mating plans | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mating Plans, presented by Spendthrift: Resolute Bloodstock

As the 2024 breeding season is now underway, the TDN staff is sitting down with breeders to find out what stallions they have chosen for their mares, and why. Here we catch up with Chelsey Stone, the Director of Breeding for John Stewart's Resolute Bloodstock. Stewart made a huge splash at the yearling and breeding stock sales in 2023 and he purchased the former Shadwell Stud property in Midway, Kentucky to launch Resolute Farm.

“We have such an awesome fleet of mares, but we are always looking to add to the group,” said Stone. “We have 16 mares total. 5 of those are maidens and so we are due for eleven foals this year.”

GOODNIGHT OLIVE (m, 6, Ghostzapper – Salty Strike, by Smart Strike) bred to Not This Time

Purchased for $6 million at 2023 Fasig-Tipton November

She was the first mare to visit Not This Time this year. We're very excited about this mating. Not This Time has really been impressive over the past few years and we thought it would be a great fit with Goodnight Olive. It nicked well. We have a great relationship with the Taylors and love what they're doing at Taylor Made, so it was the perfect fit.

CARAVEL (m, 7, Mizzen Mast – Zeezee Zoomzoom, by Congrats) to be bred to Frankel

Purchased privately in January, 2024

John and I actually visited Frankel last week at Juddmonte. He's big-boned and the shoulder and hip on him is so impressive. He's every bit of what he's hyped up to. We were more than thrilled with that mating.

Caravel will leave the farm in the first part of March. The idea is to keep her over there, let her foal out and then we'll breed her back and then bring her back home.

QUEEN CAROLINE (m, 11, Blame – Queens Plaza, by Forestry) to be bred to Tapit

Dam of Forte (Violence). Purchased for $3 million at 2023 Fasig-Tipton November

Queen Caroline, the dam of champion Forte, will be bred to Tapit in 2024 | Sara Gordon

Queen Caroline had a massive filly by Flightline this weekend. Once we nicked her, it was kind of a no-brainer to send her to King Tapit.

PIZZA BIANCA (m, 5, Fastnet Rock {Aus}) – White Hot {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) to be bred to Justify

Purchased for $3 million at 2023 Fasig-Tipton November

Pizza Bianca is currently in foal to Into Mischief with her first foal. We are taking her to Justify. She's by Fastnet Rock and that pairing to Justify has worked time and time again.

PUCA (m, 12, Big Brown – Boat's Ghost, by Silver Ghost) to be bred to Into Mischief

Dam of Mage (Good Magic). Purchased for $2.9 million at 2023 Keeneland November

Puca is currently in foal to Good Magic and will be bred to Into Mischief. There was definitely a lot of discussion between John, Gavin [O'Connor, General Manager] and me. There were a lot of options for her, but we kept coming back to Into Mischief.

LENNI GIRL (m, 5, Candy Ride {Arg} – Unicorn Girl, by A.P. Five Hundred) to be bred to Practical Joke

Purchased for $500,00 at 2023 Fasig-Tipton November

She is currently in foal to Not This Time and we are taking her to Practical Joke. Practical Joke has been a favorite of ours and we actually have his full brother, who we purchased at the Keeneland September Sale [for $1 million]. That was the horse John bought all on his own when Gavin and I weren't around. He liked the horse that much. We have a great relationship with Coolmore and supporting their stallions is important to us.

GODDESS PELE (m, 4, West Coast – Fiery Pulpit, by Pulpit) to be bred to Munnings

Purchased for $300,000 at 2023 Fasig-Tipton November

Goddess Pele recently had the first foal at Resolute Farm, a very nice Epicenter filly. We will be sending her to Munnings. We have a couple of yearlings on the farm sired by him and they're fantastic. They all have a great look about that. I think he'll pair up very nicely with this mare.

CHAMPAGNE (Ire) (m, 5, Galileo {Ire} – Red Evie {Ire}, by Intikhab) to be bred to Justify

Purchased privately in 2024.

