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Champion Classic Empire Purchased By Korean Racing Authority

Champion 2-year-old male Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) was purchased by the Korea Racing Authority and arrived Dec. 18 to continue his stud career for the 2024 breeding season, as first reported by The Paulick Report and confirmed by Ashford Stud.

The 9-year-old stood at the farm in Versailles, Kentucky, where he was shuttled to Chile on multiple occasions. As of 2023, his oldest foals are 4-year-olds, and his progeny have won 113 races with earnings of more than $13.5 million.

Angel of Empire is his most successful offspring, who won this year's GII Risen Star S. and like his sire, the GI Arkansas Derby. Serving as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby, the colt finished third. Classic Empire is also the sire of GISP Interstatedaydream, GSW Morello and GSW Classy Edition.

Bred in Kentucky by Steven and Brandi Nicholson and campaigned by John Oxley, Classic Empire won five of nine starts and earned $2,520,220. Named champion 2-year-old male, the Mark Casse trainee won the GIII Bashford Manor S., the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

At three, Classic Empire finished fourth in the 2017 Derby and was runner-up to Cloud Computing (Maclean's Music) in the GI Preakness S. After an abscess was discovered in his right front hoof, he was sidelined for the GI Belmont S. and never raced again.

Classic Empire joins GISW West Will Power (Bernardini) among U.S.-based newcomers to Korea for next season.

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‘A Lot of People, a Lot of Energy & a Lot of Activity’ – Bolt d’Oro Filly Leads Way During KEESEP Book 5 Finale

A filly by Bolt d'Oro brought $127,000 from Choctaw Racing to lead the way during Thursday's Book 5 finale at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. A son of Frosted was the highest-priced colt on the day and the session's second-highest priced yearling, realizing $110,000 from the Korea Racing Authority.

Ten yearlings brought $100,000 or more during the session while 13 hit that mark last year.

Keeneland sold a total of 289 yearlings through the ring Thursday for $9,276,500, good for an average of $32,099 and a median of $25,000. The gross was down 10.24% from last year's $10,335,000 when 308 horses sold. The average decreased 4.34% from $33,555 in 2022, while the median stayed the same.

Cumulatively, a total of 2,392 yearlings have changed hands for $388,649,700, good for an average of $162,479 and a median of $85,000. The gross is 2.82% below the same period last year when 2,488 horses sold for $399,940,000. The average price of $162,479 is slightly above $160,748, while the median of $85,000 is equal to last year.

Calumet Farm acquired five yearlings for a total of $390,000 to be the session's leading buyer. Taylor Made Sales Agency was Thursday's leading consignor with gross sales of $795,000 for 25 horses sold.

“Today has been amazing,” Taylor Made's Mark Taylor said nearing the end of Thursday's session.

“I don't know what the final numbers will bear out. But it's just been amazing–the activity. Horses got shown more than they ever have in Book 5 and they've gotten vetted more than they ever have in Book 5. And generally speaking, if they vet, they are selling very well. To me, it feels like a lot of people, a lot of energy and a lot of activity. A lot of it is driven by the pinhookers, who have been shut out along the way. I expect Book 6 to be better than usual.”

Airdrie Stud freshman sire Complexity led all sires on the day with eight yearlings sold, including a pair of six-figure sellers, for a total of $402,000 ($50,250 average). Taylor Made Stallions's fellow first-crop sire Instagrand checked in third on the day with eight yearlings bringing $369,000 ($46,125 average). Darley's Frosted split the pair with seven yearlings realizing $399,000 ($57,000 average).

Bred in Kentucky by Gabriel Duignan's Springhouse Farm, Thursday's Bolt d'Oro session topper was consigned as Hip 3590 by Paramount Sales, Agent LXXXIII. The daughter of the unraced Tale of the Cat mare Tigress Tale is a half-sister to last summer's Coronation Cup S. heroine Empress Tigress (Classic Empire).

The aforementioned son of Frosted was produced by the Forest Wildcat mare Streaker, a half-sister to Phipps GISWs Pine Island (Arch) and Point of Entry (Dynaformer). Consigned by Brookdale Sales, agent, as Hip 3572, he was bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. Oliver S. Tait.

The September Sale has two sessions remaining on Friday and Saturday, both beginning at 10 a.m. ET.

Nothing But Net…

DeJuan Smith, a ringman for Keeneland and also a show person for Taylor Made Sales, enjoyed a fantastic return on investment with a colt from the first crop of Instagrand on Thursday.

Purchased for just $15,000 earlier this year as a FTKFEB yearling, the New York-bred brought $105,000 from Don't Stop Me Now Stable at KEESEP.

Out of the winning More Than Ready mare Sistas Ready, the dark bay received a very timely update when his 2-year-old half-brother Vote No (Divisidero) captured the Pepsi Juvenile Sprint S. at Kentucky Downs last week.

He was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Agent XXVII, as Hip 3552.

“DeJuan started pinhooking last year, had some success and did very well,” Taylor said. “This was his only one that he had this year and just did a great job raising the horse. It was a New York-bred and he got a very timely update right before the sale. It all came together and he did very well.”

