Darby Dan Farm’s multiple Graded stakes winner Modernist, a son of perennial leading sire Uncle Mo, sired his first reported foal on Sunday, Jan. 15 when a colt was born at Stonegate Stables in New York. Bred by Stonegate Stables, the colt is produced from the Mineshaft mare Meteoric Matron, a full sister to multiple stakes winner Mine Over Matter and a half-sister to stakes-placed runners Chestertown Slew and Motor Patrol. This is also the family of Grade 1 winners Dream Empress and Prenup.
“This is a very strong colt, represents Modernist very well,” said Bill Johnson of Stonegate Stables. “He is what we hoped for and expected from a stallion by Uncle Mo out of a Bernardini mare. He is well stamped by the sire. The foaling went very well, and he got up quickly and already shows great strength.”
Stuart Fitzgibbon, stallion director at Darby Dan Farm, added, “We are very excited with the quality of Modernist’s first foal, very strong and a great representative of his sire. Modernist is a very well-bred son of sire of sires Uncle Mo out of a Bernardini mare from a great Wygod family. We are grateful for the immense shareholder and breeder support of Modernist and look forward to more quality foals hitting the ground as the season progresses.”
Modernist enjoyed his best season as a sophomore at three in 2020. After dominating maiden special weight foes at Aqueduct, he followed that impressive wire-to-wire victory with a determined score in the $400,000 Risen Star S. (G2) at Fair Grounds in his first foray into stakes company. In another strong effort in his subsequent start, Modernist finished third in the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) after a wide trip that saw him travel four to five-wide around the far turn.
In 2021, Modernist annexed the Excelsior S. (G3) at Aqueduct and was runner-up in both the Challenger S. (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs and the Pimlico Match Series S. (G3), outfinishing six black-type winners, including Grade 1 winner Max Player. All told, Modernist banked $576,300 while competing against the best of his generation.
A homebred for Martin and Pam Wygod and a son of the heralded Uncle Mo, Modernist descends from a prolific female family. He is produced from the unraced Bernardini mare Symbolic Gesture, a half-sister to both Sweet Catomine, Champion 2-Year-Old Filly and winner of the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), and Life Is Sweet, winner of the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (G1) and an earner of $1,820,810. Modernist’s second dam is stakes winner and Grade 1-placed Sweet Life, Broodmare of the Year in 2009.
For more information on Modernist, who was bred to 142 mares in his initial book, contact Stallion Director Stuart Fitzgibbon at (859) 621-6763 or by email at [email protected],