This is the full-sister to champion Found (Ire). Champagne is in foal to Siyouni and we are breeding her back to Justify. Justify is on fire and we are excited to be sending mares to him this season.

DRAMATICALLY (m, 9, War Front – Wonder of Wonders, by Kingmambo) to be bred to Curlin

Purchased privately in 2024.

Dramatically is in foal to Wootton Bassett and she will go to Curlin.

HAPPEN (m, 8, War Front – Alexandrova {Ire}, by Sadler's Wells) to be bred to Into Mischief

Purchased privately in 2024.

Happen, a daughter of multiple Group 1 winner Alexandrova, is also in foal to Wootton Bassett and she will visit Into Mischief.

PINK DOGWOOD (Ire) (m, 8, Camelot {GB} – Question Times {GB}, by Shamardal) to be bred to Justify

Purchased privately in 2024.

This is the full-sister to Group 1 winner Latrobe (Ire). She is in foal to Frankel and is due in April, so we're ecstatic that she will have the first Frankel on our farm. John is a huge fan of Frankel. We will be sending her back to Justify.

The post Mating Plans, presented by Spendthrift: Resolute Bloodstock appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift: Denali Stud

The TDN's popular annual series 'Mating Plans, presented by Spendthrift,' continues today in a conversation with Denali Stud's Conrad Bandoroff.

FLAG DAY (8, Giant's Causeway–Sense to Compete, by Street Sense) to be bred to Good Magic.

This mare's first foal, Hall of Fame, broke his maiden in very impressive fashion and was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' for his effort. The son of Gun Runner and Flag Day's first foal has been a special horse from the day he was born. He was just one of those foals that, when they stand for the first time, you find yourself saying, “We might have something here.” He was nice from day one and turned into a $1.4-million Saratoga yearling.

Flag Day is a fourth-generation homebred for Ambassador Earle Mack. She is a big, scopey daughter of Giant's Causeway that imparts a lot of size, bone and leg into her foals. This year she goes to a stallion that is rapidly rising through the ranks and looks to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come in Good Magic. I love the balance and athleticism Good Magic imparts in his progeny and this is a mating that works really well physically with the mare. The Smart Strike-Giant's Causeway cross is a good one, producing the likes of Grade I-winning Tom's d'Etat.

FLOWERING PEACH (8, Galileo {Ire}–Naples Bay, by Giant's Causeway) to be bred to Justify.

This is a young mare that has gotten off to a great start in her broodmare career. Her first foal, Buchu (Justify), won the GII Jessamine S. at two and we hope she will have a big year for owner/breeder Richard Rigney and trainer Phil Bauer.

Flowering Peach has an Uncle Mo yearling colt this year that we like a lot. This was as easy a mating as it comes and unsurprisingly Flowering Peach returns to Justify this year–the magic Justify/Galileo cross! Justify's two Breeders' Cup-winning 2-year-olds, as well as City of Troy in Europe and Storm Boy in Australia, capitalized his sensational run and what an important stallion he looks to be.

LIAM'S PROMENADE (5, Liam's Map–Promenade Girl, by Carson City) to be bred to Nyquist.

Liam's Promenade is a young mare that we have high hopes for. She is a half-sister to the MGISW Cavorting (Bernardini), who is the dam of over $3 million-earning MGISW Clairiere (Curlin). She is currently in foal to Curlin and we cannot wait to see the foal that is produced as it is a cross that has proven to be so prolific in the family.

We have chosen to breed her to Nyquist, who we think was tremendous value this year. Nyquist was on a tear at the end of the year and has some seriously talented horses working for him for this year. He has a loaded pipeline and a lot of momentum behind him. It is a cross that has worked well in the family before, producing GII Penn Mile S. winner Moon Colony (Uncle Mo).

HARD NOT TO LIKE (15, Hard Spun–Like a Gem, by Tactical Cat) to be bred to Cody's Wish.

