Midshipman

He may not be flashiest sire on the Darley stud roster, but the quietly efficacious Midshipman (Unbridled's Song- Fleet Lady, by Avenue of Flags) might just be the most consistent. He ranks second amongst his studmates, behind Jonabell's elder statesman Medaglia d'Oro, in terms of blacktype runners to named foals at over a 12% clip, and his $7,500 stud fee this year only adds to his appeal. "I think the area where Midshipman really excels, and it's a very easy selling point, is that everyone has a mare that would...

Averly Jane came from just off the pace to remain undefeated in two starts and gain her black-type badge in Wednesday's Kentucky Juvenile S. Bohemian Frost took to the front through a quarter :21.84 and :45.34 as heavy 1-2 favorite Averly Jane remained in hot pursuit. A couple of lengths adrift of the free-running grey turning for home, the Wesley Ward trainee gradually overtook the pacesetter midstretch and strode clear to score with ease over an oncoming Vodka N Water. Bohemian Frost held on for third. "She's a naturally fast...

1st-Keeneland, $59,286, Msw, 4-15, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :51.84, gd, 8 3/4 lengths. AVERLY JANE (f, 2, Midshipman--Sh Sh Shakin', by Richter Scale) gave her trainer a third juvenile winner in as many days at Keeneland, rolling home to score as much the best in the Thursday opener. Sent along to vie for the lead from between rivals, the half-sister to Chattel (Giant Oak), SW, $111,540, ultimately settled outside of pacesetting Royal County through an opening quarter in a quick :21.68. She wrested command from that one in upper stretch,...

So here we are at last, rounding the home turn. This series has unfolded in familiar fashion, with an initial stampede of unproven young stallions progressively thinned out by the impatience of a commercial sector operating in ever decreasing cycles. Today we finish with a selection from those admirable stallions who have survived the ruthless attrition, and created a viable niche at various levels of the market. The odds they have overcome, to get here, are such that the long-term health of the breed is clearly being treated as something...

By the time a stallion has established himself at stud, his fee is usually determined by performance, not the hype that surrounds new horses when they first enter stud. There are, of course, many ways to measure performance, including progeny earnings (which determines placement on the General Sires list), percent of black-type winners to named foals, quality of runners, number of Grade l winners, etc. There are seven thoroughly proven stallions that will stand for $150,000 or more in North America in 2021, and these elite horses--Into Mischief ($225,000), Tapit...