Any Given Saturday to Darley Stud
Pletcher-Schooled Colt Joins Street Sense, Hard Spun For Top Fees
Any Given Saturday, of A.P. Indy blood, came on late to grab three straight victories this summer. He'll stand at Darley for top dollar with Street Sense and Hard Spun.
Late bloomer Any Given Saturday, trained by Todd Pletcher, has been retired to stand at stud at the prestigious Darley Stable in Lexington, Kentucky. He'll earn $40,000 per service, getting top fees along with Street Sense and Hard Spun, two more of 2007's excellent three-year-old Thoroughbreds.
Top Race Victories Command Top Stud Fees
All three colts raced against each other this year in several outstanding contests. Street Sense won the Kentucky Derby and lost in the Preakness Stakes by a nose to Curlin. Hard Spun finished second in the Derby, as well as third in the Preakness and fourth in the Belmont Stakes.
Any Given Saturday put together a late summer drive, winning the Dwyer Stakes, the Haskell Invitational Handicap, and the Brooklyn Handicap.
The Derby winner will command $75,000 at Darley. Hard Spun's fee is set at $50,000.
AGS's Future Closely Debated
The Darley Stable at Lexington is owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum. John Ferguson, bloodstock advisor to the Sheikh, said Any Given Saturday's status was debated before retiring the colt. The Sheikh considered racing the colt through his four-year-old season, but in the end decided retirement was the most prudent option for AGS.
Any Given Saturday's last race was a sixth place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic. The colt is a Distorted Humor product out of Weekend in Indy, by the powerful stallion, A.P. Indy, a Classic champion and Breeders' Cup champion.
The Breeders' Cup Classic was also the last race for Street Sense and for Hard Spun. That event was taken by storm, so to speak, in sloppy conditions and misting rain, in a climatic finish by Curlin, also this season's Preakness champion.
Top Equines, Top Prices
At present, Any Given Saturday's stud fee is on the low end of the pedigree chart in Kentucky from his A.P. Indy lineage. A.P. Indy stands at Lane's End for $300,000. Other Lane's End big players are Kingmambo, who covers for $250,000, and Smart Strike, at $150,000.
Prolific winners sire Storm Cat, of Overbrook Farm, also commands $300,000.
Street Sense's stud fee of $75,000 is matched, or topped by less than 15 other stallions in Kentucky. Lane's End stallion Mineshaft gets $75,000. Darley's Elusive Quality stands for $75,000, and Adena Springs's El Prado earns the same figure.
At Hard Spun's fee level of $50,000 are Indian Charlie, Airdrie Stud; and Dixieland Band, Dixie Union, and Rock Hard Ten, all of Lane's End. Hill 'n' Dale's Vindication is listed at $60,000, as is Vinery Kentucky's More Than Ready.
Watch Race Days for Best Partner Ads
Three Chimneys Farm has three high priced performers in Rahy, $60,000; Smarty Jones, $100,000; and Dynaformer (Barbaro's daddy), at $150,000. Three Chimneys also has this writer's vote for most clever and engaging TV ads for one night stand partners.
Darley has Street Sense's daddy, Street Cry, standing at $100,000, and Bernardini, 2006's Preakness winner, at $100,000.
Empire Maker, 2003 Belmont Stakes winner over dual Classic star Funny Cide, stands at Juddmonte Farm for $100,000.
Other $150,000 performers are Awesome Again and Ghostzapper, 2004 Breeders' Cup Classic champ, at Adena Springs; and Seeking the Gold, of Claiborne Farm. Giant's Causeway stands at Ashford Stud for $125,000.