Hard Not to Like is awaiting the arrival of a Life Is Good foal any day now–a mating that we highlighted last year. The multiple Grade I-winning mare will visit Cody's Wish this year. Hard Not to Like's 4-year-old son Faustin (Curlin) has returned to the worktab for Bob Baffert and Michael Lund Peterson. He was second in the GII San Vincente S. and we hope to see him back competing at the graded stakes level this year.

Cody's Wish is a horse we are so excited to breed to for many reasons, but he just pulls on your heartstrings in so many ways with his fantastic, fairytale-esque story. He also happens to be a very good physical match for Hard Not to Like, who benefits from some size and scope which Cody should provide. It repeats the Curlin cross that produced Faustin as well as the Curlin-Hard Spun cross that is responsible for the likes of Good Magic. We also love that it inbreeds back to Ruby Slippers (Nijinsky II) deeper in the pedigree.

PLAYED HARD (6, Into Mischief–Well Lived, by Tiznow) to be bred to Gun Runner.

We are very excited to welcome Played Hard to Denali Stud to begin the next chapter of her career. It was an incredible Oaks Day watching her hold off Secret Oath (Arrogate) to win the GI La Troienne S. and become the first Grade I winner for trainer Phil Bauer in the Rigney Racing colors.

Played Hard is a gorgeous mare with a deep family. She has all the credentials to become a foundation mare. We will start her off strongly by sending her to Gun Runner. It's a great physical match and we love the pedigree blend. Gun Runner over Storm Cat-line mares has proven to be one of his most productive crosses. Gun Runner over Tiznow has produced the likes of Early Voting, and you also have MGISW Cyberknife under the second dam.

LOVE THEWAY YOUARE (16, Arch–Diversa, by Tabasco Cat) to be bred to Elite Power.

Love Theway Youare is a Grade I-winning, graded-stakes producing mare that we own with our good friend Lincoln Collins. This mating goes by the old adage of breed your proven mare to an unproven stallion and your unproven mare to a proven stallion. Love Theway Youare is the dam of Grade III winner Summer in Saratoga (Hard Spun). She is a big, pretty Arch mare who throws nice, leggy, good-looking foals. She goes to one of the most visually impressive stallions retiring to stud this year in Elite Power. He looks like what a $900,000 yearling should look like and we thought that at $50,000, he still was one of the best values in town for this year.

DREAM TREE (9, Uncle Mo–Afleet Maggi, by Afleet Alex) to be bred to Constitution.

Dream Tree is a young, Grade I-winning mare that we have high hopes for. Her first three foals have been striking individuals that have all looked the part. Her newly turned 3-year-old first foal, Wimberly (Curlin), was a $700,000 yearling purchase by David Ingordo and is in training with John Sadler out in California. Her 2-year-old son of Into Mischief is doing very well in his early paces at Payton Training Center in Ocala, and she has a very promising Gun Runner yearling filly that has been nice since day one.

Dream Tree will go to a stallion we are big believers in: Constitution. We think you will be reading his name a lot this year and he is currently represented by three colts in the TDN's Top 12 Derby List. Tapit over Indian Charlie is the cross that produced generational talent Flightline.

NICKEL (11, Unbridled's Song–Consider It Done, by Green Dancer) to be bred to Twirling Candy.

This mare is a favorite of ours–I know we aren't supposed to say that but she is just one of those mares that you have a soft spot for. She is a gorgeous Unbridled's Song mare and the expression black cats throw black kittens could not be more appropriate when it comes to her foals. All of them are big, pretty and athletic.

She visits Twirling Candy this year–a horse we feel is great value and such a solid, consistent, proven stallion. This is such a good cross. Candy Ride and Twirling Candy over Unbridled's Song have produced seven stakes winners including Gift Box, Leofric, and Fore Left.

Interested in sharing your own mating plans? Email garyking@thetdn.com.

The post Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift: Denali Stud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift: Mulholland Springs

The TDN's popular annual series 'Mating Plans, presented by Spendthrift,' continues today in a conversation with Mulholland Springs' John Mulholland.

MEAL TICKET (10, Malibu Moon–Rainbow's Song by Unbridled's Song) to be bred to Into Mischief
Second in the GII Royal Heroine S. at Santa Anita and the listed Golden Poppy S. at Golden Gate, we purchased this mare privately after her final start of her career. Meal Ticket was bred her first year to Into Mischief and produced an absolutely stunning colt that we sold to BC Stables for $850,000 at the Fasig Tipton Saratoga Sale last August. She produced a filly last year by the same sire and is currently pregnant to Gun Runner for this foaling season. After the success of her first foal and again so pleased with her now yearling filly, we booked Meal Ticket back to Into Mischief for this year. Some additional exciting news for this pedigree is that Meal Ticket's half-brother El Grande O is now a multiple stakes winner in New York and was just recently a strong second in the Jerome S. We will continue to strongly support Meal Ticket in her breedings and we are so excited about all the recent stakes activity in the immediate family. Hopefully, her own foals will run to their exceptional looks!

TOUCHY FEELY (12, Bernardini–Touched by Touch Gold) to be bred to Gun Runner
This is a family near and dear to our collective hearts for over 30 years. From the immediate family of Grade II winner Indian Firewater, Touchy Feely herself was debut maiden special weight winner. She had a minor injury and subsequently became a member of the broodmare band. Her first two foals were modest winners but her daughter Life Talk (Gun Runner) has truly resurrected this family with her smashing victory in the GII Demoiselle S. Going back four generations in this pedigree have all called Mulholland Springs home. Touchy Feely has a 2-year- old filly by Maclean's Music that was a $140,000 Keeneland January short yearling purchase and a yearling filly by Bolt D'Oro that just recently sold for $250,000 at the Keeneland November sale. Touchy Feely is carrying a Cyberknife in the belly and is booked back to Gun Runner for this breeding season. With Life Talk clearly cemented on the Kentucky Oaks trail, we are beyond excited to see new life breathed into a pedigree that has so richly rewarded us for over three decades.

MIDNIGHT UNION (10, Union Rags–Midnight Visit by Henny Hughes) to be bred to Cody's Wish
A recent $350,000 Fasig Tipton November purchase for the farm, Midnight Union is the dam of Grade I placed and multiple graded-placed Awake At Midnyte, who sold for $825,000 to Japanese interests at the same sale. This is a family that we have a lot of direct experience with in recent years. Awake At Midnyte was sold by Mulholland Springs (on behalf of longtime clients) as a yearling and Midnight Union has resided at Mulholland Springs for several past breeding seasons.

Midnight Union | Sarah Andrew

Midnight Union has a Tapit yearling filly, is pregnant to Jackie's Warrior and will be bred back to Cody's Wish this season. After having foaled and raised several of Midnight Union's foals, we are so excited at the opportunity to have acquired this mare and we will continue to strongly support this pedigree that we believe in so much. We were the direct under-bidders (on behalf of clients) when Awake At Midnyte recently went through the auction ring. She was just absolutely stunning to look so we know very well what this mare can produce both commercially and at the race track.

REINA MARIA (15, Songandaprayer–Maria's Pride by Maria's Mon) to be bred to Into Mischief
We acquired this mare privately several years ago and she truly rewarded us to say the least. A half-sister herself to Grade I winner Secret Compass, Reina Maria is the dam of Grade II winner and young leading sire Maximus Mischief. Reina Maria is due to foal an Into Mischief this year and is booked right back to the perennial leading sire again. She has a very precocious 2-year-old colt by Into Mischief that will undoubtedly resurface at one of the spring sales in Ocala. This mare has been so good to us and we firmly believe she has another superstar up her sleeve.

