Dual classic winner Smarty Jones will return to Uruguay in September for the 2017 Southern Hemisphere breeding season as part of a multi-year agreement with Calumet Farm near Lexington, where he's stood since 2016.
The 16-year-old son of Elusive Quality shuttled to Uruguay previously in 2011, 2012, and 2014. The current deal, brokered by Pablo Núñez and Sullivan Bloodstock, sends the 2004 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner to Raul Cazalas' Haras La Concordia Farm for this year and in 2018. There is an option to shuttle him a third year, according to Núñez. The farm near Montevideo also stands Ioya Bigtime, Trinniberg , and Brooklyn Boy.
"(La Concordia) contacted us about leasing the horse because of the success he's had there, and Pat wants to give the horse every opportunity to succeed," said Dan Rosenberg, who represented Smarty Jones' majority owner Pat Chapman in the deal. Chapman bred and raced Smarty Jones with her late husband, Roy.
The stallion was shipped Aug. 16 from Calumet Farm to Miami, where he will be in quarantine for 15 days. He'll then be shipped to Uruguay. A condition of the shuttling agreement requires Smarty Jones to be back in the U.S. by Dec. 15.
Rosenberg said Smarty Jones has handled shuttling quite well in the past and his connections expect everything to continue running smoothly.
"I have had a fair amount of experience with shuttling and most horses handle it quite well," he said. "Smarty Jones' fertility is good, his libido is good, and his temperament is good."
Smarty Jones has been represented in Uruguay by black-type runners Bamba Y Bamba, a 3-year-old filly who won the Gran Premio Criterium (G2) and the Clásico Treinta y Tres Orientales; 4-year-old filly Isabel La Catolica, winner of the Clásico Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas and second in the Clásico Agraciada (G3); and son Patriota Jones, who won the 2016 Clásico Lavalleja.
Through Aug. 15 Smarty Jones has sired 27 black-type winners. He also is the sire of champions Better Life, a four-time Singapore titleholder and winner of the Longines Singapore Gold Cup (G1) and Emirates Singapore Derby (G1); and Smart DNA, a four-time champion in Panama including 2012 Horse of the Year. He he won the Clásico Presidente de la República in 2012 and 2014.
