After their remaining begins North American champion and basic winner Essential Quality and grade 1 winner Maxfied will join the Darley Stallion roster at Jonabell, the farm announced Oct. 25.
“To have both Essential Quality and Maxfield coming to Jonabell is as exciting as it gets. And to have accomplished what they did as homebreds in the colors of Godolphin makes it even that much more meaningful,” said Darley sales manager Darren Fox. “They consistently performed at the highest level and if you add in their outstanding pedigrees and conformation, we feel very confident that their legacy will continue to grow through their future offspring.”
Essential Quality is a son of Tapit out of a grade 3-placed half sister to champion and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Folklore . He has won eight of nine career starts—four at the grade 1 level—and was named champion 2-year-old male for 2020 following victories in the TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) and Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1).
At 3 his victories include the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) and he became the first Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner to capture the Belmont. He went on to win the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, becoming a member of Street Sense as the only champion 2-year-olds in the past 30 years to take the “Midsummer Derby.” A grade 1 winner at 1 1/16 miles, 1 1/4 miles and 1 1/2 miles, Essential Quality also lists three other graded victories to his credit: the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2), Jim Dandy Stakes (G2), and the Southwest Stakes (G3). He was beaten only a length when fourth in this year’s Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). His fee will be set following the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) Nov. 6 at Del Mar.
Maxfield wins the Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs
Maxfield received the 2019 Breeders’ Futurity and his six different profession victories embrace the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) and Alysheba Stakes Offered by Sentient Jet (G2) at Churchill Downs. He has two extra 2021 grade 1 placings, ending as runner-up in Saratoga’s Whitney Stakes (G1) and the Woodward Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park.
A son of Darley stallion Avenue Sense, Maxfield is out of the Bernardini mare Velvety, a half sister to grade 1 winner and successful sire Sky Mesa . Like Essential Quality, Maxfield’s fee will be set following his final race, the Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) Nov. 26 at Churchill.
Fox continued, “In addition to the excitement of two new stallions, we are hearing from breeders a great deal of optimism especially with the strong sales results this year. It goes without saying that times were tough for the industry last year but ours is a resilient bunch and hope springs eternal for the coming year. All that said, we are still maintaining moderation when setting our fees with only one of our top-tier stallions returning from last year seeing an uptick in price at this time.”
Darley Stallions also announced its fees and roster for 2022, topped by consistently prominent sire Medaglia d’Oro , who will stand at a fee of $100,000. He was leading active North America sire by yearling average in 2020 at $483,885. With 81 grade/group winners worldwide—26 at the highest level—Medaglia d’Oro’s top-tier performers in 2021 include Golden Sixty, who is the 2020-21 Hong Kong Horse of the Year. Medaglia d’Oro is also the all-time leading sire of stakes winners at Saratoga and of grade 1 winners at Del Mar.
Street Sense ‘s fee will be set at $75,000 for 2022. In addition to his soon-to-be-retired son Maxfield, Street Sense’s 2021 top performers also include San Vicente Stakes (G2) winner Concert Tour and Mother Goose Stakes (G2) heroine Zaajel. Since 2017, Only Into Mischief and Constitution can match his four graded stakes-winning juvenile dirt colts, a group that includes his four-time grade 1 winning son McKinzie. The auction year has been strong in 2021 for Street Sense as well. His yearlings averaged over $200,000 and he is only one of 11 North American sires this year to be represented by a million-dollar yearling.
Nyquist , 2020’s leading first-crop sire, will stand for a fee of $55,000 in 2022. His juveniles of last year included Eclipse champion 2-year-old filly and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Vequist and Summer Stakes (G1) winner Gretzky the Great . Not since Danzig in the 1980s has a stallion had two grade 1 winners so early in his career.
In 2021, his 2-year-old daughter Sequist has the potential to give her sire a second consecutive Juvenile Fillies win as she is headed to this year’s renewal following a third in the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) in her last start. He is the cumulative leading second-crop sire by earnings, grade 1 winners, grade 1 horses, and graded stakes performers. In the sales ring, he is the fourth-leading sire by 2-year-old average at $342,043. His $2.6 million colt sold at Fasig-Tipton’s The Gulfstream Sale is the highest amount paid for any juvenile this year and is equal to a yearling by Into Mischief as the highest price paid for any horse at public auction in 2021.
Hard Spun ‘s fee will remain at $35,000 for 2022. He will be represented in the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) by his son Silver State , winner of this year’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) and Oaklawn Handicap (G2). His other top 2021 runners include Arkansas Derby (G1) runner-up Caddo River and grade 3 winner Antoinette among 15 black- type horses for this year.
Frosted , the record-breaking Met Mile winner, is priced at $20,000. Ranked third behind Nyquist on the cumulative second-crop sire list, Frosted’s top performers this year include Travel Column , winner of the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2). She is one of five 3-year-olds to run a 90+ Beyer in 2021 for her sire.
Astern and Midshipman will go into 2022 priced at $10,000 each.
Midshipman is having his best year ever and has two Breeders’ Cup prospects in grade 2 winner Special Reserve , headed to the Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), and undefeated 2-year-old filly Averly Jane , who is pointing towards the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T). Midshipman is represented by 11 stakes winners in America this year, a career high, that includes Californian Stakes (G2) winner Royal Ship and grade 3 winner Naval Laughter .
Medaglia d’Oro’s grade 1-winning son Astern, who shuttles from Australia, is off to a fast start with eight first-crop winners this year. His daughter Sail By will be making her next start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) following an impressive win in the Miss Grillo Stakes (G2T) at Belmont.
Godolphin at Darley Stallions Stud Fees
| Stallion | 2022 Fee | 2021 Fee |
| Essential Quality | TBA | NEW |
| Maxfield | TBA | NEW |
| Medaglia d’Oro | $100,000 | $150,000 |
| Street Sense | $75,000 | $60,000 |
| Nyquist | $55,000 | $75,000 |
| Hard Spun | $35,000 | $35,000 |
| Frosted | $20,000 | $25,000 |
| Street Boss | $15,000 | $15,000 |
| Astern | $10,000 | $7,500 |
| Midshipman | $10,000 | $7,500 |
| Enticed | $5,000 | $7,500 |
