Study: Do Early-Season Foals Make More Money At The Races?

Conventional wisdom in Thoroughbred racing and breeding states that a horse born earlier in the foaling season is going to be more physically mature than one born near the end of it when they meet on the racetrack and are considered to be the same age in the eyes of The Jockey Club.

A study by British and Canadian researchers affirmed that axiom, concluding that runners born earlier in the foaling season made more money during their 2-year-old and 3-year-old racing seasons in the U.K. and Ireland than those born later in the year.

The study also found that runners who sold for more money at auction tended to race less often during those first two years on the track than their less expensive counterparts, but they earned more prize money, both in total and per start.

The study involved 28,282 horses, encompassing all horses born in the U.K. and Ireland during the 2014 and 2015 foaling seasons.

Of the horses that raced at least once by age three, the study found that 34 percent had not earned any prize money by the end of their 2-year-old season, and 19 percent had no prize money by the end of their sophomore campaign.

The decline in average prize earnings for foals born later in the season was significant. For 2-year-olds, both total earnings and earnings per start fell by three percent for every week after Jan. 1 that a horse was born, and the chances of making no money on the year increased by three percent per week. Three-year-olds saw a two percent drop in earnings per week born after Jan. 1, and the chances of earning no money rose by three percent per week.

Among sale graduates in the study, just 17 percent of those sold as weanlings made back their purchase price on the racetrack through their 3-year-old season, while 13 percent of horses sold as yearlings surpassed their sale price after their sophomore campaign.

Yearlings that brought 6,666 guineas or less, the study's lowest price bracket, made an average of 7.8 starts through the end of their 3-year-old seasons and earned an average of £5,241 (US$5,846) in that timespan, with an average of £588 (US$656) per start.

On the other side of the spectrum, yearlings that sold for 48,000 guineas, the study's highest bracket, average 6.9 starts through their sophomore season, for average total earnings of £15,462 (US$17,250) and per-start earnings of £2,065 (US$2,303).

To view the full study, click here.

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Bloodlines Presented By No-No Cribbing Collar: Cotillion Winner Society Traces Through Top Breeding Programs Of The Past And Present

Continuing to make history with his first crop of racers, Gun Runner (by Candy Ride) picked up a sixth Grade 1 winner on Sept. 24, when he had a total of five stakes winners on the day. Among those five were Taiba, who won the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby, and Society, who became a Grade 1 winner with victory in the Cotillion.

Foaled in Kentucky, Society is bred and raced by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds LLC. Blum also bred but sold Authentic (Into Mischief), who won the 2020 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic. Based on those achievements, Authentic was named 2020 Horse of the Year.

A summertime development after her seasonal debut in May, Society propelled herself to a ranking among the elite fillies of 2022 with her Cotillion success, and among those behind her were Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath (Arrogate); stakes winner Green Up (Upstart), unbeaten this year until the Cotillion; Monmouth Oaks winner Shahama (Munnings); Adare Manor (Uncle Mo), winner of the Las Virgenes earlier this year; and Mother Goose Stakes winner Gerrymander (Into Mischief).

With five victories from six starts to date and a Grade 1 success, Society would also rank as the best racer in some time from her branch of this illustrious family tracing back to Missy Baba (My Baby) and Uvira (Umidwar).

Blum bred not only Society but also her dam Etiquette (Tapit). Now 10, Etiquette might have been a slow learner. In her first seven starts, she was four times second or third. In the eighth start, however, the chestnut filly read the script and won off by 10 lengths as the favorite. The filly was twice second in her remaining three starts, earning $89,177.

Sent to stud, Etiquette has done much better.

The mare's first foal was a colt by Quality Road (Elusive Quality) who sold for $500,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of select yearlings, and Society is the second foal from Etiquette.

Blum bred Etiquette from the Pleasant Tap mare Archduchess, who is a half-sister to three stakes winners, including Rookie Sensation (Unbridled's Song), winner of the G2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita, and Mark One (Alphabet Soup), winner of the G3 Eclipse Handicap at Woodbine.

