Ashford Stud | Horse Racing Free Tips

First Mare of 2024 Tests in Foal to Early Voting

Early Voting (Gun Runner), who was taken out of stud duties after one season at Ashford while suffering from Anejaculatory Syndrome, has had his first mare test in foal since resuming his stud career at Taylor Made Farm this year, according to a press release from the Early Voting Consortium and Taylor Made. Dr. Paddy O'Casaigh, who treated the 2022 GI Preakness S. winner, confirmed a heartbeat which he described as, “spot on, embryonic development.”

Early Voting stands at Taylor Made at a fee of $20,000.

“This attractive breeding opportunity has already seen 40 mares booked to him,” said Ben Taylor, president of Taylor Made Stallions. “Early Voting has already served five mares this 2024 breeding season.”

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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 sire by earnings in a group that includes strong competition from sires including Good Magic, Bolt d'Oro, Mendelssohn, and City of Light. He was the leading second-crop sire of 2023, not only by earnings, but in every black-type category. His six individual Grade I winners equaled the annual combined total of the rest of his crop year.

His appeal is global; in 2023 alone, he was the sire of dual Grade I winner Just F Y I, the favorite to be named Champion Juvenile Filly; Hard to Justify, the winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf; Opera Singer, winner of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac; Aspen Grove (Ire), winner of the GI Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational S.; Arabian Lion, winner of the GI Woody Stephens S.; and City of Troy, winner of the G1 Dewhurst S. Already in 2024, his Storm Boy (Aus) has won the A$3-million The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic in Australia.

“In a very competitive market, we hoped that this promotion would remind breeders of the incredible potential and upside of our younger stallions,” said Coolmore's Charlie O'Connor. “And who better to remind them of that than Justify? This is an amazing opportunity for breeders to use these stallions who are all Grade I winners on dirt.

“Justify has enjoyed a sensational year,” continued O'Connor. “He's the first sire in North America since Mr Prospector to sire four Grade I-winning juveniles in a single season. His two Breeders' Cup winners are amongst the three finalists for Champion 2-Year-Old Filly at the upcoming Eclipse Awards, City of Troy and Opera Singer have been crowned European Champion 2-Year-Old Colt and European Champion 2-Year-Old Filly, while Ramatuelle was crowned French Champion 2-Year-Old. And if all that's not enough, he was also Champion First-Crop Sire in Australia. We think 'THE JUSTIFY 4' concept is a novel idea which is sure to catch the imagination of breeders given four seasons to this great stallion are up for grabs.”

Justify's 2024 stud fee was initially listed at $200,000, but was later switched to private.

The terms and conditions of the event are as follows:

For each qualifying mare contracted to any of the four stallions by Apr. 26, 2024, a ticket will be entered with no limit on the number of tickets per client.
One ticket will be drawn for each of the four stallions with the prize being a no-guarantee 2024 season to Justify in each case.
The mare nominated must be approved and fit for breeding purposes. Mares over 17 or barren for the last two years are excluded.
The qualifying mare must be bred before the nominated mare can be bred by Justify.
All Coolmore employees and related parties are ineligible for these draws as are any of the partners in the participating stallions. In the event of a dispute, Coolmore is the final arbitrator.

Corniche, Epicenter, and Jack Christopher are all standing their second season at stud with first weanlings arriving now. Corniche is the Breeders' Cup-winning Champion Juvenile; Epicenter is the Eclipse Award winning Champion 3-Year-Old and Travers winner; and Jack Christopher is a three-time Grade I winner. Tiz the Law was a Grade I-winning 2-year-old who went on to win the GI Florida Derby, Belmont S., and Travers S. He has first 2-year-olds this year.

To participate in this draw, breeders may call the following Coolmore connections: M.V. Magnier, 011-353-86-821-6827; Dermot Ryan, 859-333-2562; Aisling Duignan, 859-333-2566; Charlie O'Connor, 859-333-2066; Adrian Wallace, 859-327-8302; Robyn Murray, 859-619-8770; Michael Norris, 859-753-1521; Blaise Benjamin, 859-333-2591; Charles Hynes, 859-753-3736; David O'Loughlin, 011-353-86-249-0821; or Christy Grassick, 001-353-86-255-1126.

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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. Patricia Ahschwede and fellow veterinarian Dr. Scott Pierce. “A pretty first foal with leg and size. A great start to our season.”

Winner of the GI Champagne S. as a juvenile, Jack Christopher won the GI Woody Stephens S. and GI H. Allen Jerkens S. over seven furlongs at three.

“Jack Christopher was an exceptional talent,” said his trainer Chad Brown. “I've never had a dirt horse with such brilliance. He never disappointed us in a workout or a race and was just a pleasure to train.”

Jack Christopher is one of 73 stakes winners for his sire, who also stands at Ashford.

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Early Voting To Stand At Taylor Made Stallions For 2024

Early Voting (Gun Runner), who got 120 mares in foal during his first season at stud last season before a rare condition led to his being removed from stud duties on the advice of veterinary experts, has been cured and will continue his stud career at Taylor Made Stallions in 2024. He covered his first book of mares in 2023 at Ashford Stud.

Winner of the 2022 GI Preakness S. for Klaravich Stables and Chad Brown, Early Voting retired with three wins from six starts and earnings in excess of $1.3 million. Though he successfully stopped his mares and though his sperm were fertile, he was later found to be unable to continue his career and was subsequently diagnosed with Anejaculatory Syndrome, an inability to ejaculate.

According to a release, a member of the Early Voting management team was acquainted with the work of a New Zealand-based veterinarian and scientist named Dr. Padraig (Paddy) O'Casaigh, who had treated males of the rarest species of birds in New Zealand–the Kakapo–for precisely the same condition. O'Casaigh had developed his diagnostic and treatment protocols along with Professor Sir Graham ('Mont') Collingwood Liggins FRS, a pioneer in the research of human fetal development and birth. O'Casaigh and Liggins together formed the Mont Liggins Trust to further fertility research.

“Early Voting has a very rare condition that is difficult to diagnose and treat,” said Dr. O'Casaigh. “Because of the work of the Mont Liggins Trust with the Kakapo and Tuatara (a native New Zealand reptile that is the closest living relative to the dinosaur), we have developed a very unique diagnostic suite for this exact scenario. I feel very fortunate to be involved and have had the assistance of our many international colleagues. It is such a credit to all the interested parties who have gone literally to the end of the earth for Early Voting's welfare.”

Added Taylor Made's Duncan Taylor: “We were contacted by Dr. O'Caseigh to stand Early Voting and we are very happy to have the opportunity.”

This story will be updated

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