Daredevil Highlight of Lane's End Press Event

The strong stallion lineup on Lane's End's 2021 stallion roster includes a horse who's there because of unusual but remarkable circumstances.

The Versailles, Ky., farm is standing Daredevil , last year's second-crop stallion that sired Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) first- and second-place finishers Shedaresthedevil and Swiss Skydiver, who went on to win the Preakness Stakes (G1). The 9-year-old son of More Than Ready  enjoyed this success while standing overseas for the Jockey Club of Turkey, which acquired him in 2019.

"He is a very exciting horse and it's a very strange scenario, but we are excited to take this on," said Bill Farish with Lane's End during a virtual press event Jan. 6. Daredevil is standing at Lane's End as the property of the Turkish Jockey Club, which has not before stood one of its stallions abroad. The Turkish Jockey Club typically buys stallions to support the country's breeders. With Daredevil, the organization wanted to retain ownership but maximize his revenue potential.

"There were a lot of farms after him, and we were all trying to position ourselves with a scenario that made the most sense to them. They went from wanting to sell the whole horse to wanting to keep the horse," Farish said. "We have seen on social media that breeders over there expect him to come right back, but we have seen no indication that is what (the Jockey Club of Turkey) wants to do. They can earn quite a bit of money keeping him over here. They want him to be successful here and stay here for the duration of his career."

Farish said he could envision a scenario where Daredevil falls out of popularity with American breeders and winds up back in Turkey, but he said the stallion will be in the U.S. for several years before that scenario is contemplated.

"I don't anticipate that's going to happen," he said.

What They Said

The following includes some commentary from Lane's End staff, trainers, bloodstock agents, and pedigree consultants about the farm's stallions during the event.

Accelerate  (Lookin At Lucky —Issues, by Awesome Again, $17,500): "Physically he is a beautiful horse. What really caught my attention was this past November … every day when I went back through my notes of the top weanlings there was an Accelerate or two or three and I really started paying closer attention. He is producing a horse that embodies himself. They are good-looking, athletic, and engineered to run. That is what caught my attention." — John Moynihan, bloodstock agent

Candy Ride  (Ride the Rails—Candy Girl, by Candy Stripes, $75,000): "He is a horse you have to consider when planning the matings for major stud farms. When you look to the future of Candy Ride and see where the sire line might go with his sons, the prospects are very promising. He is still getting top-class mares so there is a lot to come, but he has four sons that have already sired graded stakes winners, and he has six young sons at stud in Kentucky. Of the sons in Kentucky, two are champions. They include Gun Runner , a Horse of the Year; Unified, a three-time graded stakes winner and grade 1-placed; and, Mastery , an undefeated grade 1 winner; and, Game Winner, an undefeated champion. These are top-class horses, all well received with terrific opportunities." — Alan Porter, pedigree consultant

Catalina Cruiser  (Union Rags—Sea Gull, by Mineshaft , $15,000): "His True North Stakes (G2) was as good as any race run in 2019. He has matured and is about as good talent-wise as any horse we have in the stallion barn. People tease me that 'You like all your horses,' but I tell people if they come out here and don't like him, I'll pay for your gas, and I have yet to pay for anyone's gas." — David Ingordo, Lane's End Bloodstock

City of Light  (Quality Road—Paris Notion, by Dehere, $40,000): "He is a magnificent physical and one of the most highly recruited horses of his generation for obvious reasons. It is not a surprise to me that his foals look so good because I have found through the years that these magnificent-looking stallions like Alydar, Secretariat, and Deputy Minister, they have the gene strength to reproduce themselves. His foals are very well grown, they have size, substance, quality, strength, and an aura of class." — Mike Ryan, bloodstock agent

Connect  (Curlin —Bullville Belle, by Holy Bull, $15,000): "It is an exciting time to poll the training centers about the foals by first-crop sires like Connect. Several trainers in Ocala have said they are very nice and there is a strong resemblance to the stallion, not just in the physicals but in the way they move. Eddie Woods had Connect as a young horse, and he has several by him. He said they are quiet, classy-acting horses that are training honestly. Niall Brennan said he has a filly that is so straightforward she'll sell herself." — Allaire Ryan, Lane's End Sales

Daredevil  (More Than Ready—Chasethewildwind, by Forty Niner, $25,000): "You have to put his accomplishments in perspective because they are remarkable. When Shedaresthedevil and Swiss Skydiver ran 1-2 in the Longines Kentucky Oaks, that has only happened 12 times in the history of the race. He is the only second-crop sire to have a winner of the Oaks and the Preakness Stakes. Now Medaglia d'Oro  did it with Rachel Alexandra and he needs no introduction. These two fillies are really what make grade 1, American dirt racing what it is. They have speed, they press the pace, and they don't stop. He is very much poised to continue a very important sire line." — Chance Timm, director of stallion seasons, Lane's End

Game Winner  (Candy Ride—Indyan Giving, by A.P. Indy, $30,000): "He is a very important horse for us. We sold him as a yearling to Gary and Mary West. By Candy Ride out of an A.P. Indy mare, it is surprising we didn't have the honor of having bred him. To go on to win three grade 1s and become champion 2-year-old, we were very keen to get him—so was everyone else. He is a very exciting young horse and the breeders have really responded with a phenomenal first book, which is closed already. That is a great sign for any young horse." — Bill Farish, Lane's End

