WHILE the Kentucky Derby is behind us for this year, why not consider joining me on an organised Thoroughbred tour to America next year and attend the iconic US event trackside.
My group will leave Australia in late April next year for The Land/Quadrant Journey’s US Thoroughbred breeding and racing tour of about 24 days which takes in seven states, five of them with Thoroughbred stops.
The latest US three-year-old triple crown American Pharoah, winner of each of the three race features Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Preakness Stakes last year, is included in the tour, with the group seeing him on show at his home of Ashford Stud, Kentucky.
Ashford is the US-based division of world organisation Coolmore Stud, with its latest US racing star being American Pharoah, a US-bred son of Pioneer Of The Nile.
Pedigree buffs will be familiar with some of Ashford Stud’s other stallions standing at its US base, including Declaration Of War, Fusaichi Pegasus, Giant’s Causeway, Lookin At Lucky, Tale Of The Cat, Verrazano and its latest US sire sensation Uncle Mo.
Pedigree buffs will be familiar with some of Ashford Stud’s other stallions standing at its US base, including Declaration Of War, Fusaichi Pegasus, Giant’s Causeway, Lookin At Lucky, Tale Of The Cat, Verrazano and its latest US sire sensation Uncle Mo.
Huge excitement was created around the world in breeding and racing circles when American Pharoah became the first horse to win the US Triple Crown since Affirmed won all three races in 1978. Belonging to the Mr Prospector sireline, the bay stallion won nine races – eight of them Group 1 races – and almost $9 million, and commands a $200,000 service fee at his first stud season earlier this year.
While Spendthrift Farm has recently opened its doors in Australia, adding a Victorian arm to its US headquarters, its American base just out of Lexington, Kentucky, is another stop for next year’s tour.
Interestingly, Spendthrift added new Australian bred shuttle horse, Hampton Court, to its US roster this year. Bred by John Muir’s Milburn Creek Thoroughbreds in the southern highlands, Hampton Court introduces the Australian blood of Redoute’s Choice via a sire son.
Another among the 28 stallions standing at Spendthrift America includes Malibu Moon, an A.P.Indy sire son who now commands a $US95,000 fee. Malibu Moon’s progeny includes 2013 Kentucky Derby winner, Orb, an earner of $US2.6 million.
While attending the historic Kentucky Derby races on the first Saturday in May, the Kentucky Horse Park near Lexington is also on our list. It is a large property with a number of and includes an amazing museum.
Of course Kentucky is not the only state to be visited. Landing in Dallas, Texas, a Thoroughbred stud as well as racing at its famous Lone Star racetrack will be the first stop, before venturing to Kentucky.
There will also be Thoroughbred visits in picturesque Pennsylvania – arriving via its fascinating Amish country – as well as a racecourse visit to Delaware Park and possibly some racing at Belmont – home of the second leg of the Triple Crown race series Belmont Stakes – in the state of New York, before heading to the west coast.
Landing in San Francisco for a couple of days, my tour group will head slightly east by road and travel down the fascinating Santa Ynez Valley, visiting studs along the way before arriving at Los Angeles, where we will experience racing at California’s Santa Anita racecourse.
Of course for those accompanying spouses and may not be so touched by Thoroughbreds, there are city tours at Dallas, Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York, with a chance to book your seat for a live show on Broadway.
For more information visit www.quadrantaustralia.com or contact myself at The Land.
Dane Shadow out in the sun
A TILT at stakes class races will be next for classy filly Daniela Rosa following the three-year-old’s win in the Rivette Series Final at Flemington last month.
Trained at Flemington by Mike Moroney, Daniela Rosa has won four from eight starts and $175,085.
There’s good news for broodmare owners considering using her Australian-bred Danehill sire Dane Shadow.
It’s not only racehorse owners who can have a good return on earning prizemoney, with Daniela Rosa costing $70,000, sold from Tyreel Stud, Agnes Banks, at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, which indicates that breeders can also make an excellent return from Dane Shadow’s service fee of $6600.
Standing at Kitchwin Hills outside Scone, Dane Shadow had a memorable few months late last season, with progeny securing a treble of wins including a city stakes double on the June long weekend.
Three-year-old filly Tsaritsa won the group 2 Queensland Guineas at Eagle Farm, while Danish Twist won Randwick’s winter sprint test the Listed ATC June Stakes. Trained by Kris Lees at Newcastle, a four-year-old daughter of Dane Shadow made it four successive wins following success in the Dark Jewel Classic-G3 at Scone. Another city winner was four-year-old gelding Shadow Lord.
Dane Shadow stands alongside young stakes-winning Snitzel son Time For War.