Instagrand has also been represented by a $350,000 colt (Hip 1524) and a $125,000 colt (Hip 1174) so far during this Keeneland September sale. He stood for $7,500 this year.

“Instagrand has been great and a lot of people are talking about him,” Taylor said. “He's throwing really nice-looking horses. He's got a lot of momentum right now.”

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Knicks Go Ready For Sophomore Season at Taylor Made

After a debut season at Taylor Made during which he covered a hefty book of better than 150 mares, Horse of the Year and five-time Grade I winner Knicks Go (Paynter) is champing at the bit to get back to work as breeding sheds open their doors across Central Kentucky. The Korea Racing Authority raced the gray to 10 victories over the course of four-plus seasons and earnings north of $9.2 million, and his first year at Taylor Made has led to even greater optimism for his second. The KRA's Lee Joo-Win was generous enough to field a set of questions reflecting on last year and looking forward to 2023:

TDN: As a racehorse, you just don't see things like what Knicks Go accomplished. Grade I winner at two and later at eight, nine and 10 furlongs, yet strikes as a horse that was perhaps underrated.

Lee Jin-Woo: Knicks Go's race record speaks for itself, as he is an Eclipse Award winner and was Longines #1 Racehorse in the world of 2021. He was a Grade I winner at two at Keeneland and also won Grade Is as a 4- and 5-year-old. He danced all the dances winning both the GI Breeders' Cup Classic and GI Dirt Mile in strong wire-to-wire fashion. Our genetic research tells us speed can be genetically passed onto offspring and we are already getting great reviews from the early foal reports. Everyone says they are very athletic, well-balanced and smart foals so far.

TDN: How was Knicks Go selected as a yearling and why was it decided to race him in the U.S. instead of exporting him to Korea?

L J-W: K-Nicks is the genomic selection system made by the Korea Racing Authority. Genomic selection is a breeding technique that uses genomic data, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), to predict an individual's breeding value for racing ability. Knicks Go was selected by K-Nicks at the 2017 Keeneland September sale. He had the highest breeding value among about 100 samples collected four weeks prior to the sale. His breeding value is 150, which is in the top 3% of the Thoroughbred population.

TDN: What stands out about Knicks Go as a physical specimen? Are there other attributes that make him desirable?

L J-W: As Brad Cox said after winning the Breeders' Cup Classic, Knicks Go is built for American dirt racing. In other words, he has innate precocity, speed and stamina. He's a very well-balanced, athletic horse, correct, with a big walk. Knicks Go is an extremely intelligent horse that loved to train and race. As a middle-distance racehorse rather than a sprinter, he has tremendous turn of foot in his two-turn races. A large, strong heart and athletically superior conformation made this possible. If you watch his races, he was always able to put a few lengths on the competition coming out of the turn and that's purely an athletic trait, being able to corner those turns at a high rate of speed. Also, Knicks Go was a very sound racehorse in his career and raced without Lasix as an older horse

TDN: What does Knicks Go offer from a pedigree standpoint?

L J-W: Knicks Go is an Awesome Again line, and free of A.P. Indy and Storm Cat in his pedigree, so he can be tried with a lot of different bloodlines through A.P. Indy and sons and grandsons as well as anything from the Storm Cat line. Very outstanding sires such as Mr. Prospector and Northern Dancer have a moderate height and have well-balanced conformation, delivering excellent heritability.

TDN: Talk about his first book of mares (quantity and quality) that he covered in 2022 and how he adapted to life as a stallion.

L J-W: Knicks Go had a very strong book of 151 mares in his first year at stud. Both his CI and CPI ranked #3 amongst all stallions in his crop. He received very good support from all of the big commercial breeders in Central Kentucky and was very well backed by Taylor Made's large client base of both commercial and breed-to-race customers. It can be a little bit of an adjustment coming straight into the breeding shed off the racetrack with only a few weeks in between. He settled in well after just a few weeks of breeding. He has great libido and fertility and is just as professional in the breeding shed as he was on the racetrack.

TDN: Can you tick off some of the breeders who patronized the stallion in his first year?

L J-W: We had a wonderful response from some top breeders, including Ashview Farm, Ballyrankin Stud, Bloodstock Investments, Joel Politi, Calumet Farm, Castleton Lyons, Clarkland Farm, Classic Bloodstock, Coteau Grove Farms, Crestwood Farm, Denali Stud, Watercress Farm, Machmer Hall, Manganaro Bloodstock, Narvick International, Allen Poindexter, Pollock Farms, Ramspring Farms, Rose Hill Farm, Runnymede Farm, Shawnee Farm, Spruce Lane Farm, St. George Stables, LLC, Stonehaven Steadings, Stoneriggs Farm, Town & Country, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Team Block, Walking L. Thoroughbreds and Woods Edge Farm (Peter O'Callaghan actually purchased Knicks Go as a weanling).

TDN: The list of sires set to be represented by their first foals in 2023 is formidable. How does Knicks Go fit in?

