BloodHorse.com | Horse Racing News

What's Going On Here: Breeders Get a Break

The average stud fee has decreased 6% for the 2013 breeding season.

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Spendthrift, Park Stud Fees Unchanged

Spendthrift Farm leaves its stud fees unchanged in Kentucky and regional markets. The farm has 11 stallions in Kentucky and others at Park Stud (Ontario), Keane Stud (N.Y.), and Elite Thoroughbreds (La.)

Unbridled's Song's Fee Cut to $60,000

Unbridled's Song, who is just four short of his 100th stakes winner, will stand in 2013 for $60,000.

Smart Strike's Fee Remains at $85,000 in 2013

Lane's End stallion Smart Strike, a two-time leading sire, will stand in 2013 for $85,000, the same fee he stood for in 2012.

War Front's Fee Upped to $80,000

War Front, who ranks fifth on this year's third-crop sires' list by progeny earnings, will stand in 2013 for $80,000, a jump of $20,000 from his $60,000 fee in 2012.

Fees Creep Up; Value Still There

Stud fees are rising, nudged upward by the gradual recovery seen this year in the Thoroughbred commercial market. However, the current tide is not raising all boats.

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Journeyman Stud Leaves Fees Unchanged

Top sire Wildcat Heir will remain at $10,000 for 2012. New sires J P's Gusto will stand for $3,500, while Vineyard Haven will stand for $3,000.

Stud Fees: Where Are They Going in 2012?

Dramatic upswings in stud fees for 2012 aren't expected, but some successful stallions will be priced higher.

War Front's Fee Jumps to $60,000

War Front, second on the second-crop sires' list by progeny earnings, will stand in 2012 for $60,000, a jump of $45,000 from his 2011 fee of $15,000.

Commercial Yearling Breeders Make More Money

The combination of high stud fees and falling Thoroughbred prices has battered commercial breeders financially in recent years. But this year they finally are getting some relief based on results of two early auctions.

2012 Stud Fee Costs Should Hold Steady

Mare owners shouldn't expect stud fees to drop much lower, according to horsemen at several Central Kentucky farms who were interviewed recently.

Fanlew Farms Announces 2011 Stallion Fees

Fanlew Farms near Serepta, La., has announced its 2011 stud fees for six stallions.

Lower Stud Fees' Impact Not Yet Dramatic

Even though stud fees were lower, pregrant mares and weanlings sold at Keeneland in November didn't improve their profitability dramatically.

KY Breed Incentive Changes Being Considered

A Kentucky Horse Racing Commission committee is considering changes to the state's Breeders' Incentive Fund, money for which comes from a 6% sales tax on stud fees.

Hammer Time: A Report From the Front Lines

Headley Bell of Mill Ridge Farm and Nicoma Bloodstock believes there are some signs that stud fee reductions are working.

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Unbridled's Song Fee Down Slightly for 2010

Taylor Made Stallions announced its stud fees Nov. 24, with the majority seeing decreases, including a slight reduction for Unbridled's Song.

Gulch Pensioned; A.P. Indy's Fee Cut

Champion Gulch has been pensioned from stallion duty because of declining fertility at William S. Farish's Lane's End Farm near Versailles, Ky.; A.P. Indy to stand for $150,000 as farm announces 2010 stud fees.

Darley Stud Fees: Medaglia d'Oro to $100,000

Citing the economic situation facing the breeding and sales industries in North America and Europe, Sheikh Mohammed's Darley operation announced Oct. 28 that fees for 37 of its 40 stallions on those two continents would remain unchanged or decrease for 2010.

WinStar Announces 2009 Stud Fees

The 2009 stud fees for WinStar and Taylor Made/WinStar Venture stallions standing at WinStar Farm, near Versailles, Ky., were announced Nov. 6. In a departure from the general trend of declining stud fees, the fee for Tiznow will rise from $30,000 to $75,000 for 2009.

Adena Springs Announces 2009 Fees

Awesome Again and Ghostzapper will stand in 2009 for $150,000, the same stud fee they each commanded this year. The stallions stand at Frank Stronach's Adena Springs near Paris, Ky., which announced its 2009 fees Oct. 23.

Stud Fees: Where Are They Headed?

With the prices for sale yearlings falling and world economic problems rising, many breeders are hoping to save money on stud fees in 2009. Stallion managers in Central Kentucky are expected to begin announcing the amounts they will charge soon, and several of them told The Blood-Horse they would be more likely to keep their fees the same than go down. They also plan to raise the fees for some stallions whose progeny have been performing well on the racetrack.

Afleet Alex's September Yearlings Shine

The huge Keeneland September auction provided the yearling selling season's biggest and stiffest test of the commercial appeal of new stallions' progeny. Because many young sires had a large number of offspring offered, their success depended less on a few carefully-selected top individuals and more on their ability to pass along good conformation consistently to their offspring.

Juddmonte Farm Announces 2008 Stud Fees

Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farm near Lexington announced its 2008 stud fees Nov. 1,with two remaining the same and one seeing an increase.

Buck Pond Releases 2008 Stallion Fees

Buck Pond Farm, near Versailles, Ky., has lowered the stud fees on three of its 11 stallions. Breeding fees have been dropped for State City, Seattle Fitz, and Colonial Colony.

Ashford Announces 2008 Stud Fees

Ashford Stud, a division of Coolmore located near Versailles, Ky., released its 2008 stud fees Nov. 1. The list includes Fusaichi Pegasus seeing another significant drop, Van Nistelrooy a sizeable jump, and a fee announced for new stallion Scat Daddy.

