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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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Tiger Moth Filly Gets Going at Hanshin

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Hanshin and Hakodate Racecourses:

Saturday, June 17, 2023
5th-HSN, ¥13,720,000 ($97k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200m
ECORO GAIA (c, 2, Speightstown–Charge of Angels, by Distorted Humor) is a full-brother to the stakes-placed Winning Number and is out of an unraced daughter of the outstanding producer She's A Winner (A.P. Indy), whose offspring include GISW Bluegrass Cat (Storm Cat), MGSW Lord of the Game (Saint Ballado) and GSW Dramedy (Distorted Humor). She's A Winner's full-siblings include GISW Girolamo, MGSW/GISP Daydreaming– the dam of GISW Imagining (Giant's Causeway)–MGSW & GISP Acclerator and the dam of GI Kentucky Derby hero Super Saver (Maria's Mon). A $120,000 Keeneland September purchase, Ecoro Gaia is the 50th Japanese starter for this sire and looks to become his 42nd winner. Charge of Angels was purchased by Chad Schumer in foal to Charlatan for $40,000 at KEENOV last fall. B-Spry Family Farm (KY)

Sunday, June 18, 2023
2nd-HSN, ¥10,480,000 ($74k), Maiden, 3yo, 1400mT
MERITITES (f, 3, American Pharoah–Gem Gem, by Tapit) cost JS Company $140,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale and is out of a full-sister to GISW Careless Jewel who was knocked down to R. J. Bennett on behalf of breeder Charles Fipke for $625,000 in foal to Uncle Mo at the 2016 KEENOV sale. The pensioned Careless Jewel is the dam of Reframe (American Pharoah), who made up for some single-minded ways to become a listed winner of over $670,000 in Japan. B-Charles Fipke (KY)

5th-HAK, ¥13,720,000 ($96k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT
THREE TIGER (f, 2, Into Mischief–Tiger Moth, by Street Sense) is the second foal out of her dual Grade III-winning dam, a half-sister to the classy MGSW Last Gunfighter (First Samurai) and to the dam of Grade II-placed juvenile filly Dancing Belle (First Samurai). Herself a $375,000 graduate of last year's Keeneland September Sale, Three Tiger is the year-younger half-sister to $675,000 KEESEP buy Harbour Bridge (Justify), a latest second in a Churchill maiden allowance June 2. B-John D Gunther (KY)

7th-HSN, ¥15,200,000 ($107k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1600mT
T O GRANVILLE (c, 3, Lea–All in Fun, by Tapit) belied odds of 34-1 to score a visually impressive three-length victory when debuted over a mile at Niigata May 20 (see below, SC 10) and gets a positive rider change to Mirai Iwata for this second go. The stakes-placed All in Fun, a sister to MGSP Tight Ten, was purchased by Winchester Farm for $125,000 with this colt in utero at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale and has since been exported to Japan, where she foaled a Justify filly in 2021. The colt's third dam is two-time Grade I winner Fleet Renee (Seattle Slew). B-Mishima Stud Ltd (KY)

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Mo Stash Goes Gate-To-Wire In Transylvania

In the first graded win for young sire Mo Town (by Uncle Mo), Mo Stash (Mo Town–Making Mark Money, by Smart Strike) hung tough on the lead to win the GIII Kentucky Utilities Transylvania S. on opening day of the always-anticipated spring meet at Keeneland. Nagirroc (Lea), who finished one spot in front of the Transylvania winner in their only previous meeting, the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf over this course, was second with Webslinger (Constitution)–11th in the Juvenile Turf–third.

The complexion of the race changed when Chad Brown scratched Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who sported a field-high 92 Beyer in his last. Mo Stash, away cleanly from stall seven in the Transylvania, shook free of the others and slid down to the rail to mark the first quarter a length clear in :23.69. The field began stringing out, but Mo Stash kept his position, getting the half in :48.41 and the three-quarters in 1:13.84. He was joined by a host of challengers in the stretch only to repel all, including Nagirroc, who briefly looked as though he had the winner measured.

“There was a lot of pacing going on up there and I thought, 'Oh, geez, now we're going to have to set the pace,'” said winning trainer Vicki Oliver, who won the first Keeneland stakes of her career in the Transylvania. “We were kind of getting pushed down the backside, and then [jockey Luis] Saez slipped away and got out on his own, and he could relax a little bit, and when he turned for home prevailed on and ran a really good race.”

