VERSAILLES, Ky. — One by one, the stallions marched into the brick-and-stone breeding shed for a date that, if successful, would cost the mare’s owners anywhere from $5,000 to $100,000. Most of the stallions — including Bellamy Road, whose nickname around the barn is Bam Bam — knew exactly why they were there and consummated the relationship within minutes.
But one stallion at the bucolic WinStar Farm was having none of that. He has to be in the mood and tends to be picky, especially when it comes to the opposite sex. The problem is that this stallion is no ordinary horse; Pioneerof the Nile is the sire of this year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner.