War Front Leads the Way for Claiborne in 2024 Stud Fees

War Front (Danzig) will again lead the way at Claiborne Farm among their nine-stallion roster for 2024, with a fee of $100,000, the same price for which he stood in 2023.

In 2023, War Front's yearlings sold for up to $800,000, and he is among the top 10 North American-based sires this season by percentage of black-type winners from starters (6.9%), black-type performers from starters (11.8%) and total graded stakes winners (six).

War Front's GI Preakness S.-winning son War of Will will stand for $25,000. His first yearlings sold at auction this year, going for as much as $650,000 with an average sale price of $120,132.

Blame (Arch) will also stand for $25,000. In addition to siring top runners including, Grade I winner Wet Paint, Blame has emerged as an important broodmare sire. Led by champion Forte, Blame has 12% stakes horses from starters, the highest percentage of any broodmare sire with 100 or more starters.

The Grade I Met Mile winner Silver State (Hard Spun) will stand for $15,000. His first weanlings will arrive at auction this fall.

Champion sprinter Runhappy (Super Saver) will stand for $10,000, with runners in 2023 led by Grade I winner Nutella Fella and Grade II winner Smile Happy.

Dual-surface Grade I winner Catholic Boy (More Than Ready) will also stand for $10,000. His first crop of juveniles had an average progeny-winning distance of 7.26 furlongs leading all freshman sires.

Veteran sire First Samurai (Giant's Causeway) will once again stand for $7,500, led by Grade II-placed Synthesis, who has earned over $648,000 over the course of his career.

First Samurai's son Lea will stand for a private fee, with a resume of recent runners that includes Grade III winner Poppy Flower.

Demarchelier (GB) will have his fee announced at a later time. The only son of top international sire Dubawi standing in Kentucky has gotten off the mark quickly with his first 2-year-olds, leading all freshman sires by black type performers on turf (two) and average winning distance over turf (8.05 furlongs).

Mastery has been relocated to Lex Stud in Japan.

Following is a full list of Claiborne Farm's 2024 roster and fees:

Blame (Arch)–$25,000

Catholic Boy (More Than Ready)–$10,000

Demarchelier (GB) (Dubawi {Ire})–TBD

First Samurai (Giant's Causeway)–$7,500

Lea (First Samurai)–Private

Runhappy (Super Saver)–$10,000

Silver State (Hard Spun)–$15,000

War Front (Danzig)–$100,000

War of Will (War Front)–$25,000

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Who Will Be This Year’s Leading First-Crop Sire?

From this year's class, which freshman sire will emerge on top? And what sire currently flying under the radar will be the year's biggest surprise? With 2-year-old sales season upon us, over the next few days, we will be hearing from some of the experts.

NIALL BRENNAN

Top Pick: Vino Rosso (Curlin–Mythical Bride, by Street Cry {Ire}). Spendthrift Farm, 2023 fee: $15,000.

The Mitoles were popular at the yearling sales and they sold well at the OBS March sale. They look like they will be early types. There will be some pressure on him because the expectation for him will be for him to get quite a few 2-year-old winners. I have a Vino Rosso who is quite nice. I'll pick Vino Rosso and the reason is, he was a very good racehorse and has the pedigree. He was a very good older horse. But from what we've seen so far, they have quite a bit of maturity and look like they could be summer 2-year-olds. That's impressive for a stallion where you might think they'll be better later on. From the Vino Rossos, I am seeing athleticism and mental maturity. It's between Mitole and Vino Ross, but I'll give the edge to Vino Rosso.

Under-the-radar pick: Demarchelier (Dubawi {Ire}–Loveisallyouneed {Ire}, by Sadler's Wells). Claiborne Farm, 2023 fee: $5,000.