Tried for the first time beyond a mile in the Transylvania, Mo Stash spent the majority of his 2-year-old campaign sprinting. A maiden winner at Ellis last August, he's done some of his best work at Keeneland. He finished second in the Lexington oval's Indian Summer S. last October at 5 1/2 furlongs which propelled him to a fourth in the one-mile Breeders' Cup. Freshened until Mar. 11, he reappeared again at a mile in Tampa Bay's Columbia S. and secured a runner-up spot behind a 91 Beyer performance by Talk of the Nation (Quality Road). Mo Stash has run exclusively on the grass.

As for what's next, Oliver added: “It's still going to be a question mark about how far he will go, but today it looked like he just kept going and could go another sixteenth. That might just be his running style. There's a lot of races out there between a mile, mile-and-an-eighth. We'll just have to pick them out as we go.”

Pedigree Notes:

Ashford stallion Mo Town, winner of the GI Hollywood Derby on the lawn and the GII Remsen S. on the dirt, has sired three black-type winners in his first crop with Mo Stash being his first to win or place in a graded event. Mo Stash is out of a mare by the late Smart Strike, whose 159 stakes winners out of his daughters include a number of champions as well as reigning GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice).

Mo Stash is the second stakes performer for his dam, Making Mark Money, whose 2021 GII Tampa Bay Derby runner-up and GIII Sam F. Davis third Hidden Stash (Constitution) also runs for BBN Racing connections and is also trained by Oliver. The 5-year-old's most recent start was a third in an optional allowance at Tampa Feb. 21 after an eight-month layoff. He ran 14th in the 2021 GI Kentucky Derby. It was at the 2021 Keeneland September sale that BBN picked up Mo Stash for $130,000. Making Mark Money's only foal since is a yearling colt by Practical Joke. She was bred to McKinzie for 2023.

Making Mark Money's granddam is the wonderful La Affirmed, a half to champion Outstandingly (Exclusive Native) and dam of four graded winners. Among her descendants are GISWs Sky Mesa (Pulpit), Maxfield (Street Sense), and Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile). The female line traces directly to La Troienne through her granddaughter Busanda, who contributed mightily to the breed, not the least through her Horse of the Year son and stellar sire Buckpasser (Tom Fool).

KENTUCKY UTILITIES TRANSYLVANIA S.-GIII, $396,250, Keeneland, 4-7, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.05, gd.
1–MO STASH, 118, c, 3, by Mo Town
                1st Dam: Making Mark Money, by Smart Strike
                2nd Dam: Kapsiki, by Danzig
                3rd Dam: La Affirmed, by Affirmed
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($130,000
Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-BBN Racing, LLC; B-Rhineshire Farm LLC
(KY); T-Victoria H. Oliver; J-Luis Saez. $229,400. Lifetime
Record: 6-2-2-0, $392,275. *1/2 to Hidden Stash
(Constitution), MGSP, $291,382. Werk Nick Rating: A+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Nagirroc, 118, c, 3, Lea–Emma Spencer (Ire), by Zamindar.
O-Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables LLC and William
Strauss; B-Chervenell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-H. Graham
Motion. $74,000.
3–Webslinger, 118, g, 3, Constitution–Arana, by Hard Spun.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($45,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP;
$25,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $45,000 RNA 2yo '22 OBSAPR;
$50,000 2yo '22 OBSOPN). O-D. J. Stable LLC; B-Kenneth L. &
Sarah K. Ramsey (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $37,000.
Margins: 1, 1, 1. Odds: 5.48, 3.63, 4.96.
Also Ran: Mi Hermano Ramon, Andthewinneris, Candidate, Freedom Trail, Dude N Colorado (GB), Wonderful Justice (GB), Movisitor, Rarified Flair. Scratched: Carl Spackler (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Legacy Equine Academy Exposes New Generation to Racing

Growing up near Third Street in Lexington, Ron Mack spent much of his childhood playing football with friends on what was once the infield of the Kentucky Association racetrack, but he didn't realize that they were throwing a football on hallowed ground until years later. After playing football for the University of Kentucky and then building a career in commercial banking in Atlanta, Mack returned to Lexington in 2014 and began digging into the history of horse racing and the Kentucky Association.

What Mack learned through his research led to him founding Legacy Equine Academy (LEA)–an organization dedicated to bridging the contributions African America horsemen have made to racing throughout history to the future of the industry by introducing middle and high school students from a diverse background to the sport. Launched in 2016, the non-profit has partnered with the Fayette County public school system to introduce students to career opportunities in equine and agricultural industries and provide a pipeline for higher education and future job opportunities.

“I created the Legacy brand because we want to develop a legacy as far as our mission is concerned to pay homage to the legacy of the Black jockeys and horsemen who have been so instrumental to forming today's standards in the Thoroughbred industry,” Mack explained. “There's no shortage of books in the library, but I learned that people don't really know the history. Through that process, I founded the Legacy Equine Academy.”

LEA organizes field trips aimed to expose their students to various aspects of the equine industry. The group regularly hosts trips to the Kentucky Horse Park and the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs, often with 50 to 100 students in attendance. They have also taken students to Keeneland during the September Yearling Sale and to various breeding farms in Lexington including Taylor Made Farm. LEA has partnered with Spy Coast Farm, which specialized in breeding and development of performance horses, for the use of their breeding, development and education center for hands-on activities and career training.

One of the organization's main focuses is to make sure students have the opportunity to meet individuals from all aspects of the industry, from bloodstock agents and veterinarians to farm managers and racetrack officials. Mack said that one of the most important aspects of their outings is when students network with these industry professionals and get the chance to visualize themselves in a similar career one day.

“We have in-class sessions with the kids to give professionals in the industry an opportunity to talk about their career and what their career path has been,” he said. “The kids absolutely love it. You're exposing a new audience to the equine agriculture community and their questions are great. They're coming from a perspective of where they just don't know. The enthusiasm around our activities and our tours is just so rewarding to see that you're really changing a mindset when they realize those opportunities are out there.”

In the early days of the academy, trips were held during school hours, but during COVID they began running after-hour and weekend activities. This proved to be beneficial when it increased parent involvement and participation.

LEA provides scholarship opportunities for their students through the Legacy Foundation and also coordinates apprenticeship positions for students interested in certain aspects of the industry. Mack proudly shared the story of one student who joined LEA in the seventh grade. She soon became interested in agriculture and, with the help of a scholarship from the Legacy Foundation, is now majoring in Agricultural Science at Western Kentucky University.

Mack is quick to point out that LEA is only possible with the help of industry organizations. He named Keeneland, the Kentucky Horse Park and Spy Coast Farm as a few of their biggest supporters.

“We've had a great deal of support from the equine community and the corporate community,” he explained. “Part of our pipeline is developing and leveraging those relationships and resources. Through that, we're able to have the kids travel and get hands-on activities to expose them to all things equine. We are very proud of the alliances that we have created here over the last several years to grow what we do.”

LEA activities are also made possible through their annual Legacy Ball, a high-end charity event featuring food, live music and bourbon. Proceeds from the event benefit LEA and the many scholarships that the Legacy organization puts together every year.

Mack explained that the idea for the Legacy Ball actually developed before Legacy Equine Academy came about. When he was first learning about the history of racing, he came up with the idea of the Legacy Ball in hopes of educating the community about the historical accomplishments of African American horsemen. He organized a meeting with Claiborne's Seth Hancock to pitch his idea.

“I will never forget Seth's response,” Mack recalled. “Seth said they would support the Legacy Ball and that he thought it was a great idea, but he wanted to talk more about the industry at large as far as the racial makeup of the industry. After that conversation is when I created the Legacy Equine Academy because there was an opportunity to better educate young people and give them exposure and access to the professional opportunities in the industry.”

While the Legacy Ball could not be held in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID, it will return for it's fourth year on Saturday, April 30 at Fasig-Tipton. The event will be hosted by University of Kentucky basketball legend Jack Givens.

“We're offering the public an opportunity to help us support the mission that we're on to educate our young people,” Mack said. “This is our main fundraising mechanism to grow and get more resource for what we do. We want to have a very diversified group of folks come out and enjoy the event–whether they're industry folks, politicians or educators.”

As LEA continues to grow, they are working to broaden their reach geographically by expanding into Scott County outside of Lexington and into the Louisville area.

“This is where the corporate industry and the Thoroughbred industry can hop on board with us and support us, and we have already received a great deal of support from many organizations in the industry,” Mack said. “With the growth of what we do, we continue to need transportation for the organization and we continue to need funding to offer a broader, bigger footprint.”

To learn more about the Legacy Ball and Legacy Equine Academy, click here.

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