Joe and Helen Barbazon of Morriston, Fla., announced Oct. 15 the formation of Pleasant Acre Stallions to be located in Marion County near their current Thoroughbred facility, Pleasant Acres Farm. While negotiations are continuing to acquire additional stallions, they noted that British-bred Treasure Beach and Poseidon's Warrior will stand the 2014 breeding season at the new farm.
Treasure Beach is by Irish stallion Galileo and is out of the Irish mare Honorine, by Mark of Esteem (also bred in Ireland). Ireland's champion highweight at 3 and a dual grade/group I winner, Treasure Beach is the first son of champion sire Galileo to stand in Florida.
Winner of the 2011 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (Ire-I) at the Curragh, Treasure Beach captured his maiden going seven furlongs at Ireland's Gowan Park. At 3 he won the Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) at Arlington Park and was grade I-placed in the Pattison Canadian International Stakes later that year at Woodbine.
At 4, he finished second in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes (gr. IT) at Belmont Park. The 5-year-old retired with a record of 5-4-2 from 22 starts, for earnings of $2,435,343.
Poseidon's Warrior is the first son of champion sprinter and prominent sire Speightstown to stand in Florida. He is out of the Smarten mare Poised to Pounce, making him a half-brother to stakes winners Quick 'n Smart and Play Bingo.
On the track, Poseidon's Warrior won at first asking at 2 in 2010 and went on to win the 2012 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course, defeating Justin Phillip , Hamazing Destiny , Emcee , and Shackleford . The multiple stakes winner also counts a third-place finish behind The Lumber Guy and Caixa Eletronica in the Vosburgh Invitational Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park.
"It is our goal to bring both Florida breeding and racing to the forefront of our industry," said Helen Barazon. "We felt now was an optimum time to bring top class stallions to the state. Joe and I have wanted to build a premier stallion facility for years and decided that 2014 was the right time with the market upswing."
The Barbazon's have enlisted Michelle Hemingway as director of bloodstock at Pleasant Acres Stallions as she maintains her position as an equine consultant for the Hilton Hotel in Ocala.
"Treasure Beach and Poseidon's Warrior bring real sire power to our state," Hemingway said. "Galileo's progeny have been lighting up the sale rings all over the world and there is not a hotter sire in America than Speightstown. It is incredibly exciting to manage these horses in their first year at stud."
Stud fees will be announced at a later date.
