Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Stormy Atlantic receives big boost in Beyer Sire Standings
Conquest Tsunami fired off a 106 Beyer Speed Figure while winning the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes on Feb. 24 at Santa Anita Park, the highest turf figure of 2018 to date.
The number was the first three-digit Beyer for Conquest Tsunami, putting him at the forefront of another strong season for turf runners by his sire, Stormy Atlantic, in the Daily Racing Form’s Beyer Sire Performance Standings.
Stormy Atlantic sits third among sires by number of turf races by his progeny to achieve a 90-plus Beyer in 2018 (four), trailing Tapit and Kitten’s Joy (seven each). He is also one of 15 sires with a 100-plus turf Beyer by one of his runners through the end of February.
If Stormy Atlantic maintains his position through the end of the year, it would be the fifth time in the past seven years that he finished in the top 10 by 90-plus turf Beyers.
Last year, Stormy Atlantic was seventh in that category, with 31, and he tied for second by turf Beyers of 100 or more, with 10. He finished behind only perennial turf juggernaut Kitten’s Joy’s 17 races in the three-figure zone in 2017.
Stormy Atlantic, a 24-yearold son of Storm Cat, stands at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms in Lexington, Ky., for an advertised fee of $15,000. He has sired 17 crops of racing age, with 905 winners on all surfaces and earnings of more than $88.3 million.
His most notable turf runners include 2013 Canadian Horse of the Year Up With the Birds; Canadian champion Conquest Typhoon; Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Stormy Liberal; Grade 1 winners Get Stormy and Stormy Lucy; Grade 2 winners Stormy Lord and Icy Atlantic; and Grade 3 winners Quite a Bride and Atlantic Ocean.
On top of Conquest Tsunami’s triumph in the Daytona, Stormy Atlantic filled out the exacta with Stormy Liberal. Like Conquest Tsunami, Stormy Liberal is trained by Peter Miller. Stormy Liberal earned a 99 Beyer for finishing 2 1/2 lengths behind the winner. Stormy Liberal has earned a 90-plus Beyer in nine of his last 10 North American starts.
First-year sires getting busy
The Northern Hemisphere breeding season officially began in mid-February, and an accomplished class of first-year stallions have adjusted well to their second careers. Horse of the Year Gun Runner and multiple Grade 1 winner Lord Nelson had their first mares confirmed in foal this week, while champion and leading money-winner Arrogate has already had several prominent runners visit his court.
Gun Runner arrived at Three Chimneys Farm on Jan. 28, the day after he concluded his career with a victory in the Pegasus World Cup. The shift came at a later date than that for most retiring stallions – requiring him to make the transition to farm life in an expedited time frame – but his second career has gotten under way in good order.
The first two mares bred by the Candy Ride horse, Ram spring Farm’s But for Money and Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Untapped, have been confirmed in foal. But for Money, by Not For Love, is the dam of Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed Esken for money. Untapped, by Tapit, is a full sister to champion Untapable, who was campaigned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, which co-owns Gun Runner with Three Chimneys.
Meanwhile, Lord Nelson also had his first mare in foal confirmed this week. It was a major accomplishment for the Spendthrift Farm stallion, who overcame a battle with a leg infection and the subsequent onset of laminitis that forced him to miss what would have been his first breeding season in 2017.
“It’s very gratifying to see this horse clear yet another hurdle – he’s really a remarkable animal,” Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey said in a press release. “We appreciate all of the breeders’ faith in sticking with him, and we believe he’s going to reward them handsomely for it.”
That first mare in foal for Lord Nelson, by Pulpit, is the Grade 3-placed stakes winner Jennie R., dam of stakes winners La Grange and Magic d’Oro and the second dam of stakes winner Ruffenuff. The Awesome Again mare is out of Grade 3 winner Petrouchka.
Arrogate also entered stud this season at Juddmonte Farm, and the Unbridled’s Song horse has had a busy week.
On Tuesday, Arrogate met two-time Eclipse Award champion Songbird in the breeding shed. It was the first cover for the Medaglia d’Oro mare, who was purchased by Mandy Pope for $9.5 million at the Fasig Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale, the second-highest price ever paid for a broodmare prospect in North America. Arrogate also covered multiple Grade 1 winner Paulassilverlining this week.