Adena Springs Releases 2008 Fees for Ky. and Florida

Adena Springs has announced stud fees for the nine stallions it will be standing in Kentucky and the nine the farm will be standing at its Florida farm in 2008.

Lane's End Farm Announces 2008 Stud Fees

Lane's End Farm has announced its stud fees for 2008. There are 20 stallions on the roster for next year.

Keeneland Sale Analysis: Great, But Reality Check Needed

That the strength of the yearling market held strong throughout the marathon Keeneland September yearling sale is nothing short of, as Keeneland sales director Geoffrey Russell is wont to say, "phenomenal."

2007 Stud Fees: More Declines than Increases

A few years ago, Jay Brunker believed a breeder could slightly overbreed a mare and not get hurt by the decision. Now, the owner of Grade I Bloodstock is not so sure, and he is cautioning his clients to be conservative in their mating decisions.

Ireland Set to End Tax Break on Stud Fees in 2008

The tax-free status of stallion income in Ireland will be abolished, as had been widely predicted, but not until July 31, 2008. Ireland's finance minister Brian Cowen announced the decision during his budget speech before the Irish parliament on Dec. 7.

Coolmore Australia Announces Fees

As always, the releasing of Coolmore's stud fees were the most anticipated in Australia.

Redoute's Choice Has Major Stud Fee Jump

The hottest stud in Australia, Arrowfield, home of the "wonder from down under" Redoute's Choice (Danehill -- Shantha's Choice) announced its 2005 stud fees Friday.

New Sires of 2005: Popularity Contest

Racing in general seems to slow down over the winter. Oh sure, there are newly-turned 3-year-olds to watch at Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita, and other major tracks and the announcements of the Eclipse Award winners and Experimental Free Handicap. But overall, there is a letdown in excitement.

Breeders' Cup Eyes Changes in Stallion Nomination Fees

The Breeders' Cup board of directors, given shifts in the number of mares bred, is considering a change in stallion nomination fees and could take action at its meeting in June.

New Sires for 2004 (Cont.)

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New Sires for 2004 (Cont.)

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New Sires for 2004: Six-Figure Returns

Can it really be just a year ago that the top price for an incoming stallion was only $40,000? That the second-highest price was $30,000? Well, now the top price for a newcomer is back up to six figures, $100,000 to be exact, and the next highest is $50,000.

Empire Maker Retired to Juddmonte: Fee $100,000

Empire Maker, whose Belmont Stakes (gr. I) win ended the Triple Crown threat of Funny Cide, has been retired from racing and will stand for a fee of $100,000 live foal at Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms near Lexington.

Gone West's Fee Remains $125,000

Gone West, whose yearling filly out of Touch of Greatness brought the top price of $3.8 million at the Keeneland September sale, will stand once again for $125,000.

Lane's End Sets Mineshaft's Fee at $100,000

Move over Vindication. There's a new leader among the stallions entering stud in 2004. Mineshaft, the leader on the NTRA poll, will begin his stallion career in 2004 for $100,000, twice that of Vindication, last year's champion juvenile male.

Lane's End Keeps A.P. Indy at $300,000 for 2003

A.P. Indy, who is having another good year at stud with eight stakes winners and the earners of $3.8 million, will stand in 2003 for the same $300,000 amount that he stood for in 2002, according to figures released by William S. Farish's Lane's End Farm.

Stallion Access Sale Averages $29,197

After a year's hiatus, Stallion Access' Champagne Sale of Selected Seasons and Shares returned the evening of Aug. 9. Held at Fasig-Tipton's Humphrey S. Finney pavilion in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., the sale saw 33 of the 44 no-guarantee seasons for 2003 sell for $963,500. In addition, two stallion shares sold for $182,000. The auction, a bellwether sale for next year's stud fees, averaged $29,197.

Fee Follies: Breeding at the Right Level

The late John M.S. Finney once compared the science of Thoroughbred breeding with Albert Einstein's theory of relativity. "Where E represents equine investment," Finney said, "M represents money, and C represents confusion--E equals MC squared."

Fee Follies (Cont.)

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New Sires of 2002--Part III

Continued From Preceding Page

New Sires of 2002--Part II

Continued From Preceding Page

Tiznow to Stand for $30,000

Two-time Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Tiznow, who will stand his first season at stud next year, has had his stud fee set at $30,000 live foal, payable Sept. 1.

From the Print Edition: First Crop Weanling Report

Most commercial breeders peering into a crystal ball in 1999 saw nothing but blue skies. However, as are the rules, planning out two or three years ahead can prove to be a tricky game. Breeders selling weanlings from first-crop sires in 2001 have experienced more than a little turbulence from the time they planned their 2000 matings to when they brought their crop to market at last month's major breeding stock sales.

From the Print Edition: First Crop Weanling Report

Most commercial breeders peering into a crystal ball in 1999 saw nothing but blue skies. However, as are the rules, planning out two or three years ahead can prove to be a tricky game. Breeders selling weanlings from first-crop sires in 2001 have experienced more than a little turbulence from the time they planned their 2000 matings to when they brought their crop to market at last month's major breeding stock sales.

Storm Cat Stud Fee Rises to $500,000

Leading sire Storm Cat, who already had the highest stud fee in the world, will stand for even more in 2002. Ric Waldman of Overbrook Farm confirmed Friday that the 18-year-old stallion will stand the next breeding season for $500,000.