Last month, Pletcher won his eighth Eclipse Award as North America's leading trainer. Not only that, but three horses trained by Pletcher also won Eclipses: Forte (Violence), champion 2-year-old colt; Nest (Curlin), champion 3-year-old filly; and Malathaat (Curlin), champion older female.

Like Pletcher, Curlin shone at the Eclipses. Aside from Nest and Malathaat, his Elite Power was named champion sprinter of 2022, giving the Hill 'n' Dale-based stallion three individual Eclipse winners in one year, the first time any stallion has had more than two in a year.

Curlin and Pletcher, in case it wasn't evident, have a special long-term relationship. On Saturday, the promising Pletcher-trained Julia Shining (Curlin), a Grade ll-winning 3-year-old sister to Malathaat owned and bred by Stonestreet, finished third in her season debut in the one-mile-and-40-yard Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs, 1 1/4 lengths behind 2-year-old champion Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief), who in turn was a neck behind 38-1 upsetter Dreaming of Snow (Jess's Dream), a granddaughter of Curlin. This Saturday, Pletcher saddles Crupi (Curlin) in the Gll Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds for Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable. Crupi is a maiden; he has placed in each of his five starts, but like Julia Shining, who won the Gll Demoiselle at 1 1/8 miles last year, he figures to improve as the year progresses and the distances increase. That's simply a function of the Curlins.

I spoke to Pletcher about this recently, and he said, “Curlin is my favorite stallion I didn't train. We're big Curlin fans.”

Pletcher has trained a number of prominent stallions throughout his career, including More Than Ready, Scat Daddy, Quality Road, Uncle Mo, Speightstown, and Munnings, among others. There isn't another modern-day trainer with such a striking record as a stallion maker. None of these stallions, however, regularly imparts stamina in the pronounced manner that Curlin does. And many of the better Curlins frequently get even more stamina in their pedigrees from their broodmare sires, because the stallion nicks so well with Seattle Slew-line mares. Both Nest and Malathaat (and Julia Shining), for instance, are from A.P. Indy mares; Crupi, who was bred by Claiborne, is from a mare by A.P. Indy's top sire son Malibu Moon, the sire of Gl Kentucky Derby winner Orb. (Skinner, a promising maiden winner from over the weekend for John Shirreffs, is also from a Malibu Moon mare and was bred by Stonestreet.) In different hands, the Curlin sons and daughters that have excelled with Pletcher may not have realized their potential. They have with Pletcher because he understands pedigrees and specifically knows how the Curlins tick.

“A lot of our training program builds toward stamina,” Pletcher said. “I don't think [the Curlins] want to be rushed off their feet. We always feel like you want to let a horse be comfortable, and if you're trying to take them out of their comfort zone early on, then you're probably not going to finish the way you want to. We would expect them, hopefully, to put themselves in a tactical position, but you wouldn't see too many of them going wire to wire. We've recognized that, for whatever reason, he fits our program well.”

Pletcher's Curlins

Curlin, a son of the Mr. Prospector stallion Smart Strike, has been represented by six Eclipse winners to date, and Pletcher has handled three of them. In addition to Nest and Malathaat, he also trained Vino Rosso, champion older male of 2019.

Though the Curlins aren't especially noted for early maturity and front-running speed, the best of them have plenty of class, are seemingly Classics contenders every year, improve with time, and are particularly adept at a mile and a sixteenth and above on dirt. That's because Curlin, a two-time Horse of the Year, was a Classic winner and a mile-and-a-quarter specialist who also stayed a mile and a half on dirt (he lost the Gl Belmont S. by a head to the Pletcher-trained A.P. Indy filly Rags to Riches, who, like Curlin, was out of a mare by Deputy Minister). In fact, it was notable and surprising that in 2022 Curlin got a champion sprinter and two others, Cody's Wish and Obligatory, that won Grade l races at seven furlongs. Both Cody's Wish, who won the Gl Forego at Saratoga, and Obligatory, first in the Gl Derby City Distaff at Churchill, won their respective sprints by closing from the back of the pack.

Bill Mott trained the trio of Elite Power, Cody's Wish, and Obligatory, and before them he'd trained Gl Coaching Club American Oaks winner Paris Lights, giving him four of Curlin's 20 top-level winners.

Only Pletcher has more, and then some. He has trained an astounding eight of the 20, or 40% Grade l winners. Aside from champions Nest, Malathaat, and Vino Rosso, Pletcher handled Belmont S. and Gl Metropolitan H. winner Palace Malice, who was from Curlin's first crop; Gl Florida Derby winner Known Agenda; the fillies Curalina, who won the Coaching Club American Oaks, and Off the Tracks, winner of the Gl Mother Goose. Keen Ice, who won the Gl Travers for Dale Romans, won the Gll Suburban at a mile and a quarter for Pletcher.

I asked Pletcher if there is a common physical thread among the Curlins.

“I think yes and no,” he said. “I do think there are some similarities in the good ones, that they're medium–at least medium–to larger size. Some of them can tend to be a little bit small, and we've found that the better ones maybe have a little more size and scope, but in terms of a particular conformational prototype, I don't know that there is. Keen Ice was a big strong horse, and so is Palace Malice. Off the Tracks was a very talented filly, but conformationally she was very, very incorrect but was able to overcome that with good mechanics. Malathaat is a scopey, long mare; Curalina was a little more refined, but she was impressive as a 2-year-old; Nest is not real big, but she's one of the best walkers I've seen. For a filly that's probably just over 15.3, she covers a lot of ground. There is an athletic component to the good ones, and in particular, I'd say Nest would stand out as an outstanding walker.”

Pletcher also noted that some of the Curlins may show talent in workouts that takes some time to translate to races.

“Known Agenda reminded me a lot of Vino Rosso in that way. If we hadn't had the setback that ultimately made them decide to retire him to stud, Known Agenda was going to be a good 4-year-old. As a younger horse, he would display more talent sometimes in the mornings than we were producing in the afternoons. But then he kind of put it together in the Florida Derby, and I thought if we'd had a chance to go on with him, we would have seen him get more consistent. I'm not saying he would have won the Breeders' Cup Classic like Vino, but he had that sort of potential.”