BLAME IT ON ALPHIE (10, Blame–Miss Alphie by Candi's Gold) to be bred to Cody's Wish
Purchased for $200,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November sale, this mare was a very high caliber winner and stakes performer on the west coast. We had originally purchased her with the plan to breed to City Of Light his first season at stud but those hopes were dashed late in the summer when she slipped the foal. So, we decided to keep the mare and it has been a great decision overall. Blame It On Alphie's 3-year-old named Nullify (American Pharoah) was a $325,000 Fasig Tipton Saratoga graduate and her 2-year-old filly by Into Mischief was a $350,000 Keeneland September purchase. Her yearling filly, also by Into Mischief, was a recent $600,000 Keeneland November purchase. This foal was absolutely stunning and one of the most balanced and athletic babies that we have ever bred and raised. Blame It On Alphie is currently pregnant to Life Is Good and is booked back to Cody's Wish for this breeding season. Lots to be excited for with this young mare.

SISTER (7, Fort Larned–Langara Lass by Langfuhr) to be bred to Elite Power
We purchased this mare a few years ago because she is a half-sister to our Grade I-placed mare Battlefield Angel, the dam of Grade II winner and multiple graded-placed Manny Wah. This has been such a great family to us for over 10 years now. Unfortunately, we lost Battlefield Angel to colic a few years ago so we naturally jumped at the opportunity to get right back into this highly-productive family. When we bought Sister, she was carrying an Arrogate in the belly. That foal went on sell for $200,000 at the Fasig Tipton Saratoga sale and was eventually named Saratoga Secret. The filly would go on to be a smart debut winner and followed up with a second in the GII Schuylerville S. at Saratoga. She is being pointed to the Martha Washington S. at Oaklawn. Sister has a beautiful Maclean's Music yearling filly, pregnant to Jack Christopher at the moment and booked back to Elite Power.

BICAMERAL (5, Constitution–Humble Song by Songandaprayer) to be bred to Bolt d'Oro
Bicameral was a $375,000 Keeneland November purchase in 2022. She was second on debut and then subsequently placed third in the Del Mar Debutante.

Bicameral selling at the 2022 Keeneland November Sale | Keeneland

She would go on to break her maiden at Santa Anita and win an allowance at Del Mar. Bicameral is a tall, powerful mare with great balance and loads of class. She is carrying her first foal by Uncle Mo and is booked back to Bolt D'Oro for this season.

HEAR MY PRAYER (7, Big Beast and out of Additional Prayer by Songandaprayer) to be bred to Cody's Wish
Purchased privately last spring, Hear My Prayer is a listed stakes winner at Gulfstream and Grade III-placed at Santa Anita. She is an absolutely stunning mare with a powerful shoulder, beautifully balanced top line and a strong hind end. Here My Prayer was bred last year to Gun Runner and is booked back to Cody's Wish for this season. We feel this drop dead mare could make a wonderful addition to our broodmare band long term.

ASK BAILEY (7, Run Away and Hide and out of Puype's Dream by Kris S.) to be bred to Taiba
A $255,000 2021 Keeneland November purchase, we tried to send her right back into training but she got sick on us, so we sent her immediately to the farm to join the broodmare band. Ask Bailey was second at Kentucky Downs as a juvenile and then subsequently third in the GII Jessamine S. at Keeneland. Ask Bailey would go on to win a listed stakes at Canterbury Park. We bred Ask Bailey her first year to Medaglia D'Oro and got a rather strong and handsome colt. I'm very pleased with this foal. She is currently pregnant to Life Is Good and is booked back to Taiba for this breeding season. We feel both Life Is Good and Taiba complement Ask Bailey very well physically. This is an exciting mare for us and we will support her strongly to get her breeding career off and running.

Interested in sharing your own mating plans? Email garyking@thetdn.com.

The post Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift: Mulholland Springs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift Farm: China Horse Club USA

As we approach the opening of the 2024 breeding season, the TDN staff is once again sitting down with leading breeders to find out what stallions they have chosen for their mares, and why.

Here we catch up with Christie DeBernardis, CHC's Regional Manager of the Americas.

