Derby.

On Sept. 6, CITY ZIP's Get Serious continued his dominance at Monmouth Park. The five-year-old won his fourth of five 2009 efforts--all in stakes company--and registered his first graded win in the grassy, one-mile G3 Red Bank H. He led nearly every step and stopped the clock in 1:33 flat, and also keyed a Lane's End trifecta, with Pleasant Strike (SMART STRIKE) second and Steve's Double (STEPHEN GOT EVEN) third. Get Serious has banked $537,441 in three seasons.

As a sire who's had to do it the hard way, proving his mettle first in New York before moving to Kentucky, CITY ZIP has been led by his juveniles in 2009, products of a book of mares that continues to improve each year. The co-leading sire by juvenile stakes winners in 2008, CITY ZIP’s 25 individual two-year-old winners in 2009 is easily best in the nation, and his $858,112 in juvenile earnings is also tops, edging out DIXIE UNION.

From two-year-olds to older horses, going short or long, and on dirt, synthetics and turf, CITY ZIP is gaining the reputation as one of the country’s most versatile sires!

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CANDY RIDE, ARAGORN YEARLINGS SELL WELL

Sept. 22, 2009: Yearlings by Lane’s End young guns CANDY RIDE (ARG) and ARAGORN (IRE) have been in demand at this year’s sales. The former, a leading sophomore sire with eight stakes winners to his credit, has enjoyed a particularly strong Keeneland September, with 10 offered, 10 sold (through Sept. 21) for an average $146,920. That, from a stud fee of just $12,500! Included was a half-brother to GSW This Ones For Phil who elicited a bid of $630,000 from Let’s Go Stable; and a colt out of Harve de Grace (Boston Harbor) who went to Tom McGreevey, agent for Fox Hill Farm, for $340,000. This year, other CANDY RIDE yearlings sold for $185,000 (Pam & Martin Wygod), $150,000 (Mike Ryan), etc.

Meanwhile, members of the first crop from multiple Grade 1 winner ARAGORN have impressed buyers. Last year, his weanlings sold for up to $329,000 (to Keiko Tahara, at the JRHA sale in Japan), with ARAGORN’s yearlings this year selling for $200,000 (Tim Ritchey, agent for Cash Counter Stables), $160,000 (Let’s Go Stable), etc.

On the track and in the ring, Lane’s End sires produce!

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GRADE 2 WINNER FOR PLEASANTLY PERFECT

Aug. 27, 2009: Sophomore sire PLEASANTLY PERFECT recorded his first group/graded winner over the weekend when his daughter Shared Account stormed to victory in the G2 Lake Placid S. at Saratoga. The bay, a $170,000 KEESEP Lane’s End Sales graduate, was bred by William Carl and is owned by Sagamore Farm. Shared Account was produced by the SMART STRIKE mare Silk n' Sapphire and was coming off a narrow runner-up finish in the G3 Virginia Oaks. She becomes the third black-type winner from PLEASANTLY PERFECT’s first crop.

In all, PLEASANTLY PERFECT has an impressive nine stakes performers from his initial crop. They include Edmund Gann’s up-and-coming filly Pearlescence, who recently finished third in the G3 Prix Minerve at Deauville Aug. 13. The €140,000 DEAAUG yearling had broken her maiden in her second career start in May before adding a conditions event in July. She is now two-for-four lifetime and looks poised for bigger and better things.

Another just hitting her best stride--before being derailed by a minor ankle injury--was Ned Evans’s homebred Light Green. The filly dominated Belmont’s Fall Aspen S. by eight lengths in May, for which she was awarded a gaudy 109 Beyer Figure, two points better than Rachel Alexandra’s figure in the Preakness one day later. It is currently the third-best Beyer on the year for a sophomore filly, behind Rachel’s Mother Goose S. and Haskell Invitational efforts. Light Green then came back off a 51-day absence to be a very good second to Cat Moves in the July 4 G1 Prioress S., where she was beaten just 3/4 lengths by her rallying stablemate despite having already battled through wicked :21 2/5 and :44 flat fractions. Light Green is scheduled to return to action at Gulfstream.

Evans also bred PLEASANTLY PERFECT’s three-year-old colt Silverside, who on May 3 captured the Premio Cimera Paras las Carreras at Hipodromo La Zarzuela-2,000 Guineas, the first leg of Spain’s Triple Crown, by 2 1/4 lengths in Madrid. Unfortunately, Spain is a Part III country in the International Cataloguing Standards so this race does not receive black type.

Some young horses by PLEASANTLY PERFECT to keep an eye on are Too Amenable, a three-year-old colt who won a grassy Saratoga maiden special weight by 3 1/2 lengths Aug. 5, and Darley Stable homebred Amusing Plan, a dominating seven-length winner in his debut on conventional dirt against Ellis Park maiden special weight foes Aug. 16.

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LANE’S END SALES HOT AT THE SPA

Aug. 12, 2009: On a pair of sultry, humid nights at Fasig-Tipton’s Saratoga Selected Yearling Sale, prospects from the Lane’s End Sales consignment only served to heat things up even further. The action was headed by hip 204, a Storm Cat three-parts brother to Lane’s End’s own ARAGORN who sold to John Ferguson for a sale-topping $2.8 million. Ferguson outlasted a determined challenge from D. Wayne Lukas to land the striking dark bay, who was bred by Summer Wind Farm.

In addition to the sales topper, Lane’s End consigned:

• Hip 107, a colt by Bernardini--Crystal Music who sold to Ken McPeek for $1 million;
• Hip 99, a Lane’s End co-bred filly by SMART STRIKE--Code Book who sold to John Ferguson for $875,000; and
• Hip 188, a Hennessy--Misty Hour filly who to BBA Ireland for $775,000.

Our sincere best wishes to the buyers of these exciting yearlings, and a special thanks to those who chose to sell through Lane’s End Sales! Lane’s End was the leading consignor by average with 11 of 13 sold for average of $688,182 and was the second leading consignor overall with total receipts of $7,570,000 just under the leading total of $7,627,000.

Lane’s End sires were also well represented at the Spa. Some of the highlights included:

• Hip 28, a colt by A.P. INDY--Splendid Blended who sold to Spendthrift for $900,000;
• Hip 48, a colt by KINGMAMBO--Vadahilla (Fr) who sold to John Gosden for $750,000;
• Hip 126, a filly by ROCK HARD TEN--Fireman’s Ball who sold to John McCormack for $475,000;
• Hip 186, a Lane’s End co-bred and -consigned colt by MINESHAFT--Miss Doolittle who sold to Whitehorse Stables for $475,000; and
• Hip 197, a Lane’s End-consigned colt by LEMON DROP KID--Myth to Reality (Fr) who sold to Galway Bloodstock LLC for $450,000.

Good luck to all!

