Rancho San Miguel To Host Open House & Stallion Show On New Fall Date: November 16

/in , /by

San Miguel, California—A new autumn date and an expanded stallion roster will greet attendees at Rancho San Miguel’s Open House & Stallion Show on Saturday, November 16. Current and prospective Thoroughbred owners and breeders are invited to participate in the free program, which will be hosted from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The San Luis Obispo County farm, which will commemorate its 25th anniversary as one of California’s most respected Thoroughbred breeding centers in 2025, will open the gates to its 250-acre site for the second time this year. Similar events were hosted in January 2023 and January 2024, prior to those respective breeding seasons.

“By moving our Open House earlier on the calendar to November, well ahead of the upcoming breeding season, we’re hoping to give regional mare owners a helpful headstart on making their all-important breeding decisions for 2025,” said Rancho San Miguel owner Tom Clark. “As part of that effort, we’re also proud to introduce two new stellar stallion choices to our line-up for breeders.”

New to the Rancho San Miguel roster for the 2025 breeding season are multiple graded stakes winner Brickyard Ride, by leading California sire Clubhouse Ride, and the black-type runner The Street Fighter, by Street Boss. Each will be available for inspection during the Open House.

Also parading in the Stallion Show will be veteran sires Danzing Candy, Editorial, Northern Causeway, Richard’s Kid, Sir Prancealot (Ire) and Surf Cat, 2024 newcomer Bolden and the widely popular third-year stallion Mo Forza, the latter of whom led all California-based stallions by number of mares bred in 2023 and 2024.

Open House attendees will be treated to a catered lunch, with fun giveaways and a stallion season raffle included in the activities. There will also be opportunities for participants to view several yearlings and horses of mixed age currently available for private purchase, and to network with other horse owners.

To RSVP for Rancho San Miguel’s Open House & Stallion Show, please contact Teri Capaldi at (805) 467-3847 or by email by November 13.

We hope to see you there!

Rancho San Miguel Sells $120,000 Colt At Benchmark California Yearling Sale

/in , , /by

Pomona, California—A California-bred colt by Grade 1 winner Army Mule sold for $120,000 to lead the Rancho San Miguel consignment at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings Sale on September 24. Purchased by Tari Brocklebank as agent for Racing Partnership, the six-figure yearling ranked as the third-highest-selling colt of the one-day auction in Pomona, and among the top eight hips overall.

Offered as the first foal out of the multiple winner Mystic Nile, by Pioneerof the Nile, the colt hails from the deep family of Broodmare of the Year Weekend Surprise and racing champions and major sires A.P. Indy and Lemon Drop Kid.

He was bred in the Golden State by Mo Forza Partners, a group formed to support the young, Grade 1-winning Rancho San Miguel stallion Mo Forza with top-quality mares. The colt’s dam returned to the millionaire Uncle Mo stallion for a 2024 filly, also bred in California.

Overall, Rancho San Miguel ranked third among the 13 Fasig-Tipton California consignors with 23 yearlings sold for gross receipts of $506,500.

The state’s next public Thoroughbred auction will be the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association’s 2025 Winter Mixed Sale, which is scheduled to be hosted at Fairplex in Pomona on January 28.

Rancho San Miguel is currently accepting entries of broodmares, broodmare prospects, yearlings, 2-year-olds and racing prospects for its Winter Mixed Sale consignment. For more information, please contact the farm by email, or by phone at (805) 467-3847.

Rancho San Miguel Offering Three Dozen Yearlings At Southern California Sale On September 24

/in , , /by

Pomona, California—Rancho San Miguel is offering a major consignment of 36 horses at the benchmark Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings Sale in Pomona on Tuesday, September 24. The auction starts at 11 a.m. All Rancho San Miguel entrants are currently available for on-site inspection in Barn 7 at the Fairplex sales complex. The consignment features a […]

Read more

Rancho San Miguel Consigning 10 Yearlings To August 20 Washington Sale

/in , , /by

Auburn, Washington—California-based Rancho San Miguel has shipped 10 racing prospects north to Washington for that state’s annual Thoroughbred auction on Tuesday, August 20.

The 2024 edition of the Washington Thoroughbred Breeders & Owners Association Summer Yearling & Mixed Sale will be conducted at the Morris J. Alhadeff Sales Pavilion on the grounds of Emerald Downs, starting at 1 p.m. All Rancho San Miguel entrants are currently available for on-site inspection prior to the sale.

