California Chrome Lands First Winner in Russia

Expatriate and two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome  was represented by his first winner July 18 when Sunkar Time won the first race at Krasnodar Racetrack in Russia. The story was first reported by Thoroughbred Daily News.

The colt out of the stakes-placed Left Banker mare Kiosk won the 1,400-meter (seven-furlong) race in 1:30.10 for owner Rustam Mantikov and trainer O.S. Samokhina. The colt was ridden by Myrzabek Kappushev.

Bruce Ryan bred Sunkar Time in Kentucky. The colt was then sold for $14,000 to Mikhail Yanakov's Olympia Star at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale out of the Lane's End consignment.

Ryan raced Kiosk with co-owner/trainer Tim Hamm for four years. She compiled a 4-9-5 record out of 31 starts, which included four second-place finishes in black-type stakes. As a broodmare, she's produced stakes winners Needmore Flattery (Flatter ) and Kiosk's Cause (Noble Causeway), along with stakes-placed winner Monetary Reward (Parents' Reward). Kiosk has a yearling filly by Flatter named Flatter Her Again and was carrying a foal by Nyquist  this year that has not been reported yet.

California Chrome completed his first breeding season at Arrow Stud on Hokkaido, Japan, this year. The 9-year-old son of Lucky Pulpit entered stud in 2017 at Taylor Made Stallions and shuttled for two seasons to Sumaya Stud in Chile. During his first three seasons at Taylor Made, California Chrome bred 473 mares. He's sired three North American starters through July 21 who have all placed.

As part of the agreement with Arrow Stud, the California Chrome Syndicate has the first right of refusal if the stallion is ever sold. Upon retirement from breeding, he can live out the remainder of his life at Taylor Made.

Krasnodar also showcased the first winner of Claiborne Farm's freshman sire Ironicus , whose son Spanish Rider won at first asking June 6.