Alberobello (m, 9, Bernardini–Carson Jen, by Carson City), booked to Uncle Mo

Alberobello hails from an exceptional family that is constantly improving. Additionally, Bernardini is becoming one of the best broodmare sires we've seen in a while. Alberobello produced an Uncle Mo colt for us in 2023 and we were so pleased with him, that we decided to breed her back to that Coolmore super sire after she produces her Justify foal this spring.

Always A Joker (f, 4, Into Mischief–Halo Humor, by Distorted Humor), booked to Justify

We purchased this full-sister to MGISW and successful sire Practical Joke at Keeneland November and look forward to her future. She is as beautifully made as she is bred. We thought Justify was a good physical and pedigree match for her first mating, plus he and her sire Into Mischief are two of the hottest stallions on the market right now.

Cozze Up Lady (m, 15, Cozzene–The White Lady, by Johannesburg), booked to Constitution

A Grade III winner during her racetrack career, Cozze Up Lady brought that same class and talent to the breeding shed, producing GISW Kimari (Munnings). Her 2021 colt by Constitution, now named Tucson, brought seven figures as a yearling and is currently training towards his debut for WinStar/Siena Farm with Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher. We decided to send her back to that leading stallion for 2024.

Embellish the Lace (m, 12, Super Saver–Expanse, by Distant View), booked to Life Is Good

Grade I winner Embellish the Lace has already produced a pair of million-dollar yearlings. One of those seven-figure sellers was a daughter of the great Into Mischief, now two-time winner Pumpkin Scone. We retained that filly's full-sister Into Amore and she is training very well as she prepares for her career bow with Pletcher. Given her success with Into Mischief, we decided to send Embellish the Lace to one of his fastest sons, Life Is Good.

End Times (m, 9, War Front–Last Full Measure, by Empire Maker), booked to Americanrevolution

CHC homebred End Times is the second foal out of Grade I winner and producer Last Full Measure. We sold a lovely Audible filly out of her for $255,000 at this year's KEESEP sale and she has a very nice Improbable yearling filly and newborn colt from the first crop of Nashville. She is one of three mares we are sending to our new stallion, GISW Americanrevolution, as we make our first foray into the New York breeding program.

Last Full Measure (m, 16, Empire Maker–Lazy Slusan, by Slewvescent), booked to Into Mischief

GISW and producer Last Full Measure's offspring have proved quite popular at auction, including her 2022 Constitution filly, who summoned $800,000 at KEESEP last year. The topper at that auction was a $3-million Into Mischief colt out of an Empire Maker mare and that cross is also responsible for MGISW Mandaloun and Grade II winner Laurel River. We hope to add to the success of that cross as Last Full Measure visits Into Mischief this year.

Summer Solo (m, 14, Arch–Summer Solstice {Ire}, by Caerleon), booked to Not This Time

We purchased this GISP mare in 2022 and her first foal for us is a knockout. She is now the dam of two black-type horses thanks to the recent exploits of her daughter Solo Album (Curlin). Arch is phenomenal broodmare sire and Summer Solo has proven to be a versatile broodmare. We are sending her to Not This Time, who has already produced a SW and GSP horse out of an Arch mare in Howling Time.

Yellow Agate (m, 10, Gemologist–Lemon Sorbet, by Lemon Drop Kid), booked to Quality Road

Yellow Agate was CHC's first Grade I winner in America and continues to reward us as a broodmare. She has three winners from three foals of racing age, including GSW and $650,000 KEESEP buy Agate Road (Quality Road). His two older siblings, Gasoline (Curlin) and Plentitude (Quality Road), combined to win five races in 2023 and appear poised to add more black type to this family. Her 2022 filly by Quality Road summoned $650,000 at Saratoga last summer. Given all of her success with Quality Road, it seemed like a no-brainer to send Yellow Agate back to the Lane's End kingpin this year.

Interested in sharing your own mating plans? Email garyking@thetdn.com.

The post Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift Farm: China Horse Club USA appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post