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CANDY RIDE (ARG): SWEET RIDE TO THE TOP!

When CANDY RIDE (ARG) first came to the U.S. from his native Argentina in 2003, race fans didn’t quite know what to make of the South American phenom. What they gleaned from the Racing Form was this: he was an undefeated champion miler and a two-time Group 1 winner who had set a world record when he ran a mile in 1:31 flat in the G1 GP Joaquin S. Anchorena International!

But, the cognoscenti asked, how would this form translate on American shores? After opening his account here with two wins, including a quickly run edition of the G2 American Derby, CANDY RIDE offered a decisive answer in that year’s G1 Pacific Classic.

Billed as a showdown between the red-hot Medaglia d’Oro--who entered Del Mar’s crown jewel on a three-race winning skein that included a G1 Whitney H. victory--and the new West Coast upstart CANDY RIDE .

Wrote the Daily Racing Form’s Brad Free, “Sunday at Del Mar, the Argentine flash will either justify the fuss, or not, when he runs in the stakes for which he was specifically acquired by owners Sid and Jenny Craig--the G1 Pacific Classic.”

On all accounts, the race--and CANDY RIDE --far exceeded expectations!

After bobbling a bit at the break, CANDY RIDE sat off the hip of the pacesetting Medaglia d’Oro through sensible fractions. Three furlongs out, the pace quickened noticeably, and the two streaked away from the field in tandem as track announcer Trevor Denman exclaimed, “And here’s the match race we’ve been waiting for!” Nearing the quarter pole, jockey Julie Crone threw a cross at CANDY RIDE . The handsome bay needed no other urging. He lowered his belly, lengthened his stride and began to get away from his classy rival. “We could be looking at a new superstar!” said Denman as CANDY RIDE hit the line 3 1/4 lengths in front. Superstar indeed.

CANDY RIDE ’s final time of 1:59.11 for the 10 furlongs established a new track record at Del Mar (video), and the win left observers convinced that CANDY RIDE had as much raw talent as any horse in recent memory.

“How good a horse is he? Amazing. He is a rocketship,” said Krone.

Said the Hall of Famer McAnally, “He’s unreal. He's a push-button horse. The horse he beat is probably the best horse in the country.”

The Form’s Steve Anderson commented, “There can no longer be any question about the brilliance of CANDY RIDE .”

Trainer Bobby Frankel said simply about his vanquished runner-up, “He got outrun.”

Sid Craig, who had campaigned the likes of Paseana and Dr Devious, offered, “It’s probably the most exciting moment of my racing career, bigger than the Epsom Derby or the Breeders’ Cup.”

Dick Jerardi wrote an article entitled “CANDY RIDE : Just call him Mr. 123.” In it, Jerardi said, “CANDY RIDE earned a 123 [Beyer] in the Pacific Classic. The key word is ‘earned.’ It is the best Beyer of 2003 at any distance on any surface. And it is...completely legitimate.”

FAST START IN THE BREEDING SHED...

When CANDY RIDE was retired to stud, unbeaten and unbowed, he faced the same questions that all new stallions face. And, just as he did on the track, CANDY RIDE has offered a decisive answer. His runners are, in short, a chip off the ol’ block.

From his first crop, he has been represented by the likes of Evita Argentina, a dual Grade 2 winner who beat males in the G2 San Vicente S. at Santa Anita.

Chocolate Candy emerged as one of the better three-year-olds on the West Coast this spring. He won the G3 El Camino Real Derby and California Derby, was a length adrift of Pioneerof the Nile when second in the G1 Santa Anita Derby, and was a credible fifth in the G1 Kentucky Derby.

CANDY RIDE ’s son Misremembered followed up a second in the G3 Affirmed S. with a determined front-running tally in the G2 Swaps S., while Capt. Candyman Can, hero of the G3 Iroquois S. last term, has captured the G2 Hutcheson S. and G3 Bay Shore S and recently placed second in the G2 Amsterdam S. at Saratoga.

CANDY RIDE is also the sire of stakes winner El Brujo, winner of Woodbine’s $150,000 Achievement S. and $150,000 Queenston S., and the filly Wynning Ride, second in the G1 Hollywood Starlet S. as a juvenile and more recently third in the G1 Coaching Club American Oaks.

SAVOR THE SIRE RANKINGS

At the conclusion of the 2008 season, CANDY RIDE was at or near the top of several categories on the Leading Freshman Sire List, including:

• #3 by progeny earnings, ahead of Medaglia d’Oro, Speightstown, Birdstone, etc.
• #2 by stakes winners, with 3
• #3 by graded stakes winners, with 2
• #2 by stakes horses, with 7
• #1 by repeat winners, with 9
On the 2009 Leading Sophomore Sire List as of 7/27/09:

• #4 by progeny earnings
• #1 by graded stakes winners, with 4
• #2 by stakes winners, with 7
• #2 by stakes wins, with 12

PEDIGREE PERFECTION

Perhaps part of CANDY RIDE ’s success can be attributed to a pedigree that boasts a healthy dose of stout American blood--he hails from the Fappiano line of Mr. Prospector--combined with an outcross South American female family.

Wrote Andrew Caulfield in the Thoroughbred Daily News, “Other good news about CANDY RIDE is that his pedigree rules out very few mares in the American population. Mr. Prospector is back in the fifth generation of his foals and Northern Dancer is even further back, so his options are endless. The fact that Evita Argentina and Capt. Candyman Can are both out of granddaughters of Storm Cat can only add to his appeal. The same applies to the fact that his progeny are winning on dirt, all-weather and turf, showing the type of versatility which allowed CANDY RIDE to become a Group 1 winner on turf in Argentina and on dirt in the U.S.” Caulfield added that CANDY RIDE has developed into “a major flag-bearer for the Fappiano line.”

To read Alan Porter’s matings analysis on CANDY RIDE, click here.

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IN RING AND ON TRACK, ROCK HARD TEN MAKES WAVES

Aug. 12, 2009: ROCK HARD TEN’s daughter Long Lashes can now be considered one of Europe’s top juvenile fillies. The strapping bay, making her first start in Godolphin blue, improved her record to two-for-two with a strong effort in the G3 Sweet Solara S. at Newmarket Aug. 8. Long Lashes opened her account with a debut win in the Listed Ballygallon Stud S. at The Curragh June 26 and is now being listed at 12-1 odds in the ante-post betting for the 2010 G1 1000 Guineas.

ROCK HARD TEN is also the sire of the promising California-based filly Octogarian, a $160,000 yearling who took down her career opener for owner Paul Reddam and trainer Doug O’Neill July 7. Sent off the 3-2 second pick in her debut, Octogarian showed good speed from the gate and led the way through a half in :45 4/5, then leveled out beautifully in the lane to graduate by a length.

