For the past three and a half years, I have been working on a series of videos showcasing the beauty of the Thoroughbred at all stages of life. Click here to read the first two posts in the series, The First Two Years and the Racing Years. I have recently published the third video in the series, covering the breeding years. The video is shot at 120fps to give it a cinematic quality. To accompany the video, in this post, I will be sharing some photos I have taken of horses standing stud. Keep reading to watch the video at the end of the post!
Thoroughbred stallions and broodmares stand at stud all over the United States, with Kentucky, Florida, New York, California, Pennsylvania, and Maryland being the largest markets. Over 700 stallions and over 25,000 mares are bred each year. Some stallions stand for fees as high as $250,000, and others for only a few thousand dollars. Some stallions and broodmares were accomplished racehorses, while others had only modest careers. Still others never made it to the track. Breeders carefully select stallions to breed their mares to, but there is no guaranteed formula for success. Below are some photos of breeding farm facilities in New York and Kentucky.
Mahoney Eden Manor, a nursery farm in Saratoga Springs, NY, is located in an idyllic 14-acre setting. Their main barn, pictured, has 10 stalls. Around a dozen mares are foaled out at the farm each year.
Denali Stud, a nursery farm in Paris, KY, sits on 800 acres in the heart of bluegrass. Their multiple barns house over 170 stalls.
Gainsborough Farm in Versailles, KY, is one of Godolphin’s nursery farms. The picturesque setting is situated on 1500 acres.
Coolmore at Ashford Stud in Versailles stands 16 stallions, including Triple Crown winners American Pharoah (currently standing in Japan for 2026) and Justify.
Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, KY stands 29 stallions, with fees ranging from $250,000 (perennial leading general sire Into Mischief) to $5,000.
Taylor Made Farm in Nicholasville, KY has unique stallion barns, each housing only two horses.
Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, KY stands five stallions, including Gun Runner, who headlines their roster with a fee of $250,000.
Some of the stallions standing in New York and Kentucky include Triple Crown winners, champions, Hall of Fame members, and Breeders’ Cup winners, just to name a few of their accomplishments.
2018 Triple Crown winner Justify stands at Coolmore at Ashford Stud. His progeny include 2023 champion two-year-old filly Just F Y I, 2024 Cartier Horse of the Year City of Troy, and Breeders’ Cup winner Hard to Justify.
2010 champion two-year-old Uncle Mo stood at Ashford Stud until his untimely passing last year at the age of 16. His progeny include 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, 2022 Belmont Stakes winner Mo Donegal, and dual Breeders’ Cup winner Golden Pal.
Graded stakes winner War Front stands at Claiborne Farm in Paris, KY. While not as accomplished a racehorse as some of his peers, his progeny include 2019 Preakness Stakes winner War of Will, multiple graded stakes winner and successful sire in his own right Omaha Beach, and group 1 winner Declaration of War.
2021 Horse of the Year Knicks Go stood his first four years at stud at Taylor Made Farm, and will stand in Korea in 2026. With just his first crop of racing age, his progeny include graded stakes winner Ewing.
2023 Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish stands at Darley’s Jonabell Farm in Lexington. Soon to enter his third year at stud, he does not have any progeny of racing age.
2021 Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality also stands at Jonabell Farm. With just his first crop of racing age, his progeny include stakes winners Chopsticks, My World, and Essential Time.
Six-time leading general sire Into Mischief stands at Spendthrift Farm. His progeny include three Kentucky Derby winners and nine Breeders’ Cup winners. He is also the grandsire of a Kentucky Derby winner.
2020 Horse of the Year Authentic stands at Spendthrift Farm. His progeny include graded stakes winners Rodriguez and Iron Orchard.
2020 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Fire At Will stands at Sequel in Hudson, NY. Soon to enter his fourth year at stud, he does not have any progeny of racing age.
2022 Horse of the Year Flightline stands at Lane’s End Farm. Soon to enter his fourth year at stud, he does not have any progeny of racing age.
Multiple grade 1 winner Medaglia D’Oro stood at Jonabell Farm before being pensioned earlier this year. His progeny include 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, two-time champion Songbird, and three-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty.
Multiple grade 1 winner Life Is Good stands at WinStar Farm in Versailles, KY. Soon to enter his fourth year at stud, he does not have any progeny of racing age.
Multiple grade 1 winner Quality Road stands at Lane’s End Farm. His progeny include 2023 Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure, 2021 champion two-year-old male Corniche, and multiple grade 1 winner City of Light.
Rising stallion Not This Time stands at Taylor Made Farm. His progeny include 2022 champion two-year-old male Epicenter, 2023 champion male turf horse Up to the Mark, and multiple grades stakes winner Cogburn.
2019 Preakness Stakes winner War of Will stood at Claiborne Farm prior to being relocated to Rockridge Stud in Hudson, NY for the 2026 breeding season. His progeny include graded stakes winner Final Accord.
Multiple graded stakes winner Kingsbarns stands at Spendthrift Farm. Soon to enter his second year at stud, he does not have any progeny of racing age.
Multiple graded stakes winner Cogburn stands at WinStar Farm. Soon to enter his second year at stud, he does not have any progeny of racing age.
2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage stands at Airdrie Stud in Midway, KY. Soon to enter his third year at stud, he does not have any progeny of racing age.
Multiple graded stakes winner Disco Partner stands at Rockridge Stud. His progeny includes multiple stakes placed Disco Star.
2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner stands at Three Chimneys Farm. His progeny include 2024 champion three-year-old male Sierra Leone, 2022 Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting, and grade 1 winner Cyberknife.
2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense stands at Jonabell Farm. His progeny include multiple grades stakes winners Maxfield, La Cara, and McKinzie.
