Darren Fox: New Darley Sires “A No-Brainer for Breeders”

[Wandering Eyes]

With Horse of the Year candidate Sovereignty (Into Mischief) recently returned to Bill Mott's winter base at Payson Park in preparation for a 4-year-old campaign, breeders eager to support the three-time Grade I winner will have to wait at least another year. In the meantime, the Darley America stallion team is still plenty occupied with two other millionaire homebreds new to Jonabell Farm for 2026.

Sales Manager Darren Fox said that the farm has carved out a competitive position in the market with 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard' First Mission (Street Sense) and Grade I winner Highland Falls (Curlin).

“Both horses represent tremendous value,” he said. “We priced them both at $10,000 to make them a no-brainer for breeders. Really top horsemen who have been out to see them have really loved them. They're both very strong physicals with a lot of sire power to boot.”

 

 

HIGHLAND FALLS (Curlin — Round Pond, by Awesome Again). Standing for $10,000

Highland Falls joins the roster with the distinction of being the only Grade I-winning son of Curlin at stud out of a multiple Grade I-winning mare.

Godolphin secured Round Pond (Awesome Again), winner of the GI Acorn Stakes and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, for $5.75 million in 2007 and the champion mare has proven to be a foundation producer for the operation. Her first foal Long River (A.P. Indy) was a Grade I winner and her daughter Tyburn Brook (Bernardini) has extended the line as the dam of Grade I winner and Darley sire Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) as well as recent GIII Mr. Prospector Stakes winner Knightsbridge (Nyquist).

“Knightsbridge has oodles of talent and we're very excited about his campaign this year,” said Fox. “It's an immensely deep female family and you couldn't really ask for better in a young stallion.”

Sara Gordon

Trained by Brad Cox, Highland Falls was a winner on debut at three and developed into top form the following season. His 4-year-old campaign was highlighted by top-level scores in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes and GIII Blame Stakes, as well as runner-up finishes in the GII Oaklawn Handicap and GIII Monmouth Cup Stakes.

In the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Highland Falls defeated three Grade I winners including GI Whitney Stakes victor Arthur's Ride (Tapit).

“He got bumped from both sides pretty hard at the start and it didn't faze him a bit,” recalled Fox. “He's a two-turn horse, but he had speed and he put the race to Arthur's Ride. Turning for home, he pulled away and drew off impressively to win by four.”

Highland Falls placed third in the same Saratoga race in 2025 and also finished second to champion Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) in the GI Whitney Stakes, earning a 107 Beyer Speed Figure.

“That race was absolutely loaded with the likes of Sierra Leone, White Abarrio (Race Day) and Fierceness (City of Light),” recalled Fox. “For about three strides I thought he was going to win, but was ultimately collared late by Sierra Leone and was only beaten by a length by a very good racehorse. That race really showed what he could do over nine furlongs.”

Due to an ill-timed minor injury, Highland Falls was not able to make the Breeders' Cup Classic for his final career start. He retired with six wins and finished out of the money only twice in 13 career starts.

Fox noted that the chestnut has taken well to his new surroundings at Jonabell, adding that breeder interest has been high since the new stallion's arrival.

“Highland Falls is an absolutely gorgeous horse physically,” he noted. “He's got a lovely shape to him, very racey with an attractive profile. What I love about him is the length of his hip. When he walks away from you he has that lovely, square hip. For a two-turn horse to have that shape of hip, I think it's going to prove very commercial. Pedigree-wise, he's an easy horse to breed to and physically he will fit most mares.”

 

FIRST MISSION (Street Sense — Elude, by Medaglia d'Oro). Standing for $10,000.

Sara Gordon

First Mission becomes the third son of Street Sense to join the Darley America roster, following in the footsteps of Maxfield, whose fee has climbed to $50,000 following a breakout season with his first 2-year-olds in 2025, and Speaker's Corner, whose first juveniles will hit the track in 2026. Street Sense's fourth son at stud in Kentucky is Gainesway's McKinzie.

“When I look at First Mission, he is all class and that is something that is synonymous with the Streets Sense sireline,” said Fox. “They love to eat and train. They're so easy to be around and this horse exudes that class.”

Another standout for the Cox stable, First Mission finished a narrow second to future MGSW Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo) on debut in February of his 3-year-old season. He returned a month later to break his maiden by over six lengths going a mile and a sixteenth, earning the 'Rising Star' nod. Also during his 3-year-old campaign, he claimed the GIII Lexington Stakes, defeating future Grade I winner Arabian Lion (Justify), and was second in the GII Clark Stakes.

Returning to the racetrack at four and five, career highlights included wins in the GII Essex Handicap, GII Alysheba Stakes and GII Oaklawn Handicap.

“He earned a 109 Beyer Speed Figure in the Oaklawn Handicap, which makes him the fastest sire to retire in Kentucky at $10,000 and under in the last five years,” noted Fox. “He followed that win with an excellent third in the GI Stephen Foster behind top horses Mindframe (Constitution) and Sierra Leone.”

First Mission retired to stud with over $2.2 million in career earnings.

“Like Maxfield, he was a typical two-turn Street Sense, but he had front-end speed and could carry it,” said Fox. “He is his own brand of Street Sense physically. He's got great movement and just walks like a cat.”

First Mission's dam Elude is a daughter of Forty Marchanta (Arg) (Roar), a champion 3-year-old in Argentina.

“He's out of a Medaglia d'Oro mare who is bred on the same cross as Rachel Alexandra, which I love,” Fox noted. “He has that lovely blend of Medaglia d'Oro coming through and that's probably one of the areas that he has an edge over his paternal barnmates Maxfield and Speaker's Corner in that First Mission is free of A.P. Indy, which is Street Sense's best cross. So bring on all the A.P. Indy and Bernardini you like, because he's going to love it.”

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