   My under-the-radar pick will be Demarchelier, a son of Dubawi who stands at Claiborne. He was an excellent racehorse in the making who won his first three starts before he got hurt. That reminds me of Danzig, who only had three starts and was retired. I'm not comparing him to Danzig. I'm just saying it is a similar story. He's the only son of Dubawi to stand over here and he had a lot of talent. I bred a mare to him because I thought he was a super value. Like Oscar Performance, he's going to have to step up and prove himself because he's a turf horse standing in America. They are average-sized, which he was. I have two that I really like. They are sharp and forward. I saw a couple breeze well at the March sale. I wouldn't be surprised if he comes up with four or five nice 2-year-old winners on the grass. He has the quality to do that. He has the potential to break out and have some really nice turf horses.

CARRIE BROGDEN

Top pick: Audible (Into Mischief–Blue Devil Bel, by Gilded Time). WinStar Farm, 2023 fee: $25,000.

I think that every year, the early chatter about who is good and who is going to struggle is very telling, so I have learned to listen to that. Last year in January and February, all the talk was about Bolt d'Oro. The year before in January and February, it was Gun Runner. So we bred three mares to him on his bubble year, off the early chatter. So I'm going to have to go with the horse that everyone was talking about, and that was Audible. With Bolt d'Oro, every single person you talked to had one they liked. I felt that was the case this year with Audible. At Saratoga, we sold an Audible filly to MyRacehorse named Lady Blitz, and I bought a microshare just to keep up with her. She has just gone to Todd Pletcher's barn and she is the real deal. Now, full disclosure: I have a share in Audible, but we have shares in a lot of stallions. Before the speed works and everything, that early chatter tells you who the horses are that like to train.

Under-the-radar pick: Maximus Mischief (Into Mischief–Reina Maria, by Songandaprayer). Spendthrift Farm: 2023 fee: $7,500.

Once again, I'm very biased here. We pinhooked him, raised him, sold him at Saratoga, stayed in on him with Cary Frommer, and took him to the 2-year-old sale. He was very fast. I think his horses look just like him. I'm biased, but I do feel like he's got a big shot. He throws a very different physical than Audible, who seems to throw a stouter body type. He was slightly long, and he throws a big, long horse.

JARED HUGHES

Top pick: Omaha Beach (War Front–Charming, by Seeking the Gold). Spendthrift Farm, 2023 fee: $30,000.

I've liked Omaha Beach from the start and he hasn't disappointed at any step of the way. Great physical from a tremendous female family and they've looked like runners as weanlings, yearlings, and now 2-year-olds. I'm excited to see what he can do this year.

Under-the-radar pick: Solomini (Curlin–Surf Song, by Storm Cat). McMahon of Saratoga, 2023 fee: $6,500

The under-the-radar pick is tricky this year due to a lack of depth, but I've liked the Solominis. He was a good 2-year-old who finished first in a Grade I and looks like he could be a standout in the New York market. Curlin is hot as a sire of sires right now with Good Magic waving the flag with three in the Derby.

Want to send in your first-crop sire selections? Email suefinley@thetdn.com.

In tomorrow's TDN: more first-crop sire picks (and lots of red, red wine).

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Who is Most Likely to be Leading Freshman Sire of 2023?

With the 2-year-old sales season having kicked off and the first 'baby' races of the year ready to get going in a few weeks, laser focus will be placed on the up-and-coming first-crop stallions. Rightfully so, as we all hunt in earnest for the next breakout young sire. Could there possibly be another Gun Runner in the freshman class of 2023?

A total of 16 young guns in North America have 50 or more current 2-year-olds resulting from their first covers in 2020. A great many more have fewer than 50, but numbers beget opportunities. The leading freshman sire of 2023 is likely to be one of those 16.

It's also a good bet that Spendthrift Farm may repeat Bolt d'Oro's 2022 success as the leading freshman sire, as four of the top five freshmen by number of 2-year-olds stand at the Central Kentucky Farm.

The 16 newcomers are concentrated in Kentucky, with one each also in New York and Florida. What almost all have in common is plenty of sire power behind them. Including two freshmen by Curlin and two by Into Mischief, all of the sires of these leading 16 freshmen have thrown Grade I winners themselves, but not all of their sire sons have done the same.

