The first weekend in May could be a banner one for Stoneriggs Farm. Breeder Robert Slack currently has a top-10 points earner for both the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1).
The seeds of Forced Entry's 1 3/4-length victory in the March 8 Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) began at the 2020 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale when Slack purchased the Violence mare Violent Times for $75,000.
"I had recently bought a 400-acre parcel of the Stone Farm, and we needed mares," Slack said. "I had about eight to start with, and our intention was to grow the broodmare band to 60 or 70 head."
Named Stoneriggs Farm—the namesake being a farm his parents bought in England in 1941, and on which his brother still lives—the purchase of an adjoining parcel brought the total to 600 acres. "I like to buy young mares off the track, or at the sales, who have shown some ability," Slack said.
He bred Violent Times to Hill 'n' Dale Farms' first-season sire Charlatan and consigned the resulting filly to the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where she was purchased for $375,000 by Three Amigos, the buying entity of Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman. The Santa Ysabel win has earned the Bob Baffert-conditioned Forced Entry a shot at the Kentucky Oaks. She is currently ninth on the Oaks leaderboard with 50 points.
"Of course, Baffert trained Charlatan, so we were delighted when he was set to train her," Slack said. "He's taken his time with her, and you see the results."
Another Stoneriggs Farm sales graduate, and perhaps its current flagbearer, is Emerging Market, a 3-year-old colt by Lane's End's Candy Ride out of the Empire Maker mare Wild Empress. Slack added that Emerging Market "is the one to watch."
An impressive win in a maiden special weight in early February at Tampa Bay Downs kindled Kentucky Derby (G1) speculation, and the Chad Brown-trained colt's victory in the $1,000,000 Louisiana Derby (G2) March 21 only ignited that talk. Now with 100 points on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, the colt has cemented his place in the Churchill Downs starting gate.
After galloping behind the leaders for most of the race, when jockey Flavien Prat asked, Emerging Market delivered, passing four horses wide, and the battling long shot Pavlovian down to the wire.
But Emerging Market's first hurdle to qualifying for the first Saturday in May traces back to his conception.
"I've always liked Candy Ride, and for some reason I took a chance that year to buy two no-guarantee seasons, and both the mares caught on the first cover. I am sure many would balk at the risk, as far as the stud's age. But every aspect of raising horses is a gamble," Slack explained. Candy Ride was 23 at the time of the cover.
With the conception derby won, Emerging Market was consigned by Stoneriggs Farm, fetching $185,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September sale.
Another early standout from the recent Stoneriggs purchases is the broodmare I'm Betty G (Into Mischief ), who was knocked down by Slack for $275,000 in foal to Improbable at the 2021 Keeneland November sale. Her resulting foal from that mating was sold by Stoneriggs as a yearling for $50,000, and later brought $275,000 at the 2024 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. Named Governor Sam, the stakes-winning colt won four straight as a 2-year-old before finishing third in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T).
Slack is an absentee owner during the mercurial Kentucky winter, but he has complete faith in his staff.
"Fortunately, I can depend on Martin (Keogh, Stoneriggs' farm manager) and his staff. They know these horses from the day they are born, which also makes a big difference when we sell," Slack said.
According to Slack, Stoneriggs Farm offers all its yearlings at public auction.
"We rarely buy one back. When we bring one up to the sale, it is there to sell," he said. "But when someone asks a question, the people who know these horses from day one are right there to give them an answer. That is so valuable. Martin has assembled a great crew."
His prior professional acumen in the Florida real estate business provided Slack the wherewithal to pursue his dream of breeding fine horses on Kentucky soil. Given that Stoneriggs Farm graduates have, in successive weekends, produced possible starters in the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, it would be safe to suggest the relatively new farm is doing something right.