Gift Box  (Twirling Candy—Special Me, by Unbridled's Song, $10,000): "We did raise him from a weanling to a yearling. Like a lot of the Candy Rides and Twirling Candys, he is good-minded. It is an important part of the equation because trainers can get the most out of them because they are willing to work. He is a very durable horse that ran 18 times and was only off the board four times. He is very correct with a big fluid walk … that ran true to his pedigree." — Alys Emson, client relations Lane's End

Honor A. P.  (Honor Code —Hollywood Story, by Wild Rush, $15,000): "Honor A. P. showed a lot of talent in that he got over the ground so nice and got into his stride so easily. Repeatable performance starts early in a horse. You like to see them take that speed they showed at four (furlongs) and go to five or go to six with it. His talent made him good. He wasn't particularly mature as a 2-year-old, but his talent made him seem that way. He has a forearm like Paul Bunyan … and a nice long back that gives him his great length of stride and he has hocks that are clean. His conformation is perfect for a racehorse." — John Shirreffs, trainer

Lemon Drop Kid  (Kingmambo—Charming Lassie, by Seattle Slew, $15,000): "He represents a very important sire line of Mr. Prospector through Kingmambo, which is rare here … but a relevant line internationally. Even at his age, Lemon Drop Kid is an unbelievable stallion and his influence is going to continue to grow. This is a line that adds a lot of stamina to pedigrees, which we really need nowadays." — Sid Fernando, pedigree consultant

Liam's Map  (Unbridled's Song—Miss Macy Sue, by Trippi, $30,000): "Wicked Whisper is just a beautiful daughter of Liam's Map. She has a tremendous personality, all class. She won her first time out impressively and followed that up with the Frizette Stakes (G1). I have been fortunate to have some nice Liam's Maps, including Basin, who got moved up in last year's Arkansas Derby (G1). Liam's Map is a beautiful horse himself with an elite level of ability he's been able to pass on." — Steve Asmussen, trainer

Quality Road  (Elusive Quality—Kobla, by Strawberry Road, $150,000): "We were very close to the late (owner/breeder) Ned Evans and he wanted him to stand here. He has been so successful and really been an interesting case study to watch his stud fee rise. The 2020 crop of 2-year-olds were bred on a stud fee of $35,000. He then jumped to $70,000 and went to $150,000. He has gotten phenomenal mares … and has so much in front him, having already sired 11 grade 1 winners. He's a really exciting horse to have." — Bill Farish

The Factor  (War Front —Greyciousness, by Miswaki, $17,500): "Factor This has been very consistent and very durable with more than 30 starts. His earnings ($822,250) represented a small portion of The Factor's earnings in 2020. He is a very solid sire from top to bottom and a very affordable sire. He is a dual surface sire that has a bright future." — Brad Cox, trainer

Tonalist  (Tapit —Settling Mist, by Pleasant Colony, $12,500): "He had a real throwback career, making himself $3.6 million. No doubt fast mares will complement that two-turn depth to his page but remember this was an absolute machine of a racehorse. He had a great stride and equally effective at eight or 12 furlongs. He carries himself so classily; his mechanics are tremendous. This athleticism means he should be a more versatile match than other big stallions. (His progeny) have his structure, they have his bone, but more importantly they have his heart that is housed by all that timber." — Chris McGrath, journalist

Twirling Candy  (Candy Ride—House of Danzing, by Chester House, $40,000): "He brought himself to our attention. Every time you picked up the paper, there was a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint or a mile and sixteenth dirt route and he's there with 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds. He reminds us a lot of other horses we have invested in at this point in their careers, like Speightstown  and Pioneerof the Nile. Twirling Candy feels like a horse anyone can use and fits a lot of different mares." — Tom Ryan, SF Bloodstock

Unified  (Candy Ride—Union City, by Dixie Union, $10,000): "I bought six Unifieds last year because they looked the part. I look at the way they're made and the way they move and was impressed. Every one I looked at seemed better than the last. He is a stallion that stamps his stock. They had had nice hind legs, great shoulders, and great balance. Candy Ride's sons are going to get more important in the coming years. The ones we have at our Summerfield Training Center are doing super. They have good minds. He has a huge chance." — Ken McPeek, trainer

Union Rags  (Dixie Union—Tempo, by Gone West, $30,000): "He is a blue chip stock in the stallion ranks. He has gone through a little quiet period, which we expected, but he has come roaring out with his 3-year-olds this year. His son Defeater had as good a maiden win as you can have (at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots), and you have Spielberg who has to be on anyone's top-10 list for the (Kentucky) Derby (G1). The future looks very bright." — David Ingordo

West Coast  (Flatter —Caressing, by Honour and Glory, $20,000): "He is a very imposing horse; a champion out of a champion. This horse fits the mold of what is Lane's End, which has built its reputation for producing classic sires. His first foals just turned yearlings. They are very similar to him, strong, forward and powerful horses. During his 3-year-old career, he went on a five-race win streak, he was as good as any horse in the nation. Only Gun Runner proved too good, and he became Horse of the Year. He is passing along his strength and robustness that made him a great racehorse." — Chance Timm