Blofeld

The 63rd annual class of Maryland-bred champions will be named starting next Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 10:00 a.m. ET each morning on social media, according to a press release from the Maryland Horse Breeders Association (MHBA). In addition to the divisional champions and Horse of the Year, the MHBA's top awards for Maryland stallion, broodmare and breeder will be revealed. The winners will be celebrated at the eighth annual Renaissance Awards, which will be held Friday, Apr. 18 at Laurel Park. The announcement schedule is as follows: Wednesday, Feb. 26--Maryland-bred...

The Maryland stallion season online auction to benefit the Maryland Horse Foundation will be held from Feb. 9 to Feb. 12, the group announced Monday via press release. Seasons to 12 stallions will be offered, including Blofeld (Quality Road), Bourbon Courage (Lion Heart), Cupid (Tapit), Divining Rod (Tapit), Engage (Into Mischief), Friesian Fire (A.P. Indy), Galawi (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Holy Boss (Street Boss), Kobe's Back (Flatter), Mosler (War Front), and Warrant (Constitution). The proceeds of the auction will support the operations of the Maryland Horse Foundation to serve the various...

Let's acknowledge straightaway that this cursory look at some (and only some) of the major regional programs can represent little more than a gesture of respect. As a rule, after all, we're talking about stallions that serve an almost exclusively local market, and those that do so best will have a corresponding local reputation that scarcely needs amplifying. Moreover the same caveats apply, here, as to our recent survey of Kentucky options: namely, that the one or two we single out are purely subjective picks; and, above all, that you...

Having dealt with the rookies separately, we now start our quest for value among those stallions already at stud. We'll be going through the pyramid by price band, and today kick off at the level most accessible to breeders on a budget. But do not be deceived that we must be scraping the barrel here. If anything, candidly, there are more horses standing at four figures that one could trust--above all, for a breed-to-race program--than among far more expensive newcomers featured in the first instalment. Whether one could also recommend...

David and JoAnn Hayden's Dark Hollow Farm came away victorious in three of the four classes at the 90th annual Maryland Horse Breeders Association's Yearling Show held Sunday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. Dark Hollow Farm's colt by The Factor, co-bred and owned with Ellen Charles of Hillwood Stable, was awarded the grand champion trophy by this year's judge, longtime bloodstock agent Rick Abbot. The Haydens have now won 19 classes (solely or in partnership), since 1989 with grand champions in 2009 and 2014. A total of 59...

The only member of the field for Saturday's GIII Dinner Party S. with proper soft-ground form, Balnikhov (Ire) (Adaay {Ire}) was given a letter-perfect ride by Frankie Dettori and kicked home smartly to score for the third time at the graded stakes level, snapping an eight-race skid in the process. Allowed to find his own rhythm, Balnikhov anchored himself at the back of the nine-strong field, as longshot Helms Deep (Verrazano) showed the way passing the stands for the first time. Favored Running Bee (English Channel), the rail-skimming Highland Chief...

As we approach the opening of the 2023 breeding season, the TDN staff is once again sitting down with leading breeders to find out what stallions they have chosen for their mares, and why. Today, we catch up with George Adams at Housatonic Bloodstock, who serves as the Director of Stallions and Breeding for Wasabi Ventures Stables. WHY NOT TONIGHT (5, Tapiture—Pay the Lady, by Not For Love), to be bred to Nashville This filly became Wasabi's first stakes winner last year when she won the All Brandy Stakes at...

A decade ago, trainer Jamie Ness claimed a filly named Parade of Colors for $5,000 at Laurel Park. She only ended up winning three lower-level races lifetime and only one for Ness, and when she retired at the end of 2012, Ness simply gave her away to breeder John Williamson III. But something about that filly resonated positively with Ness, and as he watched her offspring eventually reach the races as Maryland-breds, one in particular caught his eye: Ournationonparade, a son of Cal Nation, who won the 2019 Maryland Million...