Two-time Horse of the Year Curlin (Smart Strike) and his champion son Good Magic will stand the 2026 breeding season for $225,000 and $125,000, respectively, at John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, the Lexington area nursery announced Thursday.
Curlin, who turns 22 in 2026, remains the only stallion to have supplied three Breeders' Cup winners on a single program and the only sire to account for four Eclipse Award winners in the same year. Good Magic, who was represented by a quartet of $1-million yearlings in 2025, is the sire of Classic winners Mage and his full-brother Dornoch from his first two crops.
Army Mule (Friesan Fire) is set to be represented in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf by the undefeated Ground Support and will return to $25,000 for the 2026 breeding season, up from $20,000 this past year. From his 133 winners to date, no fewer than 20 have struck at the stakes level, with Ground Support the most recent of his four graded scorers.
Former 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) was 'the most popular horse ever' to retire to Hill 'n' Dale and his fee remains at $30,000 for 2026. A stud fee for Charlatan (Speightstown) will be determined at a later date.
“Our goal has always been to offer the best stallion value in the breeding business,” said Sikura. “We feel our 2026 fees will allow breeders to be competitive with the progeny of our stallions. Despite a very robust auction market, we have held our fees to provide value.”
The remainder of the Hill 'n' Dale stud fees for 2026 are as follows: Kantharos (Lion Heart, $10,000); Loggins (Ghostzapper, $5,000); Maclean's Music (Distorted Humor, $30,000); Violence (Medaglia d'Oro, $30,000).
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