2025 Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift: Stonestreet Farm

[Wandering Eyes]

'Born to run, raised to win' is the motto at Stonestreet Farm and as the 13-time leading North American breeder by gross yearlings sales, it's evident that the farm's success in the sales ring translates onto the racetrack. Just last year, Stonestreet was responsible for the $5 million Keeneland September Sale-topping Curlin colt out of Grade I winner and producer Cavorting (Bernardini). Which stallion will that superstar mare be visiting this year? Stonestreet's John Moynihan shares that and more in the latest edition of TDN's 2025 Mating Plans series, presented by Spendthrift Farm.

CAVORTING (13, Bernardini–Promenade Girl, by Carson City) to be bred to Good Magic

Cavorting's colt by Curlin was the $5 million sales topper at Keeneland September last year. He's a beautiful horse and he's doing fantastic down at Mandy's Pope's, so fingers crossed there. We own Good Magic and he's a son of Curlin, so with Cavorting being the dam of Clairiere it's an obvious choice for us. I think it's good for her and it's an amazing shot for him. She's a 100% stakes producer, which is rare in our business.

CLAIRIERE (7, Curlin–Cavorting, by Bernardini) to be bred to Nyquist

Nyquist is having a fantastic season. He had the champion 2-year-old filly and just had a phenomenal year last year. This will be Clairiere's first foal. With Clairiere's running style and Nyquist's ability to get fast and precocious horses, we thought it was a great mix.

ATHENA (13, Street Sense–Race Rocks {Ire}, by Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) to be bred to Nyquist

Athena is the dam of Emery (More Than Ready), who is my daughter's namesake. She's a fast, fast filly. Last year she ran second in the GI Test Stakes and won the GII Raven Run and the GIII Victory Ride. She was second in her 4-year-old debut last month in the GII Inside Information Stakes. She has really performed well for us. We bought Emery as a foal and then we bought the mare the next year when Emery was a yearling because we liked Emery so much.

JULIA SHINING (5, Curlin–Dreaming of Julia, by A.P. Indy) to be bred to Into Mischief

Newly-retired Grade II victress Julia Shining, a full-sister to champion Malathaat, will visit Into Mischief in 2025 | Sarah Andrew

Julia Shining, who we just retired, is a full-sister to champion Malathaat. Into Mischief gets early, fast horses and she was extremely precocious. She won at Keeneland in October. We thought about potentially running her in the Breeders' Cup off a maiden race, but we decided not to do that. She went on to win the GII Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct as a 2-year-old.

PAULINE'S PEARL (7, Tapit–Hot Dixie Chick, by Dixie Union) to be bred to Curlin

Pauline's Pearl is from one of the great families of ours and she won the GI La Troienne Stakes. She's in foal to Gun Runner, which is kind of the magic cross with Tapit, but Curlin has also worked amazingly well with Tapit mares, producing Cody's Wish. We think this will give her a great shot and give Curlin another top-class mare.

HOT DIXIE CHICK (23, Dixie Union–Above Perfection, by In Excess {Ire}) to be bred to National Treasure

This is the dam of Grade I winner Pauline's Pearl. Dixie Union has worked so well with Quality Road and we think that National Treasure is an amazing sort of Quality Road. We are really excited about this cross.

LADY AURELIA (11, Scat Daddy–D'Wildcat Speed, by Forest Wildcat) to be bred to Gun Runner

Lady Aurelia is currently in foal to Curlin. She was as early as one can get, winning at Keeneland in April and then went on to win at Royal Ascot. This cross has produced two graded stakes horses by Gun Runner, one being Pappacap who was a really hard-knocking 2-year-old in Gun Runner's first crop, so the cross has produced a really top horse and I think it gives Lady Aurelia another great shot going to a proven sire. It's a cross that should get a 2-year-old.

HAVISHAM (13, Bernardini–Love Dancing {Arg), by Salt Lake) to be bred to Nyquist

This is the dam of Serengeti Empress (Alternation), who won the GI Kentucky Oaks and the GI Test. You don't see that happen very often. Havisham is a great-looking mare by Bernardini. The cross of Nyquist with Bernardini is what produced 2-year-old champion Immersive, so we're super excited about that.

SLAMMED (7, Marking–Hennesey Smash, by Roll Hennessy Roll) to be bred to Curlin

2022 GII Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes winner and $1.1 million Fasig-Tipton November purchase Slammed will visit Curlin in 2025 | Coady

We bought Grade II winner Slammed at last year's Fasig-Tipton Night of the Stars [for $1.1 million]. She was probably my favorite mare that we bought last year physically.  A gorgeous, gorgeous mare and she's in foal to Nyquist. She's by Marking, who is a son of Bernardini. This mare was really, really fast on the racetrack. Going back to what we just discussed with Pauline's Pearl, Curlin has worked so well with Bernardini and the A.P. Indy line. With this mare being by a son of Bernardini, we think it's a great mating. With her speed I think it gives Curlin a great chance to have a really fast horse and it gives the mare a great chance going to Curlin.

BELLAMORE (7, Empire Maker–Smart N Soft, by Smart Strike) to be bred to Into Mischief

Bellamore is another mare that we bought at last year's Fasig-Tipton November Sale [for $800,000]. She's by Empire Maker, who is a great broodmare sire. I felt that this was arguably the last nice dirt-running Empire Maker filly that will be in the marketplace. Empire Maker is the broodmare sire of Laurel River (Into Mischief), who just was crowned Longines World's Best Racehorse along with City of Troy (Justify). The cross with Into Mischief has also produced Mandaloun, so we're going to be breeding Bellamore to Into Mischief for her first foal. We're very excited to have her.

MANNERLY (11, Unbridled's Song–Mary Elise, by In Excess {Ire}) to be bred to Constitution

Mannerly hasn't produced a stake horse yet, but she is the dam of Our Moonlight (Tapit), who is a new 'TDN Rising Star' and I believe she will be one of the best 3-year-old fillies running in California this year. We're breeding Mannerly back to Constitution, just trying to duplicate the cross that produced such a good Tapit filly.

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