Candy Ride Cover 99 Mares This Season in the United States

At 27 years old, the champion remains as active as ever, leading a reduced South American presence in the U.S. Jockey Club report on mares bred. Only five stallions from the region recorded covers in a market that continues to shrink

By Diego H. Mitagstein

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Special for Turf Diario).— At 27 years of age, when the vast majority of stallions are either long retired or no longer alive, Candy Ride continues to prove that his relevance defies all logic. The extraordinary Argentine-bred horse covered no fewer than 99 mares during the 2026 breeding season in the United States, a figure that speaks volumes both about his remarkable health and the unwavering trust he still commands among breeders.

The data comes from the annual report of mares bred published by the U.S. Jockey Club, which highlighted another stark reality: only five South American-bred horses recorded stud activity during the year—three Argentines, one Brazilian, and one Chilean.

Stationed for years at Lane's End Farm in Kentucky, Candy Ride remains a cornerstone of North American breeding. So much so that the farm has already confirmed his 2027 stud fee will remain at $60,000—an extraordinary rate for a stallion of his age.

His impact extends far beyond his own stakes-winning offspring. As a sire of sires and a broodmare sire, the son of Ride the Rails built a dynasty that features Gun Runner as its ultimate exponent, but also projects through names such as Vekoma, Twirling Candy, and other stallions enjoying growing prominence.

Indeed, the report itself illustrates that profound influence. Five of the ten busiest stallions by mares covered during 2026 carry the blood of Candy Ride. Sierra Leone, a son of Gun Runner, topped the national standings with 293 covers; Gun Runner himself ranked fourth with 250; Early Voting, another descendant of Gun Runner, finished fifth with 236; Locked, also by Gun Runner, stood eighth with 226; and the aforementioned Vekoma finished ninth with 224.

In other words, while Candy Ride maintains impressive activity at an exceptional age, his descendants dominate much of the present and future of American breeding.

The other two Argentine representatives saw far more modest participation. American Tattoo (Not for Sale), remembered for his victory in the Gran Premio Polla de Potrillos (G1) at Palermo, covered just one mare in Illinois, where he stands at GAB Secret Acres. Exported following his domestic campaign, he was unable to replicate his top form in the United States, though he earned several wins before receiving a chance at stud.

The third is King of Jazz, a son of Giant's Causeway and out of the G1 winner Kiss Me Sweet (Lode). A winner of two races during his career, he has been at stud since 2017 at BG Thoroughbreds in Hemet, California, where his fee stands at $2,500.

Brazil was represented by Nautilus (Drosselmeyer), whose career highlight came in the 2022 Grande Prêmio Brasil(G1). With 8 mares covered, he was the second most requested South American stallion of the season, albeit at a vast distance behind Candy Ride.

The lineup is completed by the Chilean-bred Todo Fino, a son of Verrazano who was a stakes winner in his native country before earning graded stakes placings in North America. His activity was limited to three covers.

The report also reflected a sobering trend for the U.S. industry. A total of 670 stallions covered 23,932 mares, projecting an estimated foal crop of around 16,500 for 2027. Those numbers confirm the continued contraction of the breeding stock and a downward trend observed over several consecutive seasons.

Among individual highlights, Mindframe (Constitution) stood out by covering 187 mares in his inaugural season at stud, setting an all-time record for Claiborne Farm, one of the world's most storied nurseries. That figure validates the high expectations surrounding the young stallion, who is pegged to become a banner figure for a roster that also includes the veteran War Front (Danzig).

Yet for South America, the headline story once again carries an Argentine name. Candy Ride is not merely surviving; he remains active, sought after, respected, and crucial to the genetic evolution of American racing. His 99 covers stand as another testament to extraordinary longevity, while his bloodlines proliferate among the market's most heavily booked sires.

At this stage, his legacy is already firmly secured. The remarkable thing is that he is still building on it.