By DRF.com
Eight Rings had a dynamic start to his racing career in the summer and fall of 2019, winning a maiden race in his debut at Del Mar and the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita in his third outing.
As the most prominent new stallion in California in 2023, Eight Rings has a chance for a splashy beginning to his stud career as well.
By Empire Maker, Eight Rings will stand the 2023 breeding season at Tommy Town Thoroughbreds in Santa Ynez for a fee of $7,500, the highest price among a small number of new stallions in the state.
A $520,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland in 2018, Eight Rings was retired earlier this year after winning 3 of 14 starts. He earned $474,451, all in a four-season campaign for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.
The American Pharoah Stakes at 1 1/16 miles was the lone stakes win for Eight Rings, who raced for a large partnership that included Coolmore Stud, Golconda Stable, Madaket Stable, SF Racing, and Starlight Racing.
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As a 3-year-old in 2020, Eight Rings was unsuccessful in two stakes starts at Oaklawn Park, but had a brighter campaign in 2021, finishing a game second to Dr. Schivel in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar that July. Later that season, Eight Rings was third in consecutive stakes around two turns – the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar, and the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.
In his final start, Eight Rings was third behind Express Train in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita in February. Express Train later won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap.
Eight Rings is out of Purely Hot, a mare by Pure Prize who won two stakes, including the Grade 3 Whimsical Stakes at six furlongs at Woodbine in 2014. Purely Hot won 12 of 32 starts and earned $426,905.
Eight Rings is one of five stakes winners who will begin their stud careers in California in 2023 or join the rosters of California farms after standing in other states in 2022.
Jack Milton (War Front – Preserver, by Forty Niner)
Farm: Gray Farms
Fee: $5,000
Jack Milton has been withdrawn from the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale, according Jill Gray. Gray owns Gray Farms, where Jack Milton will stand in 2023. The 12-year-old previously stood at stud at Crestwood Farm in Kentucky for a fee of $6,500, and had small books of mares in recent years.
On the track, Jack Milton won 5 of 19 starts and earned $853,828, all under the direction of trainer Todd Pletcher. Jack Milton was a three-time stakes winner. In the spring of 2015, his final year on the track, Jack Milton won the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile on turf at Keeneland and was second in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic in May.
Jack Milton also won two Grade 3 stakes on turf.
At stud, Jack Milton has progeny earnings of more than $4.7 million, led by Tobys Heart with $673,370. A winner of 5 of 17 starts, Tobys Heart won the Music City Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs on turf at Kentucky Downs in September 2021 and the Unbridled Sidney Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs in May.
Last month, Tobys Heart was sold for $450,000 at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale.
Jack Milton is also the sire of Bad Beat Brian, who has earned $438,334 and was second in two sprint stakes on turf at Sam Houston and Ellis Park this year. Bad Beat Brian won the Claiming Crown Starter Stakes at Gulfstream Park in 2021.
Midnight Storm (Pioneerof the Nile – My Tina, by Bertrando)
Farm: Milky Way Farm
Fee: $4,000
Midnight Storm has been relocated from Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky to Milky Way Farm in California for 2023. The move is something of a homecoming for Midnight Storm, who ran primarily in Southern California in a four-year career, from 2014 to 2017.
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Midnight Storm won 10 of 27 starts and earned $1,783,110. His career was highlighted by a win in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on turf at Santa Anita in 2016. Later that year, Midnight Storm won two Grade 2 stakes on turf at the Del Mar summer meeting – the Eddie Read Stakes at 1 1/8 miles and the Del Mar Mile before finishing third by two lengths to Tourist in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita.
Later in 2016, Midnight Storm was switched to dirt. He won two consecutive stakes – the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at 1 1/8 miles in the fall meet at Del Mar and the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Jan. 1, 2017. Midnight Storm was later second by three-quarters of a length to Shaman Ghost in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on dirt.
Midnight Storm’s versatility on dirt and turf has carried forward through his first two crops to race, in 2021 and this year.
Great Escape, a 3-year-old colt by Midnight Storm, won the Grade 3 Canadian Derby at 1 1/4 miles at Century Mile in August and was third in the Zia Park Derby at 1 1/8 miles in New Mexico on Nov. 22.
On turf, Midnight Storm has been represented by Mrs. Green, the winner of a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf at Saratoga in August and a six-furlong allowance race on turf at the Belmont at Aqueduct meeting in October.
Midnight Storm will stand for $4,000. In his five years at Taylor Made Farm, his fee ranged from $7,500 to $12,500.
Editorial (War Front – Playa Maya, by Arch)
Farm: Rancho San Miguel
Fee: $3,500
Editorial was bred to a few mares in his first five years at stud in Maryland, but has had a fair measure of success. From his first 10 foals to race, five had won through Dec. 16.
The 3-year-old gelding Alottahope leads the group, with 5 wins in 11 starts and earnings of $328,915. Alottahope won his debut in November 2021 at Laurel Park and was second in the Maryland Juvenile Championship at seven furlongs for statebreds later that year.
This year, Alottahope has won 4 of 9 starts in a season that includes consecutive stakes wins at seven furlongs in the restricted Star de Naskra Stakes at Laurel in July and $250,550 Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes at Charles Town in August.
Editorial’s leading filly is My Thoughts, the winner of the restricted Fort Indiantown Gap Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Penn National in August. She has won 3 of 9 starts and earned $99,515.
Editorial, 8, is a half-brother to leading stallion Uncle Mo, the 2010 champion 2-year-old male. Editorial stood for fees ranging from $2,500 to $3,500 in Maryland. Editorial also has stood at stud in South America in recent years.
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During his brief racing career, Editorial was owned by the Coolmore syndicate. Editorial won one of his two starts.
Mo the Beholder (Uncle Mo – Leslie’s Harmony, by Curlin)
Farm: BG Thoroughbred Farm
Fee: $2,500
Five-year-old Mo the Beholder did not race, but has a pedigree associated with some of the finest racehorses of the last dozen years.
Mo the Beholder is by Uncle Mo, the champion 2-year-old male of 2010, and is out of Leslie’s Harmony, who was winless in two starts and is a half-sister to the four-time champion Beholder. Leslie’s Harmony was purchased for $1.1 million as a yearling.
Beholder, inducted into racing’s Hall of Fame this year, won 18 of 26 starts and earned $6,156,600. Leslie’s Harmony is also a sister of the stallions Into Mischief, Mendelssohn, and Curlin to Mischief.
Into Mischief leads the nation’s stallions with more than $27.2 million in progeny earnings this year. Mendelssohn won the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and ranks among the top 10 in freshman stallions in 2022. Curlin to Mischief stood at stud in California until earlier this year when he was pensioned because of infertility.
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