Stud Farms

WHO'S WHO IN THOROUGHBRED BREEDING

Following are glimpses into who are the biggest players of breeding Thoroughbreds around the world.  They are not listed in any particular order, except the biggest players are in all caps.

Kenny Troutt (left) and co-owner Bill Casner celebrate

their horse Super Saver's Kentucky Derby victory in 2010

Image by Getty Images North America via @daylife

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GODOLPHIN/DARLEY
Godolphin Racing is the Maktoum family's private thoroughbred horseracing stable and was named in honour of the Godolphin Arabian, who came from the desert to become one of the three founding stallions of the modern thoroughbred.

UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the driving force behind Godolphin. He also owns the Darley Stud breeding operation. Godolphin's first runner and winner was Cutwater (GB) at Nad Al Sheba, Dubai on December 24, 1992 while Godolphin's international operation commenced in 1994. The stable has training facilities in both Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Newmarket, United Kingdom.

Sheikh Mohammed, or "Sheikh Mo" as he is affectionately known, is perhaps the best known billionaire in the world of thoroughbred horse breeding and racing. His presence at horse sales is met with hushed reverence (and an intimidating entourage including bodyguards). He is thought to be the biggest spender in the history of the sport, buying up stables in the Middle East, Europe and the US (including Bob McNair's, see previous slide). Four horses linked to the Sheikh's various stables have won the UK's Epsom Derby: Lammtarra, New Approach, High-Rise and Shaamit. He continues to chase his dream of winning the Kentucky Derby.

Recent scandal involving the administration of illegal drugs to several horses at the barn run by Al Zarooni has rocked the Thoroughbred world.  Disgraced trainer banned for 8 years by BHA  BBC report

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H. H. AGA KHAN
Vanity Fair - 2012
http://www.agakhanstuds.com/history/history.asp
Top owner/breeder in France

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JUDDMONTE FARMS
Juddmonte Farms consists of a variety of individual farms: three in England, two in Ireland, and three in Kentucky, United States. Established in 1977, Juddmonte in particular is highly regarded for their 300 plus broodmare band.

Founded in 1977, Juddmonte is based in Lexington, KY. Prince Khalid Abdullah, owner; John Chandler, president; Lord Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager. Web site

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COOLMORE / BALLYDOYLE / ASHFORD STUD KY
Coolmore Stud's wiki page
Coolmore web site
Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, South Tipperary in Ireland, is the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses.

It was originally a relatively small farm dedicated to general agriculture, but came into the Vigors family in 1945 when a training operation was established there^.  It was inherited by Tim Vigors, famous fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain and in the Far East. Having left the air force, he firstly joined Goffs bloodstock auctioneers before setting up his own bloodstock agency in 1951. He moved to Coolmore in 1968 and began transforming it into the well known stud farm it is today.

Vigors went into partnership with his friend Vincent O'Brien, a leading racehorse trainer, and Robert Sangster, the Vernons pools magnate. He later sold his interest to O'Brien and his son-in-law, John Magnier. Eventually, Magnier became sole owner, and built the farm into a multi-national, multi-billion-euro operation. The original farm is now known as Coolmore Ireland, and has three branches—Ashford Stud, which operates as Coolmore America, near Versailles, Kentucky and Coolmore National Hunt (or Castle Hyde Stud) in Ireland, which specialises in breeding for National Hunt racing. Coolmore has many "shuttle stallions" that cover mares in either Ireland or Kentucky in the northern breeding season and are transported to Argentina and Australia for the southern breeding season.

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Alain and Gerard Wertheimer
Wertheimer et Frere
France’s Alain Wertheimer and his brother Gerard, co-owners of fashion house Chanel, are third generation horse owners and breeders. Their thoroughbred business Wertheimer et Frere (meaning Wertheimer and Brother) has produced champs like Goldikova, the only horse ever to win three Breeders’ Cup Mile races. In 1993, their horse Kotashaan won American Horse of the Year, one of the sport’s highest accolades.

