The weekly TRC industry digest - a round-up of the international racing news from the past week.
Carry on Stradivarius
Europe: Multi-champion stayer Stradivarius will remain in training for 2022 season.
Despite consecutive defeats by Trueshan in the Prix du Cadran and the Long Distance Cup on Champions Day at Ascot, the seven-time G1 winner will race on as an 8-year-old with a record equalling fourth Ascot Gold Cup his primary objective before he retires at the end of the season.
John Gosden, who trains the horse in partnership with son Thady, said that owner Bjorn Nielsen came to see the son of Sea The Stars at his Clarehaven Stables and agreed a preliminary plan to give the horse three runs - a prep, the Ascot Gold Cup and the Goodwood Cup.
Nielsen said the horse is “as enthusiastic as ever, which is quite amazing” and that the “option will be kept open, if he is at the top of the game and if conditions are right, for Goodwood and that will be the end of his career after that”.
Essential Quality and Maxfield head to Jonabell
North America: Darley in America will have two major new additions to their stallion roster for 2022 as Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality and fellow G1 winner Maxfield are to retire to Jonabell Farm after their final starts.
The homebred pair were campaigned in Godolphin silks, and sales manager Darren Fox said he believes that makes their addition “that much more meaningful” and “as exciting as it gets”.
“They consistently performed at the highest level and, if you add in their outstanding pedigrees and conformation, we feel very confident that their legacy will continue to grow through their future offspring.”
Fees for Essential Quality and Maxfield, who are respectively #3 and #39 in the TRC Global Horse Rankings, will be set after their final races.
Fox said the Lexington operation is “still maintaining moderation when setting fees”, with the roster once again topped by world #16 Medaglia d’Oro, who will stand at $100,000, and Street Sense, who will stand at $75,000.
Nyquist, 2020’s leading first-crop sire, will stand for $55,000. Hard Spun’s fee will remain at $35,000, and the record-breaking Met Mile winner Frosted is priced at $20,000 for 2022. Astern and Midshipman will go into 2022 at $10,000 each.
Tapit fee unchanged
North America: Gainesway’s 2022 stallion roster will be led by 3-time U.S. champion sire and North America’s leading sire of G1 winners, Tapit, who will remain at a fee of $185,000.
Tapit is currently the world #10 global sire and sits in third position in TRC Global Sires Dirt Rankings.
Speedster McKinzie will stand his second season for $30,000. Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Spun To Run, 3-time G1-winner Karakontie and Tapwrit, a son of Tapit, are all available for $10,000.
The Gainesway roster gains multiple G1 winner Raging Bull in 2022, with the talented son of top international sire Dark Angel standing for $10,000.
Stars aimed at Hong Kong races
Far East: Impressive Champion Stakes winner Sealiway, Arc runner-up Tarnawa and Coronation Cup scorer Pyledriver feature among the entries for Hong Kong’s four star-studded International Races on December 12.
World #35 Sealiway is entered in the €3.3 million ten-furlong Hong Kong Cup, along with Dubai Honour, who was a close second to him in the Champion Stakes at Ascot earlier this month.
Dermot Weld’s Tarnawa, current world #7, is one of 12 Irish entries, alongside multiple G1 winner Love and Irish 2000 Guineas winner Mac Swiney. All three are targeted at the mile-and-a-half Hong Kong Vase, alongside Pyledriver.
War Front heads Claiborne sires
North America: War Front will again head all Claiborne stallions with a stud fee of $100,000 for 2022.
The son of Danzig has had ten stakes winners this year, led by G1 winner Homesman and four other G1 performers worldwide. He currently sits at #72 and #37 in the TRC Global Sire and Global Dirt Sire Rankings.
Standing alongside his sire is the dual-surface Classic-winner War Of Will, in his second year at stud, at $25,000.
Already the sire of multiple champions, Flatter has had one of his best years in 2021 and will command a fee of $35,000, while Blame will stand for $20,000 in 2022.
Bob Neumeier remembered
North America: Veteran Boston sports reporter and NBC Sports racing expert Bob Neumeier has died at the age 70 from heart disease.
Neumeier’s wife, Michele, told the Boston Globe that he was a “wonderful husband”. She said the way he covered sport was “unique”, adding that he kept his personal life “fiercely private”.
NBC hired ‘Neumy’ – as he was affectionately known by his peers - for its Breeders’ Cup broadcast in 1990 after he won the Caesars Palace World Series of Handicapping. He remained with the network on racing telecasts, including the Triple Crown, through 2016.
Alan Miller, who hired Neumeier in Boston, said he was “without a doubt, the greatest writer that this market has ever seen”. Longtime friend and retired announcer Tom Durkin recalled Neumeier as “a joy to be around”. Broadcaster Nick Luck told his 80,000 Twitter followers, “I am so sorry to read this - such a well-loved man and a terrific broadcaster.”
Elsewhere In racing …
North America: Multiple Graded stakes winner Modernist to stand at Darby Dan Farm in 2022. More here
Europe: Former British champion jockey Silvestre De Sousa has ended his 3-year partnership with King Power Racing.
North America: The Jockey Club has released its 2021 report of ‘Mares Bred Statistics’. More here
North America: Bay Area media legend Sam Spear died in October 23 at age 72 following a lengthy illness. More here
North America: Cairo Prince remains at a fee of $15,000 for Airdrie Stud. More here
North America: The California Horse Racing Board at its regular monthly meeting has accepted a plan to study fatalities. More here