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Iron Man Cal Best Of Kentucky-California Collaboration

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(Originally published on Bloodhorse.com on August 27, 2026)

By Lenny Shulman

Airdrie Stud sits more than 2,000 miles away from Southern California, but the Woodford County equine nursery helmed by Bret Jones is exerting strong influence over the Thoroughbred proceedings in the Golden State. That will continue Aug. 29 when Iron Man Cal contests the $250,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes (G2) at Del Mar, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In race awarding a free spot in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

Bred by Bret’s late father, Brereton Jones, Iron Man Cal is a son of Collected, who began his stud career at Airdrie before moving to California and Tom Clark’s Rancho San Miguel. Named after baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr., Iron Man Cal was purchased by Little Red Feather Racing for $130,000 out of the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

From a family cultivated by celebrated breeder Robert “Shel” Evans, Iron Man Cal boasts a strong turf pedigree, evidenced by the presence of Kitten’s Joy as his broodmare sire. As a 2-year-old in 2024, Iron Man Cal took to the turf immediately, breaking his maiden on the Del Mar lawn, winning the Zuma Beach Stakes (G3T) via disqualification at Santa Anita Park, and running second, beaten a neck, in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) back at Del Mar.

After missing most of his 3-year-old season last year because of injury, Iron Man Cal began this season by winning once in three turf tries. Then his connections opted for some changes.

“We didn’t feel he was giving us everything he had, so we gelded him, and he has woken up,” said Billy Koch, founder and managing partner of Little Red Feather Racing, who owns Iron Man Cal in partnership with Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables. “He has always trained well on the dirt, so we took a shot last month in the San Diego Handicap, and he ran really well (a third-place finish behind classic winner Journalism). We feel like the 7 furlongs of the Pat O’Brien will fit him well. He’s working lights out and going the right way.”

Also bolstering confidence is the success Little Red Feather Racing has had with Collected. Goodies, a 3-year-old filly bred by Brereton Jones, has won two races in a row at Del Mar for Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket, and the Estate of Brereton C. Jones. That same partnership owns Thought Process, a 4-year-old Collected filly bred by Brereton Jones who has triumphed in this year’s Gamely (G1T) and Buena Vista (G2T) stakes, 2025’s San Clemente Handicap (G2T), and 2024’s Surfer Girl Stakes (G3T), and who has banked $680,200 to date.

Bret Jones well remembers when he and his father bought Joyful Dreams, the dam of Iron Man Cal, at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale for $60,000. She was in foal to English Channel at the time of the sale.

“In the back ring, she was double barreling, kicking the wall a few times with a bang you could hear from a mile away,” he said. “She wasn’t silly, but you could tell she was a tough mare. Then we looked at her pedigree, and her broodmare sire was Silver Hawk, who Dad stood at Airdrie. That explained her toughness. All the Silver Hawks were tough; all they wanted to do was beat you, and we saw that as a good thing.”

Jones spent Pacific Classic Stakes weekend at Del Mar, and took note of how well California breeders have embraced Collected.

“I think he bred the most mares in the state last year,” Jones said. “It is a good deal for California to have a proven stallion like him to breed to; he makes a ton of sense for that market. California is critical to the entire industry. We are racing and breeding there now and any contribution we can make to ensure California racing stays strong is important to us.”

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CLICK HERE to view the article at www.bloodhorse.com

Collected’s Californian Mission In The Collective Interest

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(Originally published in the June 12, 2026 edition of “Thoroughbred Daily News”)

By Chris McGrath

A fairly quirky notion, perhaps, but let’s just give it a little rein. Because it was in California that Collected reached his peak on the racetrack, including when beaten only by the Horse of the Year in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic; and it is also in California that he has been making his name in his second career. Is it conceivable, then, that his stock may be inheriting some aptitude peculiarly adapted to the demands of the West Coast theater?

Regardless, his cumulative resonance among Californian breeders certainly gives a lot of credibility to his transfer last winter from Kentucky to Rancho San Miguel. And the way he’s been going in the meantime makes Collected look like some overdue good news for a state whose many talented and persevering horsemen surely feel demoralized by remorseless negativity about their future.

