Jack Christopher

Brook Smith Joins TDN Writer's Room Podcast

The families and children who rely on the Backside Learning Center have a GI Kentucky Derby horse to root for. Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), the winner of the GII Risen Star S. at the Fair Grounds, is partially owned by Brook Smith, who is part of a partnership led by Coolmore. Smith has been a generous supporter of the Backside Learning Center and, through the Purses for a Purpose program, donates a portion of his earnings every time a horse of his picks up a check. Smith joined this week's...

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Novel Promotion Rewards Coolmore Breeders with Justify Season

Coolmore's Ashford Stud will enter breeders who have booked mares to Corniche, Epicenter, Jack Christopher, or Tiz the Law into drawings to award four no-guarantee nominations to Justify in a promotion called "THE JUSTIFY 4." There will be a separate drawing for each of the four stallions, with one no-guarantee nomination awarded among each pool, for a total of four. The drawing will be held on Apr. 26. The farm said that the event was being held "to celebrate Justify's phenomenal year in 2023." Justify is the cumulative leading third-crop...

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First Foal Reported For Jack Christopher

Ashford Stud's three-time Grade I winner Jack Christopher (Munnings) was represented by his first reported foal when a filly was born Jan. 11 at River Valley Farm in New York. The filly is the first produce from the unraced She's a Go Go Girl (Union Rags), who was acquired by Whitecloud Bloodstock for $30,000 at last year's Keeneland November. The deeper female family includes Grade II-winning juvenile filly Magicalmysterycat (Storm Cat). "We couldn't be happier with this filly," said Dr. Scott Ahschwede who bred her along with his wife Dr....

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Michael Blowen Joins TDN Writers' Room Podcast

Michael Blowen had no money, no farm, no horses and no backers. But he did have an idea. He wanted to open a farm that would be a sanctuary for some of the sport's biggest names who were either gelded or no longer being used as sires or broodmares. Somehow moving mountains, he pulled it off and his Old Friends Farm became home to hundreds of Thoroughbreds and a popular tourist attraction. But now he has decided to retire, 20 years after he opened Old Friends, and turn the reins...

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Value Sires For 2024 Part 6: Reaching The Snowline

Now we're really entering nosebleed altitudes for most breeders, between $30,000 and $50,000: a zone where you should feel that you're improving the odds of coming up with an elite horse. It tells you a lot about our business that the majority of the two dozen stallions operating at this level can only do so because they have yet to send a single runner into the starting gate. A quarter of these we immediately set to one side, as absolute beginners, because those received separate consideration in the opening instalment...

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Justify's Fee Doubled at Ashford for 2024

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...

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The X-Ray Files: Liz Crow

The TDN sat down with bloodstock agent Liz Crow for this fourth offering in a series presented in cooperation with the Consignors and Breeders Association (CBA). Through conversations with buyers and sellers, the series looks to contribute to the discussion on radiograph findings and their impact on racetrack success. Bloodstock agent Liz Crow, who has an ever-expanding list of accomplished sales purchases, as well as a burgeoning book of pinhook successes with partner Paul Sharp, admits there are subtle distinctions between buying to race versus buying for resale. "There are...

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From Stallion Families, Early Voting and Jack Christopher New to Ashford

Among Ashford Stud's new stallions for 2023, two members of the Coolmore quintet boast standout sire-making families. GI Preakness S. hero Early Voting (Gun Runner - Amour d'Ete, by Tiznow) is out of a half-sister to perennial top sire Speightstown while Jack Christopher (Munnings - Rushin No Blushin, by Half Ours), a 'TDN Rising Star' who raced to three Grade I victories, is out of a half-sister to Darley's Street Boss. Jack Christopher is also the first son of Munnings to join his sire at Ashford Stud. After carrying the...

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Flightline Leads TCA Stallion Season Auction Roster

The Thoroughbred Charities of America Stallion Season Auction presented by Mt. Brilliant will begin Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 9 a.m. and run through Friday, Jan. 6, with staggered closing times starting at 4:30 p.m. ET.  Nearly 200 seasons will be available for online bidding on Equiring.com.  Select seasons to Constitution, Flightline, Good Magic, Maxfield (with 2024 breed back), Nashville (with 2024 breed back), Not This Time, Nyquist (with 2024 breed back), Olympiad, and Quality Road will be sold at the 'Tis the Seasons Celebration on Sunday, January 8 at the...

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Brown Wins Eighth Straight Year-End Title at NYRA, Davis His First

With 159 winners from 587 starters (27.09%), trainer Chad Brown secured an eighth consecutive year-ending training title at the tracks of the New York Racing Association (NYRA). Over the course of 196 racing days, Brown's runners finished in the top three 59.28% of the time. It was the Mechanicville native's best season on the NYRA circuit, surpassing the 154 he recorded in 2018. He completed the year with total New York purse earnings of just over $17.9 million. "It means a lot and I'm so proud of my team," said...

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Triple GISW Jack Christopher Retired to Ashford

'TDN Rising Star' and three-time Grade I winner Jack Christopher (Munnings--Rushin No Blushin, by Half Ours) has been retired from racing and will stand in 2023 alongside his sire at Coolmore's Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky. His introductory fee will be $45,000. "We are delighted to have Jack Christopher now here at Ashford standing alongside his sire Munnings," said Coolmore's Dermot Ryan. "He's a striking horse with great presence and a lovely temperament. Horses like him are what makes racing exciting to watch." Owned by the partnership of Jim Bakke,...

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Flightline Tops Saturday BC Workers

Unbeaten sensation and guaranteed GI Breeders' Cup Classic favorite Flightline (Tapit) put in his final prep for the World Championships at Keeneland Saturday. The 'TDN Rising Star' covered five furlongs solo in 1:00.60 (4/62) shortly after 7:30 a.m. under assistant trainer Juan Leyva. "I told Juan to go in a minute and change and out [seven-eighths] in 1:26, and that's what he did," trainer John Sadler said. "Juan's a great work rider. It was not about going fast today, just getting around there happy today." Flightline arrived at Keeneland Sunday...

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