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| Staff Writer |
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Spendthrift Farm is bolstering its stallion ranks with a trio of Grade One winners, as Dornoch and National Treasure are slated to retire following this year's Breeders' Cup, joining recent recruit Kingsbarns for the 2025 breeding season.
The farm's general manager, Ned Toffey, is relishing the prospect of welcoming these new additions, stating: "This year marks 20 years since Mr. Hughes purchased Spendthrift, and our stallion roster has come a long way over the years. We take a lot of pride in the fact that we were able to bring in a couple of well-bred, well-respected American classic winners in the same year. That's just not something you have an opportunity to do very often."
Dornoch, trained by Danny Gargan, has been making waves in the three-year-old division, notching back-to-back victories in the Gr.1 Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course and the Gr.1 Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park this summer. The son of Good Magic also boasts wins in the Gr.2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park earlier this year and the Gr.2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack as a juvenile.
With earnings of US$2,427,275 to date for owners West Paces Racing, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Two Eight Racing, and Pine Racing Stables, Dornoch is now setting his sights on a final hurrah in the Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar.
National Treasure, victorious in the 2023 Gr.1 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, has been a force to be reckoned with in the older horse division. The Bob Baffert-trained 4YO kicked off 2024 with a triumph in the Gr.1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes at Gulfstream, before delivering a tour de force in the prestigious Gr.1 Metropolitan Handicap at Saratoga.
With a current bankroll of US$5,378,000 for his high-profile ownership syndicate, National Treasure is weighing up options for his swansong appearance in either the Breeders' Cup Classic or Dirt Mile.
Completing this formidable trio is Gr.1 winner Kingsbarns, who has already taken up residence at Spendthrift. The farm has set his 2025 stud fee at US$16,000, with breeders now able to inspect him by appointment.
The Belmont Stakes, captured by Dornoch this year, has a rich history of producing influential stallions. Recent winners who have made their mark at stud include Essential Quality (2021), who sired his first crop this year, and Justify (2018), whose first runners hit the track in 2023 with considerable success.
The Preakness Stakes, National Treasure's classic triumph, has also been a springboard for stallion success. Notable recent winners include Exaggerator (2016), whose progeny are now making headlines on the track, and American Pharoah (2015), who has already sired multiple Group One winners.
Toffey concluded: "Including Kingsbarns, all three of these new stallion prospects are fast Grade One winners with tremendous physicals, pedigree, and sire power. We believe they will all be very popular among breeders."
With the addition of these classic-winning colts, Spendthrift Farm is poised to strengthen its position as a leading stallion station in North America. The stud fees for both Dornoch and National Treasure will be announced following their final appearances at the Breeders' Cup, as the racing world eagerly anticipates their transition from the track to the breeding shed.