Every once in awhile a great one comes along. And while the best of them are often measured by the grit and determination they show in defeat instead of in victory, so to, are they more appreciated once they leave this earth.
Giant's Causeway became a world-class sire on both grass and dirt. To Europeans, he will always be "The Iron Horse," indestructible and indefatigable.
The European champion racehorse and champion sire died April 16 at Ashford Stud, where he was born. A three-time leading North American sire; his progeny have won 178 black-type stakes including 104 graded/group stakes to date.
Darby Dan Farm's grade 2 winner Protonico, a son of Giant's Causeway, became a father for the first time when the Empire Maker mare Bonnie's Empire produced a colt at Sumaya Farm near Paris, Ky.
White Birch bought Enchanted Rock on day 2 of the Keeneland November sale. The daughter of Giant's Causeway is the dam of multiple grade 1 winner Verrazano and grade 2 winner El Padrino. She is in foal to More Than Ready.
Pontiff, a half brother to Pulpit by Giant's Causeway, will stand the 2018 breeding season at El Dorado Farms near Enumclaw, Wash. His feel will be $2,500 live foal.
Few, if any, owners and trainers have been more on a mission to win a single race than Coolmore and Aidan O’Brien when it comes to the Breeders’ Cup Classic, which has eluded them for 17 years.
Fox Hill Farm's Rick Porter is buying yearlings again, which is great news for himself as well as the Thoroughbred industry, as the owner feels healthy and happy after a two-year fight against cancer.
After a trio of yearling sales at which some of the first-crop stallions were represented by a limited number of offspring comes the deluge at Keeneland September sale and the inaugural Fasig-Tipton Turf Showcase sale.
First Samurai, as is the case for most of the other sons of Giant's Causeway, is a bit different from his sire phenotypically in that he is imbued with a good deal more power in his make-up.
The hypothesis here is that there has never been a horse bred in North America that has achieved greater influence as a broodmare sire of line-founding stallions than the son of Bold Ruler (Nasrullah—Miss Disco, by Discovery).
East West Stable's Enstone (by Tiznow), holds a class edge over her fellow 3-year-old fillies in Sunday's Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser. The nine-furlong filly classic drew a field of 12 Canadian-breds.
Four sires who have progeny entered in one of the seven turf races carded at Pimlico Race Course May 20 have already been represented by two other turf stakes winners at the Baltimore track.
Calumet Farm's Vexatious, trained by Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale, has had excuses in all three of her 2017 starts, but may put it all together in the May 5 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).
A Medaglia d'Oro colt who is consignor John Stephens' only horse, is among the hips to watch during the March 15 session of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s sale of 2-year-olds in training.
Two colts sired by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin top the 2-year-olds in training scheduled to go through the ring at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March sale.
Protonico, a four-time graded stakes-winning son of Giant's Causeway, has been retired and will stand the 2017 breeding season at Taylor Made Stallions in Kentucky for a fee of $6,500.
One of the benefits of a thriving Thoroughbred horse racing industry is the infrastructure of scenic and productive farmland needed to raise and cultivate racehorses.
In the world of Thoroughbred racing, Aidan O'Brien can be called the modern day Alexander the Great and his four-legged Ballydoyle bruisers the Macedonian army.
Brody's Cause, a grade I-winning 2- and 3-year-old by Giant's Causeway, has been retired from racing and will enter stud in 2017 at B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm as the newest participant in the Share The Upside program.
Ten-year-old Gustavian, an Eclipse Award finalist for champion steeplechase horse in 2013, was euthanized Sept. 16 because of complications from a paddock accident, said trainer Leslie Young.
With the closure of Lane's End Texas, Valor Farm acquired a couple stallions owned entirely or in part of Robert and Janice McNair. The further consolidate, the McNairs decided to relocate Stonesider from New York.
Freud is the most successful stallion to have entered stud in New York and stayed there, but he cannot escape comparisons with his full brother Giant's Causeway.
Darley sire Shamardal joined the elite circle of stallions to reach the milestone of 100 black-type winners when daughter Gouache won the Preis vom Berliner Schloss-Hoppegartener Stutenpreis Aug. 14 in Germany.