Among the stallions to have launched their first runners in 2022 only Justify, so prolific either side of the Atlantic, can beat Collected’s cumulative 24 stakes winners–and Collected (6.7 percent) can very nearly match the $200,000 Ashford cover (7.2 percent) when expressing those winners as a ratio of named foals. Among others to have excelled sufficiently to retail at much higher fees, Good Magic has 22 black-type winners at 4.7 percent; Oscar Performance, Army Mule and Bolt d’Oro all have 21, respectively at 6.4, 5.6 and 3.9 percent; and City of Light, 19 at 4.6 percent. And this is a stallion that retired to Airdrie at $17,500, has been available at $10,000 for the past three years, and was introduced to his new market at $7,500.

Much as Collected did himself, moreover, his flagship talents similarly seem to be thriving with maturity–to the extent that he has just celebrated a breakout Grade I scorer, the 4-year-old Thought Process having won her fourth graded stakes in the Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita May 25. Even since then, moreover, the 5-year-old Pass the Hat has become Collected’s eighth graded stakes winner in the GIII Poker Stakes.

“Pass the Hat is a perfect example,” remarks Tom Clark, owner of Rancho San Miguel. “That was the first graded stakes he’s been in. It was only his 10th race and he’s just starting to get good. And I think the best days for Thought Process are ahead of her, too. I think she could be any kind this year.

“But really I think Collected’s main attribute is his flexibility. His horses can run on synthetic, on turf, on dirt. You see them running short, long. He’s getting a lot of good milers, with both speed and stamina. In California we rarely run past a mile-and-16th, and half the time on the grass, which I do think fits the profile of his offspring pretty well.”

It was on Californian dirt, however, that Collected himself got on his defining roll, winning a graded stakes by 14 lengths before turning over Arrogate himself in the GI Pacific Classic and then beating all bar Gun Runner at the Breeders’ Cup.

That familiarity was one of the reasons Clark was interested in bringing the horse down US-101.

“He was a well-known, proven commodity here,” Clark says. “And we were looking for a proven stallion to add to our roster. So we spoke to Bret [Jones, Airdrie president] and he was open to the idea. And you really have to compliment Bret, and his vision, in that a lot of his motivation was to support the California horse economy. His belief is that if California fails, Kentucky will also suffer greatly. And he felt that this was a way in which he could make a statement, that the Kentucky people really need to look at this as a national sport and not just one localized to them.”

Which is why the migration of Collected is no merely parochial tale. For there’s no doubt that many of those contesting the rich purses nowadays within reach of Kentucky are culpably insular about the predicament of California. The fact is that no line of trenches can ever be given up without bringing the gunfire closer. With such an affluent demographic on the doorstep of storied Santa Anita and Del Mar, nobody further east can afford to be complacent about California’s vicious circle of diminishing purses, fields and handle.

Unsurprisingly, a crucial contribution to the Collected deal was made by one of the Californian Turf’s most reliable patriots in Marsha Naify.

“It’s a lease arrangement,” explains Clark. “The horse is owned by a syndicate, obviously including Airdrie and also Speedway who raced him. We wanted to buy the horse, but that group did not want to sell–which we found very encouraging, too! Instead we had the opportunity to lease him for a period of time, and Marsha and ourselves went 50-50 in doing that. She’s a loyal client of Rancho San Miguel and we’ve been good friends for years.

“We were just thrilled that Bret was willing to work with us, and it really has paid off. We got a great response from the client base. So we benefited, Airdrie benefited, and the state of California has benefited from their willingness to do this.”

And, actually, Collected has benefited too. He entertained over 90 mares this spring, and we all know that commercial breeders in the Bluegrass tend to  neglect stallions that valiantly outpunch their fee in favor of glossy newcomers.

“In terms of breeding to race, that’s affecting the industry everywhere, including Kentucky,” Clark observes. “So even a horse as incredibly productive as Collected can get a little bit lost, because he’s out there four or five years and everybody’s looking for the new stallions coming along, with so much money being focused on the resale market for yearlings and 2-year-olds. But for us, that created an opportunity. And we probably ended up getting more mares to him than he would have received in Kentucky.”

It must be acknowledged that the commercial odds against Collected, in Kentucky, were compounded by the fact that he was not particularly built for the kind of people who are candidly more interested in breeding for the sales dais than the winner’s circle.