Among the group of yearlings curated for consideration by regional buyers are four colts and fillies from the inaugural crop of Rancho San Miguel’s Grade 1-winning Uncle Mo stallion, Mo Forza ($1,034,460).

Farm resident Danzing Candy, the sire of back-to-back California champion 2-year-olds in 2022 and 2023, is represented with a yearling colt in the draft.

Balancing out the farm’s consignment are five yearlings by prominent California sires Acclamation, Smiling Tiger and Stanford.

Photos, videos and catalog pages for the horses in Rancho San Miguel’s 2024 Washington sale consignment are available online.

Rancho San Miguel Offering 21 Racing Prospects At 2024 Northern California Yearling Sale On August 13

/in , /by

Pleasanton, California—Looking for a quality racing prospect to add to your barn? Rancho San Miguel invites you to inspect the members of its 21-horse consignment at the 2024 Northern California Yearling & Horses of Racing Age Sale, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, August 13. The one-day sale, which will be hosted by the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association (CTBA) at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, starts at noon.

The Rancho San Miguel draft features three yearlings from the first foal crop of Grade 1 winner Mo Forza, who entered stud at the California farm in 2022 with career earnings of $1,034,460. The Uncle Mo stallion has proven to be extremely popular among California breeders, ranking #1 in the state by number of mares bred — with a book size of 102 — upon the debut of his initial foals in 2023.

Also included in Rancho San Miguel’s three-part consignment are yearlings by the farm’s established stallions Danzing Candy, Richard’s Kid, Sir Prancealot (Ire) and Surf Cat.

Yearlings by the California sires Anthony’s Cross, Conquest Farenheit, Grazen, Southern Image and Straight Fire are also being consigned under the Rancho San Miguel banner.

Serving as agent for Liberty Road Stables and Dale Brewer, Rancho San Miguel is also exhibiting 2-year-olds by Conquest Farenheit, Sir Prancealot, Slew’s Tiznow and The Factor as part of the sale’s supplemental catalog.

View the conformation photos of horses in the Rancho San Miguel consignment.

View the walking videos of horses in the Rancho San Miguel consignment.

As a bonus incentive for buyers, CTBA is offering a $500 travel allowance with a minimum purchase of $5,000 to out-of-state trainers and trainers from Southern California who attend the 2024 Northern California Yearling Sale. For more information, please contact Loretta Veiga at (626) 445-7800, extension 227.

View the 2024 Northern California Yearling & Horses of Racing Age Sale catalog.

View the supplementary entries.

Multiple Graded Stakes Winner Brickyard Ride To Initiate Stallion Career At Rancho San Miguel

/in , /by

San Miguel, California—Multiple graded stakes winner Brickyard Ride, a speedy, near-millionaire from the prolific Candy Ride (Arg) sire line, will launch his stallion duties in 2025 at Rancho San Miguel in California. He is available for inspection at the San Luis Obispo County farm, where he will stand for an introductory fee of $4,000, with live foal guarantee.

Bred and campaigned in California by Alfred (“Sonny”) Pais, Brickyard Ride won or placed in 21 of 31 starts and compiled a career bankroll of $925,477. Eight of his 13 victories were recorded in black-type races at Santa Anita Park: seven on the main track and one on turf.

Topping his résumé are the 2021 San Carlos Stakes (G2) and back-to-back editions of the Kona Gold Stakes (G3) in 2022 and 2023. His five additional stakes scores include two runnings of the California Cup Sprint Stakes, as well as the grassy Sensational Star Stakes.

Gifted with natural, early speed, Brickyard Ride set the pace in 27 of his 31 races and attained 17 triple-digit Equibase Speed Figures. He won from the distances of 5 1/2 furlongs to one mile, and ran exclusively in stakes company for the final 16 races of his career.

“He had wicked speed, and he stuck around for a long time,” said trainer Craig Lewis, who conditioned Brickyard Ride from the ages of 2 through 7. “He was a very, very talented horse who loved to train, and he loved the competition, just like his daddy.”

Brickyard Ride is the top earner for Candy Ride’s dual Grade 2-winning son Clubhouse Ride, who also was trained by Lewis. Now a leading stallion in California, Clubhouse Ride ranks first among all statewide sires in 2024 by graded stakes winners, black-type horses and turf earnings.

Candy Ride’s other prominent sons at stud include 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner, Twirling Candy and Vekoma, the latter of whom currently ranks #2 among all first-crop sires in North America by 2024 progeny earnings.

Produced by the multiple winner Brickyard Helen, by three-time Grade 1 winner Southern Image, Brickyard Ride is a pedigree outcross through his first five generations. He will stand as the property of Pais, who is committed to supporting the incoming stallion with quality mares.

