[align=center][color=blue]Stallion Spotlight: [color=black]January I
NCh. Celtic Star
2009 light bay Thoroughbred stallion, 16.1hh
Created
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CAREER
Bred by FF, he was purchased by Coleman Branch last year to continue stallion duties. On the track, he won 14 of 59 starts and banked over $2.7 million. Career highlights include wins in the G1 Eclipse Stakes, G1 Cigar Breeders’ Stakes, G2 Theo Marks Stakes, G2 Dixie Stakes, G2 Hill Stakes, and more. Additionally he hit the board in multiple major G1 races including the Dubai Duty Free, Coz Place, Coronation Cup, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth stakes, and the Bailey’s Irish Champion Stakes. During his career he set three speed records, twice at 10f and once at 14f, all over the flat turf.
He won stakes races from age 3-5, winning 7 of 16 times at 3 and hitting the board 60% of the time at age 5 when he earned $1.5 million. Most of his success came at classic and endurance distances on the turf.
During his career he bested such stallions as Silver Wizard, Express Yourself, Black Warrior, Player, Clockstopper, and Black Light II.
INJURY HISTORY
Between five years of racing he suffered two injuries: swelling at age 2 that may have factored into his one unplaced start that year, and heat in June of his three year old career. He was injury-free for his subsequent 50 starts.
LINEAGE
As a created stallion, I will be taking a closer look at his foals and the backgrounds of the mares who produced MSW/SW/SP foals.
SIRE RECORD
At the time of this post, he is Bronze-ranked (4.9). Celtic Star has sired 84 foals from 5 crops with 24% starters, 50% winners, 15% stakes winners and 5% multiple stakes winners. Some of his highest-earning offspring are NCh. Tir Na Nog, Ch. Celtic Rose, Ch. Peacefully, Duende.
It needs to be noted that despite five crops, Celtic Star’s second crop was only 3 foals, his third crop of 5 foals, and he had no foals in his fourth crop. His biggest crops are his first crop in 2016 (18 foals) and his 2020 crop (30 foals). Five of his race-age progeny are unraced, and two of his four unplaced foals have been inactive since 2019. However, he did produce NCh. Tir Na Nog in his first crop, who is expected to retire this year and assume stallion duties.
Out of 65 stallions w/ started offspring:
- 43rd in highest winning percentage of offspring
- 33rd in offspring earnings
- 45th in highest G1-placed offspring
- 11th in G1-winning offspring
Leading Earners
- [color=blue]NCH. TIR NA NOG ($2,890,050), G1 Hong Kong Cup, G1 Barretts Stakes, G2 Del Mar Derby, G3 Grafton Cup, G3 October Cup
- [color=blue]DUENDE ($228,000), G3 Stars and stripes Breeders’ Cup Turf.
- [color=red]CH. CELTIC ROSE ($184,150), Ungr. Hilltop Stakes (SC). Still winning at 5 and injury free entire life.
- [color=red]CH. PEACEFULLY ($199,100), 2nd Ungr. Mike Lee Stakes, Ungr. Broadway Handicap, 3rd G2 First Flight Stakes.
- [color=red]FURY ORDER ($91,050). 4th G2 Dwyer Stakes.
Foals for Thought
Looking at all 10 of his winners, 2 had their best career year at age 2 (20%), 2 at age 3 (30%), and 6 at age 4 or older (60%).
From his ten winners, six were out of created mares, including MSW NCh. Tir Na Nog. Of his game-bred crosses, these mares were by Twin Oaks, Class Act, Secretariat, and Black Legend. All of his foals seem to favor mid to long turf or steeplechase. From this same batch, half suffered career injuries: three from a single case of limping (all at age 5), one had swelling at two, and one had swelling at four and a cut at five. However, 3 of the 5 injured had dams who also suffered from a career injury at three or older. A fourth dam was created and unraced, so it is unknown if the injury could have been chance or from the sire or from the dam.
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Celtic Star currently stands in Kentucky at Coleman Branch for $5,000 (2021 fee).
He is BC nominated and he does not require approval to breed to.
FUN FACT: He is the only light bay horse at stud.
Please share your own foals and successful crosses below.
*I understand there probably won’t be many, so perhaps show any planned support for expected foals of 2022 or breeding plans for the upcoming season![/align]
Blessed Poem did OK at mid-range turf, so hopefully he’ll add to that ability.