Upon his retirement, 1989 Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Sunday Silence attracted surprisingly little attention from American breeders but was sold to Japanese interests for $11 million, at the high end of the market at the time. It was a prudent move, as he went on to make innumerable contributions to that bloodstock industry. Now, more than a decade after his death, he could be adding some international intrigue to this Kentucky Derby.
Category Archives: Farm
Mandola the Wonder Horse
“You get lucky sometimes, but it helps to have the right kind of patient. His attitude is what prompted them to save him in the first place and it surely helped him in his recovery. He’s a cool horse, which only helps.”
Air Force Blue Flies High as European Two-Year-Old Classification for 2015 is Revealed
Air Force Blue, trained by Aidan O’Brien, has today been unveiled as the champion European two-year-old following his impressive win in the Group 1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes.
Payson ‘Pays’ Big for Leigh Family Bloodlines
Stone Farm to board the Arch short yearling out of Seeking Atlantis and sales topping mare, Summer Solo.
Hancock To Race Denman Filly
Arthur Hancock’s Stone Farm became the latest American name to join the Magic Millions results sheet Wednesday when it partnered on a Denman (Aus) filly bought by Craig Rounsefell’s Boomer Bloodstock and trainer Matt Cumani for A$110,000. Stone Farm now owns a quarter of the half-sister to Group 3 winner Generalife (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}).
2015 Leading Sire: Menifee is the Leading Sire in Korea for the 4th Year Running
Menifee is the Leading Sire in Korea for the 4th year running. It wasn’t quite as one-sided as last year but he still earned $2 Million more than closest challenger, Ecton Park. Menifee stands in good stead for the future too as he also comfortably claimed the Leading Sire of Two-Year-Olds title. Strike Again is Leading First Crop Sire.
Jospeh O’Brien comments on Air Force Blue
Joseph O’Brien’s comments in the TDN on Air Force Blue:
Bloodlines: Sunday Silence Speaks Volumes
Much like not seeing the forest for the trees, sometimes we don’t see the horse for the pedigrees.
Seldom has that seemed more significant than with the 1989 Horse of the Year Sunday Silence. The tall, dark, handsome son of leading sire Halo was not on anyone’s list of “must-have” yearlings when he went to the sales at Keeneland in July, 1987.
The future Classic winner had been foaled and raised at Arthur Hancock’s Stone Farm in Bourbon County, Ky. He was a son of the farm’s banner stallion Halo — one of the three best stallion sons of leading sire Hail to Reason.
Almarmooq Wins the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup
Almarmooq certainly wasn’t destined for this from the start, but the 8-year-old Dynaformer gelding became a stakes winner when he outlasted five others in the $35,000 Pennsylvania Hunt Cup timber stakes Nov. 1.
AIR FORCE BLUE Named Cartier Champion 2YO Colt
Runners campaigned by Coolmore and partners—Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith—took three championships: Legatissimo; Minding, 2-year-old filly; and Air Force Blue, 2-year-old colt; the latter two are trained by Aidan O’Brien.