Spendthrift Farm's Zandon , a multimillionaire and the winner of Keeneland's Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at 3, sired his first reported foal when a filly was born late Jan. 20 at KatieRich Farms in Midway, Ky.
Bred by Rattner Bloodstock, the bay filly with a thin white blaze hails from the Champali mare I Love Nola.
"Nice, healthy filly. She has great leg and a big motor. We're excited," said Dan Rattner.
Trained by Chad Brown, Zandon broke his maiden on debut as a 2-year-old at six furlongs at Belmont Park before falling a nose short in the Remsen Stakes (G2) to eventual classic winner Mo Donegal in his only other start as a juvenile. At 3, Zandon won the $1 million Blue Grass Stakes going away by 2 1/2 lengths, making him a favorite for the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Zandon finished a close third behind Rich Strike and Epicenter in a close Derby finish. He went on to finish runner-up to eventual champion Epicenter in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course and was on the board behind that rival again in the prestigious Travers Stakes (G1). It took another Eclipse finalist to defeat him in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1), as Zandon ran second to three-time grade 1 winner Taiba while finishing ahead of multiple grade 1 winners Cyberknife and White Abarrio.
As a 4-year-old, Zandon was a gallant second to subsequent Horse of the Year Cody's Wish in the storied Metropolitan Mile (G1) at Belmont, again finishing ahead of multiple grade 1 winners White Abarrio and Dr. Schivel and a decorated field. Zandon faced the best yet again in the Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga, beaten only by eventual Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner White Abarrio while finishing ahead of Cody's Wish and the remainder of the field. He went on to easily capture the Woodward Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct by 4 1/4 lengths. The striking near-black colt closed out his career with earnings of $2.2 million before retiring to Spendthrift.
Campaigned by owner Jeff Drown, Zandon is by Upstart and out of the Creative Cause mare Memories Prevail, a half sister to multiple graded stakes winner Cairo Memories. He covered 158 mares in his first book in 2024, and his first in-foal mares have sold for up to $240,000 at public auction.
Zandon will stand the 2025 breeding season at Spendthrift for a fee of $10,000 S&N.