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Jess Jackson/Barbara Banke - Stonestreet Farms
One of the most beloved figures in the U.S. horse racing scene passed away in April 2011. California billionaire winemaker Jess Jackson was a regular fixture at bloodstock auctions and racetracks. Forbes did a feature two years ago during the Saratoga Springs meet. Forbes feature.  It was clear he’d earned the respect of his peers as an owner and a breeder. His Stonestreet Farms stable is home to Curlin, the all-time top earning racehorse in North America with over $10.5 million winnings, and Rachel Alexandra, the first filly to win the Preakness Stakes in 85 years and 2009 Horse of the Year. His widow, Barbara Banke, continues to operate under the Stonestreet banner.

March 16-17

LET'S GO TO THE RACES

March 16-17

A quick reference tool meant to help the newer fan (like me!)

NOTE:AFTER A RACE HAS BEEN RUN, you can return here, click on the CARD to view the Results and watch a REPLAY.

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ONE DERBY PREP AND ONE OAKS PREP, ALONG WITH A HANDFUL OF RACES FOR OLDER FILLIES/MARES

A potpourri of racing action awaits us this weekend, with a Derby prep, an Oaks prep, a Grade 1 for fillies and mares, along with four other graded stakes for the distaffers.  Throw in a Grade 2 contest at a longer distance of 1 ½ miles on the turf for older horses at Santa Anita, and we have an exciting race-filled two days!

KENTUCKY DERBY PREP:  The Grade 2 REBEL STAKES at Oaklawn Park on Saturday provides the final tuneup for the Arkansas Derby in April.  The $600,000 Grade 2 event will feature a field of eleven and is shaping up to be the deepest field of three year old’s so far this year.  Bob Baffert is back from California with SUPER NINETY NINE, who was the blowout winner of the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes over the same track on Feb. 18, winning by 11 1/4 lengths. Baffert's other starter, DEN’S LEGACY, has been in the money in four straight graded stakes and finished second to Flashback in the Grade II Robert B. Lewis in February. D. Wayne Lukas also will saddle two. OXBOW, the runaway winner of the Grade 3 LeComte Stakes at Fair Grounds before finishing fourth with a wide trip in the Grade II Risen Star in New Orleans; and Lukas also has WILL TAKE CHARGE, who won the Smarty Jones stakes at Oaklawn before finishing sixth in the Southwest. Also in from Santa Anita is a Ron Ellis trainee, TREASURY BILL,  recent runner-up in the Grade II San Vicente, going 7 furlongs. A shipper from the east and making his 2013 debut, DELHOMME, a Todd Pletcher trainee who finished third behind Overanalyze and Normandy Invasion in the Grade II Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct in November.   The race is worth 50 points to the winner, and 20-10-5 to the next three toward getting into the Kentucky Derby field.

KENTUCKY OAKS PREP:  ELGHAYOOR and RAILTOWN GIRL, who finished first and second in last month's Dearly Precious, will tackle five other 3-year-old fillies in Saturday's $100,000 CICADA STAKES at 6 furlongs on the inner track. Both are trained by Kieren McLaughlin. Winner of the event will get 50 points toward qualifying for the Kentucky Oaks, with the next 3 finishers accruing 20-10-5 points.

MY MISS AURELIA makes her 2013 debut in Saturday's $150,000, Grade 3 AZERI STAKES at Oaklawn Park, going 1 1/16 miles.  TIZ MIZ SUE won this race last year and is back, but has not won in six starts in the interim. SHE’S ALL IN was second in the 2011 Azeri but also has struggled since. DON’T TELL SOPHIA has won three straight, the last two at Oaklawn. SONGS AND SONNETS, coming out of the allowance ranks, and HOLY HEAVENS round out the field.