Mike Repole's Repole Stable, which co-owns Nest with Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House, raced Vino Rosso in partnership with Vinnie and Teresa Viola's St. Elias Stable, which bred and raced Known Agenda. Both Repole and Viola are billionaire patrons of Pletcher, and they race Forte, the current Derby favorite, in partnership as well. However, they know the value of the Curlins and their trainer's ability with them, and they've loaded up on more sons and daughters of the stallion to send Pletcher's way. Last September at Keeneland, the two combined to sign for two fillies at $650,000 and $450,000, and two colts at $400,000 each. Meanwhile Repole, in partnership with Coolmore, bought a colt for $1.1 million, and in another partnership with Spendthrift bought a colt for $525,000. For his own account, Repole then purchased another five with agent Jacob West signing the tickets: three fillies for $675,000, $500,000, and $250,000; and two colts for $320,000 and $275,000.

So be prepared to see even more Curlins in Pletcher's hands this year, and not just from Repole and Viola. Stonestreet, which raced Curlin with Steve Asmussen and is the stallion's majority owner, campaigns Grade l winner Clairiere with Asmussen, but the operation sent Julia Shining to Pletcher instead of Asmussen, presumably because of Pletcher's success with her Grade l-winning dam, Dreaming of Julia (A.P. Indy), and with her champion sister Malathaat, but also for his sterling record with their stallion.

Pletcher is a maestro with the Curlins.

Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks.

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“We are just overjoyed with this filly,” said Phillips Farm's Joshua Phillips. “She's exceptionally well-muscled, has a nice hip and a lot of leg underneath her. Just a physically strong individual like the good Curlins. We looked at a lot of different stallions for this mare and Known Agenda stamped this filly beautifully.”

Known Agenda stands at Spendthrift Farm, where he enters his second season in 2023 for $10,000.

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We know that far too many foals are brought into the world to do no more than stand gleaming on a dais for two minutes. Farms have duly had to devise all manner of incentive schemes to keep their young guns in the game long enough to show what their maturing stock can actually do on a racetrack. Whether through loyalty incentives or the support of a home herd, then, the biggest debut books of 2022 will typically be followed by the biggest second books of 2023.

Independence Hall, Rock Your World, Charlatan and Yaupon respectively covered 202, 219, 222 and a staggering 242 mares this spring, Yaupon busier than any sire in the land bar Gun Runner himself. Everyone who used these stallions will understand that there will be no shortage of competition in the 2023 weanling and 2024 yearling catalogues. But they will be comforted that Mendelssohn and Justify, launched with 252 mares apiece in 2019, both obliged with the necessary commercial performance when their first yearlings reached the ring.

The fact is that ringside investors tend to do much as they are told, in the sense that yearling averages for new sires tend to mirror the sequence of their fees pretty slavishly. When you have such huge samples, admittedly, those averages will inevitably embrace a wide spectrum of triumph and disaster. But that's simply the nature of horse business. I reckon that if you're in for a cent, you might as well stay in for a dollar. If you bred to a new stallion last year because you actually believe in his inherent merit, and not just in the robotic reliability of new sires at the sales ring…  then stick with the program!

On which basis, there are limited grounds for altering the medals we awarded to freshmen last year. Certainly you know to back away with a polite smile if ever somebody starts bragging about covering sire averages, which are almost wholly incidental to the quality of those mares randomly offered for sale. Fees, too, almost invariably remain stable at this point. But there is one new factor in play, and that's the traction or otherwise implied by opening books. And that has caused some revision in our pecking order.

Bubbling Under

Honestly, the horse to stop, once those babies start sending purse money into the freshman's table, probably has to be CHARLATAN. A handsome and brilliant animal with a great shape to his pedigree, he will have matched all that quantity with plenty of quality in his first book–and that is just what you want to hear at $50,000. But we'll try to find him some competition at somewhat lesser cost.

While the size of Yaupon's first book will doubtless divide opinion, you have to respect what the sheer demand says about him, not least as a physical specimen. But if you have to settle for a cheaper son of Uncle Mo, how about one whose debut book of 142 also promises perfectly healthy racetrack opportunity? Because MODERNIST channels a lot of pedigree for $10,000 at Darby Dan. Anything out of a Bernardini mare gives you hope: a Bernardini half-sister to Breeders' Cup winners Sweet Catomine (Storm Cat) and Life Is Sweet (Strom Cat) might give you something nearer confidence. Modernist was obviously a tier below the best of his generation but showed enough to suggest these genes had due functionality, and he has a physique of real charisma.

At the same fee, KNOWN AGENDA was made pick of this intake last year and I do retain every faith in his eligibility. Hopefully others will do the same, because he does require a little imagination: he showed his true caliber only fairly briefly, when transformed by blinkers coming into the GI Florida Derby; and he also has an unfamiliar European family to contend with, though in its detail this should actually be viewed as a major asset by any who actually want to breed a runner.

Known Agenda did muster 166 mares at Spendthrift, albeit that is hardly exceptional at a farm with a portcullis that descends quite slowly! I remain confident that he will produce plenty of winners from what should, in a sane world, be considered lavish numbers. Pending the commercial cycles he must negotiate in the meantime, however, for now he narrowly yields his place on the podium after a couple of rivals, based at farms known for their relative restraint, rather surprisingly shadowed or even exceeded his opening book.

BRONZE:
BEAU LIAM (Liam's Map–Belle of Perintown by Dehere)
$6,000 Airdrie

By the standards of his farm, which prizes old-school virtues, this guy looked a candid commercial play: a bright but brief meteor across the speed-figures firmament. And, lo, they have been knocked over in the rush! So much so, that he was permitted as many as 162 mares, an extravagance that made him the busiest gentleman on their roster.