ROCK HARD TEN’s early success has ensured his continued popularity in the sales ring. Last year’s second-leading freshman sire by yearling average had four go under the hammer at Fasig-Tipton’s prestigious Saratoga Selected Yearling Sale. A half-sister to PLEASANTLY PERFECT’s SW Pomona Ball sold to John McCormack for $425,000; a colt out of Betty Gar was purchased by Nicoma Bloodstock for $325,000; a colt out of Quiet Dream went to Silverton Hill for $260,000; and a colt out of Storm Alert was purchased by Nick Zito for $150,000.

ROCK HARD TEN had two sell at Fasig-Tipton July. A dark bay filly produced by Nureyev’s Encore brought $200,000, while a second filly, out of Incredible Story, made $350,000. ROCK HARD TEN’s 2009 yearling average (six sold) of $293,333 is tops amongst his sire crop (well ahead of Ghostzapper’s $153,750 for eight sold) and puts him ahead of Street Cry (Ire) (eight sold), Tiznow (eight sold), Mr. Greeley (nine sold), etc

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BIG DAY FOR NEW LANE’S END SIRE CANDY RIDE (ARG)

July 18, 2009: A day after it was announced that Lane’s End was welcoming the brilliant up-and-comer CANDY RIDE (ARG) to its stallion roster, the fourth leading second-crop sire enjoyed a huge day at Hollywood Park. First, his daughter Evita Argentina, a seven-furlong specialist who earlier this year defeated males in the G2 San Vicente S., rallied from last to capture the G2 A Gleam H. The three-year-old filly was beating an accomplished field of older fillies and mares, and was registering her fourth black-type victory.

Two races later, it was the young stallion’s son Misremembered’s time to shine. The handsome chestnut had run a good second to Grazen in the G3 Affirmed S. in his stakes debut June 20 and was sent off the second choice to that rival in the G2 Swaps S. Successfully turning the tables, Misremembered took charge from the start and led every step in a stylish 1 3/4-length win. Misremembered has now won three of five starts and banked $260,000.

CANDY RIDE (ARG) is already the sire of seven stakes winners this year, including additional graded stakes winners Chocolate Candy and Capt. Candyman Can. That puts him as the number two second-crop sire by that measure and the co-fourth leading sire among ALL sires in North America.

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LANE’S END: YOUR SOURCE FOR CLASSIC SUCCESS

June 10, 2009: Saturday’s G1 Belmont S. concluded another thrilling Triple Crown series, and Lane’s End is happy to say several prominent runners have ties to our program. G1 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, second in the G1 Preakness S. and third in the Belmont, was produced by the SMART STRIKE mare Mining My Own. Belmont winner Summer Bird was produced by a daughter of former Lane’s End stallion and A.P. INDY’s half-brother Summer Squall. A.P. INDY, meanwhile, was the damsire of Belmont runner-up Dunkirk, who was bred and sold by Lane’s End for a sale-topping $3.7 million at the 2007 Keeneland September Sale. Congratulations to the connections of these horses, and all those who competed in this year’s Triple Crown!

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SMART STRIKE: "LASTING INFLUENCE"

May 6, 2009: As the sire of horses like two-time Horse of the Year CURLIN and $5.3-million earner and champion English Channel, SMART STRIKE has already proven himself to be one of the premier stallions on the planet. And he is now establishing himself as an important broodmare sire, as well. Mine That Bird, who rallied from last to spring the huge 50-1 upset in the G1 Kentucky Derby on Saturday, was produced by SMART STRIKE’s unraced daughter Mining My Own. That prompted the Thoroughbred Times’ Don Clippinger to comment, “The Derby result augurs well for the Lane’s End stallion to become a lasting influence on the breed, both as a sire and broodmare sire.”

SMART STRIKE is also the broodmare sire of stakes winners Euphony (Forest Wildcat), Double Down Vinman (by Out of Place), Cammy’s Choice (by Take Me Out), Very Sexcessful (by In Excess {Ire}), etc.

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ROCK HARD TEN: 2009 LEADING FRESHMAN SIRE OF 2YOS

April 13, 2009:Freshman sire ROCK HARD TEN has garnered plenty of attention by the cognoscenti this spring, and his juveniles at the Keeneland April Sale were in demand. They included a colt out of Fiddlin Devon who was hammered down to Centennial Farms for $440,000; a filly out of America America who went to Padua Stables for $300,000; and a filly out of Secret Ballad who was purchased by Thoroughbred Futures for $270,000.

The performance of ROCK HARD TEN’s juveniles prompted the Thoroughbred Times’ John Sparkman to enthuse, “The market has chosen a new star among freshman sires of 2009...[and] that horse is ROCK HARD TEN. Through the first seven juvenile sales of 2009...the son of Kris S. has established a big lead over every other freshman sire, with eight horses sold for an average of $218,125. It is hardly a surprise that horsemen would be attracted to the offspring of ROCK HARD TEN. Winner of seven of his 11 starts with $1,870,380 in his bank account, he won the 2005 G1 Santa Anita H. and ’04 G1 Malibu S.”

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LANE'S END SALES GRADS ARE WINNING!

Sept. 7, 2009: Lane’s End continues to be the leading consignor of Grade 1 winners in 2009, and graduates of our consignments are racking up impressive performances from The Curragh to California and beyond. Thus far in 2009, Lane’s End grads include no fewer than 26 stakes winners, with 11 graded winners and four Grade 1 winners!

They include:

