Lots has modified within the breeding and racing panorama in New York for the reason that flip of the century. One fixed, nonetheless, has been the lengthy shadow of Freud  , a full brother to three-time nationwide main sire Big’s Causeway, who has stood at Sequel Stallions since 2002.
His reign among the many New York main sires will proceed for a couple of seasons but, however the grand outdated man has lined his final mare. The 26-year-old son of Storm Cat has earned his retirement.
“Because the years have passed by, he is bred fewer and fewer mares, however he nonetheless thinks each horse that comes into the breeding shed is for him,” mentioned Sequel Stallions’ Becky Thomas. “He bred a dozen mares (in 2024) and I believe all however one is in foal. His fertility is nice—he’s a consummate skilled within the breeding shed—however he is outdated.
“He is been nice,” Thomas continued. “I name our farm ‘the farm that Freud constructed.’ He continues to be that horse. So many stallions are euthanized earlier than his age, however knock wooden, he is in nice well being.”
Represented as just lately as Aug. 25 with Showcase Day stakes winner Dakota Gold (out of Dakota Child , by Lemon Drop Child ), Freud is the sire of 74 black-type stakes winners, 18 of which stepped out to win on the graded stakes stage. He has sired 1,496 foals from 22 crops, and his runners have earned greater than $74 million. That is fairly an accomplishment for a “regional sire.”Join BloodHorse Each day
Freud earned his first title as main sire in New York by progeny earnings in 2008. Subsequent titles arrived in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Freud, together with Big’s Causeway, is out of the Rahy mare Mariah’s Storm. Bred by Orpendale (an arm of the Coolmore operation), Freud arrived Feb. 22, 1998, a yr behind Big’s Causeway. Big’s Causeway, a bunch 1 winner at 2, grew to become the legendary “Iron Horse” at 3 with a run of 5 group 1 victories from June 20 to Sept. 9, 2000. After a runner-up effort within the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (G1), he shipped to Churchill Downs and battled Tiznow , dropping a neck determination within the Breeders’ Cup Traditional (G1). A global success as a sire, and sire of sires, whereas standing in each Eire (his first season) and the US, he died in April 2018 on the age of 21. On the time of his passing, Big’s Causeway was the sire of 178 stakes winners (104 graded/group winners). By September 2024, that quantity swelled to 196 stakes winners.
“Little Brother” Freud, racing for Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor and coach Aidan O’Brien, was given the identical alternatives as Big’s Causeway however was much less efficient on the observe. He ran in a pair of group 1 races at 2, ending fifth each occasions, and at 3 received as soon as and positioned third at Royal Ascot within the Cork & Orrery Stakes (G2).
By Coolmore’s requirements, Freud wasn’t minimize out to face in Eire or at Ashford Stud, their Kentucky facility. Thomas was in a position to negotiate with Coolmore’s Paul Shanahan to face Freud. “The New York breeding program was ‘one thing new and attention-grabbing for Coolmore to strive,” in response to Thomas.
Standing for $5,000, Freud received 33Â foals in his first crop, 2003, they usually proved they may run from the get-go. He had 9 juvenile winners and from the primary crop, 19 of 27 starters would earn not less than one victory, and three would turn into stakes winners. He had 5 stakes winners in his second crop that comprised 55 named foals.
“New York was simply getting ‘operational’ at the moment,” Thomas mentioned. “Freud changing into Freud was nice enjoyable. There weren’t close to as many stallions in New York again then and he had his choose of the litter.
“Most people on the time didn’t go to Kentucky. They bred to New York stallions and did every part in New York.”
To learn the remainder of this characteristic, click on right here to entry the October digital version of New York Breeder journal.
This press launch has been edited for content material and elegance by BloodHorse Employees.
Source link
