Graded stakes winner Most Wanted, a 5-year-old son of Candy Ride , enters stud next year in a joint venture for three of New York's largest breeding farms: Irish Hill Century Farm, Hidden Lake Farm, and Stonegate Farm/Turning Point Bloodstock.
A homebred racing for Gary and Mary West with trainer Brad Cox, Most Wanted won his first four starts, including the 2024 Oklahoma Derby (G3) and Ellis Park Derby. He ended his sophomore campaign with a second in the 2024 Clark Stakes (G2). He remained at 4 with the country's top handicap horses with runner-up efforts behind Fierceness in the 2025 Alysheba Stakes (G2), Skippylongstocking in the 2025 Challenger Stakes (G3), and Tumbarumba in the 2025 Ack Ack Stakes (G3). He did not race this year.
Most Wanted retires with 5-4-0 record from 10 starts and $988,983 in earnings.
Most Wanted is out of the Distorted Humor mare Beach Walk, making him a half brother to multiple grade 1 winner and second-leading freshman sire Life Is Good (Into Mischief ). Beach Walk is out of the grade 1-placed stakes winner Bonnie Blue Flag, who is a half sister to grade 1 winner Diamondrella and multiple graded-placed stakes winner Highest Honors.
Prominent sire Candy Ride has been represented by multiple high-profile sons at stud, including leading sires Gun Runner and Vekoma and current top-15 sire Twirling Candy .
"The New York breeding program is absolutely thriving. There is a much stronger interest from Kentucky farms in participating in and support the New York program, which will further give us more quality stallion opportunities," said Jamie LaMonica of Stallion Company, who co-owns and brokered the deal with Most Wanted.
Bill Johnson of Turning Point Bloodstock said the new venture will not only help Turning Point Sales and Stonegate Farm continue their rapid growth trajectory but also build on an already strong New York breeding program.
"Most Wanted is the fast horse that could carry his speed a distance against the best in the country," added Chris Bernhard with Hidden Lake Farm. "Candy Ride has become such an important sire of sires, and his half brother Life is Good is off to a huge start with 12 winners from his first crop and seven of them stake horses. Most Wanted is a lovely horse, and I believe breeders everywhere will be impressed with his credentials."
Most Wanted will be available for inspection by appointment at Irish Hill Century Farm in Stillwater, N.Y., and is being syndicated.