• Quality Road. The three-year-old colt soundly beat a top field in the G2 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S., then returned to take the G1 Florida Derby while establishing a new track record at Gulfstream for nine furlongs (1:47.72). He lowered another track record when returning to win Saratoga’s 6 1/2-furlong G2 Amsterdam S. in a blazing 1:13.45. He then ran a game third in the G1 Shadwell Travers S. over a sloppy track. Quality Road, offered at the 2007 September Sale, was bred and is owned by longtime Lane’s End client Ned Evans.
• Mr. Sidney. Raised and sold by Lane’s End, Mr. Sidney lived up to his sterling pedigree with a gutsy first Grade 1 victory in the Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland. Bred by Hilbert Thoroughbreds, Mr. Sidney was produced by Tomisue's Delight (A.P. INDY), a full-sister to Lane's End's Horse of the Year MINESHAFT. Mr. Sidney was a $3.9 million Keeneland September purchase by Lee Einsidler's Circle E Racing in 2005. He was the third-highest-priced yearling of that year. On July 4th, he added the Grade 2 Firecracker H. to his resume.
• Diamondrella (GB). The Lane’s End-bred turf specialist headed a productive Belmont Stakes day for horses with Lane’s End connections. In search of her sixth straight victory, rallied from well back to capture the G1 Just a Game S. in dramatic fashion. The five-year-old miss, a $185,000 Keeneland September Lane’s End grad, defeated BELONG TO ME’s champion Forever Together in the one-mile turf race.
• Dunkirk. Another bred by Lane’s End and sold for a sale-topping $3.7 million at September, he offered up one of the best performances on Belmont Stakes day when he set a fast pace in the G1 Belmont and fought on to finish second in the 1 1/2-mile Classic.
• In June, the Lane’s End-sold Long Lashes became the first winner--and first stakes winner--for her freshman sire ROCK HARD TEN when she galloped home clear in the Listed Ballygallon Stud S. in her debut at The Curragh. Sold privately to Godolphin, she quickly added Newmarket’s G3 Sweet Solera S.
• G1SW Court Vision’s year-older half-sister Smart Surprise (SMART STRIKE). The mare has been first or second in 15 of 21 lifetime and has five stakes wins to her credit, including this year’s G3 Hendrie S. at Woodbine. Both Court Vision and Smart Surprise were bred and sold in partnership by Lane’s End.
• Cool Coal Man (MINESHAFT). The $200,000 Lane’s End sales grad, winner of the G2 Fountain of Youth S. a year ago, has captured a pair of New York stakes in 2009, including a 12 3/4-length romp in Saratoga’s Albert the Great S.
• Carolyn’s Cat. The William K. Warren colorbearer led every step to win by daylight in the G2 Vagrancy H. in May. Agent Mike Ryan purchased Carolyn’s Cat for $650,000 at the 2006 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale.
• Imperial Council. A $130,000 Lane’s End grad, he was a good runner-up in the G3 Gotham S.
• Rock Candy. Bred and owned by Lane’s End, the daughter of MINESHAFT has captured two stakes this year.
• Diamond Tycoon. The Lane’s End-bred and -sold five-year-old has won both of his 2009 starts, including a tally in the G3 Fair Grounds H.
• Vistoso. Produced by the multiple graded stakes-placed A.P. INDY mare Charmed Gift and bred by long-time Lane’s End client Kilroy Thoroughbred Partnership, the three-year-old colt has collected three Group 1s, including the G1 Clasico Cameonato and G1 Clasico Anahuac. Working toward his debut is Charmed Gift’s two-year-old Endorsement, whom Lane’s End sold to Maverick Racing for $450,000 as a 2008 September yearling.

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CURLIN, BELONG TO ME’S FOREVER TOGETHER, HONORED AT ECLIPSE AWARDS

Jan. 30, 2009: On the heels of a another ground-breaking season, SMART STRIKE’s superlative son CURLIN was honored with a second Horse of the Year title at the Eclipse Awards, held at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach. CURLIN became the first horse to win back-to-back titles since Cigar. It was fitting that CURLIN matched Cigar’s feat, as it was Cigar’s mark that Curlin surpassed when he became racing’s all-time leading money earner with a bankroll of $10,501,800. CURLIN, whose victories in 2008 included the G1 Dubai World Cup and three other Grade 1's, was also honored as Champion Older Male. CURLIN raced for Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables and Midnight Cry Stable.

George Strawbridge received a well-deserved Champion Turf Mare statuette for his GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare turf heroine Forever Together. In addition to her Breeders’ Cup win at 1 1/4 miles, Forever Together, a daughter of BELONG TO ME, also won the one-mile G1 Diana S. and the nine-furlong G1 First Lady S. Forever Together has won seven of her 14 starts and earned over $2 million. BELONG TO ME is the sire of ten Grade 1 winners.

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FOUR NEW WINNERS FOR ROCK HARD TEN!

Nov. 9, 2009: October was a good month for the exciting freshman sire ROCK HARD TEN, as the son of Kris S. registered four new maiden special weight winners.

His most recent came over Wolverhampton’s all-weather when Godolphin’s young filly Addahab took her second career start Oct. 29. Always prominent, the bay took charge in mid-stretch and won by a confident length.

At Belmont Park Oct. 22, ROCK HARD TEN’s daughter The Mailet rallied to an impressive score in her turf debut going 1 1/16 miles. Bred by Wind Hill Farm and owned by J.W. Singer LLC, the $75,000 yearling rated in sixth, made a strong move leaving the turn and, despite racing very greenly, was up in plenty of time.

On Oct. 2, Bear Stable’s Bear’s Hard Ten aired by 2 1/2 lengths in a seven-furlong special weight at Woodbine. The big-striding colt was away well from the outside draw, was close-up in the early going, then powered away in mid-stretch to win in eye-catching style.

A day later, ROCK HARD TEN’s son Krypton was another who handled the switch to the turf with aplomb at Belmont Park. Making his first start at a route and on the green stuff, the Kiaran McLaughlin-trained youngster jumped out to lead and never looked back, cruising home by daylight under John Velazquez.

Though the European season is winding down, ROCK HARD TEN’s daughter Long Lashes established herself as one of the top juvenile fillies overseas. The strapping bay debuted a winner in the Listed Ballygallon Stud S. in June and, making her first start in Godolphin blue, added the G3 Sweet Solara S. in August.

ROCK HARD TEN is also the sire of the promising California-based filly Octogarian, a $160,000 yearling who took her career opener for owner Paul Reddam and trainer Doug O’Neill in July.

ROCK HARD TEN’s early success has ensured his continued popularity in the sales ring. Last year’s second-leading freshman sire by yearling average is now the leading sire from his crop by average! Thus far in 2009, 25 of his yearlings have sold for an average of $122,574. He boasts a better average than Speightstown, Indian Charlie, Pulpit, Gone West, etc.

ROCK HARD TEN’s 2009 yearlings include a half-sister to PLEASANTLY PERFECT’s SW Pomona Ball who sold to John McCormack for $425,000; a filly out of Incredible Story who went to Mercedes Stable for $350,000; a colt out of Betty Gar who was purchased by Nicoma Bloodstock for $325,000; a colt out of Quiet Dream who went to Silverton Hill for $260,000, etc.

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GIROLAMO 77th GSW FOR A.P. INDY!

Oct. 14, 2009: Even by A.P. INDY’s own high standards, the last two months have been particularly noteworthy for the stallion Bill Oppenheim recently called “North America’s best sire.”

A.P. INDY’s latest star is the fast-rising three-year-old Girolamo, a smartly bred colt who took his record to three-for-three in 2009 with a dominating victory in the G2 Jerome H. Oct. 11. A first-out winner at Saratoga as a juvenile last August, Giralamo returned to take a seven-furlong Spa allowance in 1:21 2/4 on Aug. 9. He doubled up with a one-mile allowance score at Belmont Sept. 13, won in 1:35 flat, then took the Jerome as the odds-on pick over the likes of MGSW Kensei. The final time for the one-mile race was a blistering 1:33 4/5.