Conformation, dam side, and athleticism of the new 2-year-olds aside, let's examine the hard evidence based solely on elite performance of other sons at stud by the same sires. Which of these 'Sweet 16' is most likely to find success based on how other sons by their sires have fared?

Audible and Maximus Mischief, both by Into Mischief, standing for $25,000 at WinStar Farm, 150 2-year-olds (Audible), and for $7,500 at Spendthrift Farm, 135 2-year-olds (Maximus Mischief)

It's impossible to overlook Into Mischief, who is coming off his fourth general sire championship. He's got an embarrassment of riches with a plethora of up-and-coming young sire sons in the next few years, including Kentucky Derby winners Authentic and Mandaloun, as well as four-time GISW and Breeders' Cup winner Life Is Good. Getting the first jump are GI Florida Derby winner Audible and GII Remsen S. winner Maximus Mischief. Into Mischief's first major sire sons are Goldencents and Practical Joke, both of whom have already sired a U.S. GISW. In addition, Practical Joke has hot Derby prospect and MGSW Practical Move. Audible was particularly popular at OBS March, with his top two each working in :10 and bringing $500,000 and $425,000, respectively.

 

And the second freshman by Into Mischief for 2023:

 

Catalina Cruiser, by Union Rags, standing for $15,000 at Lane's End, 110 2-year-olds

Holding the distinction of being the fourth generation of his sire line (Union Rags-Dixie Union-Dixieland Band) to stand at Lane's End, five-time graded winner Catalina Cruiser could be the first big-time sire son for Union Rags. The latter's only other sire son in a major market is Free Drop Billy, whose first-crop sophomores have not yet broken through on the graded stage. Catalina Cruiser's top 2-year-old specimen at OBS March breezed in :21 and brought $400,000 post sale.

 

Catholic Boy, by More Than Ready, standing for $15,000 at Claiborne Farm, 104 2-year-olds

Any horse that can win the GI Belmont Derby on grass in July and the GI Travers S. on dirt just over a month later has to be taken seriously. The late More Than Ready was the dual hemisphere phenom whose sire sons include Australia's late Sebring (Aus), sire of at least eight Group 1 winners; the exported Verrazano with one U.S. Grade I winner and two Chilean Group 1 winners; Gimmethegreenlight (Aus) with six Group 1 winners spread between Australia and South Africa; Daredevil, whose first-crop exploits included both a Classic winner and a GI Kentucky Oaks winner; and Custom for Carlos, who stands in Louisiana and came up with a U.S. Grade I winner despite averaging just 45 foals a year.

 

Demarchelier (GB), by Dubawi (Ire), standing for $5,000 at Claiborne Farm, 70 2-year-olds

Even as the first known son of Dubawi at stud in the U.S., GSW Demarchelier will not suffer from pedigree anonymity as Dubawi is arguably the top sire in Europe. At least five of his sire sons have been responsible for Grade I or Group 1 winners on their own: Al Kazeem (GB), Makfi (GB), New Bay (GB), Night of Thunder (Ire), and Poet's Voice (GB).

 

Enticed, by Medaglia d'Oro, standing for $5,000 at Darley, 103 2-year-olds

Like Curlin, Into Mischief, and War Front, who also have freshmen sons with first juveniles this year, Medaglia d'Oro is one of the elite stallions of Kentucky with the sustained success of umpteen Grade I winners to his credit. Among his sons, two have sired Grade I winners to date, with Violence holding the top spot as far and away his best sire son so far. Violence has four GISWs, including current Derby favorite Forte. Medaglia d'Oro also has Astern (Aus) with a Group 1 winner in Australia and Bolt d'Oro as last year's top freshman who has not yet broken through with a Grade I winner. Enticed himself was precocious, winning the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. and placing in the GI Champagne S. at two.

