No shortage of new stallions

Second careers for many major runners, including 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline, begin in earnest in the coming days. North American breeding sheds open during and around this second week of February – as one example, Spendthrift Farm, which stands reigning leading sire Into Mischief and adds four newcomers to its roster, opened its shed on Friday.

Behind the scenes, a competitive process has been playing out for months, as connections of new stallions look to line up solid first books of mares, in quality and quantity, for a strong start. That competition gained intensity and urgency as the size of the incoming stallion class of 2023 has grown in recent weeks. As of the last week of November, there were 35 debut stallions announced in the United States – meaning many of those had the opportunity to be showcased at traditional November open houses, and supporters had a chance to shop major-market breeding stock sales in Kentucky that month.

Entering February, the debut class has grown to 46 announced stallions. That was due to a change of plans for some – such as Eclipse Award champion Epicenter, who sustained a career-ending injury in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and will now stand at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud, and multiple Grade 1 winner Colonel Liam, retired with a minor injury in January.

“He was a brilliant horse whose best racing days were still in front of him,” said Ron Winchell, Epicenter’s racing owner.

In other cases, farms acquired stallions closer to the start of the season and are still actively shopping to support them. It was announced Jan. 17 that Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Fire At Will would enter stud at Sequel Stallions in New York, after he was purchased at a FasigTipton digital auction. The Fire At Will Syndicate purchased seven mares between the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s January mixed sale and Fasig-Tipton February mixed sale, the final auctions on the schedule.

It was announced before Mind Control won the Grade 1 Cigar Mile on Dec. 3 that that would be his final start. It took until Dec. 21 before his stallion deal was announced – but he should have no problem garnering support with several prominent outfits behind him. The multiple Grade 1 winner will reside at Rockridge Stud in New York, co-managed by another major stud farm in the state, Irish Hill and Dutchess Views Stallions. He will serve stallion duty as the property of Rockridge, Irish Hill Farm, Dutchess Views Stallions, Hidden Lake Farm, and Waldorf Farm, as well as Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stable, Mind Control’s owners during his racing career.

“Getting this group of partners together to support Mind Control gives us a phenomenal opportunity to make him the most successful stallion to ever stand in the state,” Rockridge owner Lere Visagie said.

Flightline’s first book sparkles

The stallion with no problems assembling a stellar first book is, to no surprise, unbeaten champion Flightline, retired to Lane’s End in Kentucky the day after winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The son of Tapit debuts with an advertised stud fee of $200,000, the highest for a first-year stallion since Triple Crown winner American Pharoah started at the same mark in 2016. Lane’s End principal Bill Farish said the stallion’s book is set at about 150 mares.

“It will not be from a lack of quality mares if he doesn’t make it,” Farish said.

Summer Wind Equine, which bred Flightline and was part of his racing partnership along with Hronis Racing, Lane’s Endaffiliated Woodford Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Siena Farm, boasts one of the strongest broodmare bands in Kentucky. Among its multiple mares who will visit Flightline is Littleprincessemma, the dam of American Pharoah, Grade 1 winner Chasing Yesterday, Grade 1-placed American Cleopatra, and Group 3-placed St Patrick’s Day.

Other mares who have been confirmed for Flightline’s book are champion Shamrock Rose; the dams of champions Essential Quality, Forte, and Midnight Bisou; and Grade 1 winners including Bell’s the One, Juju’s Map, Paulassilverlining, and Obligatory.