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WinStar Farm Stallion Improbable Euthanized

WinStar Farm stallion Improbable (City Zip), the champion older male of 2020 and a 'TDN Rising Star', was euthanized late last night at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington after suffering from ataxia behind, a condition which causes poor voluntary muscle control, the farm said in a release early Sunday.

“He was sent to Rood and Riddle yesterday morning to determine the exact cause of the ataxia,” said Elliott Walden, president, CEO, and racing manager of WinStar Farm. “He was responding well to treatment, but went to lie down in his stall, and fell awkwardly. As a result, he broke his right tibia, which could not be repaired.”

Improbable won three consecutive Grade I races in 2020, taking the GI Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita, the GI Whitney S. at Saratoga and the GI Awesome Again S. at Santa Anita en route to Eclipse honors at season's end.

Undefeated at two, Improbable broke his maiden at first asking at 'The Great Race Place' in late September of 2018. He followed that up with a score in the Street Sense S. at Churchill Downs in early November, which earned him a 'TDN Rising Star' badge for the effort.

Improbable winning the Whitney | Sarah Andrew

Improbable's juvenile year ended with a five-length win going 1 1/16 in the GI Los Alamitos Futurity. His time of 1:41.18 was the fastest in over a decade.

A stakes winner each season from two to four, Improbable concluded his career with a runner-up finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in 2020.

All told, he won seven starts, six of them stakes, and earned $2,729,520 for owners WinStar Farm, China Horse Club and SF Racing.

“These horses are our life, and we work every day to take care of them the best way we know how,” said Dr. Natanya Nieman, general manager and resident veterinarian at WinStar Farm. “The whole team is reeling. Improbable gave us many great moments to share with our partners, our team, and the whole racing community. It is tragic.”

Bred in Kentucky by St. George Farm and G. Watts Humphrey Jr., Improbable was acquired by Maverick Racing and China Horse Club for $200,000 out of the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment at the 2017 Keeneland September Sale.

Out of the A.P. Indy mare Rare Event, the 8-year-old stallion was bred to 329 mares in his first two books and is represented by his initial crop of 2-year-olds this year, including a colt out of the stakes-placed Inaugurate (Empire Maker) that was purchased by trainer Jimmy DiVito, agent, for $475,000.

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Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift Farm: China Horse Club USA

As we approach the opening of the 2024 breeding season, the TDN staff is once again sitting down with leading breeders to find out what stallions they have chosen for their mares, and why.

Here we catch up with Christie DeBernardis, CHC's Regional Manager of the Americas.

Alberobello (m, 9, Bernardini–Carson Jen, by Carson City), booked to Uncle Mo

Alberobello hails from an exceptional family that is constantly improving. Additionally, Bernardini is becoming one of the best broodmare sires we've seen in a while. Alberobello produced an Uncle Mo colt for us in 2023 and we were so pleased with him, that we decided to breed her back to that Coolmore super sire after she produces her Justify foal this spring.

Always A Joker (f, 4, Into Mischief–Halo Humor, by Distorted Humor), booked to Justify

We purchased this full-sister to MGISW and successful sire Practical Joke at Keeneland November and look forward to her future. She is as beautifully made as she is bred. We thought Justify was a good physical and pedigree match for her first mating, plus he and her sire Into Mischief are two of the hottest stallions on the market right now.

Cozze Up Lady (m, 15, Cozzene–The White Lady, by Johannesburg), booked to Constitution

A Grade III winner during her racetrack career, Cozze Up Lady brought that same class and talent to the breeding shed, producing GISW Kimari (Munnings). Her 2021 colt by Constitution, now named Tucson, brought seven figures as a yearling and is currently training towards his debut for WinStar/Siena Farm with Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher. We decided to send her back to that leading stallion for 2024.

Embellish the Lace (m, 12, Super Saver–Expanse, by Distant View), booked to Life Is Good

Grade I winner Embellish the Lace has already produced a pair of million-dollar yearlings. One of those seven-figure sellers was a daughter of the great Into Mischief, now two-time winner Pumpkin Scone. We retained that filly's full-sister Into Amore and she is training very well as she prepares for her career bow with Pletcher. Given her success with Into Mischief, we decided to send Embellish the Lace to one of his fastest sons, Life Is Good.