Eight days earlier, A.P. INDY’s four-year-old daughter Music Note stamped herself as the leading older mare on the East Coast when she won her second straight Grade 1 in the Beldame S. at Belmont. A powerful 5 1/4-length winner over Indian Blessing and Informed Decision in the G1 Ballerina S. in late August, Music Note now has five Grade 1 victories on her resume!

A.P. INDY recently recorded his 26th Grade 1 winner when son Just as Well was awarded the victory in the Northern Dancer S. at Woodbine Sept. 20. Just as Well, coming off a runner-up finish in the G1 Arlington Million, was closing like a shot down the center of the course and finishing a half-length adrift of Marsh Side, who was subsequently DQ’d for interference.

In August, A.P. INDY had notched two more Grade 1 winners at the Spa when Flashing won the G1 Test S., and Telling rolled down the center of Saratoga's grass course to win the G1 Sword Dancer Invitational S. Daughter Flashing, a three-year-old Godolphin Racing colorbearer, had previously shown an affinity for the Test's seven-furlong distance when taking the G3 Nassau County S. at Belmont in May.

Other runners by A.P. INDY to star in 2009 include:

1. Friesan Fire, one of the premier three-year-olds in the country this spring and winner in succession of the G3 Lecomte S., G3 Risen Star S., and G2 Louisiana Derby;

2. Marchfield, Champion Older Horse in Canada in 2008, outgamed Champs Elysees (GB) in the Aug. 23 G2 Sky Classic S. at Woodbine to become his sire’s newest millionaire;

3. Eye of the Leopard, who gave his sire another Classic winner when he took the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine;

4. Eldaafer, winner of the G2 Brooklyn in June;

5. and El Crespo, winner of the G3 Palm Beach S. in March.

These runners only serve to underscore what’s most impressive about A.P. INDY’s stakes horses: their quality. Of his 197 black-type runners, 126 are stakes winners. Of those, an incredible 77 are graded stakes winners and 26 are Grade 1 winners. A.P. INDY’s get includes eight champions, led by Horse of the Year MINESHAFT, the leading third-crop sire in the nation by stakes winners.

A.P. INDY currently is fourth on the General Sire List with 14 stakes winners this term--nine of them graded--and tops the Average Earnings List among all sires with an AEI fig of 3.16.

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THREE SEPTEMBER SW FOR PLEASANT TAP

Oct. 1, 2009: Veteran sire PLEASANT TAP, long considered a prominent source of top-class, durable race horses, enjoyed a strong September with three stakes winners to his credit. Early in the month, the four-year-old filly Leamington led every step and came home a sharp winner of Saratoga’s grassy Voodoo Dancer S. Sept. 4. It was the first stakes victory for the Hickory Tree Stable colorbearer, who has been first or second in eight of 12.

On Sept. 7, daughter Pleasantly Blessed launched a strong bid to secure her own initial--and well-deserved--black-type score. Previously second in four stakes events, she won the one-mile Ricks Memorial S. at Remington Park by a length. The consistent performer has been first or second in 13 of 16.

PLEASANT TAP’s five-year-old mare Indescribable capped off the month. The Courtlandt Farms homebred was a convincing 3 1/2-length winner of the Sept. 26, G3 Kentucky Cup Distaff S. Indescribable won last year’s G3 Arlington Matron H. and G3 Cardinal H. and was third in the GI Go For Wand H., and won the G3 Doubledogdare S. earlier this season. She has seven victories to her credit and has banked $474,492.

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LEMON DROP KID - LEADING SIRE OF STAKES WINNERS IN 2009

Sept. 7, 2009: LEMON DROP KID finished the 2008 season as a top 15 sire with a remarkable 21 stakes winners to his credit, and the son of KINGMAMBO continues to be red hot in 2009. Over Labor Day weekend, his progressive son Richard's Kid rallied to a powerful victory in the prestigious, $1 million G1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar. The colt showed promise on the East Coast last winter when he defeated eventual Grade 1 winner Bullsbay in the John Campbell H. at Laurel in February, but it wasn't until he was switched to Bob Baffert's barn on in California that he really blossomed. Under the Hall of Fame conditioner's care, he ran a game nose second in the 1 1/2-mile Cougar II H. at Del Mar Aug. 5 and was making his initial foray into Grade 1 company in the Pacific Classic. He is owned by Arnold Zetcher.

LEMON DROP KID boasts 16 black-type winners on the year, which puts him alongside Giant’s Causeway on top of the General Sires List by that measure. It is important to note, however, that the latter has 284 runners on the year, nearly twice as many as LEMON DROP KID (289 vs. 147, according to The Blood-Horse). LEMON DROP KID has an additional 12 stakes-placed runners in 2009, for an impressive 27 black-type horses! He has now sired five Grade winners!

In August, LEMON DROP KID had two new stakes winners. First, Hello Maggie May, a four-year-old filly, won Woodbine's seven-furlong, $100,000 Belle Geste S. Aug. 23. The Windhaven runner was bred in Ontario by William D. Graham. That was followed by the two-year-old filly Kid Kate, who captured the one-mile Junior Champion S. at Monmouth by 3 3/4 lengths at 4-5 odds. She is a Dell Ridge Farm homebred.

In July, LEMON DROP KID boasted the stakes winners Lemonette, winner of the Gaily Gaily S. at Arlington Park; and Hits Only Vic, winner of the Listed Silver Cup S. at York in England.

LEMON DROP KID was represented by three stakes winners in June, with another half-dozen of his runners earning black-type. At the prestigious Royal Ascot meet, his son Bronze Cannon led home a Lane's End 1-2 in the G2 Hardwicke S. Bronze Cannon outfinished KINGMAMBO's Campanologist to get his second Group 2 win of the year.

In the most recent update to his APEX rankings in the Thoroughbred Daily News, Bill Oppenheim gives high marks to LEMON DROP KID in nearly all categories. From sires standing from 1996 through 2005, LEMON DROP KID is the fourth-leading stallion in Kentucky by A runner index, behind only stablemate SMART STRIKE, Street Cry (Ire) and Unbridled's Song. His ABC runner index is even better--he is second among Kentucky stallions--prompting Oppenheim to comment:

"Of the more ‘mainstream' among these 534 stallions, Distorted Humor and Galileo are tied with a 2.48 ABC Index--just under 20 percent of their runners. LEMON DROP KID is just a tick behind with a 2.45 index--he is definitely one of the most consistent sires around of horses that pay their way."

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AWESOME AUGUST FOR A.P. INDY!

Sept. 1, 2009: Even by A.P. INDY’s own high standards, August was a month for the record books for the horse Bill Oppenheim recently called “North America’s best sire.” On the Travers Stakes undercard at Saratoga Aug. 29, his daughter Music Note became his third Grade 1 winner at the Spa in August when she defeated a top-class field in the seven-furlong G1 Ballerina S. Facing a group that included the likes of Informed Decision and Indian Blessing, Music Note locked horns with the latter in upper stretch, then simply ran away from the reigning filly sprint champ to record a 5 1/4-length success. It was Music Note’s fourth Grade 1 win!