“We tell people he’s a typical City Zip,” Clark says. “He’s not too tall, 16 hands at best. But to me, great things come in smaller packages. And he’s not small, that would be the wrong way to put it. He has great balance, a beautiful head. He’s very correct, good bone, short fetlocks. He has a big hip on him, a broad shoulder, and is just very athletic. We were really impressed when he came. He just has a presence about him. He’s very smart, doesn’t abuse himself. He’s very good in the shed, just a gentleman to be around, very kind and easygoing. And we really think he’s passing along that good mind, and that athleticism, to a lot of his babies.”

Clark’s belief is infectious. He certainly doesn’t sound like a man prepared to wave the white flag for California. In that context, then, he deserves the opportunity to clarify he recently put his farm on the market.

“That was not a statement about the industry in California,” he emphasizes. “It’s more a personal thing. I’m 71 years old. We have no heirs to take over the farm and we’re really looking for someone to maintain and build upon what we’ve done to date. We have 25 employees, well over 50 people living on the farm. Most of them have been with us a long time, they’re very loyal and really care about their horses. We want them to maintain their livelihoods and their lives.

“So we’re really trying to make sure that there’s a future for Rancho San Miguel. We don’t want to end up like Harris Farm, where Mr. Harris passed away and the farm shut down and people lost jobs. Really the better way of putting it that we’re just looking for a strategic partner, to build upon the vision that we’ve had for the last 25 years. We’re in a very good location, halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles and only about 25 miles from the ocean. So we get cool breezes at night and it’s a great environment for Thoroughbreds, with rolling hills and good soil.”

Naturally the 250-acre site could be adaptable to other breeds, and Clark’s main priority is that it is never plowed over to become yet another vineyard or housing project. But his ardent hope is that the farm will prosper along with a Thoroughbred industry that rallies both within and around its Californian heritage.

“I’m hoping that there’s a turnaround, that there are changes that allow the industry to last and grow,” he says.  “We need some regulatory support, first and foremost, in the state of California. But I don’t think we can do it alone. We need more incentives for people to breed to race, and that all starts with purses. So we’ve got to find ways in which those purses can be enhanced, whether that means historical racing machines or something of that nature. But it’s as an industry that we need to pull together–trainers, racetracks, owners, breeders, farms–and as one unified group try to make our case and build a cohesive strategy going forward.”

Pending that kind of collective endeavor, however, he is grateful at least to have those of Collected.

“We think we have an outstanding roster here,” Clark says proudly. “From Sir Prancealot to young stallions like Brickyard Ride, Editorial, Mo Forza. With horses like that, we think we’ve a great future ahead of us. We just need client support, and state and industry support, to help maintain and grow the business. But we’re very optimistic about the future.”

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CLICK HERE to view the article at thoroughbreddailynews.com

First Group Of West Coast Mares Confirmed In Foal To Grade 1 Winner Collected

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San Miguel, California—A dozen mares bred to Grade 1 winner Collected at the start of the 2026 breeding season have checked in foal to the City Zip stallion, who relocated from Kentucky last November to stand at Rancho San Miguel in San Luis Obispo County, California.

The group is part of his inaugural California book, which comprises 90 mares through mid-March — a number which is already higher than the total amount of mares that any state-based stallion covered throughout the entire 2025 breeding season.

Collected’s popularity can be widely attributed to his initial success as a West Coast runner, and now as the region’s dominant sire.

Winner of Del Mar’s $1 million Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) and four additional graded stakes races from 2015 through 2018 for Racing Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, Collected retired to Airdrie Stud in Kentucky prior to the 2019 breeding season with a career bankroll of $2,975,500.

From his first four foal crops sired at that locale, the 13-year-old stallion has amassed more than $20 million in progeny earnings, highlighted by 22 stakes winners and seven graded stakes winners. His year-to-date progeny earnings of more than $1.1 million establish him as the leading sire in California for 2026. He also leads all California stallions by graded stakes winners, black-type winners and individual winners for the current year.

“We are thrilled with the overwhelmingly positive response that Collected has received so far from regional breeders,” said Rancho San Miguel Owner Tom Clark. “He is proving popular with mare owners across the board, from our longtime clients to first-time breeders, some of whom have acquired mares specifically for him.”

“His early patrons include not only California breeders, but also breeders from surrounding states,” Clark added. “These outside mares are now participating in the California breeding program, as a prelude to their Collected foals eventually participating in the California racing program. This is welcome news as our state’s Thoroughbred industry battles uphill challenges.”