Archduchess was a product of the Adena Springs breeding program, where she produced a good horse – Pleasant Prince (Indy King), winner of the G3 Ohio Derby and listed Oklahoma Derby, as well as second in the G1 Florida Derby.

The dam of Archduchess and her stakes-winning siblings was the stakes winner My Marchesa (Stately Don), who was one of two stakes winners out of Sooni (Buckpasser). Michael Phipps, cousin of Ogden Mills “Dinny” Phipps, bred Sooni and some of her celebrated siblings from Missy Baba, whom Phipps had bred from Uvira.

This is where we find other racers of similar merit to Society. Bred in Ireland by the Aga Khan, Uvira, for instance, won the Irish Oaks, was imported to the States, and changed hands a couple more times before coming to rest at Claiborne among the broodmares of Michael Phipps.

A quality racemare, Uvira was a good producer of five stakes winners. Her daughter Missy Baba was a moderate racer but perhaps an even better producer. In all, Missy Baba produced a half-dozen stakes winners, and a pair of stakes-placed racers, including Sooni, who was third in the G3 Seashore Handicap.

Missy Baba produced the next high-class racer in the family, foaling Gay Missile in 1967, and that daughter of Sir Gaylord went on to win the 1970 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland. Gay Missile's branch of this female line is the one that has brought it the greatest acclaim with Horse of the Year A.P. Indy, classic winner Summer Squall (Storm Bird), Belmont Stakes winner Lemon Drop Kid (Kingmambo), all of whom became sires of significance.

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In addition to Sooni and Gay Missile, Phipps had bred a pair of Bold Ruler colts from Missy Baba, and both of them became stakes winners. Master Bold won the 1968 Dade Metropolitan and was second in the Fountain of Youth; he proved a fairish sort of sire.

The other Bold Ruler colt was foaled in 1968 and named Raja Baba. The handsome bay won a stakes at two, a pair of them at three, and retired with seven victories from 41 starts. He was more effective as a sprinter and had the build of a very strong, very fast horse.

A son of the most important sire of the time in Bold Ruler and from a distinguished family, Raja Baba found a home in Kentucky at Hermitage Farm. At a time when there was a son of Bold Ruler under every cabbage leaf, however, not a great deal was expected from Raja Baba.

So, the handsome bay made everyone who believed in him look really smart.

With his first crop to the races in 1976 (Seattle Slew's juvenile season), Raja Baba rocketed to the top of the freshman sire list over Bold Reasoning (Slew's sire), and such was his dominance that he led the juvenile sire list, as well, by both gross earnings and races won. Raja Baba's leading earner that season was Royal Ski, winner of the Remsen.

In 1980, Raja Baba led the general sire list and was leading juvenile sire a second time. He sired 62 stakes winners (10.5 percent from foals), including 1987 champion 3-year-old filly Sacahuista, Canadian champion Summer Mood, and 1988 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Is It True.

From a family of depth and significance, Society has added a new luster to her branch of the old line.

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Breaking Lucky Moves Back To Blue Star Racing In Louisiana For 2023

Blue Star Racing is excited to announce the arrival of Breaking Lucky to their breeding facilities in Scott, La. After beginning his stallion career at Blue Star Racing, he moved to Florida for the 2021 and 2022 breeding seasons.

“After many breeders' requests, we're excited to bring Breaking Lucky back to the Bayou State,” said Dex Comardelle of Blue Star Racing. “It's no secret Louisiana is one of the most lucrative breeding programs in the country, and with the recent passage of sports betting and historical racing, we expect Louisiana purses to increase exponentially over the coming years. Now is the time to double down on Louisiana breeding.”

Before retiring to Louisiana off the track, Breaking Lucky successfully raced for the partnerships of West Point Thoroughbreds, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Eric Young, and R.A. Hill Stable.

