Dermot Ryan

Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy--Better Than Honour, by Deputy Minister), only the third filly in history to win the GI Belmont Stakes, died due to infirmities of old age, Coolmore announced Monday. Owned by Coolmore's Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Rags to Riches etched her name into the annals of American racing history when she outbattled Curlin in a dramatic stretch duel to take the final leg of the Triple Crown in 2007, becoming the first filly in 102 years to win the race. Rags to Riches, purchased for $1.9...

Triple Crown winner and Horse Of The Year American Pharoah is set to shuttle to The Shizunai Stallion Station in Japan for the 2026 breeding season in partnership with the Japanese Bloodhorse Breeders Association (JBBA). The son of Pioneerof The Nile will return to his base at Coolmore America's Ashford Stud in July 2026. "We have worked very closely shuttling stallions with the JBBA in the past and are delighted that their members will now have access to his bloodline," said Ashford Stud manager Dermot Ryan. "There has been interest...

Sierra Leone (Gun Runner--Heavenly Love, by Malibu Moon), last year's champion 3-year-old colt, will join the roster at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Kentucky next year, the operation announced Wednesday. Racing for Peter Brant, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, and Brook Smith and trained by Chad Brown, Sierra Leone is expected to make his final career start in the Nov. 1 GI Breeders' Cup Classic, a race he won in 2024. Sierra Leone, who topped the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale when selling for $2.3 million, was tabbed a 'TDN...

Editor's Note: The TDN received the following letter from Ken Donworth regarding the GoFundMe campaign to help provide for the children of Andre Lynch, who is suffering from stage 4 pancreatic cancer and is on palliative care. Lynch has two daughters, Emma, 8; and Catherine, 4. Donations may be made here. We want to thank everybody for helping out Andre in the last week. It's been an incredible showing of support and we want recognize everyone who has been so kind. It's devastating what is happening to Andre, but I...

by J.N. Campbell and Alan Carasso Champion 2-year-old colt and leading sire Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie--Playa Maya, by Arch) was euthanized at Ashford Stud on Thursday morning after suffering a left foreleg injury, according to a tweet by Mike Repole on X and post on the Coolmore America website. Surgery was performed on Wednesday. He was 16-years-old. "I am devastated and saddened to share with you that Uncle Mo was euthanized earlier today following a left foreleg injury," said Repole. "He had surgery yesterday. Unfortunately, this morning the recovery process...

Champion juvenile and 'TDN Rising Star' MGISW Fierceness (City of Light) will join the ranks at Ashford Stud upon his retirement from racing, the farm announced via release Sunday. The champion juvenile from 2023 is a leading GI Breeders' Cup Classic contender and will likely be one of the favorites at post-time. Of the others, Coolmore will have two other rooting interests as well with 'TDN Rising Star' GISW Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) and 'TDN Rising Star' MG1SW-Eng City of Troy (Justify) in the race. That group accounts for three...

Coolmore stallion Tale of the Cat (Storm Cat--Yarn, by Mr. Prospector) died Monday from "the infirmities of old age" according to an announcement released through the Coolmore website. Born in 1994 for the breeding partnership of Indian Creek, Philip Freedman and Hugo Lascelles, Tale of the Cat was a $375,000 Keeneland September grad in 1995 for trainer John Forbes, who signed the ticket on behalf of Phantom House Farm. He was a 11 1/2-length winner on debut at Monmouth Park and quickly moved up the ranks, contesting the GI Buick...

Coolmore's late super sire, Galileo, added his sixth Breeders' Cup winner with Tuesday just last year. He is a joint second by winners, but stands alone as the leading Breeders' Cup sire by money won with nearly $16 million in purses--more than $4.5 million more than his closest pursuer. Tuesday, who also captured the G1 Cazoo Oaks in 2022 and now holds the 1 3/16-mile course record at Keeneland after her Breeders' Cup win, was retired shortly after the race and bred to Into Mischief this spring. "She was such...

Dual Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal (Uncle Mo--Lady Shipman, by Midshipman) will retire to Coolmore America's Ashford Stud after attempting to win his third consecutive Breeders' Cup race next week. The Wesley Ward pupil won the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in 2021 and the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in 2020. Owned by the partnership of Westerberg Limited, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, and Derrick Smith, Golden Pal will make his final career start in the Turf Sprint Nov. 5 at Keeneland before standing alongside his sire...

Ashford Stud's Dermot Ryan was named the 2021 Ted Bates Farm Manager of the Year, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers' Club announced Tuesday. Ryan has long been a supporter of the club, through donations, involvement in club events, and encouraging participation from other Ashford Stud employees. With his blessing, Ashford Stud hosted the inaugural KTFMC 5K in 2016 and has expressed interest in hosting again in the future. He has supported other programs such as KEMI by taking students each session and has served on many boards and committees industry...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: ANTONY BECK Over the past few days, I have read with interest the letters from Allison Bishop and Dermot Ryan about the important role that Visit Horse Country plays in introducing new people to our sport. I would like to add my voice to the conversation. Each day, as the sun rises over the Bluegrass, we direct our full attention to nurturing our horses. We make this investment in hope that the horses we care for will sire or foal the next big winner or that...