And, to be fair, at this kind of price he's a bet to virtually nothing for breeders who have seen Maclean's Music build so impressively on a foundation as narrow as a single, clock-melting start. Beau Liam, in comparison, was a grizzled veteran! He twice corroborated his blazing speed after becoming the fastest 6f maiden winner (by seven and a half lengths) recorded at no less a venue than Churchill Downs, by then posting Beyers of 106 and 107 in sprints at Saratoga.

He was then turned over at odds-on for his graded stakes debut and disappeared for good, but there's obviously going to be a sequel judged from the way breeders responded to the rest of the package–which is actually backed up by a highly plausible pedigree.

His dam is an eight-length GII Silverbulletday S. winner by Dehere, who has somewhat emulated his own sire's distaff influence (notably as damsire of City Of Light); and she has additionally produced three stakes and/or graded stakes performers and/or producers. And her own granddam was Grade I winner/Kentucky Oaks runner-up Jeanne Jones (Nijinsky), a half-sister to Avenue Of Flags (Seattle Slew).

With those genes and now those numbers behind him–not just the speed figures, but a book absolutely bursting at the seams–Beau Liam could well have an impact on the freshman table way above his opening fee. Those who get involved now, then, may very well find themselves ahead of the game.

SILVER:
TACITUS (Tapit–Close Hatches by First Defence)
$10,000 Taylor Made

Good things afoot at this farm, with Not This Time leading the way but a well-bred newcomer joining the roster in Idol plus two of the most promising of the previous intake in Knicks Go and Tacitus.

Knicks Go was obviously the more accomplished racehorse of that pair but while a very realistic fee made full allowance for his less glamorous pedigree, it was the royally-bred Tacitus who proved in greater demand when pitched at no less tempting a level. Tacitus covered no fewer than 188 mares, 37 more than Knicks Go, making it clear that breeders were willing to set aside the contrasting curves in their respective racetrack careers.

Tacitus actually won only one of his final dozen starts, when outclassing overmatched rivals in the GII Suburban S., but that did scant justice to the raw ability that had launched him into the GI Kentucky Derby via the GII Tampa Bay Derby (stakes record) and GII Wood Memorial. He had a wide trip in both Triple Crown starts, third (promoted) at Churchill and second at Belmont, but it's not as though he accumulated only excuses thereafter–as a final bank of nearly $3.8 million will attest.

But the key is that his palpable eligibility for the best company, regardless of occasional flaws in execution, was founded in one of the best pedigrees in the book. Curated through its last three generations by Juddmonte, who sent champion Close Hatches to Tapit for her first cover, it traces to the matriarch Best In Show (Traffic Judge) as fifth dam.

An adjacent branch has produced recent Irish Classic winner Siskin, who shares a sire with Close Hatches and is now at stud in Japan. That fortifies the depth we like to see in the third and fourth generations, here saturated with celebrated mares whose genetic potency is corroborated beyond this particular pedigree.

Breeders were invited to roll the dice at this fee and their response gives Tacitus every chance of demonstrating his competence as a conduit for these priceless genes. Grade I ability, Grade I pedigree, at barely a Grade III price.

GOLD:
SILVER STATE (Hard Spun–Supreme by Empire Maker)
$20,000 Claiborne

Woah, what's going on here? A rookie stallion entertaining 171 mares at Claiborne?

We trust that this startling number doesn't mean that the commercial tide is beginning to encroach even this farm, whose clients have long been blessed by that precarious blend: a fair opening fee, without swamping the marketplace. It's always good to have a spectrum of different models to help breeders make their decisions. At the same time, we all trade in a tough environment and everyone must be indulged a degree of pragmatism. After all, we have just elevated a similar outlier, Beau Liam, to this podium for another farm known for its restraint.

Regardless, the one thing we can safely take from this debut–by way of comparison, the previous year War Of Will had been as heavily subscribed as any Claiborne newcomer with a full book of 143–is that there must have been pretty ferocious demand for Silver State. Nor is his book just about quantity. Of 153 mares in foal, Claiborne report 24 to be stakes winners and 30 dams of stakes winners.

And it's not hard to see why this should be. Silver State matured into a very good racehorse, crowning a six-race streak with success in that luminous stallion signpost, the GI Met Mile, but is entitled to do better yet in his second career. That's because his pedigree combines Darby Dan royalty top and bottom, tied together by Roberto as sire of Hard Spun's third dam, a half-sister to Little Current; and also of Silver State's fourth dam, who was out of a half-sister to the dam of Dynaformer. Closer up, Silver State's graded stakes-placed dam is out of a sister to Monarchos.

So there's a ton of wholesome seeding behind this horse, quite apart from his outstanding appeal as a short cut to the attenuating influence of Danzig, who of course stood here himself. Hard Spun, a nugget of value in his own right, is the youngest custodian of his sire's legacy in North America, the line having meanwhile become a breed-changing power in Europe and indeed Australia.

All the Classic branding in Silver State's pedigree, moreover, boiled down into plenty of commercial speed–this is the author of five triple-digit Beyers, remember, who launched his big spree with a seven-length romp in a sprint–and he is a thing of beauty. As a $450,000 yearling, he was the fourth most expensive Hard Spun of his crop but has since matured into his big frame as a real prince. He's 16.3 but so buoyant and smooth that you would barely know it.

The silver medal was too obvious a magnet for a horse bearing this name last year, but in the circumstances it feels imperative to move him up a step. If his first book has a surprisingly modern size, the horse himself is a throwback–from his pedigree, to that invincible sequence wrought from resilience as well as class–and he feels a beautiful fit at his grandsire's home farm.

Here, in short, is a silver mine where breeders can strike gold.