Breaking Lucky won the 2015 Prince of Wales Stakes ­– the second leg of Canada's Triple Crown – while defeating multiple Grade 1 winner and Sovereign Award champion 3-year-old Shaman Ghost (Ghostzapper).

In 2016, he won the Grade 3 Seagram Cup Stakes at Woodbine. Breaking Lucky went on to place in the G1 Clark Handicap, G1 Whitney Stakes, and G1 Stephen Foster Handicap behind Horse of the Year Gun Runner (Candy Ride).

In total, Breaking Lucky was on the board in 10 graded stakes and two black type races, while campaigning in two countries, during his racing career. His career earnings were nearly $1.2 million.

Hailing from the red-hot sire line of Lookin at Lucky (Smart Strike), Breaking Lucky also comes from an impressive female family.

His dam, the graded stakes-placed Sky Classic mare Shooting Party, broke her maiden in her first race. She was second in the G1 Garden City Breeders' Cup Handicap and was third in both the G3 Pebbles Handicap and the G2 Nassau County Stakes.

She had already produced two winners from her first two foals to race when she foaled Breaking Lucky – who went on to win $1,196,376. Currently, she is the dam of four winners including Quake Lake (by War Chant) – the dam of Kentucky Derby winner Country House (by Lookin at Lucky) and the G3 Gallorette Stakes winner Mitchell Road (by English Channel).

Breaking Lucky's sire, Lookin at Lucky, stands at Ashford Stud in Kentucky. A champion at two and three, he won nine races including the Preakness Stakes, the G1 Haskell Invitational Stakes, the G1 Del Mar Futurity, the G1 Norfolk Stakes, and the G1 CashCall Futurity. Lookin at Lucky was in the money 11 out of 13 starts with career earnings of $3,307,278.

Lookin at Lucky is the sire of Grade 1 winners Accelerate, Country House, Wow Cat, and Panfield. He is the sire of Grade 2 winners Madefromlucky, Money Multiplier, Dr Dorr, Diamond Oops, Fancy Liquor, and Wells Bayou.

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Global Star Mishriff To Enter Stud In France For 2023

Mishriff, a Group 1 winner in three countries, will enter stud in 2023 at Sumbe's Haras de Montfort et Preaux in France upon the completion of his on-track career.

The 5-year-old son of Make Believe currently stands with seven wins in 19 starts, and he has earned $15,834,855 for owner Prince A. A. Faisal. He is scheduled to compete in the Group 1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, with long-term sights on a Breeders' Cup race.

After starting his career in Great Britain, Mishriff shipped to Saudi Arabia for the first time at the start of his 3-year-old campaign and finished second in the Saudi Derby Cup on the inaugural Saudi Cup undercard. He then returned to Europe, and rolled off a three-race winning streak in the Newmarket Stakes in England, then the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano – Haras du Logis Saint-Germain in France.

At four, Mishriff earned his most lucrative victory in the G1 Saudi Cup, then moved from dirt to turf to win the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan Racecourse. Later that season, he earned another Group 1 victory in England's G1 Juddmonte International Stakes.

In 2022, Mishriff has earned in-the-money finishes in the G1 Coral Eclipse Stakes, King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and Juddmonte International Stakes.

“We believe this is great news for French breeders after the recent loss of two incredible stallions, Le Havre and Wootton Bassett,” read a statement from Sumbe. “Since the untimely death of Le Havre earlier this year we have been actively looking for a nice stallion prospect.

“Nevertheless, Mishriff was our main target – he won the Prix du Jockey Club, the ultimate stallion-making race, in highly impressive time,” the statement continued. “Mishriff has been unbeaten in France and his achievements in 2021 were nothing short of extraordinary…Although he has nothing more to prove as a champion, I hope he finalizes his career in a style that befits his level.”

Bred in Ireland by Nawara Stud Limited, Mishriff is out of the Raven's Pass mare Contradict. He hails from the family of notable horses including Invincible Spirit, Kodiac, Pinatubo, and Rafha.

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