 

Flameaway, by Scat Daddy, standing for $7,500 at Darby Dan Farm, 116 2-year-olds

MGSW Flameaway's late sire ignited early with his first runners and his success just magnified after his death at age 11. Among the late Scat Daddy's sons to sire a Group 1 winner to date is his undisputed sire son leader No Nay Never, as well as the classy Caravaggio. And then there's Triple Crown winner Justify, who gives the sense he's knocking on the Grade I door after his first American and Australian crops yielded five graded/group winners.

Leofric, by Candy Ride (Arg), standing for $7,500 at Darby Dan Farm, 56 2-year-olds

After the success of Gun Runner, Candy Ride sons are a hot commodity and he will have a steady pipeline of sons with first runners in the coming years, including champion Game Winner and MGISW Vekoma (both with first yearlings this year), as well as GISW Rock Your World (first weanlings this year). GI Clark H. winner Leofric is the early bird among the group that follows Candy Ride's two sire sons who have achieved out-of-this-world success: Gun Runner and Twirling Candy. The former, with only two crops to race, has sired a spectacular six GISWs and another five Grade I performers. The latter is no slouch either, accounting for seven Grade I winners from his eight crops to race. Both also have sired Classic winners. Clearly, when Candy Ride hits, he hits big.

Mitole, by Eskendereya, standing for $15,000 at Spendthrift Farm, 158 2-year-olds

A champion and MGISW who helped contribute to his dam being crowned Broodmare of the Year for 2021, Mitole is one of three freshmen who are charting new territory for their own sires by attempting to become their first established son in the sire ranks. Eskendereya was exported to Japan in 2015 when Mitole was just a foal. The stallion's only other known sire son in the U.S. is Mor Spirit, who stands alongside Mitole at Spendthrift and has yet to have a graded performer in his first crop (now sophomores). Buyers at OBS March liked what they saw: the top three Mitole 2-year-olds all worked in :10 and brought $350,000, $325,000, and $300,000, respectively.

 

Omaha Beach, by War Front, standing for $30,000 at Spendthrift Farm, 138 2-year-olds

The brilliant Omaha Beach, a triple Grade I winner, looks every bit the part of a stallion who's going to make it. No matter how you look at it–whether it's his sire, the bottom side of his pedigree, his own race performance, his first yearlings–he's hard to fault. Among his first 2-year-olds at OBS March was a $690,000 filly who worked in :9 4/5. The venerable War Front, sire of a surplus of Grade I winners, has had three sons who have made it to the big stage as sires thus far: Declaration of War with Grade I/Group 1 winners in the U.S., Australia, France, and Canada; The Factor with two U.S. GISWs; and Hit It a Bomb with an Argentinean Group 1 winner. Omaha Beach and Classic winner War of Will (first yearlings this year) are among War Front's top sire prospects yet.

 

Preservationist, by Arch, standing for $10,000 at Airdrie Stud, 76 2-year-olds

GI Woodward S. winner Preservationist and fellow GISW Instilled Regard (whose first foals are currently yearlings) are the last top horses by the late Arch, who died in 2016 just prior to the breeding season, to go to stud. Arch has had two sons sire GISWs: the late Archarcharch, whose last crops were in Korea, and Blame, who has sired five GISWs and counting.

 

Solomini and Vino Rosso, both by Curlin, standing for $6,500 at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, 78 2-year-olds (Solomini), and for $15,000 at Spendthrift Farm, 178 2-year-olds (Vino Rosso)

Is there any limit to Curlin's prowess as a sire? Last year, he topped his own sire and grandsire (Smart Strike and Mr. Prospector)–who tied with a dozen other stallions by siring two Eclipse winners in a single year–when he made history as the only sire to ever have three individual Eclipse winners in a single year. Like Candy Ride and Into Mischief, he's got a number of sons with first crops to the races on the horizon. This year, it's his champion and GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso and his MGISP Solomini who will send their first juveniles to the races. Curlin has no fewer than four sons who have sired Grade I winners: Good Magic (whose first crop is just three this year), Connect and Keen Ice (whose first crops are four), and Palace Malice. Both Vino Rosso and Solomini had a number of first juveniles at OBS March: Vino Rosso's top was a :9 4/5 breezer who hammered for $550,000 and Solomini's best worked in :10 and brought $200,000.

