Taylor Made | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mating Plans: Marie Jones

In this edition of our ongoing mating plans series, we spoke with Marie Jones with additional notes from Katie Taylor and Doug Cauthen.

Marie Jones is carrying on the successful breeding program that she first started with her late husband Aaron. Their program is responsible for Grade I winners and champions including Ashado, Speightstown, Drosselmeyer and Mrs. McDougal, as well as the dam of Life is Good. Today, her high-end, boutique operation focuses on acquiring accomplished, well-bred mares and maintaining a portfolio of shares and breeding rights in proven commercial sires. Her current stallion portfolio includes Candy Ride (Arg), Violence, Not This Time, Medaglia d'Oro, Tapit and Into Mischief.

ENCHANTED GHOST (m, 7, Ghostzapper – Uniformly Yours, by Grand Slam) to be bred to Tapit

Enchanted Ghost is currently in foal to Into Mischief. She has a fabulous Tapit yearling filly who is one of the best, if not the best, foal of her crop. She will be going back to the same sire.

The Tapit-Ghostzapper direct cross has not been tried many times yet but has already produced GIIISW Bellavais. Tapit is also the sire of GIIISW Bandbox, who is out of a mare bred Grand Slam over Deputy Minister.

GLORY OF THE NILE (m, 3, Pioneerof the Nile – Gloryzapper, by Ghostzapper) to be bred to Violence

Glory of the Nile is a young, homebred mare. She had a fantastic Candy Ride filly this year who was the first foal to arrive at Taylor Made.

She will be booked back to Violence. Physically, we love this mating. Violence and another son of Medaglia d'Oro, Fast Anna, have sired stakes winners out of direct Empire Maker mares. Violence's stakes winner out of an Empire Maker mare is Violent Time, winner of the Ana T. S. at Gulfstream.

MAMMA KIMBO (m, 13, Discreet Cat – Bag Lady Jane, by Devil's Bag) to be bred to Medaglia d'Oro

Mamma Kimbo is currently in foal to Not This Time. She will be bred to Medaglia d'Oro. It is a good mating physically and the El Prado-Forestry cross has produced 9% stakes winners (A Nick).

NOTED AND QUOTED (m, 8, The Factor – Silver Cub, by City Zip) to be bred to Uncle Mo

We love this mating physically because Uncle Mo can lend some size and scope to this mare. This is also a very current and fashionable mating mimicking the cross of current GSW Enola Gay (Uncle Mo). The second dam of Uncle Mo's GISW Mo Town is bred Carson City over Danzig and Uncle Mo is also the sire of GSW Moon Colony, who is out of a Carson City mare.

PRINCESS LA QUINTA (m, 8, Quality Road – Social Scene, by Tabasco Cat) to be bred to Into Mischief

Princess La Quinta is in foal to Tapit and she is booked to Into Mischief this year. Her first foal was an Into Mischief colt who sold well as a yearling, going to SF Bloodstock and into a good program on the track. We are hoping he finds success in his new program to support the 2023 foal out of this mare.

Streak of Luck and her 2022 Authentic colt | Taylor Made/Kelcey Loges

Gone West has been one of the key crosses for Into Mischief. He has produced three Grade I winners from the cross including his Kentucky Derby hero Authentic. The other two are out of mares by Speightstown, who is bred on a similar Gone West-Storm Cat cross to this mare.

STREAK OF LUCK (m, 7, Old Fashioned – Valeria, by Elusive Quality) to be bred to Into Mischief

This mare foaled a feisty colt by Authentic last month. He was actually the first Authentic foal to hit the ground. She will be bred to Into Mischief this season.

SWEET KISSES (m, 5, Carpe Diem – True Kiss, by Is It True) to be bred to Charlatan

Sweet Kisses will be having a foal by Into Mischief this year and will then be bred to Charlatan. Charlatan is by Speighstown, who my husband and I bred years ago.

TAPASSION (m, 4, Tapit – Distorted Passion, by Distorted Humor) to be bred to Candy Ride (Arg)

Tapassion is in foal to Violence and is booked back to Candy Ride. This mare's yearling Candy Ride colt is lovely. He is one of the top foals in the crop, so we are hoping to go back on this cross and get a similar individual.

Candy Ride has two stakes winners from Tapit mares and he has three more stakes-placed runners on this exact cross, including GISP Dolder Grand.

WICKED LICK (m, 8, Maclean's Music – Here Music, by Dehere) to be bred to Not This Time

This mare will foal our second Authentic foal in 2022 and then will be visiting Not This time. This is a really good match physically. Not This Time can pretty this mare up. She has a great hip and hind leg and is good through her knees, but he can refine her head.

The Deputy Minister in her pedigree could be a plus as Not This Time is the sire of GISW Princess Noor and SW Next, who are out of daughters or granddaughters of Deputy Minister's son Awesome Again.

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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Mating Plans: OXO Equine

With the 2022 breeding season right around the corner, we will feature a series of breeders' mating plans over the coming weeks. Today we have Taylor Made's Katie Taylor Whalen on behalf of Larry Best, owner of OXO Equine.