Earlier in the month, A.P. INDY recorded his 24th and 25th Grade 1 winners, respectively, when Flashing won the G1 Test S. and Telling rolled down the center of Saratoga's grass course to win the Sword Dancer Invitational S. Daughter Flashing, a three-year-old Godolphin Racing colorbearer, had previously shown an affinity for the Test's seven-furlong distance when taking the G3 Nassau County S. at Belmont in May, has now won five of seven starts for Sheikh Mohammed's organization.

A.P. INDY celebrated another important milestone in August when Exotic Indy became his 125th stakes winner. A four-year-old full-sister to A.P. INDY’s good runner A.P. Xcellent, Exotic Indy dominated Monmouth’s 1 1/4-mile Omnibus S. by eight lengths Aug. 22. A day later, A.P. INDY’s Marchfield, Champion Older Horse in Canada in 2008, outgamed Champs Elysees (GB) to the line in the G2 Sky Classic S. at Woodbine to become his sire’s newest millionaire.

Also in August, Dr Large won the Capital City S., You and I Forever ran second in the G3 Philip H. Iselin S., and Just as Well was runner-up in the G1 Arlington Million. And earlier in the summer, Eye of the Leopard gave his sire another Classic winner when he took the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine.

These runners only serve to underscore what’s most impressive about A.P. INDY’s stakes horses: their quality. Of his 194 black-type runners, 125 are stakes winners. Of those, an incredible 76 are graded stakes winners. A.P. INDY’s get includes eight champions, led by Horse of the Year MINESHAFT, the leading third-crop sire in the nation by stakes winners.

A.P. INDY currently is fourth on the General Sire List with 13 stakes winners this term--eight of them graded--and tops the Average Earnings List among all sires with an AEI fig of 3.16.

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CITY ZIP: #1 KY SIRE! FIVE SH ALREADY IN AUGUST!

Aug. 5, 2009: After boasting six stakes horses in July, CITY ZIP was represented by five stakes horses....in just the first two days of August!

On Aug. 1, the three-year-old colt Music City ran second in the 1 1/16-mile Humphrey S. Finney S. at Laurel. On the same afternoon, the sophomores Canadian Ballet and Mommie Whiz finished second and third, respectively, in the G3 Royal North S. at Woodbine. The following day at Monmouth Park, the four-year-old Acting Zippy was beaten just a nose when second in the $100,000, 1 1/16-mile Majestic Light S. Later in the afternoon, the five-year-old Get Serious, who was coming off a course-record-setting performance in the Battlefield S. over Monmouth’s turf, led every step in a muddy renewal of the $200,000 Oceanport S. and gamely held off LEMON DROP KID’s son Kiss the Kid to win the 1 1/16-mile race by a neck. SMART STRIKE’s son Pleasant Strike completed the Lane’s End trifecta!

The success of these older horses serves to complement CITY ZIP’s brilliant 2009 campaign with two-year-olds. The co-leading sire by juvenile stakes winners in 2008 is currently the number one Kentucky sire by progeny earnings and individual winners (12).

The half-brother to Ghostzapper boasts several promising youngsters on the West Coast. Zip Quik, a $320,000 OBSMAR juvenile purchase, followed up a MSW victory at Hollywood June 20 with a strong runner-up effort in the G3 Hollywood Juvenile Championship S. July 12. In his career debut, Zip Quik was a very credible third in the Willard L. Proctor Memorial S. June 4.

CITY ZIP’s juvenile daughter Ballistic Sue was another who impressed at Hollywood. In a June 18, 5 1/2-furlong dash over the Cushion Track, Ballistic Sue zipped through a half in :44 3/5 and kept on running to win by two lengths in a MSW.

On the East Coast, CITY ZIP’s two-year-old son Zip in Time, a $250,000 FTFFEB purchase, went wire-to-wire in a Monmouth MSW May 22.

Other juvenile winners by CITY ZIP include Gabba Birl (Arlington), Copperhead Slinger (Churchill), Zippy Larry (Churchill), and Zipatron (Presque Isle).

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FIRST U.S. WINNER FOR ROCK HARD TEN

July 9, 2009: For a stallion whose progeny wIll only get better as the races get longer, ROCK HARD TEN is already off to a brilliant start at stud. In the last week of June, Long Lashes captured the Listed Ballygallon Stud S. at The Curragh in her career debut to become ROCK HARD TEN’s first winner, and this afternoon, the filly Octogarian became his first winner in the U.S. after wiring a maiden special weight at Hollywood Park. A $160,000 yearling, Octogarian was no secret in her career opener, going postward at 3-2 odds for owner J. Paul Reddam and trainer Doug O’Neill. She showed good speed from the gate and led the way through a half in :45 4/5, then leveled out beautifully in the lane to graduate by a length.

ROCK HARD TEN has two yearlings to sell at the upcoming Fasig-Tipton July Sale, both fillies. Hip 115 is a dark bay produced by the Seattle Slew mare Incredible Story, while hip 189, is a dark bay daughter of Nureyev’s Encore, by Nureyev, a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Smooth Jazz.

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STAKES WINNER #125 FOR A.P. INDY!

Aug. 27, 2009: Just days after registering his 25th Grade 1 winner, A.P. INDY celebrated another important milestone when Exotic Indy became his 125th stakes winner. A four-year-old full-sister to A.P. INDY’s good runner A.P. Xcellent, Exotic Indy dominated Monmouth’s 1 1/4-mile Omnibus S. by eight lengths for owner Two Fillies Stable on Aug. 22. A day later, A.P. INDY’s Marchfield, Champion Older Horse in Canada in 2008, outgamed Champs Elysees (GB) to the line in the G2 Sky Classic S. at Woodbine to become his sire’s newest millionaire.

All in all, it’s been a remarkable August for A.P. INDY. Early in the month, daughter Flashing, a three-year-old Godolphin Racing colorbearer, won the G1 Test S. Flashing had previously shown an affinity for the Test's seven-furlong distance when taking the G3 Nassau County S. at Belmont in May, has now won five of seven starts for Sheikh Mohammed's organization.

Then came A.P. INDY’s 25th Grade 1 milestone, a mark reached when son Telling rolled down the center of the Saratoga’s grass course to win the Sword Dancer Invitational S. Aug. 15.

Also in August, Dr Large won the Capital City S., You and I Forever ran second in the G3 Philip H. Iselin S., and Just as Well was runner-up in the G1 Arlington Million. And earlier in the summer, Eye of the Leopard gave his sire another Classic winner when he took the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine.