 

St Patrick's Day, by Pioneerof the Nile, standing for $3,500 at Journeyman Stallions, 71 2-year-olds

A maiden winner at two and graded-placed at three, St Patrick's Day has the lightest race record of this group, but he's a full-brother to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Although the late Pioneerof the Nile has a number of very useful sons at stud, American Pharoah is the first who has broken through with any Grade 1/Group 1 winners. He has a half-dozen of those to his name.

World of Trouble, by Kantharos, standing for $5,000 at Hill 'n' Dale Farm, 89 2-year-olds

A wickedly fast GISW on both dirt and turf, World of Trouble might be the biggest wild card among the freshmen sire ranks in terms of sire power. The only other son of Kantharos at stud in a major market is Bucchero, who stands in Florida and has yet to have a graded performer in his first crop (now sophomores).

 

Yoshida (Jpn), by Heart's Cry (Jpn), standing for $10,000 at WinStar Farm, 101 2-year-olds

A Grade I winner on both dirt and turf, Yoshida is the only known son of Sunday Silence's Heart's Cry standing in Kentucky. Among Heart's Cry's sire sons is Just a Way (Jpn), who has a 2-year-old champion and Group 1 winner in Japan. Heart's Cry just passed away Mar. 9.

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American Sires Through a European Lens: Part II

Following the appraisal of some of the more established stallions in America who should be on the radar for European breeders, this second instalment looks at some of the younger horses coming through.

It can be argued that attempts to push the Galileo (Ire) sire-line in Kentucky were not as successful as anticipated, with Noble Mission (GB), the brother of Frankel (GB), emerging the best of a group that included such major disappointments as Cape Blanco (Ire) and Magician (Ire). While Noble Mission now stands in Japan, his Grade I-winning son Code Of Honor ($7,500) is about to embark on his second season at Lane's End Farm in Kentucky.

The desire to establish the Galileo sire-line in the US was easy to comprehend, not just because of his championship stud career in Europe but in light of the success enjoyed by Sadler's Wells's son El Prado (Ire), whose sire-line has thrived via Medaglia d'Oro and Kitten's Joy.

Kitten's Joy's death earlier this year robbed turf-minded breeders of a tried and tested option, making the hunt for an heir suddenly all the more important. Thankfully, he has a number of sons at stud and of those based in Kentucky with runners, much encouragement can be gleaned from the start made by Oscar Performance (Mill Ridge Farm: $20,000). A multiple Grade I winner who raced without Lasix, Oscar Performance's first crop of 2-year-olds includes a Grade II winner on turf in Andthewinneris alongside a dirt stakes winner in Red Carpet Ready. A number of other representatives are bubbling under, as an overall group of six stakes horses attests, and he is poised to end the year as America's top turf sire of 2-year-olds, ahead of such proven names as More Than Ready and Kitten's Joy himself.

Next in line is Grade I scorer Divisidero (Airdrie Stud: $5,000), a seven-time winner over five seasons who possesses exactly the kind of hard-knocking profile that should be aspired to. He doesn't have numbers on his side but in his favour is an interesting pedigree that goes straight back to Almahmoud via Cosmah. The ingredients are there for him to surprise a few people.