The Value Podium: First Foals Due

Gold: SILVER STATE $20,000 Claiborne
Old-school merit has caused a stampede at his grandsire's farm

Silver: TACITUS $10,000 TaylorMade
Due reward after regal genes were offered at tempting fee

Bronze: BEAU LIAM $6,000 Airdrie
Speedball has been very quick to snowball

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Basin (Liam's Map)'s first reported in-foal mare is Littlegreatone (Bernardini), and By My Standards (Goldencents)'s is Danceswithbourbon (Outwork). Known Agenda (Curlin), Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Yaupon (Uncle Mo) each had two mares confirmed as pregnant on the same day. Pink Fizz (Dialed In) and Sunandsea (Henny Hughes) checked in foal to Known Agenda, Hope Lady (Tapiture) and Mrs. O'Connell (American Pharoah) to Rock Your World, and Joy Filled (Pulpit) and An Eddie Surprise (Square Eddie) to Yaupon.

Known Agenda ($10,000 S&N), Rock Your World ($10,000 S&N) and Yaupon ($30,000 S&N)–all three Grade I winners in 2021–are booked full. Grade I winner Basin and multimillionaire By My Standards are both standing for $7,500 S&N and participating in Spendthrift's Share The Upside program.

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“I moved back to Kentucky in 2019 after being in Florida and Colorado for a few years because I had always dreamed of breeding Thoroughbreds, and I found the perfect farm in Shelbyville and decided to go for it,” said Howard. “I'm in the middle of Saddlebred country, but have my eyes on growing this farm into a place even Lexington would be proud of. I just had a beautiful [yearling] filly by Lord Nelson out of Top Mission (Noble Mission {GB}), which I will likely race, and I'm expecting another from her by Vekoma and a Mor Spirit out of Indy Gold (A.P. Indy) this year as well. I purchased two [additional] mares at the January sale.”

REMANDED (m, 5, Elusive Quality–Sleepless Dixie, by Dixie Union), to be bred to Tiz the Law

I fell in love with the strength and outstanding physical of this maiden mare at the January sale (purchased for $52,000), as well as the fact she was a 'TDN Rising Star' in her first race at Gulfstream. She had a lot of talent according to her trainer Cherie DeVaux, but an ankle injury forced her off the track. She has impressive size and bone, and I wanted to find a similar cross as was done with Essential Quality and am taking her to Tiz the Law, who checks all the boxes for her with the career and talent he showed on the racetrack.

SPEIGHTSTOWN GAL (m, 5, Cairo Prince–Speightstown Lady, by Speightstown), to be bred to Known Agenda

This maiden mare was one of the most elegant and athletic that I saw at the January sale this year (purchased for $38,000), which I feel is indicative of most Empire Maker-line mares. She was a winner at two and three, on both dirt and turf, and was on the board five of her seven races at Belmont and Saratoga. She has the scope and leg that will benefit Known Agenda, a stallion I am very excited about and feel would have become a star in the making if he had been able to execute a 4-year-old campaign. He is powerfully built, balanced, and priced perfectly as usual by Spendthrift.

Let us know who you're breeding your mares to in 2022, and why. We will print a selection of your responses in TDN over the coming weeks. Please send details to: garyking@thetdn.com.

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Over the past couple of years, acknowledging of the brevity of commercial momentum for so many sires once losing their freshman luster, we've got into the habit of granting some attention (more or less courteous!) to just about every stallion in the Bluegrass. But such an exhaustive approach has doubtless proved still more exhausting for the reader than for the compiler.

So, we've resolved to cut to the chase: the most horse for your buck. We'll still be taking each intake in turn, starting here with the new recruits; and we'll briefly assess their overall state of play before making and attempting to justify our selections for the Value Podium. We'll also acknowledge one or two who got close–while omitting more than enough names for no damning inferences to be made…

Of course, it's a wholly subjective exercise. Different stallions fit different mares. Okay, so maybe I would be more inclined than some to try and breed a horse that can actually run, when for many people selling must be the pragmatic priority. But I do persist in the naïve belief that there should be nothing more commercial, in the medium term, than putting a few winners under your mare.

No apologies either, then, for reiterating the usual caveat that almost every new stallion will turn out to be standing at a career-high fee. For every rookie that eventually hits a home run, a dozen will end up packing their bags either for a regional program or overseas.

This observation tends to annoy some people, who complain that proven sires are beyond reach and that you have to try and get ahead of the curve with an untested commodity. But I just don't buy that, when so many affordable stallions are shunned despite showing a consistent ability to get runners. As it is, stallion farms have an ever-narrowing window to retrieve their investment before everyone moves onto the next turn of the carousel. It's not the way they'd choose; and nor are the breeders really to blame. We in the media are certainly complicit, but the real fault rests with those directing investment at ringside.

Regardless, the object of this exercise isn't to identify the prospect “most likely”. If you were doing that, you would plainly start with the blatantly credentialed Essential Quality (Tapit), the sensationally talented Charlatan (Speightstown) or the knockout physical Maxfield (Street Sense). But these are priced accordingly (at $75,000, $50,000 and $40,000) and we're trying to find fees that improve your odds.

True, value can be found at all levels of the market: sometimes the most expensive stallion may actually be more competitively priced than cheaper peers. And this does feel like a fairly ordinary intake, in terms of depth. But it's going to be hard for any rookie to advance his fee, when this is the one opportunity for stud accountants to bank on some demand. Still, we can but try.

Bubbling under: It's rare for an animal as accomplished as Knicks Go to go to stud at so restrained a fee. Whether access to the Horse of the Year elect for just $30,000 at TaylorMade will produce commercial dividends simply depends on how far the market acknowledges that.

Paynter puts him in a tricky place. On the one hand, Knicks Go can't pretend to be a son of Tapit, like Essential Quality. On the other, if he confirms his sire to be terrific value, then you can access the proven fount of his excellence even more inexpensively.

His first three dams, moreover, are by left-field names in Outflanker, Allens Prospect and Medaille d'Or. But these are respectively sons of Danzig (out of a half-sister to Weekend Surprise), Mr. Prospector and Secretariat. Given that Paynter's own mother represents a dynasty that unexpectedly evolved into royalty, it's not as though we are short of viable genetic explanations for Knicks Go.

