Exhi, Nephrite Added to Park Stud Roster

Grade II winner Exhi   and Irish group victor Nephrite have been added to the stallion roster of Park Stud in Orangeville, Ontario, owners Michael and Laurel Byrne announced Nov. 30.

Exhi won five stakes on Polytrack, including the Coolmore Lexington (gr. II) and Ben Ali (gr. III) at Keeneland and the Victoria Park and Marine at Woodbine. He also was a winner on dirt, defeating grade I winner Drosselmeyer to break his maiden at 2 at Belmont Park, and was graded stakes placed on turf.

"We have been following Exhi’s career since he was a 3-year-old. He comes from a tremendous stallion producing Canadian family, including foundation broodmare Fanfreluche, and top sires Encosta de Lago, Holy Roman Emperor, Medaille d’Or and Khelef," said Michael Byrne. "With his stellar Polytrack form and outstanding first foals, he is well suited to the Ontario market and we look forward to furthering his career."

Exhi will stand at Park Stud for $3,000 (Canadian funds) in 2014.

By Maria's Mon out of the stakes-winning Polish Numbers mare Soldera, Exhi stood as a 6-year-old in 2013 at John and Doris Carey’s T.C. Westmeath Stud Farm near Shelburne, Ontario for a fee of $3,500 (Canadian funds).

Nephrite, new to the stallion ranks in 2014, was undefeated in two starts as a juvenile in 2011 and won the JRA Killavullan Stakes (Ire-III) by 1 1/2 lengths at Leopardstown for trainer Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore partnership. By leading sire Pivotal out of Cape Merino, by Clantime, he is a brother to international group I winner Cape of Good Hope.

He had a 116+ Timeform rating at 2. Nephrite later placed in the a pair of stakes including the Big Bad Bob Gladness (Ire-III) in his final start April 7 at the Curragh.

Nephrite is to stand for $2,500 in 2014.

"Pivotal is an emerging sire of sires and his offspring have been very successful in North America," Byrne said. "We're very excited to be partnering with Coolmore again. We know Aidan throughout very highly of Nephrite (and) we expect his speed and good looks to be attractive to Ontario breeders."

Park Stud also announced that the fee for Court Vision   in 2014 will remain unchanged at $10,000, and Victor's Cry will stand for $5,000, also the same as in 2013. All fees are on a stands and nurses basis.