Cody’s Wish (outside) winning the 2022 BC Dirt Mile. (Courtney Snow/Past The Wire)
Both Champions Retiring After Farewell Starts in Breeders’ Cup
Darley Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.—A total of 13 stallions will stand at Darley‘s Jonabell Farm in 2024, including two new additions in Grade 1 winners Cody’s Wish and Proxy.
Darley Sales Manager, Darren Fox, commented, “It’s been another fantastic year for our racing program, highlighted by the likes of Grade 1 winners Cody’s Wish and Proxy. Being able to retire six homebred stallions to our ranks over the past three years speaks volumes to the hard work and dedication of our team from top to bottom.”
Cody’s Wish, a son of Curlin out of Grade 1 winner Dance Card (by Tapit), will make his final start in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile as the reigning champion in that elite event.
A winner in 10 of 15 career starts, Cody’s Wish has never finished out of the first three during his career. He heads into the Breeders’ Cup boasting additional Grade 1 victories in the Met Mile, the Churchill Downs and the Forego. He matched his career-high Beyer of 112 in this year’s Met Mile, the same figure he achieved in last year’s Forego, which is also best of any of horse in 2023. In addition, his 112 Beyer last year was bettered only by Flightline and future Darley stud mate Speaker’s Corner.
Proxy will also make his next appearance on Breeders’ Cup Saturday in the Classic. By Tapit, he has won or placed in a total of 10 graded stakes, including a victory in the G1 Clark and was within a nose and a neck of two additional G1 wins in the Santa Anita Handicap and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He is out of multiple Grade 1 winner Panty Raid, making him the only son of Tapit out of a multiple Grade 1-winning mare. The dam has also produced Grade 2 winner Micheline, a daughter of Bernardini.
Fees for Cody’s Wish and Proxy will be announced following the Breeders’ Cup.
Since his breakout freshman sire championship season, Nyquist continues to be a leading source of graded stakes horses and 2023 has been no exception. His sophomore daughter Randomized heads into the Breeders’ Cup Distaff next month off consecutive wins in the G1 Alabama and G2 Beldame. Her pair of 98 Beyers is best for sophomore fillies at a mile or more on dirt and is matched only by Nyquist’s Xigera, also slated for the Distaff. In addition, the highest Beyer of any 3-year-old in 2023 belongs to a son of Nyquist, the ill-fated New York Thunder, who posted a 110 in the G2 Amsterdam.
Nyquist’s other 2023 top performers include G1 Awesome Again winner Slow Down Andy and Crimson Advocate, winner of the G2 Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, who is expected to make her next start in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Nyquist will stand for $85,000 in 2024.
Medaglia d’Oro’s stud fee will be $75,000 for 2024. He continues to produce runners at the highest level and is North America’s leading active sire of worldwide Stakes winners with 176. His son Golden Sixty is currently the highest-earning horse in training with a bankroll of nearly $19 million. Medaglia d’Oro also continues to be an attractive option for those breeding to sell. He added yet another seven-figure yearling to his resume this year, bringing his career total to 55 million-dollar sales horses.
Multiple Eclipse champion Essential Quality and Grade 1 winner Maxfield have covered excellent books of mares in their first two years and will stand at fees of $65,000 and $35,000 respectively next year. They both will have their first foals selling at Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton next month, coming off of a strong showing last year when they were among the top sires of 2022 by covering sire average.
Linchpin stallion Street Sense’s fee will be at $60,000 following successes both on and off the track in 2023. The ever-consistent Hard Spun will see his fee remain at $35,000 while second year stallions Speaker’s Corner and Mystic Guide will stand for $17,500 and $12,500 respectively.
2024 Stallion Roster
STALLION FEE
Cody’s Wish TBD
Proxy TBD
Nyquist $85,000
Medaglia d’Oro $75,000
Essential Quality $65,000
Street Sense $60,000
Maxfield $35,000
Hard Spun $35,000
Speaker’s Corner $17,500
Midshipman $15,000
Mystic Guide $12,500
Frosted $10,000
Enticed $5,000