Best retired two stallions to Taylor Made–GISW Instilled Regard (Arch) and GSW/GISP Instagrand (Into Mischief)–for their first seasons last year, with both represented by their first foals in 2022. A majority of his broodmare band, over 50 strong, will go to one of the two and are expecting foals by either of the young sires this year, but Best also supports another former runner who also entered stud last year in MGISP Rowayton (Into Mischief) at Diamond B Farm in Pennsylvania. He also uses a number of outside stallions.

With his first recorded start as an owner in 2017, Best has amassed a large and stellar group of broodmares in a short time, and said, “OXO has three priorities. 1, Quality. 2, Quality. 3, Quality.”

“OXO Equine has collected an unbelievably accomplished, well-bred, and beautiful group of mares,” said Taylor Whalen. “It is a joy to work with such an exceptional group. Larry has done a wonderful job of identifying young mares with active families. Breeders should pay close attention to the depth of his support for Instilled Regard and Instagrand. Both Instilled Regard and Instagrand were precocious accomplished racehorses, and they are receiving a caliber of mares that many stallions don't see until they are well established. Great things are in store for both OXO stallions and mares.”

With an addition of 18 maiden mares currently lined up for this season, in 2021 Best bred 33 mares he boards at Taylor Made. All but one of them went to Instagrand, Instilled Regard, or Rowayton. Every one of his maiden mares in 2022 is going to either Instagrand or Instilled Regard and all but 10 of his other mares will also stay with one of his own stallions.

Said Taylor Whelan, “Though OXO is excited and committed to support their own well accomplished stallions, they see the value in rotating top mares to interesting outside stallions. Essential Quality and Practical Joke both fit the mold. They were accomplished on the track, from the top two most powerful sire lines (Tapit/Into Michief) and have racing and commercial upside. We also learn from what goes well! We are taking Hung the Moon back to Quality Road. Her exceptional yearling colt by Quality Road was purchased last summer at Saratoga by Maverick Racing.”

Following is a selection of some of the biggest names in Best's broodmare band and their plans.

BEAU RECALL (IRE) (m, 8, Prancealot {Ire}–Greta d'Argent {Ire}, by Great Commotion), to be bred to Instagrand

Best acquired this MGSW for $350,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale. She went to Instilled Regard for her first season last year and will visit Instagrand this year.

BLUE PRIZE (ARG) (m, 9, Pure Prize–Blues for Sale {Arg}, by Not For Sale {Arg}), to be bred to Practical Joke

Best purchased the 2019 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner for a sales-topping $5 million at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. He sent her to Into Mischief for her first foal, now a yearling filly. The MGISW and $2.6-million earner is due to Instagrand this year and will be bred back to Practical Joke. Taylor Whalen said the farm is very high on Blue Prize's yearling by Instagrand's sire.

CAMBIER PARC (m, 6, Medaglia d'Oro–Sealy Hill, by Point Given), to be bred to Instagrand

Out of Canada's 2007 Horse of the Year who has since produced four graded winners, Cambier Parc was a $1.25-million buy for Best at the 2017 Keeneland September sale and turned into a MGISW for him while under the tutelage of Chad Brown. The mare's first foal is due this year–an Instilled Regard foal–and she will be sent to the court of Instagrand.

CONCRETE ROSE (m, 6, Twirling Candy–Solerina, by Powerscourt {GB}), to be bred to Essential Quality

Another GISW in the OXO broodmare band, Concrete Rose was a $1.95-million acquisition by Best at the 2020 Keeneland November sale. The mare recently made headlines again when she delivered her first foal, which also happened to be one of the first reported foals by Instagrand.

FINITE (m, 5, Munnings–Remit, by Tapit), to be bred to Instagrand

Picked up at Fasig-Tipton November just two months ago for $2.2 million, Finite is a MGSW out of a full-sister to MGSW Tapiture. She is one of the maidens headed to Best's Instagrand.

INDIAN MISS (m, 13, Indian Charlie–Glacken's Gal, by Smoke Glacken), to be bred to Practical Joke

A $1.9-million buy by OXO at the 2020 Keeneland November sale, Indian Miss is the dam of 2019 champion sprinter Mitole (Eskendereya) and additional GISW Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), who is slated to contest the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 26. The oldest and most accomplished broodmare to date in the OXO broodmare band, Indian Miss is currently in foal to Instagrand and will go back to Practical Joke. Best also has her yearling colt by Into Mischief.

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.

The post Mating Plans: OXO Equine appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Steve Castagnola Rejoins Taylor Made

Steve Castagnola, who was a Taylor Made team member between 1997-2009, has rejoined Taylor Made as Sales Recruiter. Castagnola's main focus will be the development of relationships and the recruitment of new business, while assisting in both the public and private sales divisions of Taylor Made.

“I came to Taylor Made in January 1997 as an intern, and over my 12 years, worked with Ben Taylor in helping manage the early books of Unbridled's Song and our then fledgling stallion operation before becoming the Director of Client Development,” Castagnola said. “Those were 12 of the best years of my life and I am thrilled to have this opportunity to be part of the Taylor Made family once again.”

