Frank Stronach has added considerable strength to his Canadian stallion roster. Headlining the group is English champion North Light , the only Epsom Derby (Eng-I) winner standing in North America and sire of a 2010 English classic winner, and grade I winner Mast Track, who will enter stud next year. Those two and several others will stand at Stronach’s newly developed Adena Springs North in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. Stud fees will be announced later.
“It’s a state-of-the-art stallion and breeding complex,” said Adena Springs director of sales Dermot Carty. “The relocation of stallions from Kentucky is due to the emergence of the Ontario market and the Ontario breeding awards program. Ontario had an increase in the number of mares bred last breeding season.”
Nine-year-old North Light (Danehill--Sought Out, by Rainbow Quest) is the sire of Arctic Cosmos, winner of this year’s classic St. Leger Stakes (Eng-I), and 2010 graded winner Go Forth North.
Mast Track, who initially raced as a homebred for Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel and later for Stronach Stables, is a 6-year-old son of Mizzen Mast out of French group-placed Nawal (by Homme de Loi). Mast Track won the 2008 Hollywood Gold Cup (gr. I) in track-record time of 2:01.37 for 1 1/4 miles and the 2009 Native Diver Handicap (gr. III). He placed in the Pacific Classic Stakes (gr. I) and the San Diego Handicap (gr. I). During his career, Mast Track won or placed in 11 of 24 races and earned $928,835.
The other stallions making the move from Adena Springs in Kentucky to Adena Springs North are Wilko , grade I winner Showing Up, and Singing Saint . Eight-year-old Wilko (Awesome Again —Native Roots, by Indian Ridge) won the 2004 Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) and earned a career total of $2,435,133. Wilko’s first foals are yearlings.
Seven-year-old Showing Up (Strategic Mission—Miss Alethia, by T.V. Commercial) won two grade I stakes, the Hollywood Derby and the Secretariat Stakes, and earned a career total of $1,660,500. His first foals arrived this year.
Singing Saint, who won both his starts, is a 6-year-old son El Prado out of the grade II stakes-winning Easy Goer mare Relaxing Rhythm and is a half brother to grade II winner Spring Waltz. Singing Saint entered stud in 2010.
Adena Springs will transfer three stallions that it stood in 2010 at Dr. Michael Colterjohn’s Gardiner Farms (now Paradox Farm) near Caledon, Ontario, to Adena Springs North.
“Standing the stallions at Gardiner was a cooperative effort with Dr. Colterjohn,” Carty said. “He’s a good friend and helped us get established.”
Two of the stallions, Milwaukee Brew and Sligo Bay , are grade I winner and the other, Giant Gizmo , is a grade III winner. Thirteen-year-old Milwaukee Brew (Wild Again--Ask Anita, by Wolf Power) has sired 22 stakes horses, including Canadian champion fillies Ginger Brew and Milwaukee Appeal.
Twelve-year-old Sligo Bay (Sadler's Wells--Angelic Song, by Halo) has sired 14 stakes horses, including Bourbon Bay, a three-time grade II winner this year.
Six-year-old Giant Gizmo (Giant's Causeway —Golden Antigua, by Hansel) won six of 11 races, including the Lone Star Park Handicap (gr. III) and the Alysheba Stakes (gr. III). He stood his first year in 2010.
The relocation of stallions to Adena Springs North is the second major transfer of stallions recently undertaken by Adena Springs. The farm relocated stallions Alphabet Soup, Tiago, Touch Gold, and Silent Name to Joe and Anne McMahon’s McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds near Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Another Adena stallion, Olmodavor, who stood in 2010 at Gardiner, has been moved to Rich and Gaby Sulpizio’s Magali Farm near Santa Ynez, Calif.