Remember that his dam deployed stakes speed through four seasons–so anticipating her son's remarkable 2-1-1 Breeders' Cup record at ages two, four and five. The bottom line is that he's standing at a much lower fee than a couple that couldn't lay a glove on him, and nobody should be at all surprised to see him prove his elite caliber all over again.

A quick word for Modernist, a sufficiently respectable racehorse to deserve an opportunity to recycle some illustrious genes from Darby Dan at $10,000. Uncle Mo appears to be a precocious sire of sires, and the same adjective applies to the late Bernardini as a broodmare sire: Modernist is out of a Bernardini half-sister to Breeders' Cup winners Sweet Catomine and Life Is Sweet (both by Storm Cat). And I like an influence as robust as Kris S. behind both the second dam and Uncle Mo's mother, who is by his son Arch.

BRONZE:  TACITUS (Tapit–Close Hatches by First Defence)

TaylorMade Stallions $10,000

No doubt Tacitus lost quite a lot of friends in winning just one of his last 12 races. But that record definitely didn't do justice to the ability he had shown in winning his maiden, the GII Tampa Bay Derby (stakes record) and GII Wood Memorial on his way to making the Derby frame via a wide trip. Arguably he was again undone by race position when contriving to lose the GI Belmont S. to Sir Winston (Awesome Again), but he soon ran out of excuses in thereafter mustering only a romp against overmatched rivals in the GII Suburban S.

He did subsequently manage a creditable fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, but the hope that he might piece everything back together this time round backfired horribly when he surfaced only in October, to no great effect, after trying his luck in the desert in February.

But while there were clearly issues ultimately thwarting his fulfilment, Tacitus had shown authentic glimpses of class–sufficient, certainly, to be worth a second chance in his new career. Because none of the stallions in this intake can surpass his genetic package, and he has been priced to tempt even the wariest.

Obviously, he is by a champion stallion out of a champion mare. But the real excitement comes from the sheer depth of a family tree tracing, via a branch cultivated through three generations by Juddmonte, to one of the great modern matriarchs in fifth dam Best In Show (Traffic Judge). The dynasty has repeatedly flashed its continued vitality this year, while this particular branch has another young stallion starting out in Japan in Siskin. That Irish Classic winner shares his sire First Defence with the dam of Tacitus, five-time Grade I winner Close Hatches, along with her unhappily-named sister Lockdown (made the frame in the GI Kentucky Oaks). First Defence, incidentally, is by a son of Unbridled out of Seattle Slew mare–none other than Honest Lady, from Toussaud's brood of Grade I winners–while Tapit is by a grandson of Seattle Slew out of an Unbridled mare.

All in all, then, Tacitus has the kind of seamless pedigree that would have warranted a roll of the dice in, say, a top regional program even if he had never made it onto the track. As it is, he showed enough ability to bank $3.7 million. Conceivably, then, you're looking at a sire who could emulate Tapit himself by redeeming at stud a degree of underachievement on the racetrack.

SILVER: SILVER STATE (Hard Spun–Supreme by Empire Maker)

Claiborne $20,000

Who else could get the silver medal than a horse bearing this name? There's an instant, old-school resonance to a GI Met Mile winner standing at a farm like this, and Claiborne tend to give clients a very fair chance in pricing their new stallions.

It would clearly be edifying for Hard Spun, as our youngest connection to Danzig, to come up with one or two worthy heirs and Silver State developed a pretty eligible profile with maturity. Having only been pushing the margins of the Derby trail as a Fair Grounds sophomore, Hard Spun became an exemplary project for his barn, regrouping after a lay-off to run up a six-timer as he progressed through the grades. He tapered off thereafter, but he had established himself as a tough and classy miler who had put some Danzig pep into a page with plenty of stretch.

Arguably, in fact, he might have flourished from better opportunity to explore his stamina. Certainly, the seeding of his family entitles Silver State to sire Classic types: his graded stakes-placed dam is by Empire Maker; his granddam is a sister to Monarchos, their mother being by Dixieland Band; and the fourth dam is by the doughty influence Roberto out of a half-sister to the mother of Dynaformer.

Roberto recurs in Silver State's pedigree as sire of Hard Spun's granddam, and so flags up the key to why this horse can be a still better stallion than he was a racehorse. For he combines Darby Dan royalty top and bottom. That Roberto granddam was a half-sister to Little Current, which means she was in turn out of a half-sister to two other farm legends in Chateaugay and Primonetta.

I can only imagine that Darby Dan would have loved to welcome Silver State “home” to the farm that cultivated the families of both sire and dam. As it is, it feels apt enough that he retires to the farm that stood his grandsire Danzig. You can measure Silver State's physique by his $450,000 yearling tag, while he won a race that has historically announced many a stallion by making them run that sweeping Belmont mile round a single turn, on a single, speed-carrying gasp.

Pedigree, check. Physique, check. Performance, check. If that's not enough for you, good luck.

GOLD: KNOWN AGENDA (Curlin–Byrama (GB) by Byron {GB}) 

Spendthrift $10,000

There's been a lot of water under the bridge since, but it's definitely worth rowing back to the spring and remembering how unequivocally blinkers had confirmed Known Agenda's place among the sophomore elite. He would hardly be the first good horse to derail in the Triple Crown series–and the Derby definitely didn't set up for his strengths anyway–and fortunately he had shown the commercial sense to win what is nowadays treated as an almost automatic signpost to stallion stardom, the GI Florida Derby.

A trend like that should not be embraced too literally, of course, but in this case his success corroborated a breakout 11-length romp in blinkers on his previous start. His raw talent had never been in doubt, after the Aqueduct maiden in which he dragged Greatest Honour–to me, still the most flamboyant talent in the crop–21 lengths clear of a colt that subsequently proved his own graded-stakes caliber.