These runners only serve to underscore what’s most impressive about A.P. INDY’s stakes horses: their quality. Of his 194 black-type runners, 125 are stakes winners. Of those, an incredible 76 are graded stakes winners. A.P. INDY’s get includes eight champions, led by Horse of the Year MINESHAFT, the leading third-crop sire in the nation by stakes winners.

A.P. INDY currently is fourth on the General Sire List with 12 stakes winners this term--seven of them graded--and tops the Average Earnings List among all sires with an AEI fig of 3.16.

In a recent sire analysis story in the Thoroughbred Daily News, Bill Oppenheim called A.P. “North America’s best sire.”

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BRILLIANT START FOR THE “ROCK”

June 26, 2009: Freshman sire ROCK HARD TEN registered his first winner and first stakes winner simultaneously this afternoon in the Listed Ballygallon Stud S. at The Curragh. It was the debutante Long Lashes, a Lane’s End sales grad who was purchased by Ben McElroy for $95,000 as a KEESEP yearling, who belied her experience with a brilliant run in the six-furlong event. The bay was always traveling well tucked in behind the leaders and, once switched out for the final furlong, rolled home a 2 1/2-length heroine. “She was a big, scopey, rangy filly, and I thought she’d suit European racing, “McElroy told the Thoroughbred Daily News after the race. “I always thought that ROCK HARD TEN was a very talented racehorse and would make a good stallion.” As for future plans, McElroy added, “[Jockey] Fran Berry said that she traveled very easily and picked up very nicely, so we think she’ll get even better as she goes longer. It’s seven weeks to the [G1] Moyglare Stud S., and if everything went well, she’d be a candidate for either the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf or the [GI] Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.” Keep an eye out for ROCK HARD TEN’s two offerings at Fasig-Tipton July: hip 147 is a filly out of the Seattle Slew mare Incredible Story; hip 189 is a filly out of the Nureyev mare Nureyev’s Encore.

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LEMON DROP KID: 15 STAKES WINNERS & COUNTING!

Aug. 27, 2009: LEMON DROP KID finished the 2008 season as a top 15 sire with a remarkable 21 stakes winners to his credit, and the son of KINGMAMBO continues to be red hot in 2009. LEMON DROP KID currently boasts 15 black-type winners on the year--second most in the nation and behind only Giant’s Causeway’s 16. The latter has 284 runners on the year, nearly twice as many as LEMON DROP KID (284 vs. 146, according to The Blood-Horse).

LEMON DROP KID ’s latest black-type winner is Hello Maggie May, a four-year-old filly who won Woodbine’s seven-furlong, $100,000 Belle Geste S. Aug. 23. The Windhaven runner was bred in Ontario by William D. Graham.

In July, LEMON DROP KID boasted the stakes winners Lemonette, winner of the Gaily Gaily S. at Arlington Park; and Hits Only Vic, winner of the Listed Silver Cup S. at York in England.

LEMON DROP KID was represented by three stakes winners in June, with another half-dozen of his runners earning black-type. At the prestigious Royal Ascot meet, his son Bronze Cannon led home a Lane’s End 1-2 in the G2 Hardwicke S. Bronze Cannon outfinished KINGMAMBO’s Campanologist to get his second Group 2 win of the year.

In the most recent update to his APEX rankings in the Thoroughbred Daily News, Bill Oppenheim gives high marks to LEMON DROP KID in nearly all categories. From sires standing from 1996 through 2005, LEMON DROP KID is the fourth-leading stallion in Kentucky by A runner index, behind only stablemate SMART STRIKE, Street Cry (Ire) and Unbridled’s Song. His ABC runner index is even better--he is second among Kentucky stallions--prompting Oppenheim to comment:

“Of the more ‘mainstream’ among these 534 stallions, Distorted Humor and Galileo are tied with a 2.48 ABC Index--just under 20 percent of their runners. LEMON DROP KID is just a tick behind with a 2.45 index--he is definitely one of the most consistent sires around of horses that pay their way.”

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LDK’S CHARITABLE MAN TAKES GRADE 2 PETER PAN

May 9, 2009: LEMON DROP KID’s Charitable Man, one of the best juveniles on the East Coast last year, enjoyed a sparkling return to form in Saturday’s G2 Peter Pan S. at Belmont Park. The race, won by horses like A.P. INDY and MINESHAFT’s Casino Drive in the past, found Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren’s colorbearer track in second as a rival sped out to lead. Charitable Man began to gear up approaching the quarter pole and, once in front, drew off powerfully to win by 3 3/4 lengths. The final time for the nine-furlong race was a very strong 1:47 flat. Charitable Man, who could go in the G1 Belmont S. next, was purchased by Mike Ryan for $200,000 out of Lane’s End’s 2007 Keeneland September draft. That same consignment also produced the Peter Pan runner-up, Sequoia Racing’s Imperial Council. Congratulations to the connections of both horses!

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OUR SIRES DOMINATE KEENELAND APRIL 2YO SALE

Juveniles by Lane’s End sires dominated the proceedings during the Apr. 6-7 Keeneland April Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training. In addition to Monday’s sale-topping $1.9 million Vallenzeri, by A.P. INDY, Lane’s End sires accounted for the top five prices during Tuesday’s second session.

Vallenzeri is the first foal out of the all-world Azeri and holds the rare distinction of being by a Horse of the Year, out of a Horse of the Year. Trainer Bob Baffert, on behalf of Kaleem Shah, purchased Vallenzeri. The striking chestnut became the highest-priced juvenile to pass through an auction ring this year.

SMART STRIKE was responsible for Tuesday’s session topper. Again it was Baffert, on behalf of Mike Pegram and partners, who signed the winning ticket, this time for a handsome colt out of Private Feeling for $475,000.

Freshman sire ROCK HARD TEN has garnered plenty of attention by the cognoscenti this spring, and his juveniles at April were in demand. They included a colt out of Fiddlin Devon who was hammered down to Centennial Farms for $440,000; a filly out of America America who went to Padua Stables for $300,000; and a filly out of Secret Ballad who was purchased by Thoroughbred Futures for $270,000.

The performance of ROCK HARD TEN’s juveniles prompted the Thoroughbred Times’ John Sparkman to enthuse, “The market has chosen a new star among freshman sires of 2009...[and] that horse is ROCK HARD TEN. Through the first seven juvenile sales of 2009...the son of Kris S. has established a big lead over every other freshman sire, with eight horses sold for an average of $218,125. It is hardly a surprise that horsemen would be attracted to the offspring of ROCK HARD TEN. Winner of seven of his 11 starts with $1,870,380 in his bank account, he won the 2005 G1 Santa Anita H. and ’04 G1 Malibu S.”

DIXIE UNION, who’s enjoying a fine spring with the likes of Kentucky Oaks hopeful Justwhistledixie flying his banner, also proved popular. John Sadler signed the ticket for a colt out of Risk for $310,000, while Hal Earnhardt bought a colt out of Silent Stream for $300,000.

