Ashford Stud | Horse Racing Free Tips

Grading The Rising Stars – Class Of 2018

The smallest group profiled to date, numbering only 65, is led by its undisputed leader, undefeated Triple Crown champion and Horse of the Year Justify (Scat Daddy).

Justify debuted early in his 3-year-old season with a gate-to-wire 9 1/2-length romp at Santa Anita. Two starts later, in an effort to earn qualifying points towards the GI Kentucky Derby, the chestnut defeated MGISW Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) by three lengths to take the GI Santa Anita Derby and a spot in the Derby starting gate. With the 'Curse of Apollo' fresh on everyone's minds, Justify proved history wrong with a 2 1/2-length win over a loaded field of past and future stars in the GI Kentucky Derby. 2017 champion 2-year-old Good Magic (Curlin) chased him home ahead of such names as future GI Breeders Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso (Curlin) and MGISW Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy)

Good Magic took it to him again in a sloppy rendition of the GI Preakness S., dueling the Derby winner for nearly a mile before yielding as Justify prevailed late to win and keep his Triple Crown hopes alive. Never really challenged in New York, Justify stormed into infamy as only the second undefeated Triple Crown winner behind Seattle Slew (Bold Reasoning). Retired with earning of over $3,798,000, Justify stands at Coolmore's Ashford Stud and is a top-three freshman sire led by progeny such as 'TDN Rising Stars' Arabian Lion, Champions Dream, Justique, and Statuette.

Another undefeated horse in 2018, Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}) went four-for-four with three straight Grade I wins to end his year in the GI Del Mar Futurity, the GI American Pharoah S., and the GI Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Named champion 2-year-old for his efforts, Game Winner would go on to place in both the GII Rebel S. and the GI Santa Anita Derby as a 3-year-old before retiring a winner in the GIII Los Alamitos Derby. His first foals arrived this year.

Not to be left off the undefeated list, Improbable (City Zip) made just three starts as a 2-year-old, capping his year a winner in the GI Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity. It wasn't until later, however, that Improbable would do his best running. He would finish a close fourth in the GI Kentucky Derby as a 3-year-old but came back at four to win a trio of Grade I races in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup S., the GI Whitney S., and the GI Awesome Again S. before coming in second to Derby winner Authentic (Into Mischief) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. His accolades in 2020 would be rewarded with a year-end title as champion older dirt male.

A further eight 'Rising Stars' took at least one Grade I race in their careers, highlighted by GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), recent GI Matriarch S. winner Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom), and the half-sister to 2015 Triple Crown hero American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile), Chasing Yesterday (Tapit).

In total, 11 'TDN Rising Stars' would win a Grade I event, a 17% clip. A further 11 (17%) would win a graded-stakes race while 8 more would achieve graded-stakes placings (12%). Nine would be stakes winners in addition to a graded-stakes placing (14%), four would top out as stakes winners (6%), four would be stakes placed (6%) and 18 would not earn black type (28%).

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Epicenter Makes His Way to Ashford Stud

Grade I winner Epicenter (Not This Time), who suffered a displaced condylar fracture to his right front leg during the running of the Nov. 5 GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland, on Friday was sent to Coolmore's Ashford Stud near Versailles, KY, where he will stand his first season at stud this year, Winchell Thorougbreds racing manager David Fiske tweeted. The winner of last year's GI Runhappy Travers. S. and GII Jim Dandy S. had been recuperating from the injury and subsequent surgery, conducted by Dr. Larry Bramlage at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital Nov. 6, at Rebecca Maker's Shantera Farm.

Epicenter, who also won the GII Risen Star S. and finished second behind Rich Strike (Keen Ice) in the GI Kentucky Derby and Early Voting (Gun Runner) in the GI Preakness S. for trainer Steve Asmussen, ended his career with a record of 11-6-3-0 and $2,940,639 in earnings. He is a finalist for the Eclipse Award as 2022's top 3-year-old male.

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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 Coolmore silks to a trio of graded stakes wins, Munnings stood his first five seasons at Ashford for under $15,000, but steadily produced one elite runner after another. A top 10 North American sire in 2022, Munnings will stand for his highest fee yet this year at $100,000 while his highest-earning son Jack Christopher is advertised at an introductory fee of $45,000.

“It's always very fulfilling when you have a stallion and are able to stand one of his sons,” said Ashford Stud's Adrian Wallace. “I think that is particularly true of a horse like Munnings, who was really a rags-to-riches story. He was a very fast horse over six and seven furlongs and I think you see that with a lot of the Munnings stock including Jack Christopher.”

Earning the 'Rising Star' nod with a 8 3/4-length debut score at Saratoga, Jack Christopher followed that effort with an easy win in the GI Champagne S. Owned in the partnership of Jim Bakke, Gerald Isbister, Coolmore Stud and Peter Brant, the Chad Brown trainee scratched from the GI Breeder' Cup Juvenile due to a shin problem, but returned to the track at three to remain undefeated in the GII Pat Day Mile S. and GI Woody Stephens S. He ran third in his lone defeat while stretching out in the GI Haskell S., but got back to his winning ways at seven furlongs in the GI H. Allen Jerkens in his final career start.

“The thing about Jack Christopher is that he's all about speed,” Wallace explained. “He was quick out of the gate. He could get to the front and dominate his races. He was also very tactical in the way he raced. Chad Brown is quoted as saying he's one of the fastest horses he has ever trained.”

“He is very like his sire Munnings,” he continued. “He's a balanced horse and a good mover. He's probably a better-looking horse than his sire, so if he can become as good a sire as Munnings, we'll be very happy.”