Known Agenda (Curlin) has a most attractive shape to his pedigree, combining a two-turn big hitter on the main track with first and second dams of mutually contrasting profile: respectively a Grade I winner by a sprinting grandson of Danzig, and a daughter of a Classic distaff influence in Europe, Darshaan (GB), himself a son of the copper-bottomed stamina tap Shirley Heights (GB). If the damsire is unfamiliar, Europeans will recall the speed he inherited from both parents; and his bloodlines are regal. There are seams of gold along Known Agenda's bottom line, too: it gave us the redoubtable European influence Pharly (Fr), for instance; the third dam beat an aggregate 59 rivals in winning three consecutive sprints as a juvenile; and among the strands of the indispensable Princequillo are both Round Table and his full sister.

Known Agenda did enough on the track to suggest that he was blending the best of both worlds: speed and stamina, dirt and turf. That, to me, is the foremost commodity we should be seeking in new blood.

He has reliably been priced to have every chance at Spendthrift. That clearly means you are unlikely to be offering the only Known Agenda, at any given sale, but if our priority is value, this is the guy in this intake best equipped to multiply his yield. While you might not always agree with the principles that drive the market, we know how it functions and a breeder can only put bread on the table by anticipating demand. Call it… knowing the agenda! He graduates from an exemplary program and, while there are more accomplished rookies available, they will have to work a lot harder to move up their fees from where they are starting.

The post Value Sires for 2022, Part 1: New Stallions appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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“The year that Elusive Quality went to stud, pedigree expert Sid Fernando and I had a small side bet: Who was the best sleeper or long shot from that crop? Sid picked Distorted Humor, standing for $12,500, a pretty astute choice at the time. I, of course, picked Elusive Quality, who also went to stud very cheap–$10,000.

“As it turns out, we both picked wisely! The top two sires by progeny earnings through the first two months of 2009 are Distorted Humor and Elusive Quality, and both have sired a Kentucky Derby winner. For a while it looked like Sid's pick was going to blow my choice away–Distorted Humor is one of the best stallions in the country and stands for $150,000–but Elusive Quality has made a strong 'stretch run' to narrow the gap, much like his son Raven's Pass's amazing move in the Breeders' Cup Classic last fall.”

Distorted Humor and Elusive Quality aren't the only stallions to enter stud for fees of between $10,000 and $15,000 that later ballooned into six-figures. More recent examples include three of the best stallions now at stud: Into Mischief, who began for $12,500 in 2009 at Spendthrift; Tapit, who started for $15,000 at Gainesway in 2005; and War Front, whose initial fee at Claiborne was $12,500 in 2007.

It's never easy predicting sire success, but what these examples illustrate is that some top-tier stallions are not necessarily the best-raced champions, and it could well pay to scrutinize those horses that enter stud for between $10,000 and $15,000.

So far, in 2022 there will be at least eight new stallions in Kentucky in that price range (they are all entering stud for $10,000), and perhaps one or two of them will turn into a top-class stallion like those mentioned above. Below are some brief notes on each, listed alphabetically.

Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}–Reunited, by Dixie Union) at Lane's End: Bred and raced by Lane's End's W.S. Farish, Code of Honor was sired by an exported ex-Lane's End son of Galileo (Ire) who is a full brother to Frankel (GB). Code of Honor is an anomaly as a Grade l winner on dirt for a sire line known for high performance on turf. The great Galileo, for instance, has yet to sire a top-level winner on dirt, and neither has Frankel, his heir apparent. Perhaps Code of Honor will be the conduit for dirt success for the Galileo branch of Sadler's Wells, just as El Prado (Ire) was for Sadler's Wells himself? A $70,000 RNA at Keeneland September, Code of Honor is trained by Shug McGaughey and has won seven of 19 starts, earning almost $3 million, and he may yet make another start before he starts stud duty. He won his debut at two and was forward enough to finish second next out to Complexity in the Gl Champagne S. At three, he was second in the Gl Kentucky Derby and won both the Gl Travers and Gl Jockey Club Gold Cup at 10 furlongs–his metier. His dam was a Grade lll winner by the deceased Lane's End sire Dixie Union, and she produced the Grade ll-placed Big League (Speightstown) in addition to Code of Honor. The extended family includes Grade or Group 1 winners Juno, Fiesta Lady, Thorn Song, and Ali Bey, as well as the current Grade lll winner Dr. Post (Quality Road).

The skinny: A Grade l winner with lots of classic-distance form for the fee, plus the Galileo-sire line.

Independence Hall (Constitution–Kalahari Cat, by Cape Town) at WinStar: Bred by Woodford Thoroughbreds, Independence Hall was a $100,000 Keeneland September yearling. Racing for a partnership including Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Twin Creeks, and WinStar among others, Independence Hall most recently won the Gll Hagyard Fayette S. at Keeneland Oct. 30 for trainer Michael McCarthy, and altogether he's a winner of five of 13 starts and has earnings of $874,000. He'd won both his starts at two, including the Glll Nashua, and was once considered a highly promising Classics prospect for trainer Michael Trombetta but never lived up to that initial hype, and after a fifth-place finish in the Gl Florida Derby, the colt was transferred to McCarthy on the west coast with the year-end Gl Malibu S. as a target–a race in which he also finished fifth. At four this year, the colt did run third to Knicks Go in the Gl Pegasus World Cup Invitational, but he was subsequently unplaced in both the Gl Santa Anita H. and the Gl TVG Pacific Classic before his most recent win. He's from a dam who has two other black-type winners to her credit, including a Grade lll winner. His extended family has had plenty of top-level success, including White Moonstone, Desert Stormer, Better Lucky, Speedy Dollar, Tidal Light, Camp David, Media Sensation, Dorabella, and Insouciant.

The skinny: A Grade ll winner by a top son of Tapit, which makes him ideal for American dirt racing. Has plenty of pedigree, too.