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Airdrie Stud, Marsha Naify & Rancho San Miguel Partner To Stand Grade 1 Winner Collected in California

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San Miguel, California—In a watershed announcement for the California breeding and racing industry, Grade 1 winner and prominent young sire Collected will relocate from Airdrie Stud in Kentucky to stand at Rancho San Miguel in California for the 2026 breeding season. His introductory West Coast fee is $7,500, with a live foal stand and nurse guarantee.

The 12-year-old son of City Zip enters the state as one of North America’s leading fourth-crop sires, and as the clear-cut, #1 California sire by 2025 progeny earnings with $6,307,233 in purse money amassed through November 5.

Collected will be featured during Rancho San Miguel’s 2025 Open House and Stallion Show at its San Luis Obispo County farm on December 6. Breeders are invited to attend this free event.

The unique partnership formed to relocate the stallion includes Thoroughbred owner and breeder Marsha Naify, a highly respected businesswoman, philanthropist and former chair of Thoroughbred Owners of California.

Saddled by Racing Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert for owner Speedway Stables LLC, Collected won eight of 15 starts on dirt and turf from ages 2 through 5, earning $2,975,500. His seven stakes victories at four racetracks include five graded scores in California and Kentucky.

His signature win came in Del Mar’s $1 million Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) in 2017, in which he capped a four-race win streak by defeating reigning Champion 3-Year-Old Colt Arrogate. Next, he was runner-up to Horse of the Year Gun Runner in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), meriting a spot as one of three finalists for the Eclipse Award as Champion Older Dirt Male of 2017.

Collected was retired to Airdrie Stud prior to the 2019 breeding season. From four crops to race, he has sired 20 black-type stakes winners and the collective earners of more than $18 million.

His seven graded stakes winners include his first-crop filly Taxed, a Grade 2 winner and $1,173,919-earner who sold for $750,000 as a racing / broodmare prospect during the 2025 Fasig-Tipton November Sale last Monday. Also among this elite group is 2025 King’s Plate Stakes winner Mansetti ($773,503), one of the leading sophomore runners in Canada.

Collected is one of six winners out of Helena Bay (GB), a winning daughter of Johannesburg whose 3-year-old Uncle Mo colt Jude — a $2 million Keeneland September Sale graduate — was named a “TDN Rising Star” after his successful debut for Baffert at Santa Anita Park on October 10. Among his extended family is the European champion and leading sire Blushing Groom (Fr).

“Collected has been an absolutely rock-solid Kentucky sire, and he now has the opportunity to stand as California’s premier stallion,” said Airdrie Stud President Bret Jones. “His California training roots and the great success his progeny have enjoyed in the state should guarantee his popularity. We are thrilled to give California breeders access to a stallion that can truly help their programs.”

Collected’s move to California extends the recent outreach that Airdrie has already made to the state. Two of his top runners — the multiple graded stakes winners Conclude ($570,100) and Thought Process ($380,200) — were bred by late Airdrie founder Brereton C. Jones, and have been campaigned in partnership by his estate exclusively at Del Mar and Santa Anita.

“California’s success is so critical to our overall industry,” Bret Jones explained. “This is a great deal for both our syndicate members and the California breeding and racing communities.”

In addition to supporting Collected with her band of broodmares boarded at Rancho San Miguel, Naify plans to purchase additional mares this fall to specifically fit the incoming stallion.

“Partnering with Airdrie and Rancho San Miguel is a natural extension of the strong commitment I have made to the California breeding and racing industry over the past 25 years,” Naify said.

Collected’s move was brokered by California-based bloodstock agent Lisa Groothedde.

“We are overjoyed and extremely honored to have been entrusted by Airdrie to take the reins of Collected’s breeding career,” said Rancho San Miguel Owner Tom Clark. “In addition to being a familiar runner to our target audience from his years of competing at the highest levels here in California, he is in peak form as a stallion thanks to Airdrie’s expert management. We are proud to now do our part along with our longtime friend and client Marsha Naify to help cement Collected’s legacy.”

“With his proven credentials, we are confident that Collected will make a big splash in our regional market,” Clark said. “He is coming in as the state’s leading sire by a towering margin, which should make him a top choice for mare owners in 2026.”

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