SANTA MARGARITA INVITATIONAL, $300,000, GRADE 1, has 6 fillies scheduled to run at the 9 furlong distance on Saturday at Santa Anita. BRUSHED BY A STAR has finished worse than second only once in her last nine races and makes her first California start for trainer Eddie Kenneally. JOYFUL VICTORY, however, defeated that one handily in their last start at Sam Houston Race Course and is back for more. GREAT HOT comes off a win in the Grade II Santa Maria Stakes but had struggled in several previous starts. MORE CHOCOLATE has jumped quickly up the class ladder and comes off a win in the Grade II La Canada Stakes in January.  SNOW FALL and THE ONLY KEY round out the field.

SAN LUIS REY, G2, $150,000, 1 ½ miles, turf:  The first- and second-place finishers in the recent 1 1/4-mile, Grade II San Marcos Stakes will duke it out again in Saturday's $150,000, Grade II SAN LUIS REY at Santa Anita, with an added quarter of a mile to run on the turf. SLIM SHADEY led all the way to a 1-length victory in the Feb. 9 San Marcos, with INTERACTION falling just short after an impressive run from the back. ALL SQUARED AWAY, who finished third in the San Marcos, also is in this 9-horse field. The others include BOURBON BAY, a graded stakes winner and second in last year's running of the San Marcos; TIZ GIANNI (Giacomo), a John Shirreffs’ trainee, will have Rosie Napravnik in the saddle.

HONEY FOX STAKES,  GRADE 2, $150,000,1 mile on the turf:  CENTRE COURT is the highweight among nine entered for Saturday’s renewal of the Honey Fox at Gulfstream. She makes her seasonal debut after a 3-year-old season that saw her rise from the maiden ranks to finish second in the Grade I Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland, then win the Grade II Mrs. Revere Stakes at Churchill Downs. She has finished no worse than second in eight straight starts. CHANNEL LADY, a 4-year-old English Channel filly, has four wins and two seconds from seven career starts and won the Grade III Suwannee River Stakes over the course last time out. CLASS INCLUDED was always first or second during her career in the Pacific Northwest but finished seventh in two California starts late last season and tries the East Coast or the first time. SAMITAR is one to watch. An English import who had some success overseas, she ran well in three graded stakes last fall after shipping to the United States.

Sunday’s INSIDE INFORMATION STAKES, $150,000 Grade 2 at 7 furlongs at Gulfstream Park looks to have GOLDEN MYSTERY, winner of the G3 Hurricane Bertie Stakes in February, meet some of the same rivals she faced in that contest.

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Handicapping tools
TCI Insider - Jon and Joel look at the Rebel - VIDEO
That Handicapping Show - Claire Novak and Pete Denk talk about The Rebel
Jeremy Plonk's COUNTDOWN TO THE CROWN - Week 11
Jeremy Plonk's Horseplayer Now       Jeremy Plonk's Derby Prep schedule
Derby prep races, results video replays
Haskin's Derby Dozen 3-11-13
The Downey Profile          Brisnet's James Scully's Derby Report - March 14
Brisnet's Dick Powell Handicapping Insights

If you are serious about keeping up with the horses, standings, race outcomes, etc. on the Derby Trail, don't miss the recap by Jeremy Plonk at DRF. Road to the Derby: Prep races, replays, leaderboard Scroll down under the Point Standings to a list of the Derby Prep races. Click on the race, and read Jeremy's re-cap. Very enlightening, because Jeremy sees things I would never see and points them out. We are moving into the next phase of the preps, where the points to be earned will put the winner in the starting gate of the KY Derby, and the secondary points to the next three finishers can earn some important points as well. From Feb. 23 thru March 24 is the first leg of the Championship Series in which the races will be worth 85 points, with 50 pts to the winner, and 20-10-5 to the next 3 finishers. I'm betting that from here on out, the starting gate for each of these races should see full or near-full fields.

For info on the Oaks prep series, go to the Kentucky Derby Oaks site: http://www.kentuckyderby.com/oaks Standings and horse profiles, along with replays can be found there.

