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Gift Box Retired To Stand At Lane’s End In 2021

Grade 1 winning millionaire Gift Box has been retired from racing and will begin his new career as a stallion at Lane's End starting in 2021.

The colt retires as a Grade-1 and three-time graded stakes winner with a record of 18-6-6-2 from the ages of two to six. In 2019, Gift Box was among the leading older horses in America after a string of graded stakes performances that included a Grade 1 victory in the Santa Anita Handicap. He retires as the highest-earning colt by his leading sixth-crop sire Twirling Candy. He will join his sire, along with his grandsire Candy Ride, who both also stand at Lane's End.

“Gift Box was an incredibly talented and consistent racehorse,” said John Sadler. “We ran him back-to-back in graded stakes race after graded stakes race and he was only ever off the board once. These are attributes you do not often see in the modern racehorse. He had speed, toughness, sound enough to race on in the handicap division, everything a trainer wants in a two-turn dirt horse.”

As a 2-year-old Gift Box broke his maiden at Belmont posting a 93 Beyer before targeting the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes in his next start, where he was beaten by just three lengths into third. In doing so, he became a graded stakes performer in just his third start as a 2-year-old.

Gift Box opened his 3-year-old campaign with a victory in a competitive allowance race at Belmont by 4 1/2 lengths, posting a 98 Beyer. His next start that year came in the Curlin Stakes where he was defeated by subsequent Grade 1 winner Connect. Just a month later he finished fourth in the G1 Travers at Saratoga to Champion Arrogate, defeating Grade 1 winners Connect, Creator and Exaggerator.

“Gift Box represents so much of what we're about at Lane's End. A Grade 1 winner at a mile and a quarter on the dirt, speed, out of a tremendous mare from a sire line we believe in,” said Bill Farish. “That's what we've been successful with and I'm appreciative of the opportunity Hronis Racing has given us.”

Gift Box's career hit new heights as an older horse when he got a much-deserved graded stakes victory in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita defeating Grade 1 winner Battle of Midway. This race was the first of four further graded stakes starts that only saw Gift Box off the board once. His next start came in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap where he defeated four-time Grade 1 winner McKinzie. In his next start he finished second in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita, posting a 105 Beyer before winning the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes in his final start by almost 4 lengths, posting a career high 107 Beyer. Gift Box posted four triple-digit Beyers in a career that saw three graded stakes victories.

“Gift Box was always involved in races of the highest level and as owners we could not ask any more than that,” said Kosta Hronis. “John [Sadler] always had a tremendous amount of confidence in him, and time and time again Gift Box proved him right. We are going to stay involved in his next career as a stallion at Lane's End, where they have a proven track record of nurturing a young stallion's career.”

Bred by Craig and Carrie Brogden of Machmer Hall, Gift Box was a $135,000 Keeneland November purchase. He is out of the Unbridled's Song mare Special Me. His pedigree is free of Storm Cat and A.P. Indy which will be appealing to breeders as both have been a proven success with Candy Ride and Twirling Candy, producing the likes of Grade 1 winner Collusion Illusion.

Gift Box will be syndicated and available for inspection in the coming weeks at Lane's End Farm and a stud fee will be determined.

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Unbridled Express Leads Indiana Stallions In 2019

Unbridled Express has honed the power of three in his breeding career, siring three stakes winners in the state of Indiana and hitting the top of the Indiana sire list after three years of being in the top 10 last year.

The 16-year-old gray son of Unbridled's Song earned $117,696.80 in Indiana stallion awards in 2019 alone. The remaining top stallions of 2019 include: Sangaree, Skylord, Lantana Mob and Noble's Promise.

Owned by Bernard Flint's LTB Inc. and Ron Hillerich's Hillerich Racing, whom, in turn, were named 2019 Indiana Stallion Owner of the Year, Unbridled Express stands at Swifty Farms in Seymour, Ind.