Two-time Horse of the Year Curlin stands at Hill ‘N’ Dale Farm in Paris, KY. His progeny include 2013 Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice, 2025 Preakness Stakes winner Journalism, and 2023 Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish.
2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Big Brown stood at Irish Hill and Dutchess Views Stallions in Stillwater, NY before being pensioned and sent to Old Friends in Georgetown, KY earlier this year.
Many stallion farms in Kentucky offer tours so fans can see their favorite horses. Here, my friend Linda takes a photo of Flightline in his stall at Lane’s End Farm.
Fans relish the chance to get a look at 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah at Ashford Stud.
In demand stallions are bred up to three times a day. When it’s time see a mare, grooms get the stallion ready.
Grade 1 winner Gun Pilot has his hooves picked at Three Chimneys Farm prior to a mating.
A groom walks a stallion at Ashford Stud.
Prior to a mating, a mare interacts with a teaser stallion to ensure she’s ready. Here, a teaser stallion at Hill ‘N’ Dale Farm awaits a mare.
Stallion sheds are padded to protect the stallion mare, and grooms. Above is a stallion shed at Lane’s End Farm.
Godolphin’s Gainsborough Farm no longer stands stallions, but visitors can still tour the inside of the stallion shed.
The stallion shed at Taylor Made has trim in the traditional maroon color of the farm.
Grooms wear helmets and vests to ensure their safety. Here, multiple grade 1 winner Jackie’s Warrior is walked back to his stall at Spenthrift Farm after a mating.
Nameplates for previous occupants of a particular stall still hang at many stallion farms throughout Kentucky.
Above: Slew O’ Gold, Exchange Rate, and Seattle Slew’s stalls at Three Chimneys Farm; Unbridled’s Song’s stall at Taylor Made Farm; and Seattle Slew and Affirmed’s stalls at Spendthrift Farm.
Many stallions’ final resting places are at the farms where they once stood. In some cases, statues honor their memory.
Hall of Famer Nashua is buried under a statue of him and his longtime groom Clem Brooks at Spendthrift Farm.
Although Seattle Slew is buried at Hill ‘N’ Dale Farm, a statue of him sits outside the barns at Three Chimneys Farm, where he spent the majority of his stud career.
Dixieland Band, a foundation stallion at Lane’s End, is buried at the farm.
1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed is buried at Jonabell Farm.
2006 Preakness winner Bernardini is buried at Jonabell Farm.
Street Cry, the sire of greats such as Winx, Zenyatta, and Street Sense, is buried at Jonabell Farm.
Breed-shaping stallion A.P. Indy is buried at Lane’s End, where he was bred and stood stud.
Malibu Moon, the foundation sire for Spendthrift, is buried at the farm.
A statue of Coolmore stallion Giant’s Causeway stands outside the stallion barn at Ashford Stud.
Many stallion farms have cemeteries where they honor the dearly departed stallions and broodmares of years past.
Fly So Free, Chief’s Crown, and Time For A Change are among those buried at Three Chimneys Farm’s cemetery.
Flirtatious, Tomisue’s Delight, and Style Setter are among those buried at Lane’s End’s cemetery.
Graves sit in a row at Taylor Made Farm.
Secretariat is the most notable stallion buried at Claiborne Farm.
Storm Bird, Giant’s Causeway, and Thunder Gulch are among those buried at Lane’s End.
After a mating, if a mare checks in foal, it will be just over 11 months before her baby is born.
2019 Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress, in foal to Not This Time, grazes with a paddock mate at Taylor Made.
Uplifted, in foal to Liam’s Map, gets some exercise at Old Tavern Farm in Stillwater, NY.
Achalya, in foal to Justify, enjoys some afternoon sun.
Big Time Lady enjoys a fresh snowfall days before foaling a Yaupon filly at Mahoney Eden Manor.
Town Kitty pauses during a snow flurry at Irish Hill Century Farm in Stillwater, NY.
More Than Speed, in foal to Charlatan, enjoys the snow at Mahoney Eden Manor.
Some time between January and June the following year, a little filly or colt will be born.
Scorch, a Yaupon filly out of Overheated, learns how to stand shortly after being foaled at Mahoney Eden Manor.
Mares and foals stay together until four to six months of age when they are weaned.
Explosive Package gets some exercise while being turned out with her colt at Irish Hill Century Farm.
A mare and foal enjoy a spring afternoon at Claiborne Farm.
American Cleopatra, a full sister to American Pharoah, stands at Hill ‘N’ Dale Farm.
Glinda the Good and her Gun Runner filly, a half sister to stallion on the rise Good Magic, are turned out at Stonestreet Farm in Lexington, KY.
Arabian Gazelles and her Munnings colt enjoy a brisk spring afternoon at Airdrie Stud.
Dubai Life looks after her day old Not This Time filly, Expo City, in the round pen at Gainsborough Farm.
Mares and foals roam the generously sized fields at Denali Stud in Paris, KY.
C’Est La Vie and her Epicenter filly enjoy some bonding time at Mahoney Eden Manor.
Jane Grey, a full sister to Sovereignty, peeks her head out of her stall at Gainsborough Farm. In the stall with her is her Medaglia D’Oro filly.
Sometimes a mare takes a year off from being bred. Pictured is Ma’am, the dam of Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, at Magdalena Farm in Lexington.
Finally, here is the second video in the series. Email subscribers, click here to watch the video.
Early next year, I will be publishing the fourth and final video, showing horses in their second careers and retirement.
To see more of my equine photography be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook. All photos and videos in this post © Samantha Decker and may not be reused without permission.
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One thought on “The Magic of the Thoroughbred, Part III: The Breeding Years”
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Wonderful!!!