First Mission

The initial mares covered by new stallions First Mission (by Street Sense) and Highland Falls (by Curlin) have reported in foal, Darley said via a press release on Tuesday. First Mission enters stud as the fastest freshman stallion to retire at $10,000 or less in the past five years after a racing career that was highlighted by a win in the GII Oaklawn Handicap. By sire of sires Street Sense, he is free of A.P. Indy, which is his sire's best cross. Highland Falls, who took home the GI Jockey...

From a small commercial broodmare band, which currently numbers just six mares, Vincent Colbert has had a remarkable amount of success in a short amount of time, breeding Grade I winners Callback and Chocolate Gelato, as well as Grade III winner Shotgun Hottie. The Massachusetts native had success almost right from the start of his breeding operation with the purchase of Quickest (Forest Wildcat) for $40,000 as a 2-year-old at the 2007 Keeneland January sale--three years before her half-brother Super Saver (Maria's Mon) won the GI Kentucky Derby. The bay...

With Horse of the Year candidate Sovereignty (Into Mischief) recently returned to Bill Mott's winter base at Payson Park in preparation for a 4-year-old campaign, breeders eager to support the three-time Grade I winner will have to wait at least another year. In the meantime, the Darley America stallion team is still plenty occupied with two other millionaire homebreds new to Jonabell Farm for 2026. Sales Manager Darren Fox said that the farm has carved out a competitive position in the market with 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard' First...

As usual, we start our annual quest for value among Bluegrass sires by treating the rookies as a case apart. From here we'll work our way through fee tiers of those already at stud, starting with four-figure bargains and working our way up to the big guns. In this notoriously unpredictable environment, there's one certainty on which you can hang your hat. Almost all the horses we examine today are about to cover the biggest and best books of their careers--though charging a fee that few will ever command again....

In what was probably America's most anticipated race in the older horse division since the GI Breeders' Cup Classic nearly four weeks ago, the 151st running of the GII Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs Friday lived up to expectations and then some. Runaway GII Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes winner and Winchell Thoroughbreds colorbearer Magnitude (c, 3, Not This Time--Rockadelic, by Bernardini), one of the most heralded 3-year-olds on the Derby Trail at the beginning of the year, put it all together in his first start against older horses to capture...

Ain't she a beaut, Clark? A fantastic field of nine, led by 3-1 morning-line favorite and G1 Dubai World Cup hero Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}), will line up for the GII Clark S. at Churchill Downs on Black Friday. The Wathnan Racing colorbearer defeated last year's re-opposing Clark winner Rattle N Roll (Connect) by a length in the GIII Hagyard Fayette S. at Keeneland last out Oct. 25. "We were really proud of Hit Show's effort in the Fayette," trainer Brad Cox said. "He hasn't missed a beat since...

GISW Highland Falls (Curlin--Round Pond, by Awesome Again) and MGSW & 'TDN Rising Star', presented by Hagyard First Mission (Street Sense--Elude, by Medaglia d'Oro) will join the Darley America stallion roster with stud fees set at $10,000 each for 2026, according to a press release from Jonabell Farm on Thursday. Darley said that topping the list will be GI Kentucky Derby victor Nyquist (by Uncle Mo)--the sire of ten career GI winners--but his fee will be announced after the Breeders' Cup. Highland Falls, the 2024 GI Jockey Club Gold Cup...

Banishing (Ghostzapper) spoiled a bid by Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) to win the GII Charles Town Classic for the third year in a row when he successfully shipped in for West Virginia's biggest night at the races on Friday. The veteran who is co-owned by trainer David Jacobson scored his biggest triumph in the GIII Oaklawn Mile in Hot Springs Mar. 29 when he dueled and then defeated GISW Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming). Banishing was bested by First Mission (Street Sense) in the GII Oaklawn Handicap the next month, but he did...

Repole Stable and St Elias Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution) was his own worst victim in last year's GI Belmont Stakes and GI Haskell Stakes, his inexperience costing him victories in both of those marquee events for the 3-year-old generation. He got the monkey off his back, at least to some extent, when proving best in a thrilling four-way go in the GI Churchill Downs Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard, and in the $1-million GI Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs Saturday afternoon, cemented his position as one...

About the only thing missing from Saturday's $1-million GI Stephen Foster Stakes is a Horse of the Year--for good measure, she runs elsewhere on Saturday's blockbuster program on the final weekend of racing at Churchill Downs--but the nine-furlong event is rich in quality and brings together the winners of such prestigious events such as the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, the GI Kentucky Derby, and the G1 Dubai World Cup. A 'bananas' Foster, indeed. The horses that will line up for the 'Win and You're In' qualifier for this year's Classic...

With Derby weekend in the books, we take a look back at the graded races in April that led us there. The month did not disappoint with great racing from coast to coast, although Keeneland, as per usual, was the star of the show. If the top of the sport is measured by graded races, few race weeks are as packed with quality or as anticipated as the boutique meets at Keeneland. With an inevitable focus on the Lexington track, we look at trends and notable items from the country's...

Griffin Johnson may not be well known within horse racing circles, but that doesn't mean he can't help the sport. For decades, racing has been fighting a losing battle when it comes to attracting a younger audience. That's where Johnson comes in. He is a social media influencer who has 9.7 million followers on TikTok and 2.6 million on Instagram. He's also a horse owner. Johnson is part of the West Point Thoroughbreds group that owns GI Arkansas Derby winner and GI Kentucky Derby contender Sandman (Tapit). He'll be at...