KENTUCKY breeding properties including Spendthrift and Claiborne Farms, Ashford Stud and its celebrated Kentucky Horse Park, as well as attending the iconic Kentucky Derby races, are on the list for the 2017 USA Fairfax Agricultural Media/Quadrant Journeys Thoroughbred Racing and Breeding Tour.
Departing Saturday, April 29, the first leg of the tour includes 18 days which covers seven states, four of these – Texas, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Delaware – for Thoroughbred visits.
Valor Farm at Pilot Point, Texas, is the first stud to be visited on the USA Tour.
The stud can claim to have bred and raised four Texas-bred group winners (and three state champions) since 2014 and all sired by their stallions Early Flyer, My Golden Song, and Silver City.
Over in Kentucky there is the celebrated Claiborne Farm, located at Paris, where they stand one of the most expensive stallions in America, the Danzig sire War Front who commands a $250,000 service fee.
While these names may be unknown, each of their sires are not. The latter two sires are sons of Unbridled’s Song while Early Flyer is by Gilded Time.
By Damascus son Timeless Moment, Gilded Time should be recalled as a former Vinery Stud, Scone, US shuttler who is represented at stud in Queensland with Bagger Vance, and the now exported Australian-bred sire Barely A Moment.
My Golden Song and Silver City are by former Arrowfield Stud, Scone, shuttler Unbridled’s Song, a son of Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled, by Mr Prospector’s Fappiano.
Over in Kentucky there is the celebrated Claiborne Farm, located at Paris, where they stand one of the most expensive stallions in America, the Danzig sire War Front who commands a $250,000 service fee.
There is also America’s latest three-year-old triple crown winner American Pharoah who will be on show at Ashford Stud, Kentucky.
Ashford is the US-based division of worldwide organisation Coolmore Stud, its latest US racing star being American Pharoah, a US-bred son of Pioneerof The Nile.
Pedigree buffs will be familiar with some of Ashford Stud’s other stallions standing at its US base which include current or former shuttlers Declaration Of War, Fusaichi Pegasus, Giant’s Causeway, Lookin At Lucky, Tale Of The Cat, Verrazano and its latest US sire sensation Uncle Mo.
While at Coolmore, Jerrys Plains, Uncle Mo was responsible for siring outstanding Paul Perry trained stakes winning filly, Conchita.
Thoroughbred visits will also be presented in picturesque Pennsylvania, arriving through the fascinating Armish country, during 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 New York State.
Those enthusiasts continuing the tour then heads to the west coast for the six day California extension.
Landing in San Francisco for a couple of days visit, my tour group will head east by road and travel down the fascinating Santa Ynez Valley and stop off visiting studs along the way before arriving in Los Angeles.
Racing at California’s Santa Anita racecourse will be a highlight.
While Thoroughbred highlights feature throughout the schedule, there is also city tours including at Dallas, Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York to add to the variety of these American adventures.
For further information visit www.quadrantaustralia.com or ring me at The Land.
New body formed for breeders
A NEW body – the Australian Racing and Breeding Committee – will be formed as part of the redrafted Australian Rules Of Racing that relate to breeders and foal owners.
This was recently achieved following extensive consultation between Racing Australia (RA) and Thoroughbred Breeders Australia (TBA).
RA has agreed to that the new body will have representatives from both racing and breeding and which will meet at least four times a year to discuss industry issues.
“I believe the creation of this committee is an important step forward and I sincerely hope RA and TBA can work consultatively and co-operatively through this new board in the future,” TBA chairman Basil Nolan said.
RA has clarified that a representative of a foal owner (such as a farm manager) can return the Foal Ownership Declaration when they have written approval to act as an agent for that owner.
This clarification will provide comfort to many farms and studs, especially those with large numbers of clients or those which complete paperwork on behalf of clients.
Racing stewards will now only have access to studs and farms to test for anabolic androgenic steroids in young horses, prohibited substances in racehorses, and to monitor the health and welfare of horses.
January Yearling Sale at Dubbo
SAVE the date for Peter Milling and Company’s 45th annual Thoroughbred Dubbo Yearling Sale, next year slotted in for Sunday, January 22. The sale, held undercover at the Dubbo Showgrounds, will include about 60 horses by a plethora of quality sires. Mr Milling described it as a sale for country trainers.