The award comes 20 years after the partnership was established. Flint and Hillerich met in 1992 thanks to a claimer, but the breeding aspect of their partnership didn't come to fruition until Hillerich and his law partner purchased a mare named My Sea Castles (Polish Navy, sire of Sea Hero). Prior to selling the mare, they bred her to the stallion Sky Classic. That result was a filly named Skye Castles. Hillerich, his law partner and Flint then later bred Skye Castles to Unbridled's Song for a 2004 colt. That colt was named Unbridled Express and ignited an exhilarating ride for Hillerich, Flint and all of their connections.

After a dominating performance in a maiden special weight at Churchill Downs at two, Hillerich knew they had something special in Unbridled Express.

“He had beaten eventual Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense by four lengths,” recalled Hillerich.

His next race was the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, where Unbridled Express finished third behind Scat Daddy and Circular Quay, sustaining an injury in that race that continued to plague him and end the colt's career at three.

“He never could make it back to form,” said Hillerich. “However, he's been a blessing in disguise. Bernie and I both knew what we had in that horse. It's a shame that he got hurt early, but we just didn't want to let that talent go to waste.”

So sets the stage for Unbridled Express's onset into a stallion career. While Flint and Hillerich had been actively breeding in Kentucky, they had heard more about the Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Program and it enticed them to look for a home for their young stallion.

“We had read about the development program and all of the incentives for Indiana, and we thought with his bloodline and his talent, it was a shame if we didn't try to see what we could do with him as a stallion,” said Hillerich. “So, we decided to try him in Indiana. Thank goodness we did.”

In the past three years, Unbridled Express has been in the top five for sires standing in Indiana. The past year was his banner year, with three foals winning stakes races in Indiana Grand. He sired 14 winners from 29 starters in 2019 (including six repeat winners), with progeny earnings of $1,089,725. His top progeny include 2019 Indiana Horse of the Year Unbridled Class ($255,695), Mystery Unbridled ($149,582) and Super Jen ($97,108).

The Stallion Owners of the Year are looking forward to more success in the breeding shed and on the track with Unbridled Express's progeny.

“We set out to create a brand in Indiana 10 years ago, and I think we succeeded at that,” said Hillerich. “I think Unbridled Express has proven, without any doubt, that he is a tremendous stallion, and if you look at the statistics, they do the talking.”

Hillerich sings the praises of his partner and friend: “He's not just a trainer to me, he's a best friend. He's just a wonderful man and a great horseman. I can tell you that he knows more about horses than I'll ever know, and he's forgotten more about horses than I'll ever know. But the great thing is, we're 50/50 on everything and I let Bernie make the call on the horses as to when and where they're going to run. I may put my two cents in, but it's all deferred to Bernie.

“Sometimes I feel he doesn't get the credit he deserves. He's truly a great horseman and always, always does the best thing for the horse. And that's what I like.”

The deadline for registering stallions for participation in the Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Program is Oct. 15.

The Stallion of the Year and Stallion Owner of the Year awards are determined solely on earnings in Indiana in 2019. The owner or lessee of a registered Indiana stallion whose registered progeny have won any race at Indiana Grand Racing and Casino earns 10 percent of the gross purse for all stake, allowance and claiming races (except when entered for a claiming price of less than $10,000). All stallion awards are paid directly to the wining owner from the program.

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McKinzie Retired To Gainesway Farm For 2021 Breeding Season

McKinzie, a four-time Grade 1 winner, has been retired from racing, and he will begin his stallion career at Gainesway in Lexington, Ky., for the 2021 breeding season, the Daily Racing Form reports.

The 5-year-old son of Street Sense was under consideration for this year's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland. Instead, he finishes his career with eight wins in 18 starts for earnings of $3,473,360.

Trained by Bob Baffert for owners Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman, McKinzie won on debut as a juvenile by 5 1/2 lengths at Santa Anita Park, and he parlayed that into a victory in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity. At three, McKinzie kicked off the season with a victory in the G3 Sham Stakes, and he later added wins in the G1 Pennsylvania Derby and G1 Malibu Stakes.

The colt continued to be one of the best in his class at age four, racking up wins in the G1 Whitney Stakes and G2 Alysheba Stakes, and finishing the year with a second in the Breeders' Cup Classic. This year's campaign was highlighted by a win in the G2 Triple Bend Stakes.

