Mill Ridge Farm has raised the 2024 stud fee for Oscar Performance , the farm's top 10 second-crop sire as ranked by number of black-type winners this year. The son of Kitten's Joy will stand for $25,000 with a live foal guarantee.
The farm also announced that second-year sire Aloha West , a son of Hard Spun , will stand for $8,500 with a live foal guarantee. His fee has been dropped from his entering-year fee of $10,000.
Oscar Performance, who stood for $20,000 this year, has sired five black-type winners so far in 2023, led by grade 2 winner Red Carpet Ready and multiple graded stakes winner Endlessly, who is being aimed for a start in the Nov. 3 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T). A homebred for Jerry and John Amerman, Oscar Performance captured his first grade 1 victory in the 2016 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and followed with three more grade 1 wins at 3 and 4—Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T), Secretariat Stakes (G1T), and Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T). He won eight of 15 career starts and earned $2,345,696.
As a freshman sire of 2022, Oscar Performance was the leader among all North American sires for 2-year-old performers on turf. He sired 11 winners that year, including grade 2 winner Andthewinneris, who was stakes-placed twice before capturing the Bourbon Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland in his fourth start. Alongside Andthewinneris and Red Carpet Ready, the sire's first crop of 3-year-olds this year include stakes winners Tumbarumba, who won the Ellis Park Derby and placed in the Oklahoma Derby (G3) on the dirt; and Hawthorne Derby winner Act a Fool.
Aloha West is the property of a syndicate, and had very good support from syndicate members and breeders in his first year, covering a quality book of mares. As a racehorse, Aloha West was a highly consistent performer, with six wins and three placed finishes out of 13 starts. He won the 2021 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) over 2021 champion male sprinter Jackie's Warrior and multiple grade 1 winner Dr. Schivel .
When Aloha West retired to stud, Mill Ridge general manager Price Bell said the stallion was "the entire package of racing performance, pedigree blend, outstanding physical, and exceptional value."
"Having two Breeders' Cup winners as stallions at Mill Ridge, in Oscar Performance who has made such an exciting start to his stud career, and now Aloha West is very rewarding," Bell said. "Breeders' Cup is where champions are crowned."
