WinStar Farm Welcomes Speedy New Trio

[Wandering Eyes]

Throughout its history, WinStar Farm's stallion program has been anchored by raw speed, with champion Speightstown and fellow sprinting specialist Distorted Humor among some of the first sires to define the farm's identity.

As WinStar wraps up its 25th anniversary this year, the blueprint is much the same. Patch Adams, Mullikin and Straight No Chaser are the latest Grade I-winning sprinters set to join the roster. Two of the recruits carry the direct influence of the aforementioned cornerstone sires and the third is out of a mare by Congrats, another WinStar stalwart who has emerged as an influential broodmare sire.

“Horses that have pure speed is something you can't fake,” said WinStar's Director of Bloodstock Services Liam O'Rourke. “It's a quality that we are always trying to inject into our breeding program and we're really excited to have three very fast horses coming to us in 2026.”

PATCH ADAMS (Into Mischief — Well Humored, by Distorted Humor). Standing for $30,000 in 2026.

Dual Grade I winner Patch Adams is a particularly meaningful addition to the WinStar roster as a third-generation homebred for the farm.

WinStar purchased Patch Adams's third dam Well Dressed (Notebook) at the 2001 Keeneland November Sale. In the quarter-century since, the family has flourished with Grade I winners Well Armed (Tiznow), Cyberknife (Gun Runner) and Played Hard (Into Mischief). Patch Adams is out of the stakes-winning Distorted humor mare Well Humored, a half-sister to GISW American Patriot (War Front) and Parchment Party (Constitution), winner of this year's GIII Belmont Gold Cup Stakes.

“Patch Adams is a horse that has been so rewarding for everyone here at WinStar,” said O'Rourke. “So many people in the WinStar family have had a hand in this horse's success. For him to return home and retire to our stallion barn is really coming full circle.”

O'Rourke said the WinStar team had high hopes for Patch Adams from early on in his career. Trained by Brad Cox and campaigned in partnership with China Horse Club, the son of Into Mischief broke his maiden last November by 10 1/2 lengths, becoming a 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard.'

Patch Adams as a foal at WinStar | courtesy WinStar Farm

“He was a third of a second off Groupie Doll's track record under wraps as a 2-year-old,” recalled O'Rourke. “It was a 'wow' performance. He ran a 98 Beyer Speed Figure, which was the second-highest Beyer of any 2-year-old that year, so it really got us excited that he was going to be that special horse we thought he could be.”

After testing the Kentucky Derby trail early this year, Patch Adams successfully cut back to one turn, defeating future stakes winner Big Truzz (Justify) on Kentucky Derby weekend. That victory launched a summer campaign in Saratoga where he reeled off back-to-back Grade I wins.

“He was dominant in the Woody Stephens, going the fastest seven furlongs by a colt at Saratoga this summer,” said O'Rourke. “The Allen Jerkens was an elite sprinting performance, going in 1:21.61 which was faster than Book'em Danno (Bucchero) in the GI Forego that day and Hope Road (Quality Road) in the GI Ballerina. It wasn't an easy trip for him, so to gut that win out and run as fast as he did that day really solidified him as a special racehorse.”

An injury sustained in training kept Patch Adams from making a trip to the Breeders' Cup before his retirement.

Standing for $30,000 in his debut season, Patch Adams is bred on the same cross as fellow WinStar resident Life Is Good, who will see his first 2-year-olds on the track next year.

O'Rourke reported a strong initial response from breeders, noting that Patch Adams should fit a wide variety of mares.

“He has a lot of the qualities of both Distorted Humor and Into Mischief,” he explained. “He's a great-moving horse with beautiful action to him. He's got strength and balance and he stands over a lot of ground. He's gone over extremely well with some great judges.”

MULLIKIN (Violence — Tulira's Star, by Congrats). Standing for $10,000.

Mullikin

-paddock-schooling-07-17-2025-SA6_9166-PRINT-Sarah-Andrew.jpg" alt="" width="1155" height="840" /> Sarah Andrew

Like Patch Adams, Mullikin shares a connection to the WinStar brand. He was named after the farm's longtime CFO Jack Mullikin, who retired in 2023.

Bred by Fred Hertrich III and John Fielding, Mullikin was a $500,000 yearling at the Keeneland September Sale. The son of Violence placed in 12 of his 16 lifetime starts over a three-year career and earned over $1.1 million.

As a 4-year-old last year, Mullikin reeled off four straight wins culminating in the GII John A. Nerud Stakes and GI Forego Stakes.

“The Nerud was an especially important performance,” said O'Rourke. “To go as fast as he did in 1:20.54, he was half a second off Artax's record that has stood for 25 years. He came back in the Forego and put in a dominant performance, winning by 5 and three-quarter lengths. He ran a 105 Beyer Speed Figure over a very quality field that day.”

Mullikin also placed third in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint and was second behind Locked (Gun Runner) in the GII Cigar Mile Handicap. This year at five, the Rudolphe Brisset trainee's highlights included two runner-up performances behind Book'em Danno in the GIII True North Stakes and GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes.

O'Rourke said that Mullikin is a natural fit for the WinStar roster as a son of Violence out of a Congrats mare. Congrats is the broodmare sire of GI Kentucky Oaks victress Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil), recently retired Grade I winner Johannes (Nyquist) and this year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}).

“To have the speed that he had coming off that sireline is critical and really appealing to breeders,” said O'Rourke. “Some really excellent horses have come from the Congrats line and I think he's going to continue to be an important influence in pedigrees for years to come.”

STRAIGHT NO CHASER (Speightster — Margarita Friday, by Johannesburg). Standing for $10,000.

Straight No Chaser wins the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint | Horsephotos

Straight No Chaser first came on WinStar's radar as a stallion prospect when he claimed in the 2023 GIII Maryland Sprint Stakes in a record time of 1:08.27, earning a 107 Beyer Speed Figure.

The following year the MyRacehorse-campaigned colt claimed 2024 Champion Male Sprinter honors with back-to-back scores in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championships Stakes and the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. The Dan Blacker trainee added another win to his resume this year in the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint.

“What was really impressive was the way he carried his race with him wherever he went, whether it was Del Mar, Santa Anita, Oaklawn or shipping east for Maryland's biggest day of racing,” said O'Rourke. “Especially as a sprinter, to come back year after year, have those unbelievable performances and run elite speed figures just speaks to his quality as a racehorse.”

The $2.6 million earner is a half-sibling to two other stakes winners and is from the family of Hall of Famer Housebuster.

O'Rourke said that the first time he got a look at Straight No Chaser, he immediately started looking forward to showing the horse off to breeders.

“I was blown away by his physique, his scope and his general build,” he said. “I think he's well-priced and we've had a lot of great feedback from breeders.”

Straight No Chaser follows his grandsire Speightstown, who passed away in 2023, as an Eclipse and Breeders' Cup-winning sprinter to stand at WinStar.

“Speightstown was so important to WinStar's history and he continues to produce new Grade I winners,” said O'Rourke. “The parallels as champion sprinter from that beautiful Gone West sireline make us really excited about Straight No Chaser.”

The post WinStar Farm Welcomes Speedy New Trio appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

View the full article