Corniche

It's been a remarkable year for trainer Linda Rice, who either won outright or tied for the lead at five straight meets at the NYRA tracks, and it might get even better. She entered the week with 157 wins at the three NYRA courses this year and needs just eight more to break the single-season record held by David Jacobson. Her stable has already amassed $10 million in earnings, a record for her barn, and $4.3 million more than her stable made last year. How has she done it? Those...

Over the same surface where her half-brother Corniche (Quality Road) earned GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile stardom en route to Champion 2-year-old colt honors, it was Llorona (Mendelssohn) who effortlessly broke her maiden in the Friday opener at Del Mar's seaside oval. For her handiwork, the dark bay filly became a newly-minted 'TDN Rising Star'. The Richard Mandella trainee at odds of 2-5 broke alertly and vied for the lead with two others up the backstretch. As the far turn arrived, Llorona clearly had more to give and at the quarter...

1st-DMR, $61K, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 6f, 3:30 p.m. ET. Bred by Bart Evans in partnership with Jeff and Chiquita Reddoch's Stonehaven Steadings, LLORONA (Mendelssohn) makes her first start for trainer Richard Mandella. The $750,000 KEESEP graduate is campaigned by Bart and Robert Evans. The MGSW & GISP Wasted Tears (Najran) is also responsible for champion 2-year-old colt Corniche (Quality Road). TJCIS PPS 5th-AQU, $85K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, 2:14 p.m. ET. Courtlandt Farms purchased Whocouldaskformo (Uncle Mo) for $450,000 at last year's Keeneland September Sale. She debuts for Shug McGaughey...

Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy), currently North America's leading second-crop sire in stakes horses, will stand for a fee of $200,000, live foal, at Ashford Stud in Kentucky in 2024, Coolmore America announced on Tuesday. The 9-year-old's fee represents a jump of $100,000 from the figure of $100,000 that he stood for in 2023. Justify's 2024 fee is the fourth-highest of the stallions announced so far for 2024, placing him behind perennial leading sires Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday) and Curlin (Smart Strike), and third-crop standout Gun Runner (Candy Ride...

The time Corniche, a $1.5-million OBS topper and 'TDN Rising Star', spent on the track might have been brief, but it was bright. Undefeated in three starts at two and a dual Grade I winner, he was simply better than the rest. "Corniche was always a dominating colt on the farm and so good looking as a foal," said Leah O'Meara of Stonehaven Steadings, who co-bred the Juvenile winner. "We always had high hopes for him. He gave us the first round of excitement when he breezed so well and...

With the breeding season underway, the TDN staff is continuing the '2023 Mating Plans' series, presented by Spendthrift Farm, to find out what stallions breeders have chosen for their mares this year, and why. Here Aidan and Leah O'Meara of Stonehaven Steadings talk us through their plans for the year. Before getting into their individual mares, Aidan discusses their process for drawing up the farm's mating plans each year. We usually begin our matings by drawing up a short list of stallions that we intend to use for the coming...

There has been no shortage of traffic flooding through the lofty gates of Ashford Stud as breeders are eager to set their eyes on the stud farm's four newcomers for 2023. Among the quartet, two of the new additions hold Breeders' Cup titles, and breeders have fervently responded to that prized piece of resume. While turf sprinting superstar Golden Pal (Uncle Mo - Lady Shipman, by Midshipman) boasts the rare distinction of taking home two Breeders' Cup trophies, his new studmate Corniche (Quality Road - Wasted Tears, by Najran) justified...

Uncle Mo will once again top the Coolmore America roster at $150,000 for the 2023 breeding season, the same fee at which he stood in 2022, according to a press release from Coolmore Wednesday morning. The 14-year-old stallion was the sire of 10 black-type winners in 2022, including the GI Belmont S. winner Mo Donegal. Justify, who had four black-type winners from his first crop in 2022, will stand for the farm's second highest-fee, at $100,000, the same as in 2022. He is currently the third-leading first-crop sire by earnings....

A son of Quality Road (Hip 97) quickly shot to the head of the class at Keeneland September Monday when bringing $2.5 million from West Point, Woodford Racing and Talla Racing. He was bred and consigned by Stonehaven Steadings, which also sold champion Corniche (Quality Road). Hip 97 is out of GSP True Feelings (Latent Heat), who is also the dam of SW Feeling Mischief (Into Mischief) and GSP Royal Act (American Pharoah).   🌟 @keenelandsales September: WOW! Hip 97, a Quality Road colt consigned by @StonehavenSS, goes to $2.5...

Last year's champion 2-year-old colt, OBS April sale topper and 'TDN Rising Star' Corniche (Quality Road--Wasted Tears, by Najran) has been retired from racing and will take up stud duties at Coolmore America's Ashford Stud for 2023. Bred by Bart Evans and Stonehaven Steadings out of six-time GSW and GISP Wasted Tears, Corniche was purchased for $1.5 million by agent Marette Farrell on behalf of Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner's Speedway Stables LLC following a powerful :10 flat OBSAPR '21 breeze. He was then turned over to Hall of Famer...

While all eyes were on returning champion Corniche (Quality Road) who faded to last, Gunite (Gun Runner) completed a big weekend at Saratoga for Winchell Thoroughbreds and trainer Steve Asmussen with a gritty victory in the GII Amsterdam S. in upstate New York Sunday. Sent off at 7-1, last year's GI Hopeful S. winner battled Pinehurst (Twirling Candy) through fractions of :21.78 and :44.60, while Corniche sat in stalking position behind the dueling leaders. As the champ backed up on the turn, Gunite strode to the lead into the lane...

Champion Corniche (Quality Road) makes his highly anticipated return to the races and first start for trainer Todd Pletcher Sunday in Saratoga's GII Amsterdam S. The 'TDN Rising Star' spent some time at WinStar after his championships season and, with Bob Baffert serving his suspension, was sent to Pletcher in May with an eye on the late season sophomore highlights. (Click here for Pletcher's thoughts in Mike Kane's Saturday feature). "We're hoping that with the good fortune we had with his sire Quality Road and him making his debut for...