declaration of war | Horse Racing Free Tips

Multiple Grade I Stakes Winner Gufo Retired

The three-time Grade I winner Gufo (Declaration of War-Floy, by Petionville) has been retired and will arrive at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Kentucky on Wednesday, where potential buyers will have the opportunity to examine him as a stallion prospect.

“Gufo had a minor training setback, and his owner, Stephen Cainelli, made the decision to retire him and find him a new career as a stallion,” said his trainer, Christophe Clement. “Gufo is leaving Payson Park on Tuesday, and he is on his way to WinStar, where he will be available by appointment to be seen by prospective buyers.”

The 6-year-old was bred in Kentucky by Cainelli and John Little. He raced over four seasons, and earned $2,176,530, with 21 starts, nine wins and seven black-type wins. His three Grade Is included the Belmont Derby at three, and the Sword Dancer at four and five. He also won the GIII Kent S. at Delaware at three, where he set a new course record for nine furlongs in 1:46.94, and the GII Pan American at Gulfstream as a 5-year-old. He broke his maiden at a mile and a sixteenth at two.

Gufo is a son of Declaration of War, a two-time Grade I-winning son of War Front who started his career at Coolmore Stud in Ireland, moved to Ashford in America, and who now stands in Japan at the JBBA Shizunai Stallion Station. Declaration of War's son Fire At Will entered stud at Sequel Stallions in New York this year.

“Declaration of War has been a very pleasant surprise as a stallion,” said Clement. “And Gufo was a top-class racehorse at three, four, and five. He raced in all the best races in New York, and never missed a beat. He's a very sound horse. He's a half-brother to a very good sprinter called Hogy (Offlee Wild), so even if he is himself a ten-furlong horse, there is plenty of speed in his family. For me, as a trainer, he was a pleasure to train. He was remarkably consistent over the years, and also I valued dearly the relationship he created between us and Mr. Cainelli, who is a wonderful man from Texas, a retired surgeon.”

Like Declaration of War, Hogy was a very durable racehorse, competing over nine seasons and winning 19 races and nine black-type events. He won on both turf and dirt, was a three-time Grade III winner, and set a course record at the Fair Grounds going about 5.5 furlongs in 1:01.56.

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First Mare in Foal for Fire At Will

Fire At Will (Declaration of War), winner of the 2020 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, had his first mare bred — Day Dayenu (Into Mischief) — reported in foal. Fire At Will stands at Sequel New York for a fee of $6,000.

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New Stallions Keepmeinmind and Fire At Will Settle in at Sequel

Keepmeinmind (Laoban–Inclination, by Victory Gallop), whose prowess on the track first brought sire Laoban to the national forefront, and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner and Eclipse finalist Fire At Will (Declaration of War–Flirt, by Kitten's Joy) join Honest Mischief, Freud and Mission Impazible at Sequel New York's stallion roster, bringing diverse and interesting options for Thoroughbred breeders in the Empire State.

Bred by Southern Equine Stables, the physically impressive Keepmeinmind broke his maiden in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. in November of his 2-year-old season. Prior to that, he was runner-up to future two-time Eclipse Award winner Essential Quality (Tapit) in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity. He finished third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile behind Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie.

“Keepmeinmind had a great 2-year-old campaign,” said Carlos Manresa, director of operations at Sequel New York. “He was really the first of the Laobans to make national notoriety, along with, of course, Simply Ravishing.”

At age three, Keepmeinmind was a respectable sixth in the GI Kentucky Derby and fourth in the GI Preakness S. He finished just a half-length behind Essential Quality in the 2021 GII Jim Dandy S. Keepmeinmind was originally trained by Robertino Diodoro, and at age four he was transferred to Todd Pletcher for whom he won a Saratoga allowance. He was then third to Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in the 2022 GI Woodward S.

Pletcher told the TDN, “Keepmeinmind is a specimen with a terrific disposition. He competed with and beat the best of the best. A big boost for the New York breeding roster.”

“He's a more elegant, refined version of Laoban,” said Manresa of Keepmeinmind. “He's got the big, big hip, but he's also a leggy, stretchy horse that you would expect from the Uncle Mo line.”

Keepmeinmind will stand in 2023 for $6,500.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Fire At Will retired with a record of 6-3-0-1 and earnings of $675,932. Bred in Kentucky by Troy Rankin and raced by Three Diamonds Farm, Fire At Will broke his maiden at two in his second start in Saratoga's With Anticipation S. He then took the GII Pilgrim S. on the turf at Belmont. He punctuated the year with a victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland. He was an Eclipse Award finalist for the 2-year-old champion male, eventually won by Essential Quality.

“It's definitely an interesting time to bring a horse that has been successful on multiple surfaces to stud in New York,” said Manresa. “New York is in a shift towards all alternative racing surfaces, specifically at Belmont. There's been a lot of discussion over having a synthetic course as well as the dirt and grass surfaces.”

Fire At Will brings an impressive performance on the grass as well as proven turf pedigree to New York. Fire at Will is the first foal from the Kitten's Joy mare Flirt. His sire Declaration of War won the G1 Juddmonte International S. in 2013.

“[Fire At Will] is absolutely the fastest 2-year-old I have ever trained on the turf,” conditioner Mike Maker told the TDN.

“Fire At Will is standing at Sequel New York in partnership with Three Diamonds Farm, which is owned and managed by Kirk and Deborah Wyckoff,” said Manresa. “They're tremendous supporters of the New York-bred program, and it just seemed like the perfect fit for this Breeders' Cup champion to come to stud in New York.”

His fee for the upcoming season will be $6,000.

“We try to make a habit out of selecting the perfect stallions for us,” said Manresa. “And this year, we got lucky and were able to attract two phenomenal stallions that had exceptional racing careers at two years old, both being Breeders' Cup participants, both being placed in the Breeders' Cup, and one of them being a Breeders' Cup champion.”

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Breeders’ Cup Champion Fire At Will Offered As Stallion Prospect On Fasig-Tipton Digital

Bidding is now open for the “Fire At Will Flash Sale,” a one-horse auction on Fasig-Tipton Digital of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Fire At Will (Declaration of War–Flirt, by Kitten's Joy). The 5-year-old is consigned as a stallion prospect by Bluewater Sales, agent. Bidding will close this coming Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 2 PM ET.

“This is, perhaps, the most powerful stallion family in the world today,” said noted pedigree expert Alan Porter.

The Kentucky-bred is out of the unraced Flirt, a half-sister to Grade I winner Decorated Invader (Declaration of War). This represents the family of Stormy Atlantic (Storm Cat).

Victorious in his second start at two in Saratoga's With Anticipation S., the dark bay added a score in the GII Pilgrim S. and followed up with a win at the world championships. At three, he finished off the board in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S., and subsequently came home third in the GIII Transylvania S. To date, he has earned $675,932 on the track.

Added Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales, “Fire At Will has the credentials to be a successful sire in the United States or abroad. He's a Breeders' Cup winning juvenile from an elite sire line and from one of the top sire-producing female families in the stud book. On top of all that, he is an outstanding individual physically. Stud farms from around the globe should give him a serious look.”

Fire At Will is available for viewing beginning this Saturday, Jan. 7 at Bluewater Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. To learn more, visit the auction page.

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