Maryland Stallion Station Begins Construction

Construction of a permanent facility for the Maryland Stallion Station has begun, with a groundbreaking ceremony set for July 7.

The venture, conceived by longtime Maryland horseman Don Litz and backed by 26 investors, including Lane's End Farm, operated at Shamrock Farm in Woodbine for its inaugural season. The new facility, located on land that originally was part of Alfred Vanderbilt's Sagamore Farm and is now owned by Ed St. John, should be ready for occupancy at the end of this year.

The facility will include a 10-stall stallion barn with offices and a breeding shed. The stallion barn is modeled after those at William S. Farish's Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Ky.

"Maryland is a good market, it's in a spotty patch right now, but we think it can come bounding back with some help," said Bill Farish of Lane's End. "It's a beautiful area with a lot of tradition."

Investors, breeders, and senior representatives of the state of Maryland and Baltimore County, including Aris Melissaratos, Secretary of the Department of Business and Economic Development, are expected to attend the groundbreaking ceremony.

"While the horses are the key to success in this business, this new facility will enable us to operate more efficiently and to better serve our clientele," Litz, president of Maryland Stallion Station, said in a July 1 release. "This location, with its proximity to numerous farms with broodmare boarding capacity, will benefit both breeders who ship in as well as those farms."

The Maryland Stallion Station currently stands five stallions--Eastern Echo, Jazz Club, Outflanker, Rock Slide, and Seeking Daylight--and eventually expects to increase the roster to 10 horses, the release said.