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Last week was a major one for America's top sires Distorted Humor (TrueNicks,SRO) and Giant's Causeway (TrueNicks,SRO). The elite pair joined the list of stallions to sire 100 stakes winners, a select group that includes only four other active stallions: Zabeel, Danehill Dancer, Dynaformer (TrueNicks,SRO), and Montjeu. The victory of Savvy ...

With the game triumph of Roderic O’Connor in Saturday's Irish 2,000 Guineas (gr. I) following hot-on-the-heels of the smooth victory of Golden Lilac in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches-French 1,000 Guineas (gr. I) one week ago, and Frankel’s runaway English 2,000 Guineas (gr. I) win three weeks ago, the cross of Galileo and mares by Danehill has ...

Widden Stud has been a breeding farm since 1867 and has been in the same family – the Thompsons – for seven generations. They have stood Australian champion sires Lochiel, Grafton, Malster, Bletchingly, Vain, and Marscay. Despite its proud history, however, the focus is firmly on the future, with the farm presenting a roster of outstanding young ...

One of the newest stallion farms on the Australian scene, Patinack has quickly gathered an impressive roster of stallions, which for the 2011 breeding season will feature newly-retired classic winers Lope de Vega and Monaco Consul. Lope de Vega (IRE) (TrueNicks) is a son of Shamardal, a horse who was never beaten on the turf, earning honours as ...

In the week following the runaway 2,000 Guineas (gr. I) victory of Frankel – which simultaneously confirmed his brilliance and the extreme improbability of him staying the Derby trip of 1½ miles – there were a number of significant Derby and Oaks trials in Europe. Not surprisingly, the Sadler’s Wells line was a dominant force in these, and the ...

One of the strongest stallion rosters, both in terms of numbers and quality, is that which stands under the Coolmore banner. Leading the team is Encosta de Lago (AUS) (TrueNicks,SRO). The group I-winning son of Sadler’s Wells’ brother Fairy King has already earned honors as a champion sire. A winner of the 1996 VicHealth Cup (gr. I, video below) ...

Saturday’s Kentucky Derby (gr. I, video below) was, we suspect, a history-making one on more than one count. We have a strong suspicion that the winner, Animal Kingdom, is the first horse to capture the Run for the Roses on his dirt debut, and we’d also nominate him as candidate for the title of “Derby Winner With the Most International ...

In the week that saw the passing of the mighty Sadler’s Wells, it was appropriate that his grandson Frankel (TrueNicks A++) should produce a dominant performance in the first English classic of the year, the 2,000 Guineas (gr. I, video below). The son of Galileo was equipped with a pacemaker, but set such a rapid pace that he was soon alone in the ...

Officially rated the best long distance runner in the world last year was So You Think. He earned a figure of 122 as an extended distance performer on the basis of a third under top-weight in the Melbourne Cup (gr. I). However, he was actually rated 126 as a middle distance runner, a standing earned with five straight victories during the ...

Third crop sire Kitten's Joy (TrueNicks,SRO) had a big meet at Keeneland. Derby Kitten captured the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. III, video below), and although he probably won't have the earnings to attempt to live up to his name at Churchill Downs, he could still point to the Preakness Stakes (gr. I). Another Kitten’s Joy 3-year-old, Holiday ...