Pletcher said he is in a good place with his contenders coming into the May 7 Kentucky Derby (gr. I).
It’s been 16 years since the epic slugfest between Tiznow and Giant’s Causeway in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and they’re still at it, but this time it’s two against one.
This week we take a closer look at Destin, winner of the $350,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby on March 12 at Tampa Bay Downs.
Brody's Cause and Destin, both graded stakes-winning sons of Giant's Causeway, head a field of 10 for the March 12 Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II).
Grade I winner Brody's Cause is scheduled to make his 3-year-old season debut Saturday, March 12 in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II).
Destin surged to the lead off the far turn and then turned back a stretch challenge from Rafting to win the $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III) Saturday, Feb. 13 at Tampa Bay Downs.
Hold Me Back, among the nation's top 10 second-crop sires in 2015, has been sold to stand in 2016 at Irish Hill Century Farm near Stillwater, N.Y.
Looking back to the weekend of Nov. 21-22, when no less than five sons of Giant's Causeway were represented by stakes winners in North America.
The Keeneland November breeding stock sale's Book 1 ends with champion Take Charge Brandi sold for $6 million and a record $3.2 million weanling as upper-market bidding pushes Book 1 to across-the-board increases.
John Magnier's Coolmore operation will try to secure its first Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) win this year with English and Irish classic winner Gleneagles.
Bourbon Courage and Imagining, both graded stakes-winning millionaires, will stand at Heritage Stallions in Chesapeake City, Md., in 2016.
The Japan Bloodstock Breeders' Association has purchased the grade I-winning son of Giant's Causeway from Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings.
The Irish have developed a unique understanding of the horse, one passed from generation to generation along with a relationship fused through time to form the bond of mutual dependency that exists today.
Siena Farm's homebred Isabella Sings, a winner of the faster division of the July 26 Little Silver Stakes, takes the spotlight Sept. 5 in the $100,000 Boiling Springs Stakes (gr. IIIT) for sophomore fillies at Monmouth Park.
Bowling Green Handicap (gr. IIT) winner Red Rifle faces tougher targets in the Aug. 29 $1 million Sword Dancer Stakes (gr. IT) at Saratoga including Juddmonte Farms' interntional traveler Flintshire.
Spinaway's family continues to produce runners of the highest class, so the race that carries her name at Saratoga is a wonderful way to keep her memory alive.
With four horses in a line across the course in the stretch, Red Rifle emerged from the two path and drew off to a clear victory in the $250,000 Bowling Green Handicap (gr. IIT) Saturday, Aug. 1 at Saratoga Race Course.
Sudden Surprise, a Repole Stable homebred, is the first winner for his sire Giant Surprise. Giant Surprise broke his maiden in his debut at Saratoga July 30, 2011.
Two-time grade I winner Carpe Diem has been retired due to a knee chip and will enter stud next year at Kenny Troutt's WinStar Farm near Versailles, Ky., it was announced July 23.
As last year's 2-year-old champion male American Pharoah prepares to bid for the Triple Crown June 6 at Belmont Park, the 2-year-old champion filly of 2014 is nearly ready to breeze again.
Trainer Todd Pletcher sent out a pair of Belmont Stakes (gr. I) prospects May 29 at Belmont Park. Carpe Diem drilled a half-mile in :47.66 and Madefromlucky was clocked in :47.84.
Winning Cause made amends for a runner-up finish in last year's Red Bank Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Monmouth Park when getting up late to edge Heart to Heart and win in this year's edition May 16.
A 19-1 shot gave 7-5 favorite Protonico what-for in the $400,000 Alysheba Stakes (gr. II) on the Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) undercard, but the 4-year-old Giant's Causeway runner surged back May 1 to win.
Jon Jazdzewski landed Far Right, then a short yearling, for $2,500 from the @Nossab LLC consignment, Darby Dan Farm agent, at the 2013 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale.
A pair of $700,000 juveniles paced a solid third session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s spring sale of 2-year-olds in training April 23 in Ocala, Fla.
It looked like a two-horse battle coming down to the wire in the $100,000 Transylvania Stakes (gr. IIIT) April 15 at Keeneland, but Night Prowler was lurking and unleashed a furious rally to get up just in time.
