Remember Majestic Warrior? A beautifully bred, precocious, grade one winning son of A.P. Indy, out of the millionaire, multiple grade one winning daughter of Seeking the Gold, Dream Supreme, he was the leading sophomore sire of 2013, thanks in part to his fantastic first crop daughter, Princess of Sylmar. She swept the Coaching Club American Oaks-G1, the Kentucky Oaks-G1 (defeating Beholder) and the Beldame Invitational S.-G1 (defeating Royal Delta), earning over $1.6 million.
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The Life and Times of Monarchos and Charles Nuckols III
Nestled among the rolling hills of Woodford County in Central Kentucky are some of the most prestigious Thoroughbred farms in the world. Farms like Lane’s End, Three Chimneys, Airdrie Stud and WinStar all call Woodford County home.
There are also many smaller farms that call Woodford County home, and as you drive the beautiful fence-lined back roads of the county you will see their horses grazing in pastures that stretch as far as the eye can see. As winter melts away and spring brings warmer weather, many of those…
Stud Notes: Selling a New Stallion
Unless you’re standing a horse with instant name recognition and a high profile career (think American Pharoah or Honor Code), getting mares booked to a freshman sire can be a daunting proposition. As lower end horses sell worse and worse at auction, while competition for the few mares, two year olds, yearlings and weanlings who are in foal to or by the hottest horses (think Tapit and War Front) and who tick all the boxes in terms of physical perfection heats up, stud farms must bring more and more creativity to their marketing of young stallions.
The Interviews: Fairgrounds Leading Trainer, Michael Stidham
Since he started out in the ’80s, much travelled trainer Michael Stidham’s horses have won over 1600 races and $48 million dollars in prize money. A recent winner of the Trainer’s title at Fairgrounds racetrack, Michael took time out of his busy schedule to talk to Thoroughbred People about his career to date.
Thoroughbred People’s Equine Legends Series: 1840s Racemare – Reel
Her presence has been a fixture on the Jockey Club’s boardroom wall for more than a century and her blood coursed through the capillaries of none other than champions Tim Tam, Two Lea, Chris Evert, Winning Colors and Chief’s Crown. Her name was Reel and although this horse’s name may not leap to mind when discussing Thoroughbred pedigrees, this daughter of Glencoe was not only a fantastic race mare, but one of the most outstanding broodmares ever to live on American soil.
$2.48 Million in Grants Awarded for Aftercare of Retired Thoroughbreds
One of the major bright spots in horse racing in the last decade-plus has been the increased attention and care given to retired Thoroughbreds. Today there are dozens of organizations across North America that support nearly 200 facilities for horses whose racing career has come to an end.
I fell in love with Honor Code the first time I saw him race. Such a handsome horse, both masculine and elegant, with that magnificent head and eye, and that determined running style. And of course that pedigree—as if the gods of racing designed utter perfection, both on the page and in the flesh. 
On the authority of Spirit of Times, Fashion, one of America’s first great race mares and a member of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame “is a rich, satin-coated chestnut, with a star, and a ring of white above the coronet of her left hind foot: on her right quarter she is marked with three dark spots, like Plenipo, and other “terribly high-bred cattle.” While the beginning of the unknown author’s description sounds less than flattering he or she states, “her great excellence consists in the muscular developments of her quarters, thighs and gaskins. 
Originally founded in 2003 by former Boston Globe film critic Michael Blowen, Old Friends today cares for more than 100 horses across three states whose racing and breeding careers came to an end. A “living history museum of horse racing”, the farm attracts nearly 20,000 tourists annually. Thoroughbred People talked to Michael about the operation.
It was refreshing to hear of Remington Park’s efforts to try to help solve the problem of horse slaughter. Trainers at Remington who are caught disposing of horses for slaughter will now lose their rights to stalls at the track, and therefore their ability to train there. Hats off to Remington Park for this. It is a step in the right direction. But it doesn’t go far enough. If tracks can implement…