Jack Christopher's grandsire Speighstown jumps out on the pedigree of another new Ashford resident, Early Voting. The Classic winner was bred by Three Chimneys Farm and his dam Amour d'Ete is not only a sibling to Speightstown, but also to MGSW Irap (Tiznow).

Early Voting stands out among this year's class of incoming stallions as one of the first two sons of remarkably fast-starting sire Gun Runner to go to stud. Along with Early Voting, Gun Runner's six Grade I winners include Cyberknife, who will stand at Spendthrift Farm after making his career finale in the GI Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 28.

“With Early Voting being one of the first sons of Gun Runner to stand at stud, it's a huge privilege to be able to get his career off to a good start,” said Wallace. “Gun Runner is widely perceived as one of the best young stallions in America and now we're excited to stand one of his best sons. I think Early Voting has the size and balance of Gun Runner, but in many ways he looks like his damsire Tiznow. He's got the big hip and shoulder.”

On the racetrack, the Klaravich Stables-campaigned colt made a good impression in his winning debut late in his juvenile season and then returned to the winner's circle in the GIII Withers S. He ran second to future GI Belmont S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) in the GII Wood Memorial S. before scoring his signature victory in the GI Preakness S., where he earned a 105 Beyer as he defeated his eventual studmate Epicenter (Not This Time), a leading consideration for top 3-year-old of 2022.

“Early Voting had speed and he was able to carry that speed,” Wallace noted. “He also had great heart and there was no better reflection of that than his race in the Preakness. He ran a superb race that day. His speed took him to the front and he kept going. His form was very strong throughout the year and a horse like him has been very popular with breeders so far.”

Early Voting will stand for $25,000 and was awarded the silver medal on Chris McGrath's Value Podium for new sires in 2023.

Find our feature on Ashford Stud's other new residents, and more on this year's class of incoming stallions, here.

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2022 Leading First-Crop Sire Race: And the Winner Is…

By a total margin of more than $275,000, pending any late foreign money, Spendthrift Farm's Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) handily captured the title of 2022's leading first-year sire over an impressive list of promising freshman stallions that included 2017 juvenile champion Good Magic (Curlin), who stands at Hill 'n' Dale Farm, and Coolmore's Triple Crown winner and 2018 Horse of the Year Justify (Scat Daddy). The top three battled neck and neck down to the wire with Bolt d'Oro pulling away from Good Magic in the last few days of the year to claim the win, with Justify checking in third.

Developing a leading freshman sire was an especially sweet victory for the connections of two-time GI winner Bolt d'Oro, who was finally able to turn the tables on Justify after finishing behind him in their only two meetings on the track.

“It's really exciting obviously,” Spendthrift Farm general manager Ned Toffey said. “It's a really nice way to cap off the year. We have the perennial leading sire (Into Mischief) and to add the leading freshman sire is certainly a feather in our cap. It is a credit to the entire team at Spendthrift Farm and the ownership group, the breeders and the buyers at auction. As the year unfolded it was nice to see (Bolt d'Oro) gain momentum to not only have sprinters but also runners who could go two turns.”

Bolt d'Oro was bred to 214 mares in 2019 with 168 live foals reported, of which 80 started and 29 won. Overall, his first crop earned $2,810,095 in 2022 and he was represented by 15 stakes runners and six stakes winners, including GII winners Instant Coffee and Major Dude. He stood for $25,000 in his initial year at stud, dropped to $15,000 in 2020 and after a year at $20,000 will stand for a fee of $35,000 in 2023.

“This is a horse (the late Spendthrift owner B. Wayne Huges) was very excited about,” Toffey said. “Bolt d'Oro came to Spendthrift at about the time Medaglia d'Oro was at the top of his game and a big international sire, and Mr. Hughes was pretty positive about this horse. He was one who really captured his imagination and I think he'd be very proud right now. Like Mr. Hughes would say, 'It's genetic roulette,' and I think we got lucky here.”

Good Magic, who covered 164 mares for 134 live foals in his first crop, saw 22 of his 65 starters reach the winner's circle, his entire first crop banking $2,533,194. GI Champagne S. winner Blazing Sevens was his top performer, and he was also represented by GII winners Dubyunhell and Vegas Magic. He had six score in black-type company in 2022 overall, of which four earned graded honors. He stood for an initial fee of $35,000, which was boosted to $50,000 for 2023.

Justify, who stood for $150,000 in his first year at Ashford Stud, covered 252 mares in 2019 and was represented by 180 live foals in 2020. He saw 29 of his 71 starters reach the winner's circle for $2,478,038, with Irish G2 winner Statuette being his most successful runner. He was also represented by GIII winners Just Cindy and Champions Dream in the U.S. He is advertised for $100,000 in 2023.

Other notable sires to finish behind the top three were Army Mule (Friesan Fire), who stands at Hill 'n' Dale for a fee of $12,500 in 2023 and whose offspring earned $2,045,440; and Three Chimneys Farm's Sharp Azteca (Freud), who is advertised for a fee of $15,000 and whose first crop of runners earned $1,914,292.

Bolt d'Oro joins an impressive recent list of leading first-year sires that includes Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}), Nyquist (Uncle Mo) and American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile).

Final Earnings Standings through Dec. 31, 2022 (pending last-minute foreign earnings):
1st—Bolt d'Oro, $2,810,0956
2nd—Good Magic, $2,533,194
3rd—Justify, $2,478,038

The TDN sire lists contain full-dollar earnings of Northern Hemisphere foals winning anywhere in the world. To view the current standings updated overnight, click here.

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