“We are blessed to have such a talented athlete join our stallion roster,” said Rancho San Miguel Owner Tom Clark. “As has been observed by many smart horsemen over the years, you cannot coach speed.”

For more information about this exciting, young stallion, please visit Stallion Register Online.

Rancho San Miguel To Host Open House & Stallion Show On January 20

/in /by

San Miguel, California—Featuring an informational program that has been crafted for current and prospective Thoroughbred owners and breeders, the venerable California farm Rancho San Miguel will host its 2024 Open House & Stallion Show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, January 20. The free event will be held at the farm’s 250-acre site in San Luis Obispo County, located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Anchoring this year’s robust agenda are horse husbandry seminars, networking opportunities and a parade of the farm’s nine-horse stallion roster. In addition to a catered lunch, attendees can participate in fun giveaways and a stallion season raffle.

Among the scheduled activities are a discussion on equine reproduction by Stacy Potter, DVM, of S&S Equine Veterinary Services and a session on equine nutrition by Purina feed representative Jordan Baumgartner.

Several horses representing Rancho San Miguel’s large consignment to the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association’s 2024 Winter Mixed Sale will be on display during the event, offering attendees an advance viewing of the mares, yearlings and horses of racing age who are entered in the January 30 public auction in Pomona, California.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn about the farm’s diverse stallion roster for 2024, which includes the promising young sires Danzing Candy and Editorial as well as respected veterans Northern Causeway, Richard’s Kid, Sir Prancealot (Ire), Surf Cat and Tom’s Tribute. California’s leading stallion by number of mares bred in 2023, Mo Forza, will be available for inspection, as will the farm’s newest addition to its stallion ranks: undefeated Bolden, who initiates his stallion career this year.

“We are always proud to open our doors to members of the racing and breeding community, and to invite mare owners to see our stallions up close in this casual format,” said Rancho San Miguel owner Tom Clark. “This year, we are adding some educational sessions and expert speakers to our line-up, which I believe will offer a well-rounded experience for attendees.”

To RSVP for Rancho San Miguel’s Open House & Stallion Show, please contact the farm at (805) 467-3847 or info@ranchosanmiguel.net.

###

Undefeated Sprint Sensation Bolden Enters Stud At California’s Rancho San Miguel

/in /by

San Miguel, California—Southern California sprint sensation Bolden, a dual-surface winner who exhibited sub-1:08 speed during his undefeated racing career, will initiate stallion duties at Rancho San Miguel in 2024. The 5-year-old son of Santa Anita Park track record-holder and leading California sire Square Eddie will stand for an introductory fee of $3,500, live foal guarantee.

Bred in California by Reddam Racing, Bolden sold for $100,000 to owner Gary Hartunian’s Rockingham Ranch as one of the top-priced colts at the Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings Sale in 2019, with trainer Peter Miller serving as agent.

Under Miller’s conditioning, the precocious chestnut made an auspicious career debut in June of his 2-year-old season, defeating rival state-breds with a dominating, 5 1/2-length winning margin in a five-furlong maiden special weight race on dirt at Santa Anita.

Bolden’s next three starts were made in rich allowance optional claiming company for trainer Phil D’Amato, beginning with a facile, six-length win on Santa Anita dirt at six furlongs. He was then switched to turf, and achieved the same successful results: a 7 3/4-length romp in a smashing final time of 1:07.50 for six furlongs on the grass at Santa Anita, followed by a 1 3/4-length grass victory at Del Mar in a brisk :55.81 for five furlongs in September 2023.

Overall, Bolden won all four of his races by a combined 21 lengths, and earned $177,540. He was installed as the wagering favorite by handicappers for each of his races, and lauded by his trainer with the ultimate praise for his natural abilities upon his retirement.

“Bolden is the most talented horse I have ever trained,” D’Amato said. “He was equally good on either surface.”

The strapping stallion prospect is by Grade 1 winner Square Eddie, a son of Smart Strike who holds Santa Anita’s track record of 1:13.11 for 6 1/2 furlongs. He is one of three winning starters out of Bas, a multiple winner by Flower Alley. Among the notable members of his family is Bold Decision, a graded stakes performer and 5 1/2-furlong track record-setter at Aqueduct.

Bolden is available for immediate inspection at Rancho San Miguel. He also will be part of the stallion roster featured during the farm’s Open House & Stallion Show on January 20, 2024.