Known Agenda (Curlin–Byrama {GB}, by Byron {GB}) at Spendthrift: Bred and raced by St. Elias Stable and trained by Todd Pletcher–who has trained a boatload of successful stallions–Known Agenda was put through the ring at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga but was a $135,000 RNA. He won three of eight starts, earning $640,000, most of that from winning the Gl Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa–the farm where Curlin, one of the best stallions in the country, stands. Known Agenda's dam is a Grade l winner, and the extended family includes a number of Group 1 or Grade l winners, including Commander Collins, Lit de Justice, North America, Gourmet Girl, Trebrook, Paradisus, Soviet Star, The Very One, Right Con, Fly Till Dawn and Melyno.

The skinny: He's by a top-Classic sire who has already had two sons sire Grade l winners in their first crops, his dam is a Grade l winner, his trainer has a knack for making stallions, and he won the Grade l race that's become the best indicator for future sire success.

Lexitonian (Speightstown–Riviera Romper, by Tapit) at Lane's End: Bred and raced by Calumet and trained by Jack Sisterson, Lexitonian was a late developer like many top-level sons and daughters of his sire. A winner of five of 21 starts and almost $720,000, Lexitonian won the Gl Alfred G. Vanderbilt this year at five, though he gave notice last year that he was a legit high-level sprinter when he wanted to run, with narrow seconds in the Gl Bing Crosby (by a nose) and Gl Churchill Downs S. (by a head). His winning dam was produced from Grade l winner Swap Fliparoo. The pedigree isn't particularly strong, though fourth dam Flip's Pleasure was a Grade l winner, and the extended family also includes top-level winner Big Macher.

The skinny: A Grade l winner by Speightstown, whose son Munnings, a Grade ll winner of four of 14 starts, began for $12,500 and will stand for $85,000 in 2022.

Modernist (Uncle Mo–Symbolic Gesture, by Bernardini) at Darby Dan: Bred and raced by Pam and Marty Wygod and trained by Bill Mott, Modernist was on the Triple Crown trail after winning the Gll Risen Star S., but after a third-place finish in his next start, in the Gll Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby, the colt was held out of the Kentucky Derby and Gl Preakness for the Gl Belmont S., a race in which he finished seventh of 10. He won the Glll Excelsior S. earlier this year at four and enters stud with a record of three wins from 11 starts and earnings of almost $600,000. What he lacks in top-class race form, he makes up in pedigree. His sire is one of the best young stallions in the country, and his dam is by the best young broodmare sire in N. America. The immediate family includes Grade l winner and champion Sweet Catomine as well as Grade l winner Life Is Sweet–both by Storm Cat–and the extended family includes such as Grade l winners Pirate's Revenge, Cherokee Run, and champion Midnight Bisou.

The skinny: A Grade ll winner, he's by a stallion whose first sons at stud–Nyquist, Laoban, and Outwork–are making an impact, and he's got a family and broodmare sire that add to his resume appeal. He will also appeal to Storm Cat-line mares, with whom both his sire and family have succeeded.

Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}–Rosa Bonheur, by Mr. Greeley) at Gainesway: Bred by the Wildenstein family's Dayton Investments and raced by Peter Brant with trainer Chad Brown, Raging Bull sold for the equivalent of $101,000 as a yearling at Goffs Orby. He's been part of a trend of European-sourced yearling purchases to make good for Brown in N. America, winning Grade l turf races at three, five, and six (this year), and all told, he has a record of seven wins from 22 starts and earnings of $1.7 million. Brant is introducing vibrant European sire lines to N. America with him and Demarchelier (GB) at Claiborne, but Demarchelier is by Dubawi (Ire), whose Seeking the Gold sire line is more familiar to American breeders. Raging Bull is from the European-based Northern Dancer line that's known for its specialist sprinter attributes through the sequence Royal Applause (GB)/Acclamation (GB)/Dark Angel, and this could be an important reintroduction of a branch of Northern Dancer to N. America that's been specific to Europe for decades. Raging Bull stayed farther here than typical members of this line do in Europe, but at the end of the day, the line is all about speed. The immediate pedigree isn't particularly strong, but the extended family includes such as top-level winners Shahtoush, Declan's Moon, Montmartre, Kalaglow, Thundering Star, Flying Duel, Dancing Duel, Ramonti, Zabrasive, and Kings Island.

Watch Raging Bull at Gainesway:

The skinny: Grade l winner and a member of an excellent sire line based on a foundation of speed that will introduce some diversity to the breed.

Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}–Charm the Maker, by Empire Maker) at Spendthrift: Bred by Ron and Deborah McAnally and raced by Hronis Racing and Talla Racing with trainer John Sadler, Rock Your World was by far the most expensive yearling of this group, selling for $650,000 at Keeneland September. A winner of three of seven starts and $600,000, he thrust himself into the Triple Crown picture earlier this spring with an impressive front-running score in the Gl Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, defeating eventual Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit by four-plus lengths. I discussed his pedigree in depth in April in this space, and you can read it here.

The skinny: A spring 3-year-old Grade l winner, he's by Candy Ride, whose son Gun Runner is carving up all freshman sires this year. That alone adds heft to his profile, but he's got speed, racing class, and pedigree, too.

Tacitus (Tapit–Close Hatches, by First Defence) at Taylor Made: A Juddmonte homebred trained by Bill Mott, Tacitus has the best pedigree of this group by a mile. His sire is one of the best in the country and has a top-class son in Constitution, and his dam is champion and Grade l winner Close Hatches, who descends from blue hen Best in Show–one of the most influential mares in the Stud Book and the ancestress of too many high-class winners to name here. A winner of four of 17 starts and $3.7 million, Tacitus began his career as if he'd become one of the most expensive young horses to enter stud, winning three of his first four starts, including the Gll Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby and the Gll Wood Memorial S. Presented by NYRA Bets. In fact, he was the favorite in the 2019 Kentucky Derby, but he ran third, and soon thereafter the pattern emerged that he was never quite good or lucky enough to get that Grade l race on his resume, though he tried mightily, hitting the board in such Grade l races as the Belmont S., Travers, Jockey Club Gold Cup (twice), and Woodward.

