Breaking News! Rags to Riches Has a Filly!

This morning, I was laying quietly in bed in the early dark hours with my dog and cats, cozy and happy. The day before, I had been thinking about Rags to Riches and wondering whether she foaled. So, I leaned over, picked up my Blackberry and was delighted that a google alert told me that on Monday night at 9:30pm, Rags had her first filly by Giant's Causeway at Coolmore's Asford Stud near Lexington. Here's a photo of her all fat and happy taken in February, posted on The Bloodline.

You will remember that she was the first filly in 102 years to win the Belmont Stakes and that her dad's Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor felt that she should run in the Kentucky Oaks rather than Derby. She didn't even break a sweat in the Oaks, winning it in a loping frolicking canter. Then those boys rethought their position and entered her in the Belmont. Now mind you, in that race, she had a stumble which almost took her to her face, and she scrambled athletically up to hand a loss to Curlin, Horse of the Year two years running and the winner of the Preakness and Dubai World Cup and Breeders Cup. She's just that fine!

Dermot Ryan, the General Manager of Ashford said, "She had a nice filly foal. All is good. Mother and daughter are doing well." I sure would like to see that filly!

Here's a small detail about the bad economy. In 2007, GC's way stud fee was $300,000, but this Spring 2009, you could have a GC foal for the paltry fee of $125,000. Just saying. Snap up the deal! ;)

Another important detail is that she's related to my two mares. She and Violet share the same great-grandpa, Blushing Groom. They also share other famous notables including Nasrullah, Princequillo, and Traffic. And even Hailee has a masterful relation in Equipoise!

Rags takes a Bath!

Here are photos of the beautiful Rags to Riches, having a bath and just feeling good. I hope that she's enjoying her new job as a broodmare, and I hope she gets in foal with Giant's Causeway this year. Maybe some day she can have a baby with Curlin, the young stud she spanked in the Belmont Stakes!

Breaking News! Rags to Riches Retires!

Today's Daily Racing Form reports mixed news. Rags to Riches was formally retired, after reinjuring her right front pastern as she was going back to training this spring. They are not sure when exactly, but she received a hairline fracture last Fall, either as part of her great champion effort to avoid a spill in the Belmont or later in the summer in the G1 Gazelle Stakes. Anyway, she took a break instead of running in the Breeders Cup and then after a winter off, posted two 3 furlong workouts at Palm Beach Downs.

They've decided to retire her rather than nurse her from this second injury and attempt to race her in late fall. Her owners, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, intend to breed her to Giant's Causeway, a champion thoroughbred who stood as a sire in both Ireland and Australia and who now lives in Versaille, Kentucky at Asford Stud. His race record is 13: 9(8), 4(4), and 0, with earnings of $3,078,989. He ran for two years. He was born Valentine's Day in 1997 and his parents were Storm Cat out of Mariah's Storm by Rahy. His stud fee is $125,000.

Her trainer told the Daily Racing Form, "She will go down in the history books as one of the best fillies ever to run. With the tremendous family that she comes from, she should make a terrific broodmare. We are excited for her and the prospects that lie ahead." I hope she successfully becomes a mom this year!

The photos for this entry are by Getty Images for the Belmont photo and from the Ashford Stud site for Giant's Causeway.

Breaking News! Jockey Club Releases 2006 Breeding Stats

On September 13, 2007, The Jockey Club released information about the 2006 breeding season. The Jockey Club was formed in 1894 to monitor the registry of thoroughbreds like Violet They report that about 90% of the foal report is complete and that over the next few weeks, the remaining foals will be listed within the year deadline of registry. 3,881 stallions covered 63,629 mares in North America, and 36,317 live foals were reported as of September 6th! Kentucky leads the list with 33.7% of mares bred in 2006 and 40.8% in 2007.

Of the 21,455 mares bred to 372 Kentucky stallions in 2006, 14,801 live foals were reported. The fourteen states and provinces which lead the list are
1) Kentucky
2) Florida
3) California
4) Louisiana +12.9%
5) New York
6) Texas
7) New Mexico +17.3%
8) Maryland
9) Ontario
10) Oklahoma
11) Pennsylvania
12) West Virginia
13) Washington
14) Illinois

Notice that Louisiana increased their reported foals by 12.9% over the past year which makes me very happy -- seems like some recovery after Katrina. And I am happy to see an increase in reported foals from New Mexico because that's where Violet's daddy was shipped in 2004 and I would like to believe that he is contributing to that increase!

Now the top stallions of 2007 by live foals are all in Kentucky and here they are:

1) Giant's Causeway, 168
2) Roman Ruler, 155
3) El Corredor, 153
4) Eurosilver, 147
5) Johannesburg, 144
6) Maria's Mon, 142
7) Stormy Atlantic, 141
8) Songandaprayer, 139
9) Afleet Alex, 138
10) Grand Reward, 135

Giant's Causeway is shown in this photo and he is standing at Ashford Stud!
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/stallion-directory/stallion.aspx?stallion_no=4297000
or
http://www.reines-de-course.com/giant's_causeway.htm