Visionaire, a Saratoga grade I winner, will enter stud in 2010 at Pope McLean’s Crestwood Farm near Lexington. He will stand for a fee of $7,500 as the property of Team Valor and Vision Racing.
Visionaire scored his major win in the 2008 NetJets King’s Bishop Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga for Team Valor and Vision Racing. A 3-year-old at the time, he captured the seven-furlong race by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:21.94. He had prepped for it with a triumph over older horses at the Spa.
“Visionaire is an exceptional individual and his conformation, as well as his winning a key race for a stallion prospect, has given us confidence to stand him,” said Team Valor’s Barry Irwin about the 4-year-old son of Grand Slam. “We feel breeders will want to use him when they inspect him in person.
“Since it was decided by the partners to stand the horse for our own account, it was vitally important to Team Valor and Vision Racing’s Brandon Perry and John Stephens of Vision Racing to place him where he would be respected for his accomplishments and the stallion manager could be counted on for a full effort in promoting him and working with those breeders interested in using Visionaire. In the McLean family, we feel we have selected the right partner for us.”
From a dozen starts, Visionaire captured five races and placed in three others while earning $465,882. Last year, he also won the Gotham Stakes (gr. III) at Aqueduct and placed in the Risen Star (gr. III) and Northern Dancer (gr. III) Stakes.
Bred in Kentucky by Reiley McDonald, Visionaire is out of the stakes-placed French Deputy mare Scarlet Tango.