Divisidero, a seven-time winner over five seasons, possesses exactly the kind of hard-knocking profile that should be aspired to

Medaglia d'Oro's legacy has various horses working for it, not least Bolt d'Oro (Spendthrift Farm: $35,000), who is currently in a three-way battle for champion first-crop sire honours alongside Good Magic and Justify. Regardless of which way the championship goes, Bolt d'Oro emerges as one of the leaders of his generation however the figures are diced. While a tally of five stakes winners is bettered only by the six fired in by Justify and Good Magic, no horse can come close to his 14 black-type horses, which translates to a highly impressive figure of 18.4% to runners. Members of the stakes-winning quintet range from Instant Coffee, winner of the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S., to Major Dude and Bobby O, successful in the GII Pilgrim S. and GIII With Anticipation S. on the turf, respectively. He has had just the one runner in Britain and Ireland but the colt in question is Bold Discovery, a winner on debut at Naas for Jessica Harrington who later ran third in the G3 Killavullan S. With his stock also attracting the attention of the European pinhookers, expect to see more of his progeny over here in due course.

In the meantime, it will be interesting to see how Medaglia d'Oro's GII-winning son Enticed (Jonabell Farm: $5,000), who stands alongside his sire at Darley, fares with his first 2-year-olds next season.

Justifying the hype

As with American Pharoah, fellow Triple Crown winner Justify (Ashford Stud: $100,000) has been afforded chances with a number of high-performing grass mares, many of them daughters of Galileo (Ire) belonging to the Coolmore broodmare band. The bulk of his representation has naturally been in America, where he is the sire of four stakes winners to date, all on dirt. But that push to have him well represented in Europe is also paying off. Ballydoyle, for instance, houses the G2 Balanchine S. winner Statuette as well as the promising maiden winners Dame Kiri and Bertinelli. The Fozzy Stack-trained Aspen Grove (Ire) also won the G3 Flame Of Tara S. 

One of Scat Daddy's most effective weapons was his ability to work internationally and although it is early days, Justify is following that example, with a flurry of recent Japanese winners to add to his early success in America and Europe. A total of 28 winners and six black-type winners is an excellent start by any measure. But don't forget, Justify is a big horse who didn't make his debut until February of his 3-year-old year. It stands to reason that his progeny will continue to improve.

Fellow Scat Daddy stallion Mendelssohn (Ashford Stud: $25,000) is another who has not lacked for opportunity, with the combination of a Grade I race record, a $3-million yearling price tag, and having Into Mischief as a half-brother key in attracting 252 mares in his first book and another 242 in his second. Mendelssohn was an accomplished 2-year-old on turf for Aidan O'Brien so it's surprising that so few made back it to Europe this season (only four runners in Europe so far), although the handful to hit the track did include Ballydoyle's listed-placed colt Congo River. He is one of six stakes horses for Mendelssohn in a group led by the GII Jessamine S. winner Delight.

While few sire-lines have the commercial pull of Scat Daddy, it remains dangerous to underestimate that belonging to More Than Ready. Of those with first 2-year-olds, Grade I turf winner Funtastic (Three Chimneys Farm: $5,000)–a relation to Gun Runner no less–might not have the numbers behind him but his trio of winners do at least include the GIII-placed First Peace.

Next in line is Catholic Boy (Claiborne Farm: $15,000), a horse of rare versatility who won the GI Travers S. on dirt and GI Belmont Derby Invitational S. on turf. Also precocious enough to win the GII Remsen S. and GIII With Anticipation S. at two, he has around 110 2-year-olds to run for him in 2023, among them a handful bought to breeze in Europe. It doesn't take too much imagination to envisage him filling the void left by More Than Ready as an effective sire on both sides of the Atlantic.

And perhaps Yoshida (WinStar Farm: $10,000), the sole son of Heart's Cry (Jpn) at stud in North America and Europe, will prove capable of laying the foundations for the Sunday Silence line to take root back in Kentucky. Like Catholic Boy, he was top class on both turf and dirt, in his case as winner of the GI Woodward S. and GI Old Forester Turf Classic S., and has been deservedly well supported, with over 100 2-year-olds set to run for him bred off a first-year fee of $20,000. He boasts all the attributes to be effective over here and with several having headed this way, it will be fascinating to see how he gets on.

