Darren Fox

Darley's New Sires Offer Grade I Appeal

After playing a starring role in a story that the racing world--and many circles outside the equine industry--will not soon forget, Cody's Wish will now work toward cementing his legacy as he takes up stud duty at Darley's Jonabell Farm. With a $75,000 initial fee, the son of Curlin is the priciest newcomer to join the Kentucky stallion ranks this year, but also the only one to boast five Grade I victories. His resume is further enhanced by a Grade I-winning dam--a distinction that only one other incoming stallion can...

[ Read More ]
Regally-Bred, Grade I-Caliber Homebreds Join Darley Roster

Speaker's Corner (Street Sense - Tyburn Brook, by Bernardini) and Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper - Music Note, by A.P. Indy), both Grade I-winning homebreds for Godolphin, have joined the Darley America stallion roster for 2023. The newcomers hail from impressive Godolphin families. Speaker's Corner, who will command an initial stud fee of $20,000, is out of a daughter of GI Breeders' Cup Distaff victress Round Pond (Awesome Again), while Mystic Guide, a 'TDN Rising Star' who will stand for $15,000, is a son of five-time Grade I winner Music Note. "We...

[ Read More ]
Medaglia d'Oro Again Tops Darley America's 2023 Fees; Speaker's Corner Retired

Perennial top sire Medaglia d'Oro once again heads Darley's Jonabell Farm roster for 2023 with his fee remaining at $100,000, the same amount as 2022. Darley has also added two new stallions to the now-11 horse roster, including G1SW Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) and GISW Speaker's Corner (Street Sense). Mystic Guide, who won the 2021 G1 Dubai World Cup, was retired earlier this year. He will stand for a fee of $15,000 in his initial season at stud. Speaker's Corner, a Godolphin homebred out of Tyburn Brook (Bernardini) who is bred...

[ Read More ]
'Quality' First Book of Mares

'TDN Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit--Delightful Quality, by  Elusive Quality), a leading Eclipse Award finalist for champion 3-year-old colt, heads to the breeding shed with an impressive line-up of mares for his first season at stud at Darley's Jonabell Farm in Kentucky. The 2020 champion 2-year-old colt and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner continued to add to his loaded resume at three, capturing the GI Belmont S. and GI Runhappy Travers S. He concluded his career with a third-place finish against his elders in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. The...

[ Read More ]
Maxfield Settling in Upon Return to Jonabell Farm

Just a three-mile jaunt from Brendan Walsh's barn at Keeneland, the conditioner's first Grade I winner Maxfield (Street Sense - Velvety, by Bernardini) is settling into his new home at the stud barn of Darley's Jonabell Farm. Three weeks ago, the Godolphin homebred ended his career on a high note with a final victory in the GI Clark S. at Churchill Downs. Walsh, who had hopped  on a plane shortly after the win to visit his Florida division, had not seen Maxfield since that night. So when he dropped in...

[ Read More ]
Essential Quality's Jonabell Farm Homecoming

It was a blustery autumn day last week when champion Essential Quality (Tapit - Delightful Quality, by Elusive Quality) stepped out of his new stall in Darley's eminent stud barn to make his paces in front of onlooking breeders for his first stallion show, but the regally-bred grey didn't so much as bat an eye as the winds picked up and the surrounding crowd grew thicker. "I think what has been evident about Essential Quality from the get-go has been his class and his mind," said Darley's Sales Manager Darren...

[ Read More ]
Essential Quality to Stand for $75,000

Essential Quality (Tapit--Delightful Quality, by Elusive Quality), last year's champion 2-year-old and winner of this year's GI Belmont S. and GI Runhappy Travers S., will begin his stud career next year at a fee of $75,000, Darley in America announced Sunday. Essential Quality concluded his racing career with a third-place effort in Saturday's GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. "His body of work is just tremendous: an Eclipse champion at two, a Classic winner at three, a son of Tapit with a fantastic female family," said Darley Sales Manager Darren Fox....

[ Read More ]
Taking Stock: Street Sense Poised for Big Years

"He's technically full," said Darley America sales manager Darren Fox the other day, discussing Gl Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense (Street Cry {Ire}), who's standing this year for $60,000, down from $75,000 in 2020. "If you had a nice mare, there's a couple of spots that mares haven't been named yet. We keep him at around 140 mares. He was very hard to manage the demand, especially last year at 75, and he's 60 now, but that's because of overall market conditions. It wasn't a reflection of cooling off on...

[ Read More ]
Stud Fees Announced for Darley's U.S. Stallions; Medaglia d'Oro Lowered to $150k

Stud fees have been announced for Darley's U.S. stallions in 2021, with leading sire Medaglia d'Oro set to stand for $150,000. He stood the 2020 season for $200,000. He is currently the number one yearling sire in North America by both average and median and was represented by four million dollar-plus offerings in 2020, the same number he was represented by in 2019. "These are trying times breeders are facing," said Darley Sales Manager Darren Fox. "We gave great consideration to this when setting our fees to reflect the economic...

[ Read More ]
Remembrances: Dr. Peter Hall

Tom Thornbury: One of the best has left us. Dr. Peter Hall died quietly in his sleep earlier this week. He was a real race-tracker; a track vet in New Joisy in the summer, and Florida in the winter. He had his hands on some of the greats, and as I recall, Holy Bull was the best in his memory. Wherever we stopped in Ocala, he knew someone there from his years on the track. With his flawless recall for directions to any farm he had previously visited, we referred...

[ Read More ]
Astern Yearlings Could Embody Best of a Rich Pedigree

Three years ago, Darley's Sales Manager Darren Fox boarded a plane for Australia to see if  Astern (Aus), their highly-rated son of Medaglia d'Oro, could be a good fit for the American roster. "Upon making the trip to Australia to make sure he would work physically, it took all of about three seconds of looking at Astern to say, 'Yes, this horse will work in America,'" Fox recalled. "He has a lot of attributes that we look for and he was, in any jurisdiction, a high-level, high-performing racehorse. So it...

[ Read More ]
X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.