End Times (m, 9, War Front–Last Full Measure, by Empire Maker), booked to Americanrevolution

CHC homebred End Times is the second foal out of Grade I winner and producer Last Full Measure. We sold a lovely Audible filly out of her for $255,000 at this year's KEESEP sale and she has a very nice Improbable yearling filly and newborn colt from the first crop of Nashville. She is one of three mares we are sending to our new stallion, GISW Americanrevolution, as we make our first foray into the New York breeding program.

Last Full Measure (m, 16, Empire Maker–Lazy Slusan, by Slewvescent), booked to Into Mischief

GISW and producer Last Full Measure's offspring have proved quite popular at auction, including her 2022 Constitution filly, who summoned $800,000 at KEESEP last year. The topper at that auction was a $3-million Into Mischief colt out of an Empire Maker mare and that cross is also responsible for MGISW Mandaloun and Grade II winner Laurel River. We hope to add to the success of that cross as Last Full Measure visits Into Mischief this year.

Summer Solo (m, 14, Arch–Summer Solstice {Ire}, by Caerleon), booked to Not This Time

We purchased this GISP mare in 2022 and her first foal for us is a knockout. She is now the dam of two black-type horses thanks to the recent exploits of her daughter Solo Album (Curlin). Arch is phenomenal broodmare sire and Summer Solo has proven to be a versatile broodmare. We are sending her to Not This Time, who has already produced a SW and GSP horse out of an Arch mare in Howling Time.

Yellow Agate (m, 10, Gemologist–Lemon Sorbet, by Lemon Drop Kid), booked to Quality Road

Yellow Agate was CHC's first Grade I winner in America and continues to reward us as a broodmare. She has three winners from three foals of racing age, including GSW and $650,000 KEESEP buy Agate Road (Quality Road). His two older siblings, Gasoline (Curlin) and Plentitude (Quality Road), combined to win five races in 2023 and appear poised to add more black type to this family. Her 2022 filly by Quality Road summoned $650,000 at Saratoga last summer. Given all of her success with Quality Road, it seemed like a no-brainer to send Yellow Agate back to the Lane's End kingpin this year.

Interested in sharing your own mating plans? Email garyking@thetdn.com.

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Sunday Insights: Son Of City Of Light Debuts Over Gulfstream Turf

6th-GP, $70K, Msw, 2yo, 1mT, 2:34 p.m. ET.
I SEE YOU LOOKIN (City of Light) makes his first start Sunday for trainer Todd Pletcher. The $400,000 Keeneland September Sale grad is a half-sister to MGSP Lady Aces (Constitution), who was purchased for $200,000 at Keeneland November last year by the China Horse Club. Dam Economy of Motion (Pleasantly Perfect) is herself a half to MGISW Paradise Woods (Union Rags). Digging deeper into this extended female family, we find this debut runner's third dam is a half-sister to MGSW Mr. Greeley (Gone West). TJCIS PPS

8th-GP, $70K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1mT, 3:33 p.m. ET.
Hill 'n' Dale homebred and Josie Carroll trainee Royal Ascot (Justify) will look to get her dam off to a winning start as a broodmare. Second dam Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), winner of the G1 Irish Oaks and runner-up in the G1 French Oaks, is a half-sister to Irish Group 1 winner and globetrotting turf specialist Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). TJCIS PPS

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MGSW Fearless Arrives At Old Friends

MGSW Fearless (Ghostzapper) was welcomed to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement farm in Georgetown, Kentucky on Wednesday, Aug. 2, the organization said in a release early Friday.

The 7-year-old bay gelding, who was last seen running fifth June 10 at Belmont Park in the GII True North S., was retired to the farm by his owner, Mike Repole, a longtime supporter of Old Friends. According to Equibase he amassed eight wins over 19 starts and over $1.2-million in career earnings.

“Fearless was a gutsy and determined racehorse with the perfect name,” said Repole. “The stable really thought Old Friends would be a great place for him to spend the rest of his career with other great horses. I'm thrilled people will be able to visit him at Old Friends.”

Bred by the Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust and foaled in Kentucky on Mar. 17, 2006, Fearless was initially owned by China Horse Club International and WinStar Farm, and trained his entire career by Todd Pletcher.

“No one has been better to Old Friends and his horses than Mike Repole,” said Michael Blowen, President and founder of Old Friends. “We are grateful to him for several retirees, especially Fearless who won a Saratoga stakes race named for another Old Friends resident, Birdstone. And he's gorgeous. Fearless, that is!”

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