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Discreet Cat (TrueNicks,SRO)'s stud career may not yet have matched the scintillating racetrack performances that saw him rated as a world champion at 3, but he's having a very strong year in 2013, standing second only to stud-mate Hard Spun (TrueNicks,SRO) among U.S.-based third season sires. Photo: DarleyDiscreet Cat (Forestry—Pretty ...

Smiling Tiger (TrueNicks), one of the stars of the California sprint scene over the last several seasons, will remain in California for his stud career, which will commence at Premier Equine in Oakdale, Calif., in 2014. A winner of nine races and almost $1.5 million, Smiling Tiger broke his maiden on his debut at 2. He took the Lost in the Fog ...

The 2013 yearling sales season kicks off next week with the Fasig-Tipton July Yearling Sale. The sale, which will be immediately followed by the inaugural Kentucky July Horses of Racing Age Sale, is a one-day format with 258 cataloged. Given its strong emphasis on conformation, the July Sale has always been strongly supported by pinhookers, and ...

A focus on the top five freshman weanling sires in Australia by average shows a diverse group with a pair of European classic horses, two home-grown stars, and a shuttler from the U.S. Photo: Widden StudStar Witness (Starcraft—Leone Chiara, by Lion Hunter) The list was topped by Star Witness (AUS) (TrueNicks), who was co-highweighted ...

The weekend brought some top-class action in races worlds apart in aptitude, and continents away in location. The big race of the weekend was the Irish Derby (Ire-I) which saw a rematch between the Epsom Derby (Eng-I) first and second, Ruler of The World and Libertarian. Ruler of The World got the better of that one by about two lengths, but it ...

TrueNicks passed another landmark last week with the first stallions from South Africa and Chile to officially join the program. Photo: Avontuur EstateVar (Forest Wildcat—Loma Preata, by Zilzal) At Avontuur Estate we find two of the hottest young sires standing in South Africa in Oratorio (IRE) (TrueNicks) and Var (TrueNicks). The ...

The final day of what had otherwise been a wonderful Royal Ascot was marred by the death of Thomas Chippendale, who collapsed and died—apparently of a heart attack—shortly after winning the 1 1/2-mile Hardwicke Stakes (Eng-II). Successful last year in the King Edward VII Stakes (Eng-II) over course and distance, Thomas Chippendale was a son of ...

Day four at Royal Ascot kicked off with the six-furlong Albany Stakes (Eng-III) for 2-year-old fillies. The winner, Kiyoshi, looked to travel nearly as far sideways as forwards in the last couple of furlongs, but still scored impressively from favorite Sandiva (by Footstepsinthesand), with Frankel's half sister Joyeuse third. Kiyoshi is by ...

U.S. trainer Wesley Ward, who nearly took yesterday's Queen Mary Stakes (Eng-II) with Sweet Emma Rose, by City Zip (TrueNicks,SRO), gained compensation with the Scat Daddy (TrueNicks) colt No Nay Never in the Norfolk Stakes (Eng-II). Ward's 2-year-olds usually break like greased lightning, but No Nay Never dwelt leaving the stalls. He was was soon ...

The Royal Ascot seven-furlong Jersey Stakes (Eng-III) for 3-year-olds who have yet to win a group race went to Gale Force Ten, who produced a super-game effort to prevail after being headed close home. The result was a significant boost for the form of both the Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas, Fr-I), in which Gale Force Ten ...