Breaking News! Storm Cat Retires from Stud Duties!

Here is a photo by Mark Cornelsion of the fabulous Storm Cat whose grandsires are Northern Dancer and Secretariat. On May 13, Overbrook Farm announced that this world's leading sire, with over $112 million in earnings from his children, retired from stud duties. He is 25 years old now and his fertility is beginning to decline. His dam, Terlingua, who lived on his same farm, was euthanized in late April, so now her boy gets a chance to really unwind, relax, and reflect on his enormous impact on the breed! In 2007, his fee was $500,000, the highest listed in the world! Blessings on the head of this champion. Namaste and love to this child of Secretariat and Northern Dancer! You can read more about this champion at the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_Cat

or

http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=935962&origin=BHonline

or

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/stallion-directory/stallion.aspx?stallion_no=935962

or

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/stallion-directory/stallion.aspx?stallion_no=935962

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmCFG2zQXFs

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.

Precious Kitten and My Girls!

Precious Kitten is a filly born on February 20, 2003, the same year as Violet. She's had a very successful career so far, with 19: 7-8-1. Among her wins was the Gallorette Handicap. She was owned and bred by Ken and Sarah Ramsey of Kentucky, and her parents are Catienus out of Kitten's First by Lear Fan. Among her famous relatives, therefore, are Storm Cat, Mr. Prospector, Secretariat, Northern Dancer, and War Admiral.

She is currently listed as #10 of 3 year-olds and up fillies and mares by the 2007 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings.

And on January 12, 2008, Barbaro's parents, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, purchased her from her Ramseys for an undisclosed sum. Of this purchase, the Ramseys said, "We hope that she brings as much pleasure to the Jacksons as she did to us. Selling her was a tough decision and we'll miss running her in the big races this year. We hope she wins a 2008 Eclipse Award for the Jacksons and goes on to an equally successful career as a broodmare. We will be following her closely and hope to see them in the winners circle with her often this year."

Azeri and My Girls!

In 2002, Azeri earned the Eclipse Horse of the Year Award, the first filly since Lady's Secret. She also earned the Champion older female in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Her trainer, Laura de Seroux, was the first woman to train a Horse of the Year winner. The award ceremony that year included Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, and Chris Cooper, as they were promoting Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit. So, describing Azeri's grace on the track, Laura de Seroux accepted the award, saying "This is Azeri's Oscar." She said that her filly had all 3 elements of a champion -- class, brilliance and consistency. Laura de Seroux said, "Horse of the Year should be there all year. You did not elect her by default, but by the purest criteria." She was a heavy winner of the Eclipse of the Year Award, earning 189 of 228 votes, and all 227 votes for those who voted for Older female. That year, she had won 10 out of 11 starts and earned $2,227,740. For her entire racing career, she started 24: 17-4-0 for total earnings of $4,079,820. She's owned by the son of her breeder. Her breeder passed before ever seeing her run, so she is especially beloved by the son now. She retired and is boarded at Hill 'N Dale Farms where she was barren to Storm Cat in 2006, but delivered her first colt foal to A.P. Indy on February 14, 2007 -- Valentine's Day!!!! She's to be bred to Storm Cat again this year! Of course, my proud girls are related to her. They share many relatives including the following: Case Ace, Nasrullah, Teddy, Man o' War, Whisk Broom, Count Fleet, Bull Dog, Blue Larkspur, Bull Lea, War Relic, Hyperion, War Admiral, Traffic Court, and Bubbling Over! You can read more about this important filly at the following links:

http://www.drf.com/eclipse/2002/winners/winners.html

or

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azeri_(horse)

Rags to Riches enters Belmont Stakes!

Violet's cousin, Rags to Riches, will run in the Belmont Stakes this Saturday! She'll be one of 22 fillies who has tried to win over its more than 100 years. The last filly to win was 105 years ago -- only two fillies have ever won, Ruthless in the very first and then Tanya a few years later! So, there will be 7 horses running, with Curlin and Hard Spun the favorites. Violet and Rags share the same great-grandpa, Blushing Groom. And Rags has Secretariat and A.P. Indy. A.P. Indy is the first stud to successfully produce a baby from the Eclipse Horse of the Year Azeri who just had her first filly this spring and who is now bred to Storm Cat! Anyway, Violet and I will be rooting for her gal cousin!

Dreaming of Anna -- Kentucky Oaks Contender

The Kentucky Oaks is run every Friday before the Derby and has run since 1875. The Oaks has a purse of $500,000. This year, one of the early contenders is Dreaming of Anna, pictured here. Do you see a resemblance with Violet? I hope so! They are heavily related. Blushing Groom is Dreaming of Anna's grandpa on her sire side, and Violet's great-grandpa on her sire's side! Dreaming of Anna has won many races so far, including the $2 million Breeders Cup for Juvenile Fillies last year. She is owned by Frank Calabrese who named her after his sister, Anna Andersen, who passed away at age 48 from cancer. Dreaming of Anna earned the 2006 Eclipse Award for Champion 2 year-old filly and not only is she expected to be a potential winner of the Oaks, she is scheduled to breed with Storm Cat for the 2007 season! Lucky girl! She is related to both Violet and Hailee, of course, and is profoundly related to Violet through shared pedigrees with the following relatives (among many): Blushing Groom, Count Fleet, War Admiral, Man 'O War, Nasrullah, and Princequillo. You can read more about this classy little filly at the following link -- where you can watch a few videos of her as well:

http://www.ntra.com/content.aspx?type=news&style=purple&id=21701