Home

Darley America was one of the first farms to sign on up with TrueNicks in the fall of 2007 -- and it's official, the farm's stallions will remain in the TrueNicks fold for 2009.

Darley America is home to 16 stallions including Street Cry (IRE) (TrueNicks,SRO) who is quickly emerging as the next important sire on the world stage. From his first two crops he is already the sire of six grade/group I winners including a pair of 2008 grade I winners in the undefeated 4-year-old filly Zenyatta and Street Boss, the top sprinter on West Coast. Of course, the biggest feather in Street Cry's halter so far is 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense (TrueNicks,SRO) . Derby hero Street Sense now stands alongside his sire at Darley and will be covering his second group of mares come February. He, along with the grade I winners Any Given Saturday (TrueNicks,SRO) , Hard Spun (TrueNicks,SRO) , and Discreet Cat (TrueNicks,SRO) make up what is likely the strongest crop of stallions ever to retire to a single farm. 

Any Given Saturday is the most accomplished son of leading sire Distorted Humor (TrueNicks,SRO) to stud thus far, having run Street Sense to a nose in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III) and conquering Horse of the Year Curlin in the Haskell Invitational (gr. I). Discreet Cat used his smooth-as-silk stride to take the U.A.E Derby (UAE-II), handing another Horse of the Year, Invasor, his only career defeat.

In the U. S., Discreet Cat earned a 116 Beyer speed figure when capturing the grade I Cigar Mile. Hard Spun could well have been champion in another year. His connections had to settle for the silver in both the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Breeders' Cup Classic Powered by Dodge (gr. I). But the speedy son of Danzig did get the gold in four graded contests as a 3-year-old, including a brilliant score in the seven-furlong King's Bishop (gr. I).

Another King's Bishop winner, Henny Hughes (TrueNicks,SRO) , calls Darley America home. The son of Hennessy was one of America's top juvenile runners in 2005, ranking third on the Experimental Free Handicap. He held his form at 3, taking not only the King's Bishop but also the Vosburgh Stakes (gr. I) over older horses. Several previous King's Bishop winners have gone on to distinguish themselves at stud, boding well for Henny Hughes and Hard Spun. Tale of the Cat (TrueNicks,SRO) , More Than Ready (TrueNicks,SRO) , and Forestry (TrueNicks,SRO) (not to mention former champion first crop sires Salt Lake and Honour and Glory) all won the King's Bishop.

Elusive Quality (TrueNicks,SRO)  has already proven his mettle as sire. He has three  champions on his resume thus far in Smarty Jones (TrueNicks,SRO) , Elusive City (in France), and Maryfield, who was awarded the inaugural Eclipse Award for female sprinters earlier this year. He is in the midst of another strong season with seven stakes winners.

Eclipse Champion sprinter Cherokee Run (TrueNicks,SRO) , the champion first-crop sire of 1999, is another proven commodity. He sired the Eclipse Award-winning juvenile filly Chilukki from his first crop and was represented by another champion last year in Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner War Pass (TrueNicks,SRO) . Cherokee's Run's son Kafwain (TrueNicks,SRO) , a multiple graded stakes winner in his racing days, ranked among the top 10 on the first crop standings in 2007 and his five stakes winners are among the leaders of his generation.

The Mr. Prospector stallion E Dubai (TrueNicks,SRO) is another who is doing solid work so far. He ranks among the top 10 third-crop sires in both 2008 and cumulative progeny earnings.

Horse of the Year in 1994, Holy Bull (TrueNicks,SRO) will embark on his 14th season at stud in 2009. He is the sire of a Kentucky Derby winner in Giacomo (TrueNicks,SRO) , and an Eclipse champion in Macho Uno (TrueNicks,SRO) , who is also a promising young sire.

Quiet American (TrueNicks,SRO) has rather quietly sired some important runners over the past decade. The dual classic winner Real Quiet is among his three champions and 48 stakes winners. He has also emerged as an important broodmare sire. Evidence of his daughters' prowess is Darley's own Bernardini (TrueNicks,SRO) . Five graded wins at 3, including embarrassingly easy wins in the Preakness Stakes, Travers  Stakes, and Jockey Club Gold Cup (all gr. I), were more than enough to earn Eclipse hardware for the son of A.P. Indy (TrueNicks,SRO) .

The impressive Darley roster is rounded out by three other young stallions whose first runners will be hitting the races over the next two seasons   The Unbridled's Song (TrueNicks,SRO) son Rockport Harbor (TrueNicks,SRO) was an undefeated multiple graded winner at 2and a graded winner at 4. His first foals arrived earlier this year. Consolidator (TrueNicks,SRO) , a grade I-winning son of Storm Cat, and the grade I-winning Wild Again stallion Offlee Wild (TrueNicks,SRO) have had their first yearlings at market this summer. Both were represented by six-figure yearlings at the Fasig-Tipton July sale.   

Filed under: Announcements