STONEGATE STUD Y19 BREEDING RETIREMENTS ANNOUNCEMENT

Amidst all the hullabaloo of Breeder's and the exciting new season opening, a few quiet adjustments are being made at REI, specifically in the breeding division of Stonegate Stud. About half of an era is ending, which made the news a bit noteworthy for REI, as well as for a few stables who helped Isabelle acquire her original set of breedingstock (namely SOPS, THANKS FROSTY I LUV YOU!).

BEYOND HIS CANDY was a recent sale purchase for REI to boost their sprinting and miler stock. Although he wasn't with us for very long, we're definitely on the road to reinvigorating his bloodline on the tracks! Y18 saw the birth of Candy Man, and after his Y19 foal crop we are officially retiring Beyond His Candy from stud. His final breeding season foals include Candy Cat for KC Racing, Colonial Tapestry, Silent Scream, and Soliloquy for REI. His final foal count will stand at nine total, and we'd like to give a special recommendation for Saccharine, his Y17 foal that is coming up in the sale.

WANNABE HERO needs little introduction. This stud has been siring Breeder's Cup champions, and his foals are rising stars on the tracks now. Given the intense interest in his genetics, we opened him up for stud a few seasons back, and have decided he's ready to be done. Y19 he has sired Heroic Whisper for AR Y Ffin, and unless we hear otherwise he will have a last reserve foal in Y20 for IRS. He will end with eleven total foals, we are very pleased to let him go to pasture while his name is still hot among the breeding stables.

DYNASTY has been a forefront mare for Isabelle, famous for being her special favorite for a number of years now. With the exciting birth of twins Romeo and Juliet this year, Isabelle made the difficult decision to let these two be the last. It was tempting to have one last foal from the beautiful mare in Y20, but with her aging now we don't want to risk complications with mother or foal. Her eldest two offspring are in the breeding sheds for IRS and FSR, so everyone has been seeing her grandbabies racing along with her final few babies. With Dyna's retirement, you can better believe those final twins are going to have an extra special place in Isabelle's heart.

HOF THE TRUE NUT had been scheduled for two more foals - but we've been told those reservations have been switched for other arrangements, as Nutty's foal number climbed her health began to falter. Her final foal is now officially Y18's Redemption, who will be racing for REI. Her Y17 filly for FSR is looking very promising, and her current juvenile Sierra is finding that certain something with a few of the big names around the stables. We have a half sister to Nutty, Serengeti, who will be debuting on the tracks next season. REI is also holding one last reserve to Nutty's sire True Italian, and rumor has it that will be about his last foal that will be born.

MOONDANCE is another of Isabelle's favored broodmares. Although we never raced her, she has always been very special to us. As we now hold her full brother and her eldest son, REI is very satisfied with saying goodbye to Dancer from the broodmare shed. In Y18 she had a foal Moonlit Mistress for IRS, and her final foal is Y19's Twilight Ecstasy, sired by Furious Passion for REI. Moondance was one of our original handful of broodmares given to us graciously by SOPS, and is dam to our best racer to date, HOF Impress The Moonlight. She will stay one of our beloved ladies for the rest of her days.

SHOT OF MOCHA came to us with Wannabe Hero, and at first we didn't see a huge amount of promise in the girl, but she's been proving us wrong! She's definitely taught us not to look a gift horse in the horse (ha ha), with the success of her first few foals. With five to date, we're letting her retire after the birth of Y19's Silent Scream by Beyond His Candy. Isabelle has stated that she might sneak a sixth foal sometime in the future, as Mocha has three fillies out racing with other stables, and two colts at home, she was a bit itchy to try for a filly herself. Until that foal is definitely planned out, she'll be housed with our other aging broodmares after a job well done.

Isabelle won't deny there is some sadness in letting this first big crop of breeder's go off to pasture, but with all endings come new beginnings. There will be a number of others retiring in the next one or two seasons, most notably Cute Tee, Afterglow, One With Gold, and Akumabuelle, which will fully close the chapter of Isabelle's very first group of breedingstock. With their departure, our first racing strings will begin producing for us and other stables, ushering in some brand new twists and turns for a fresh new direction.