Mark Taylor added, “Steve brings 25 years of industry experience to our team, and along with his positive attitude, enthusiasm and track record of success both with us and his Kempton Bloodstock, we feel fortunate to have him on our team. With the industry on an upswing, Steve will be a big asset in assisting our current client base as well as developing new business.”

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Knicks Go Set to Join Growing Taylor Made Roster

Following his emphatic triumph in the 2021 GI Breeders' Classic, champion Knicks Go (Paynter -Kosmo's Buddy, by Outflanker) enjoyed a brief interlude from training as he spent about a week at Taylor Made Farm, where he will soon begin his stud career, before he returned to the Brad Cox barn at Churchill Downs.

The colorbearer for the Korea Racing Authority cemented his status as the top older dirt male in the country with his gate-to-wire Classic victory. Now, the favorite for Horse of the Year honors is preparing for one last dance to defend his title in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. before he takes up stud duty in 2022.

Meanwhile, the team at Taylor Made is counting the days until they can welcome the famed grey back to their stallion facility.

“We are fired up about Knicks Go,” Duncan Taylor said. “He's the epitome of a racehorse. When you have a horse that wins the GI Breeders' Futurity at two, comes back and wins the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and then the next year wins the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, it doesn't get any better than that.”

Knicks Go was able to get an early taste of his future career during his short stay at Taylor Made as a steady stream of breeders dropped in to visit the new stallion.

“I think his conformation is definitely a plus,” Taylor said. “He reminds me a lot of Blushing Groom and Awesome Again. They're not overly big horses, but they're very well-balanced and have plenty of hip. I think those types of stallions cross well with a lot of different mares. He's very correct and he's one of those horses that have that look in their eye.”

The Taylor family is familiar with their new addition's sireline through their involvement with now-pensioned stallion Tiznow, whose female family is also responsible for Grade I-producing sires Paynter, Oxbow and Awesome Patriot.

Knicks Go takes in the scenery upon his arrival at Churchill Downs on Nov. 17 | Coady

“If you look at this year's Breeders' Cup, you have [Filly and Mare Sprint contestant] Bella Sofia, who is by Awesome Patriot, [Classic contestant] Hot Rod Charlie by Oxbow and Knicks Go by Paynter,” Taylor explained. “So this sireline can get you a runner. We had Tiznow and everybody thought, 'A son of Cee's Tizzy. Why do you want him?' But he turned out to be a great stallion for us.”

Bred in Maryland by Angie Moore and daughter Sabrina Moore, Knicks Go is out of the stakes-winning mare Kosmo's Buddy (Outflanker). A debut winner at two, the colt went on to win the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and was runner-up in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

“Sometimes when horses race until they're five, you sort of forget about their 2-year-old career,” Taylor joked. “But the fact that he won a Grade One at two, that says everything. Everybody's looking for that.”

At three, Knicks Go failed to make it to the winner's circle and was transferred to the Brad Cox barn for his 4-year-old season. He ran undefeated in three starts that year by over 20 lengths combined, with his season culminating in a record-breaking performance in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

This year, Knicks Go was five for seven against graded company, accumulating Grade I wins in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational S., Whitney S. and the Breeders' Cup Classic, where he defeated a pair of leading sophomores in GI Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit (Protonico) and GI Belmont S. winner Essential Quality (Tapit).

Knicks Go earns a 112 Beyer Speed Figure in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Classic | Horsephotos

“Knicks Go's best quality as a racehorse is speed,” Taylor said. “I remember Mr. [John] Gaines used to say that we're trying to breed the horse that has the most speed, that is the best looking and that can carry the speed the farthest. That's the kind of horse everybody is looking for. Not only can Knicks Go run fast, but he can carry the speed. Setting the track record in the Dirt Mile, that was quite an accomplishment that shows he has the speed. Then to go under two minutes for a mile and a quarter [in the Classic], that takes a special horse. Those two achievements set him apart from other racehorses.”

Taylor said that their team first started speaking with the Korea Racing Authority regarding their superstar's stud career as the colt was training up for the Whitney S. this summer.

“We knew they weren't wanting to sell part of the horse and they knew we do good marketing and work hard,” he explained. “When we started doing our research, we found that he was a perfect fit for us so we went for it.”

Knicks Go will begin his stud career with a $30,000 stud fee. He joins the growing Taylor Made roster alongside MGSW Tacitus, a regally-bred son of Tapit who will stand for $10,000.

“For us, it's hard to go out and buy a horse like this,” Taylor said. “We have to have some breaks in getting our stallions. You haven't ever seen us standing 20 or 25 stallions because we don't have the financial power to do that. But we do have the hustle and we do a good job with our stallions. We're aggressive and we're always trying new things.”

At a farm once home to the likes of heralded Unbridled's Song, as well as Saint Ballado and Forestry, Taylor Made's stallion program has welcomed several promising new additions in recent years.

“When you run a stallion operation, horses help each other,” Taylor noted. “Now we have Not This Time, who has shown that we have a proven stallion on the rise, and then with Instagrand, Instilled Regard, Mshawish and Midnight Storm, we have new blood at Taylor Made. So we have faith and we think Knicks Go is going to be a good one.”

The post Knicks Go Set to Join Growing Taylor Made Roster appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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