###

First Foal Is A Filly For California-Based Grade 1 Winner Mo Forza

/in , /by

San Miguel, California—Grade 1-winning millionaire Mo Forza, the highest earner by leading sire Uncle Mo standing outside Kentucky, was represented by his firstborn foal on January 10: a filly out of the multiple winner Californiasunshine who was foaled in California.

Owned by Alice Bamford, Californiasunshine was the first of 99 mares bred to the Rancho San Miguel stallion in 2022. Her 2023 Mo Forza filly is the fourth offspring for the 10-year-old Lucky Pulpit mare, whose first foal, Sweet California, was a Santa Anita Park winner at 2 last year.

“She is quite a character already, thrilling everyone with her looks,” Bamford said of the Mo Forza filly, whom she owns with her co-breeder, Ann Eysenring. “In addition to being correct, she is a beautiful mover and a very good reason for her mama to return to Mo Forza next year.”

Mo Forza won seven graded stakes races in Southern California from 2019 through 2021, highlighted by the 2019 Hollywood Derby (G1) at Del Mar. Produced by a daughter of perennial leading California sire Unusual Heat, the 7-year-old stallion earned $1,034,460 from 15 starts overall as one of North America’s top turf milers of his generation.

Owned by Kentucky-based industry leader Taylor Made Farm and San Diego horseman Onofrio Pecoraro and backed by a large syndicate, Mo Forza entered stud last year as the most successful son of champion juvenile and emerging sire-of-sires Uncle Mo on the West Coast. As such, he was strongly supported by breeders in his inaugural season, during which he covered more mares than any other California-based first-year stallion, and ranked second overall among all statewide stallions by number of mares bred in 2022.

“We are so pleased and grateful for the outstanding support West Coast breeders have already shown to Mo Forza,” said Rancho San Miguel owner Tom Clark. “But more important than sheer quantity of breedings is the quality of resulting foals. If this first baby of his is any indication, we are just saddling up for what will surely be an incredible ride with this classy son of Uncle Mo.”

Mo Forza stands for a $9,000 fee in 2023, with live foal guarantee.

He will be available for inspection during Rancho San Miguel’s 2023 Open House & Stallion Show on January 21. Reservations are encouraged for this upcoming, free event at (805) 467-3847 or info@ranchosanmiguel.net.

###

Stakes-Siring Second-Crop Sire Editorial Moves From Maryland To California’s Rancho San Miguel

/in , /by

San Miguel, California—The up-and-coming stallion Editorial, a stakes-siring half-brother to major sire Uncle Mo, has relocated from Maryland to stand at Rancho San Miguel in San Miguel, California during the 2023 breeding season. His fee is $3,500, live foal guarantee.

The 8-year-old son of War Front has exhibited his early potential as a sire with four winners from six starters in his first foal crop, led by the dual stakes winner Alottahope. A 3-year-old gelding, Alottahope won a pair of dirt sprints — Charles Town’s $250,550 Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes and Laurel Park’s $74,250 Star De Naskra Stakes — by a combined total of more than 17 lengths in his two most recent starts, and has earned $323,915 to date.

Editorial is also represented by the black type-placed multiple winner My Thoughts ($97,265) from his inaugural crop. The sophomore filly defeated eight of her elders in the $50,000 Fort Indiantown Gap Stakes on Penn National turf in her most recent outing, covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.94.

Produced by the multiple stakes-placed Arch mare Playa Maya, the dam of 2010 Champion 2-Year-Old Colt and leading sire Uncle Mo, Editorial boasts average earnings per starter of $69,499 — second only to Gun Runner among all current second-crop sires in North America.

“If I were to compare the U.S. stallion market to the U.S. stock market, I would say we are acquiring an emerging stock at the optimal time for California breeders,” said Rancho San Miguel owner Tom Clark. “Editorial has come out firing with quality in his first batch of runners, and has already shown that he can significantly improve his mares.”

“His rare combination of sire power in War Front and Uncle Mo is sure to appeal to our state’s breeders, who enjoy racing on a variety of surfaces and at a variety of distances,” Clark added. “Climax Stallions is retaining an ownership stake in Editorial, so he will be well-supported with top mares, including from our farm, as we take the baton and navigate him through the important next phase of his stallion career.”

A Gulfstream Park maiden special weight winner for Racing Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher and prominent international owners Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Editorial initially stood in Maryland in 2018 and 2019, covered more than 100 mares in Peru in 2019 and 2020 and relocates to California from Maryland’s Anchor and Hope Farm, where he stood in 2022.

Editorial is available for inspection at Rancho San Miguel.

###