Dubawi Colts Tops Second Day Of Tattersalls October Book 1

Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale continued in solid fashion on the second day with Godolphin buying the top four priced lots.

Demand for yearlings by the superstar stallion Dubawi continued unabated on the second day of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and leading the way was his son of the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Intricately at 1.1 million guineas (US$1,491,247).

The Highclere Stud consigned colt's dam Intricately was purchased at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale in 2017 for 1.7 million guineas (US$2,304,702) by John and Jake Warren on behalf of Mike and Michelle Morris. The Dubawi colt on offer today was her first foal and was knocked down to Anthony Stroud on behalf of Godolphin after he saw off a determined effort by trainer Kevin Ryan.

“It is very exciting, I am absolutely thrilled for the Morris's, they stepped up and bought a fantastic mare and she has really repaid them today. He is a gorgeous colt and has been since the day he was born, he has the most fantastic temperament,” said consignor Lady Carolyn Warren of Highclere Stud. “I am thrilled for the breeders and everyone.”

Her son Jake Warren, who selected the mare in 2017 with his father John, added: “It is a real group affair, a lot of team-work is involved in this. Mike and Michelle bought the mare, she is a beautiful quality mare. She has a stallion in her pedigree, she was a Group 1 2-year-old winner, she is by one of the best stallions in the world, and she is an outstanding looker. She had everything as a broodmare, which is why we stepped up to buy her then. And she has done nothing but please us since. It is testament to that, and to the efforts by stud manager Rachel Spindlow and the staff at Highclere.

“It was the intention through this process to be playing at this end of the table and thank you very much to Anthony Stroud for buying him. I want to say thank you to him and the underbidder – he is a fantastic horse, and it was wonderful that two people valued him to such a level.

“He really was as good a first foal as you would wish to see,” said Warren, adding: “She has got a colt foal who is equally as good who might be coming back here next year, and she is in-foal to Kingman. Down the line some of the progeny might be kept to race, but the mare owes a few quid so she needs to clear the balance sheet first! And she needs to produce a filly!”

Hillwood's Lope De Vega Colt Sells For 900,000 Guineas

Charlie and Tracy Vigors' Hillwood Stud were celebrating after their Lope de Vega colt out of the Teofilo mare Moi Meme sold for 900,000 guineas (US$1,220,197) to the bid of Anthony Stroud on behalf of Godolphin after he saw off underbidder David Redvers.

“It is beyond our wildest dreams to get a result like that!” said a visibly emotional Charlie Vigors.

“We put what we thought was a sensible reserve on him as we knew we had lots of interest in him, and you could see from the live bids around the ring that there were plenty of people on him. There were plenty in up to 400,000 guineas to 500,000 guineas and we were hoping to fetch in that range. That is the beauty of public auction, isn't it, when two people then lock on.”

The son of the Listed winning mare Moi Meme had received a significant catalogue update when his two-year-old own-brother King Vega finished second in the Group 2 Solario Stakes in August.

“I think the plan is to run him in the Pertemps Futurity, if the ground is okay,” said Vigors. “I know Andrew [trainer Andrew Balding] thinks very highly of him. He has got his black-type, if he could be a Group 1 winner it would be even better!”

Dam Moi Meme is certainly enjoying something of a lengthy love affair with the Ballylinch Stud stallion Lope de Vega – all her four foals are by the son of Shamardal.

“The mare has a lovely Lope de Vega filly on the ground and she is back in-foal to him again,” said Vigors. “She has been married to him because the first ones were so nice! I don't think there is a much better sire to be married to at the moment – he is one of the top young sires around. We picked him out as a sire 'on the up' a few years ago and these were bred off a €60,000 nomination, and he has gone up to €100,000 now. You need pay days like this to keep going back to him!”

This colt was bred by a Hillwood Stud-managed syndicate called Fortescue Bloodstock, and Vigors explained: “The syndicate has been buying high dollar mares, and it is bunch of investors, mainly London based. They enjoy it very much and will certainly enjoy a day like today! There are three mares in the syndicate, with some more in another group – there are about seven or eight mares across two groups.”

The Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Book 1 continues at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8 with the third and final session.

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