L J-W: We believe Knicks Go was the best racehorse to retire to stud in 2022. Knicks Go was a very precocious racehorse breaking his maiden first-time out in July of his 2-year-old year, won the Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland by 5 1/2 lengths and ran a very game second to Game Winner in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He really thrived as an older horse under the training of Brad Cox and the switch to Joel Rosario. The more aggressive training and riding style was a natural fit that led to winning TWO different Breeders' Cup races along with the historic GI Whitney H. at Saratoga in a romp and the GI Pegasus World Cup.

TDN: How do the KRA plan on supporting him at stud? Were they/are they involved in purchasing mares to breed to him? Will they be targeting his progeny at the sales?

L J-W: KRA is promoting the establishment of a joint venture in the U.S., and the venture will purchase Knicks Go's weanlings and yearlings. Mares that are suitable for Knicks Go based on our genetic system have also been purchased.

TDN: Are there any plans in place to stand KG in Korea?

L J-W: The KRA is committed to keeping Knicks Go in the United States and giving his progeny the opportunity to perform as racehorses. He will be given every chance to be a successful stallion in the United States. Just like any other stallion standing in Kentucky, the success of his progeny will be evaluated and that will determine his long-term future.

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Horse of the Year Knicks Go Settling in at Stud

Two-time Breeders' Cup Champion and newly-crowned 2021 Horse of the Year Knicks Go is already well underway in his first year at stud at Taylor Made Stallions. It's been a whirlwind stretch for the five-time grade I winner over the past few weeks after his final career start in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. as he traveled from Florida to Kentucky and had just a few days to prepare for the upcoming breeding season before the shed doors officially opened.

“He ran in the Pegasus on Jan. 29, shipped on the 30^th and started test breeding the next day,” Taylor Made's Brooks Taylor shared. “He bred his first mare on the eighth this month and has already bred 10 mares. He's taken to his job really well. He really didn't have any time off.”

Such a quick turnaround might bring about some apprehension for those overseeing a young stallion's career, but Taylor said most horses take it all in stride.

“There is a lot riding on it, but I think they can handle it as long as you treat them right and make it as easy as possible for them. You make sure to give them enough time outside and things like that.”

For now, Knicks Go's first book includes close to 160 mares, but Taylor said that number may increase as the season continues.

He added that the Taylor Made team is thrilled with how their new sire's first book is shaping up and explained how as they were searching for mares for him, their two main focuses were physical and race record.

“Physical is important to us,” he said. “We realize that in that first year, how they sell is really important. We want to breed the best physical that fits him. For me personally, I like Tiznow mares with him and he has about 10 Tiznow mares. We also wanted horses with a race record behind them and horses that could prove they could run. We didn't want a lot of unraced mares. It's really about trying to balance the physical with all these other different factors.”

Taylor, the son of the President of Taylor Made Stallions Ben Taylor, started his career in the industry by working on the farm at Taylor Made and spending summers gaining hands-on experience abroad in France, Argentina, Brazil and Australia. He spent several breeding seasons working with the Taylor Made stallions before moving into the office to work as a stallion sales assistant for eight years. Now 35, Taylor serves as a Thoroughbred advisor, helping clients reach their breeding and racing goals.

He also played a major role in landing Knicks Go onto the Taylor Made stud roster.

Taylor remembers first laying eyes on the colt when the talented gray was just a 2-year-old at Keeneland.

“I've known [Korean Racing Authority racing manager] Jun Park for a long time through selling seasons with him and seeing him at the sales,” he explained. “I had watched the Sanford and thought it was cool that the KRA was winning here in the U.S. I was at Keeneland for the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and remember looking at Knicks Go in the paddock and thinking, 'Man he's a pretty horse.' He ended up winning really impressively and I just remember being so happy for Jun and the KRA to see them have that success.”

Two years later at the Keeneland Fall meet, Knicks Go claimed his second win since the Breeders' Futurity. Discussions about his future stud career grew more frequent as he prepared for the GI Breeders Cup Dirt Mile.

“I had asked Jun what their plans were and he said they wanted to stand him in the U.S.,” Taylor recalled. “I told him when the time comes, we would like to have that conversation. We wanted to see how it played out. Once it looked like he was going back to the Breeders' Cup last year, we made our pitch.”

Taylor Made was of course not the only stud farm hoping to add Knicks Go to their roster.

“They told us what they wanted and we told them what we could do and we met in the middle on everything,” Taylor said. “We just got lucky I guess, but we were always ecstatic about the horse. I also talked a lot with Jun about Not This Time and I told him that the one thing we did right with him is we went after horses with 2-year-old form. I think our discussion about how important race record is and talking about how we did things with Not This Time is really what drew them to us.”

Knicks Go's accolades from the racetrack also include 2021 Longines World's Best Racehorse and along with his Horse of the Year title, he was also named champion older dirt male. The accomplished six-year-old retired with career earnings of over $9.2 million.

“It's pretty cool to have a racehorse of this caliber,” Taylor said. “It doesn't happen often. We're very blessed to have him and we got really lucky. It's one of those things where you're so excited but you don't want to go start shouting about it or anything, you just want to work hard so that they succeed, and then you can celebrate.”

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