Of the other Hail To Reason-line horses, the first yearlings by the Arch horse Preservationist (Airdrie Stud: $10,000) generated plenty of positive chatter, selling for up to $280,000. A series of setbacks prevented him from running until he was four, making it harder to gauge how much precocity he might be capable of imparting, but once he got going, he progressed to land the GI Woodward S. If he remains true to the Arch sire-line, then a number of his progeny will also be effective on turf.

Fans of the Arch line also have his final Grade I winner Instilled Regard (Taylor Made Stallions: $7,500) to choose from. A $1.05 million 2-year-old in training purchase, he was capable of performing to a high level on both surfaces, running Grade I-placed as a 2-year-old on dirt before winning the GI Manhattan S. as an older horse on turf. All in all, this is the kind of profile–longevity and versatility–that served the Roberto sire-line so well for so long. He stands for just $7,500 but does have the backing of his owner, Larry Best of OXO Equine.

Accomplished War Fronts

There are also several War Front horses waiting in the wings including Omaha Beach (Spendthrift Farm: $30,000), his sire's most accomplished dirt horse whose Grade I victories ranged from the Santa Anita Sprint Championship over six furlongs to the Arkansas Derby over nine. He represents a highly appealing package as a seriously talented, well-bred horse with the backing of some powerful connections and the market liked what it saw from his first yearlings, as illustrated by an average close to $200,000. He will be one of the favourites to end 2023 as a leading US first-crop sire but with that War Front connection, he is also worth bearing in mind from a turf perspective too.

The first foals by War Of Will (Claiborne Farm: $15,000) were well received at the winter breeding stock sales, selling for an average of $102,762. This is just the type of horse who should be capable of appealing to a worldwide audience, primarily in light of a race record that included the GI Preakness S. on dirt and GI Maker's Mark Mile on turf. Also Grade I-placed at two on turf, he was a graduate of the Arqana May Breeze-Up Sale and hails from a noted Niarchos family (he is out of a Sadler's Wells half-sister to Spinning World) that has worked well in different parts of the world. Given his own history as an accomplished European breezer, his first yearlings will likely catch the attention of that pinhooking community next autumn. 

As far as pedigree goes, they don't come much better bred than Lost Treasure (Ire) (Hill 'n' Dale Farm: $3,500), a stakes-placed War Front son of G2 Rockfel S. winner Wading (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), herself a granddaughter of Urban Sea (Miswaki). He doesn't have huge numbers on his side but his first yearlings sold for up to $65,000 and should he possess even a small measure of the sire talent of his relatives, then a fee of $3,500 could come to look very good value.

The fact that [Peter] Brant and Claiborne Farm elected to give Demarchelier a chance at stud is surely testament to his ability

For all the chat of American-sired horses, however, sometimes it pays just to not overcomplicate matters. To that end, there are two Peter Brant-owned horses standing in Kentucky with strong European connections.

Demarchelier (GB) (Claiborne Farm: $5,000)) is a beautifully-bred son of Dubawi (Ire) who cost 425,000gns as a Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling. He looked to have the world at his feet when winning his first three starts, including the GIII Pennine Ridge S., before an injury suffered in the GI Belmont Derby Invitational S. brought his career to an immediate halt. The fact that Brant and Claiborne Farm elected to give him a chance at stud is surely testament to his ability–indeed, Brant has supported him strongly and the resulting foals are likely to be in the hands of some high-profile trainers. He's an intriguing prospect, especially at $5,000.

Gainesway Farm, meanwhile, is home to Raging Bull (Fr), a Wildenstein-bred son of Dark Angel (Ire) who stands for $10,000. The horse is in fact arguably the most accomplished son of his sire at stud anywhere in the world given he won three Grade I races at three to six years–namely the Hollywood Derby, Shoemaker Mile and Maker's Mark Mile. Another well supported by Brant, mares in foal to him realised $360,000 and $230,000 at the Keeneland November Sale. The lots in question, Editor At Large (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Isle Of Wight (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), were both snapped up by Denis Brosnan's Epona Bloodstock. Gainesway has long fared well out of standing turf milers and Raging Bull has been given every chance by connections to be the next in line.

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