TRIPLE CROWN: Source guide to lists of Derby qualifying races, standings, handicapping tools
DUBAI: Source Guide for Dubai World Cup Carnival

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Races listed below in time ordered format with cards. Come back after the race is run, click on the Card link and watch the replay at BloodHorse's results and video page.

March 9-10

LET'S GO TO THE RACES

March 9-10

A quick reference tool meant to help the newer fan (like me!)

NOTE:AFTER A RACE HAS BEEN RUN, you can return here, click on the CARD to view the Results and watch a REPLAY.

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Note:  There are several options for watching the weekend racing action in the U.S.:  DRF will live stream the action at Tampa Bay.  Calracing will live stream racing in California.  Also, watching the replays will be easy because in the CARDS shown below, after the race, the replay may be viewed at the same link.  Dubai racing can be watched 'live' at a link you will find at the Dubai post.

It's Super Saturday in Dubai and yet another weekend of sorting out Kentucky Derby candidates in the United States.

Handicap horses, including the defending Breeders' Cup Classic champ, get going in Arkansas and Florida. Kentucky Oaks hopefuls will be on display in those very same states while last year's Oaks winner is in action in Louisiana. Tampa Bay Downs has an internationally flavored grass race. And Santa Anita has ladies sprinting.

Among the current Derby favorites, GOLDENCENTS and FLASHBACK are in action in California; Verrazano in Florida.

Goldencents and Flashback headline a cast of eight for Saturday's $300,000, Grade II San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita.

Meanwhile, back in Florida, nine are entered for Saturday's $350,000, Grade II Tampa Bay Derby. Many will be watching the Todd Pletcher-trained VERRAZANO, who comes off a 10 1/4-lengths allowance win at Gulfstream Park.

Oaks candidates:  Nine are entered for Saturday's $150,000, Grade III Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park in scenic Hot Springs, Arkansas. Rose to Gold finished second as the favorite in the local Martha Washington in her last start but before that won the Grade III Delta Downs Princess. Sister Ginger, the upset winner in the Martha Washington, will try to repeat.  Read more at source

Big day for racing in Dubai, Super Saturday.  Please see separate blog post for all details relating to this important day of racing.  Races will take place starting at 8:05 a.m. EST.  First time in the history of the World Cup Carnival that American horses show up for the final day of preps for the World Cup, scheduled for March 30.  Dubai Super Saturday - American shippers Little Mike & Dullahan prep for World Cup Day

Jon and Joel discuss two of the headliner races, the San Felipe and the Tampa Bay Derby


Separate blog post for DUBAI SATURDAY RACING - click here

Jeremy Plonk's COUNTDOWN TO THE CROWN - Week 10
Jeremy Plonk's Horseplayer Now     Jeremy Plonk's Derby Prep schedule
Haskin's Derby Dozen March 4, 2013
Haskin's On the Derby Trail: Unlikely story of Vyjack
The Downey Profile
Free look-up of info on N.A. horses, racing history, trainer info, etc.: Equibase

If you are serious about keeping up with the horses, standings, race outcomes, etc. on the Derby Trail, don't miss the recap by Jeremy Plonk at DRF. Road to the Derby: Prep races, replays, leaderboard Scroll down under the Point Standings to a list of the Derby Prep races. Click on the race, and read Jeremy's re-capS. Very enlightening, because Jeremy points out things I would never see. We are moving into the next phase of the preps, where the points to be earned will put the winner in the starting gate of the KY Derby, and the secondary points to the next three finishers can earn some important points as well. From Feb. 23 thru March 24 is the first leg of the Championship Series in which the races will be worth 85 points, with 50 pts to the winner, and 20-10-5 to the next 3 finishers.  See Jeremy Plonk's Derby Prep schedule

 For info on the Oaks prep series, go to the Kentucky Derby Oaks site: http://www.kentuckyderby.com/oaks Standings and horse profiles, along with replays can be found there.

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Races listed below in time ordered format with cards. Come back after the race is run, click on the CARD link and watch the replay at BloodHorse's results and video page.  May take 20+ minutes for replay to show up.