With their final starts in the Breeders' Cup in the rearview mirror, champions Sierra Leone, Fierceness, and Citizen Bull have safely arrived at their new home of Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky., ahead of the 2026 breeding season.
Sierra Leone, the 2024 Eclipse champion 3-year-old male, tops the new additions with a US$75,000 stud fee.
Winner of the 2024 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), and this year's Whitney Stakes (G1), the son of Gun Runner never finished off the board in 14 career starts, earning $8,196,200. In addition to his victories, he holds placings in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Belmont Stakes (G1), and Travers Stakes (G1) in 2024 and, in 2025, the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1), Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1), and Breeders' Cup Classic.
"Sierra Leone is a Saratoga sale-topping son of the great Gun Runner and Eclipse Award-winning champion 3-year-old colt who was never out of the money in all of his 14 career starts," said Coolmore America director of sales Charlie O'Connor in a press release.
After winning a grade 1 in each of his three seasons on the track, Fierceness will debut at Ashford with a US$50,000 stud fee in 2026. Named champion 2-year-old male of 2023 after winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), the City of Light colt would add on victories in the Florida Derby (G1) and Travers Stakes and a runner-up finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic at 3. He opened his 4-year-old year with a track record-setting performance in the 1 1/16-mile Alysheba Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs and won the Pacific Classic Stakes (G1). He capped his career with a third in the Breeders' Cup Classic, with career earnings of US$5,785,320.
Citizen Bull will begin his stud duties with a US$35,000 fee. Named Eclipse champion 2-year-old male of 2024 after victories in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile, the Into Mischief colt added wins in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) and Shared Belief Stakes. He capped his career with what could be considered the best performance in defeat of Breeders' Cup weekend when, after setting incredibly fast fractions of :21.74 and :44.96, he battled hard down the stretch to be beaten on a head bob by Nysos in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).
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sad to see them go,,because racing is about stars and gripes.. LOL