Ashford Stud

Champion 3-year-old Maximum Security (New Year's Day--Lil Indy, by Anasheed) will relocate to Breakway Farm in Dillsboro, Indiana in 2026, the farm announced via X Saturday. Previously standing at Ashford Stud in Kentucky, the 9-year-old colt accounted for a quartet of Grade I victories--the Xpressbet Florida Derby, TVG.com Haskell Invitational, Cigar Mile and TVG Pacific Classic. During his racing career, the bay also crossed the wire first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby and the 2020 Saudi Cup and was subsequently disqualified. After 14 career starts, the Gary and Mary West-bred...

Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg and Brook T. Smith's Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), who finished second in a problematic edition of the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, will train up to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar, according to trainer Chad Brown. The GI Whiney winner, who tried to avoid fallen Irad Ortiz Jr. just steps out of the gate, traveled in last--18 lengths off the pace--before making a wide run down the lane to finish 1 1/2-lengths behind winner Antiquarian. "Thankfully, Irad...

Fergus Galvin, their consignor, called it "one of the greatest pinhooks of all time." To Blaise Benjamin and Charles Hynes, it was just another example of the way every new day at Ashford Stud brings a fresh lesson, a fresh opportunity. That might just involve quietly clocking the way one of the old hands reassures a nervous horse, or it might mean catching the $1,000 Tiz the Law weanling who fell through the cracks at the New York Mixed Sale at Saratoga last fall. Back in the same ring last...

At this time of year, when we're just weeks away from the GI Kentucky Derby, any 3-year-old colt who catches the eye requires a second look and perhaps a little Derby dreaming. Coolmore America's American Pharoah, who won the Derby himself a decade ago this May, had three sophomore colts in the news last weekend. First up was Luxor Cafe, whose fourth consecutive win last Saturday at Nakayama in Japan did more than catch the eye. Do yourself a favor and watch him quicken off the turn and distance his...

Kentucky Derby contender Journalism (Curlin--Mopotism, by Uncle Mo) will stand at Coolmore America's Ashford Stud following his racing career, the operation announced Monday evening. In addition, Coolmore partners Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith will participate with the colt's current ownership group of Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5 LLC and Robert LaPenta. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Journalism ended his juvenile campaign with a win in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity in December and returned at three with an eye-catching victory in the Mar....

Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky will open its doors to prospective breeders Jan. 13 through Wednesday, Jan. 15 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00pm. Light refreshments and hot beverages will be available to guests. The operation's stallion roster will be available for inspection, including new addition Domestic Product (Practical Joke-Goods and Services, by Paynter). Winner of the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, the dark bay also won the GIII Dwyer and GIII Tampa Bay Derby. For more information, click here.  

The first foal sired by Ashford Stud's Gunite (Gun Runner) was born Thursday, Jan. 9. Owned by Phoenix Farm and Racing and Todd Frederick, the colt the third produce from his dam Sweet Meadow Mist (D'Funnybone), a half-sister to the stakes-winning and Grade III-placed Bachata (Kingmambo), whose daughter Gold Medal Dancer (Medaglia d'Oro) was named a 'TDN Rising Star' before going on to win the GII Azeri Stakes while placing in the GI Apple Blossom Handicap and GI La Troienne Stakes for Josephine Abercrombie's Pin Oak Stud. Gold Medal Dancer...

by J.N. Campbell and Alan Carasso Champion 2-year-old colt and leading sire Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie--Playa Maya, by Arch) was euthanized at Ashford Stud on Thursday morning after suffering a left foreleg injury, according to a tweet by Mike Repole on X and post on the Coolmore America website. Surgery was performed on Wednesday. He was 16-years-old. "I am devastated and saddened to share with you that Uncle Mo was euthanized earlier today following a left foreleg injury," said Repole. "He had surgery yesterday. Unfortunately, this morning the recovery process...

Having dealt with the rookies separately, we now start our quest for value among those stallions already at stud. We'll be going through the pyramid by price band, and today kick off at the level most accessible to breeders on a budget. But do not be deceived that we must be scraping the barrel here. If anything, candidly, there are more horses standing at four figures that one could trust--above all, for a breed-to-race program--than among far more expensive newcomers featured in the first instalment. Whether one could also recommend...

Nearly two years ago, just prior to the 2023 breeding season, Ashford Stud's Robyn Murray spoke about Munnings on camera. At the time, she said: "Theoretically the best is still yet to come and we're so excited for him... We would expect all of this to elevate him over the next couple years." As the horses conceived that season, the year Munnings stood for $100,000, are currently just weanlings, her words seem prescient given the results of last weekend, when undefeated 2-year-olds by the Ashford Stud sire swept both divisions...

Ashford Stud's Practical Joke has enjoyed perhaps his strongest season yet with seven graded stakes winners so far this year. Only four stallions in North America can claim more, while both Quality Road and Not This Time also have seven graded stakes winners to their credit in 2024. Practical Joke, a three-time Grade I winner in his own right, retired to Ashford in 2018 and has produced four Grade I winners from his first four crops. In 2025, the son of Into Mischief's stud fee will increase from $45,000 to...

If it stays like this, a single maiden winner might settle it. Because all that separates McKinzie ($2,294,679) from current leader Tiz the Law ($2,339,575) in the freshman table is $44,896. But wait, there's more. McKinzie isn't even second. Between the pair lurks Vekoma ($2,306,457), ensuring a desperate three-way contest for the prized laurels of champion first-season sire. It's even closer than this time last year, when four stallions were divided by barely $200,000. In the end, Mitole actually extended his lead down the stretch. But the fact that the...