Gormley
by Avalyn Hunter
“Follow the money” is a well-known saying in politics, alluding to the fact that politicians’ actions tend to be dictated by economic interests rather than whatever rhetoric they espouse. In Gormley’s case, the saying could be “Follow the winners.” After siring Louisiana-bred stakes winners Bron and Brow and Emily’s Bullet, the stallion has followed them from Spendthrift Farm to a new home in Louisiana, where he is standing the 2024 season at Red River Farm for $2,500 live foal.
As well-bred as any horse in the current stallion market, Gormley is a son of the late Malibu Moon, who showed blistering speed during his brief racing career before succumbing to injury. Given a chance at stud because of his excellent pedigree (by A.P. Indy out of 1994 Prix Marcel Boussac, G1, winner Macoumba, by Mr. Prospector), Malibu Moon ranked six times among the top ten American sires before his death in 2021. His runners were generally precocious enough to be effective in juvenile races late in the season and continued on to win major events at age 3 and later.
On the distaff side, Gormley was produced from Race to Urga, a nice turf filly who bowed out of racing after running her career-best race in the 2012 Wait a While Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Also the dam of Gio Mambo (by Gio Ponti), a champion in the Dominican Republic, she is a daughter of the Group 3-winning Storm Cat horse Bernstein, a two-time Argentine champion sire according to the Stud Book Argentino. Bernstein was also a top broodmare sire whose daughters have crossed particularly well with stallions from the Forty Niner branch of Mr. Prospector.
Race to Urga came by her liking for turf honestly, as her dam, Miss Mambo, was a Group 2-placed stakes winner in Europe. As her name suggests, Miss Mambo is by Kingmambo (by Mr. Prospector), a three-time group 1 winner over about a mile and a son of the great transatlantic champion Miesque, whose credits include two editions of the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). Miss Mambo, in turn, was produced from the good turf allowance filly Troika, a daughter of the globe-trotting champion and stamina influence Strawberry Road. A half sister to 1998 Meadowlands Endurance Stakes winner Rice (by Blushing John), Troika is out of 1986 American champion turf female Estrapade.
As a racehorse, Gormley was the most advanced juvenile among Malibu Moon’s entire sons. A winner at first asking at Del Mar, he followed up on his maiden victory by winning the 2016 FrontRunner Stakes (G1) in just his second lifetime start. His primary victim that day was Klimt, who came into the race off a win in the Del Mar Futurity (G1). After a subpar break and a wide trip derailed his chances in the SentientJet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), he bounced back in his first start at 3 with a game score in the Sham Stakes (G3) over American Anthem, who would become a multiple grade 2 winner. Away from the races for over two months, he did not seem completely sharp when fourth in the San Felipe Stakes (G2), but that race set him up nicely for the Santa Anita Derby (G1), in which he battled his way home first over future Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Battle of Midway.
Gormley got a rather rough trip and turned in a subpar race in the Kentucky Derby (G1), in which he ran ninth. He failed to hit the board in subsequent starts in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and Shared Belief Stakes and was retired having won four of nine starts with earnings of $1,026,000.
As of February 16, Gormley has been represented by six 2024 winners. His top earner to date is Bron and Brow, who recently picked up stakes wins in the Gary P. Palmisano Memorial Stakes at the Fair Grounds and the LA Bred Premier Sprint Stakes at Delta Downs. Produced from a mare tracing to Gone West, Bron and Brow is bred from the same broodmare sire line as High Oak, winner of the 2021 Saratoga Special Stakes (G2). Other lines that have produced good winners with Gormley include those of Danzig, A.P. Indy, Storm Cat, Deputy Minister, and El Prado.
Although Gormley clearly has the ability to produce horses with precocious speed, he has the genetics for versatility, with both two-turn ability and turf ability either demonstrated by his own form or close up in his pedigree. He can also get a nice horse for the two-year-olds in training sales, averaging $68,000 for the five sold in 2023.
A typical son of Malibu Moon, Gormley is a medium-sized, strong, muscular horse with a masculine appearance. The Mr. Prospector influence in Gormely’s pedigree comes through in short coupling, powerful hindquarters and a straight, strong hind leg, combined with the strong body typical of the Storm Cat tribe. At his best, he showed marked gameness and determination as a racer.
“Gormley is a really nice horse,” says Jay Adcock, whose Red River Farm co-owns the stallion in partnership with several other Louisiana breeders. “He’s medium-sized, perfectly balanced, and very correct up front, but he’s not blocky. As a physical specimen, he’s all there. He’s got good manners, but he has a ton of energy—if you’re on the other end of the shank, he behaves well but you can feel the power he has. He’s got a lot of muscle, so to my mind he’s an ideal mate for a mare who has a little stretch and could benefit from a bit more power being added to her foals. With him already having several good Louisiana-bred runners showing themselves before he ever got there, he’s getting good support. I’ve got a lot of hopes for him as a Louisiana stallion.”