The skinny: Grade ll winner by the sire of Constitution with so much family that his good-enough race record takes a back seat.

Watch Tacitus at Taylor Made:

Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks.

The post Taking Stock: New Kentucky Stallions at $10,000 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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“Any time you can add a Florida Derby winner by Curlin with his looks and pedigree, you jump at the opportunity,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “Known Agenda ticks an awful lot of boxes, and the Florida Derby has produced a lot of very good sires, especially in recent history. We are delighted to partner again with Vinnie Viola, who bred and raced this colt out of his Grade I-winning mare. Known Agenda is one of those rare classic-type Grade I winners that is by a Grade I winner and out of a Grade I winner.”

He added, “He reminded us quite a bit of [GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner] Vino Rosso, another son of Curlin that we stand that Vinnie co-owned and campaigned with Todd Pletcher. If Known Agenda's foals look anything like what we have seen from Vino Rosso, then the sky's the limit.”

A St. Elias Stables homebred, Known Agenda broke his maiden as a 2-year-old last fall at Aqueduct, defeating subsequent GII Fountain of Youth S. winner Greatest Honour. At three, he won a Gulfstream allowance race by 11 lengths before winning the Florida Derby going away by 2 3/4 lengths.

“We are excited to be standing Known Agenda, our first homebred to go to stud, at Spendthrift Farm,” said Viola. “This colt showed early promise at two and continued to move forward at three with a dominant victory in the Florida Derby. We are looking for him to continue the great tradition of Florida Derby winners going on to successful stud careers, and we plan on supporting him heavily in that mission.”

An earner of $641,700, Known Agenda became the first Florida Derby winner for his sire Curlin. He is out of Byrama, winner of the 2013 GI Vanity S. on the main track at Hollywood Park.

“Known Agenda reminded me a great deal of Vino Rosso,” added the colt's Hall of Fame trainer. “He possessed the qualities of some of the better Curlins we've had. He's a good-sized, athletic, very well-balanced horse. His Florida Derby win was ultra-impressive, and, obviously, that's been a great race for us when you think of the colts that have gone on to become top sires like [GISWs] Scat Daddy and Constitution.”

For more information visit www.SpendthriftFarm.com.

The post Known Agenda Retired to Spendthrift appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The son of leading sire Curlin will stand for an introductory fee of $10,000 S&N and will be offered through the farm's renowned “Share The Upside” program on a limited basis. He is available for inspection by appointment.

“Any time you can add a Florida Derby winner by Curlin with his looks and pedigree, you jump at the opportunity. Known Agenda ticks an awful lot of boxes, and the Florida Derby has produced a lot of very good sires, especially in recent history,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “We are delighted to partner again with Vinnie Viola, who bred and raced this colt out of his Grade 1-winning mare. Known Agenda is one of those rare classic-type Grade 1 winners that is by a Grade 1 winner and out of a Grade 1 winner. He reminded us quite a bit of Vino Rosso, another son of Curlin that we stand that Vinnie co-owned and campaigned with Todd Pletcher. If Known Agenda's foals look anything like what we have seen from Vino Rosso, then the sky's the limit.”

A homebred for Vinnie Viola's St. Elias Stables, Known Agenda broke his maiden as a 2-year-old last fall at Aqueduct, defeating eventual G2 Fountain of Youth Stakes winner Greatest Honour. At three, he won a Gulfstream allowance race by 11 lengths before capturing the prestigious $750,000 Florida Derby going away by 2 3/4 lengths, stamping himself as a leading sophomore.

“We are excited to be standing Known Agenda, our first homebred to go to stud, at Spendthrift Farm,” said Viola. “This colt showed early promise at two and continued to move forward at three with a dominant victory in the Florida Derby. We are looking for him to continue the great tradition of Florida Derby winners going on to successful stud careers, and we plan on supporting him heavily in that mission.”

Known Agenda joined champion Essential Quality and Medina Spirit as the only Kentucky Derby contenders to run a 6 on the Ragozin Sheets heading into the Run for the Roses, where he would encounter a troubled trip breaking from the vaunted post No. 1.

An earner of $641,700, Known Agenda became the first Florida Derby winner for his sire Curlin. He is also a Grade 1 winner by a Grade 1 winner and out of a Grade 1 winner, as his dam Byrama captured the 2013 Vanity S. (G1) on the main track at Hollywood Park.

“Known Agenda reminded me a great deal of Vino Rosso. He possessed the qualities of some of the better Curlins we've had. He's a good-sized, athletic, very well-balanced horse,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “His Florida Derby win was ultra-impressive, and, obviously, that's been a great race for us when you think of the colts that have gone on to become top sires like Scat Daddy and Constitution.”

The post Grade 1 Winner Known Agenda Retired To Spendthrift Farm For 2022 Season appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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To read previous editions of The Haiku Handicapper, click here.

#1 – Bourbonic
Thirteenth in Derby
Accurate barometer
Of his class level

#2 – Essential Quality
Practically ran this
Going wide in the Derby
Still head of his class

#3 – Rombauer
Shocked the Preakness field
Is it a long-term form jump
Or just a bubble?

#4 – Hot Rod Charlie
Belongs in this spot
But “play against” is safe when
O'Neill tries this race

#5 – France Go de Ina
アメリカで
ぶどうを食べた
頑張るよ

Thanks to Japan Triple Crown recruiter Kate Hunter for writing this haiku in Japanese, fitting it within the format's syllable parameters in that language. Here's how it reads in English:

In America
I ate a lot of grapes
I will try my best

#6 – Known Agenda
Substitute rider
Shouldn't harm his otherwise
Sterling credentials

#7 – Rock Your World
Derby woes aside,
Are we sure he has the gas
To last on the lead?

#8 – Overtook
The one thing he has
Over Known Agenda is
A higher sale price

Prediction
“Quality” holds sway
Over game Known Agenda
Three, four fill super

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