Watch for more Lane’s End-sired stars at the OBS Spring Sale and at Fasig-Tipton’s Midlantic Sale.

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IMPRESSIVE WEEKEND PERFORMANCES BY LE RUNNERS

Apr. 7, 2009: Runners with connections to Lane’s End enjoyed a big weekend as the road to the Kentucky Derby straightens for home. The biggest impact was made by STEPHEN GOT EVEN’s son I Want Revenge, who earned himself Derby favoritism in the final future wager pool with a resilient victory in the G1 Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct. After rearing at the break, I Want Revenge traveled behind foes and found himself with nowhere to go in mid-stretch, but the colt muscled his way out and powered up to win by 1 1/2 lengths. I Want Revenge is at the top of Steve Haskin’s Derby Dozen.

Down South, BELONG TO ME was represented by the three-year-old colt Tamborim, who defeated a crowded 12-horse field as the favorite in the Dayton Andrews Dodge Sophomore Turf S. at Tampa Bay.

Among the older horses, DIXIE UNION’s son Dixie Chatter earned a well-deserved tally in Saturday’s G2 Arcadia H. at Santa Anita. After running a close-up third to Gio Ponti and Ventura in the G1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. in early March, Dixie Chatter rallied powerfully along the rail in the Arcadia and wouldn’t be denied, winning by 3/4 lengths. Dixie Chatter, winner of the G1 Norfolk Breeders’ Cup S. as a juvenile, has now won a stakes in each of his three seasons at the track.

Also on Saturday, MINESHAFT’s Grade 2 winner Cool Coal Man, a Lane’s End sales grad, was dead game in a second-place effort to Giant Moon in the G3 Excelsior H. at Aqueduct, while SMART STRIKE was represented on the weekend by a pair of up-and-coming sophomores--Listed Prix Finlande S. winner Denomination and G3 Central Bank Transylvania S. runner-up Smart Bid--as well as proven older star Fabulous Strike, just narrowly beaten when second in the G1 Carter H.

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LANE’S END TRIFECTA IN BONNIE MISS

Mar. 31, 2009: It was a Lane’s End 1-2-3 in the Mar. 27 G2 Bonnie Miss S. at Gulfstream Park. Leading home the important race was DIXIE UNION’s brilliant up-and-comer Justwhistledixie. The three-year-old filly registered her fifth straight win in the nine-furlong Bonnie Miss, rallying from a stalking position to defeat LANGFUHR’s daughter Casanova Move by 1 3/4 lengths. It was the West Point Thoroughbreds colorbearer’s four stakes victory and comes off the heels of her romp in the G2 Davona Dale S. in Hallendale. The win solidified her status as a contender for the GI Kentucky Oaks at Churchill May 2. For Casanova Move, it was another strong effort. The Ned Evans homebred also was second in the Davona Dale. Rounding out the trifecta in the Bonnie Miss was the GULCH filly Hopeful Image. Bred and owned by New Life Stables, she closed from the back of the pack to fill the show spot. Congratulations to the connections of these fillies and best of luck to all!

Return to Stallion News 2009

HOT ON THE TRIPLE CROWN TRAIL!

Apr. 13, 2009: With all the major preps for the Kentucky Derby contested, there is one thing that’s clear: Lane’s End continues to be a launching pad for classic contenders. One horse who rocketed to the top of many Derby lists is STEPHEN GOT EVEN’s son I Want Revenge, who took to conventional dirt with aplomb in a rousing 8 1/2-length tally in the G3 Gotham S. at Aqueduct Mar. 7, then followed up by overcoming a dawdling start to take the G1 Wood Memorial S. Apr. 4.

A.P. INDY’s son Friesan Fire was a was a solid performer at two, but really turned the corner this spring with wins in the G3 Lecomte S., G3 Risen Star S. and G2 Louisiana Derby. Each win has been more impressive than the last, with Friesan Fire’s Louisiana Derby win coming by a facile 7 1/2-length margin.

The Coolmore-owned Dunkirk, the Lane’s End-bred and -sold colt who topped the 2007 Keeneland September sale on a $3.7 million bid, also stands as a leading contender for the Run for the Roses. The gray colt put in an eye-catching run over a Gulfstream track playing to speed in the G1 Florida Derby and finished runner-up to Quality Road, another colt who pass through the Lane’s End Keeneland September consignment in 2007.

Meanwhile, SMART STRIKE’s son Papa Clem, who was produced by BELONG TO ME’s Grade 1 winner Miss Houdini, emerged as a legitimate challenger for the Derby with a driving victory over Old Fashioned in the G2 Arkansas Derby Apr. 11. SMART STRIKE is also the sire of Square Eddie, winner of the G1 Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity last October and another who may line up on the first Saturday in May.

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MINESHAFT: CLASSIC CONSISTENCY

May 4, 2009: With horses like Casino Drive and Cool Coal Man to his credit, Horse of the Year MINESHAFT has shown he can get horses with Classic potential, and he has another up-and-coming colt on his hands. Over the weekend, his three-year-old son Miner’s Escape stamped his ticket to the G1 Preakness S. with a driving 4 1/2-length tally in the Federico Tesio S. at Pimlico. Like last year’s G2 Fountain of Youth S. winner Cool Coal Man, runner-up in the May 1 G3 Alysheba S. at Churchill, Miner’s Escape is owned by Robert LaPenta and trained by Nick Zito. Another three-year-old colt by MINESHAFT, Redding Colliery, was a 310,000gns TATAPR breezer last year who completed the trifecta behind Desert Party and Regal Ransom in the G3 UAE 2000 Guineas in Dubai. Casino Drive, winner of the G2 Peter Pan S. here in the States in 2008 and one of the favorites for the G1 Belmont S. before a bruised foot precluded his participation, was a close-up second in this year’s prestigious G1 February S. in Tokyo.

In all, MINESHAFT has seven stakes horses on the year, which includes a pair of promising three-year-old fillies. The sophomore Strut the Canary captured Laurel’s Marshua S. in February and was a close second in the Wide Country S. Mar. 7, while Rock Candy won Tampa Bay’s Gasparilla S. in January and then doubled up in the two-turn Suncoast S. at that track Feb. 14.

Return to Stallion News 2009

LEMON DROP KID: 4 GRADE 1 WINNERS!

With 21 individual stakes winners, LEMON DROP KID is coming off a sensational 2008, and his daughter Santa Teresita got 2009 off the right way when she romped by daylight in the G1 Santa Maria H. on Valentine’s Day. LEMON DROP KID is now the sire of 39 career stakes winners, including 13 at the graded level and four at Grade 1 level.

A closer look at his Grade 1 winners underlines LEMON DROP KID’s versatility as a stallion.