Grade 2 winner Anchor Down will move to Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa for the 2022 breeding season, where he will stand for an advertised fee of $3,000.
The 10-year-old son of Tapit previously stood at Gainesway Farm in Kentucky, where he retired to stud in 2017. His oldest foals are 3-year-olds of 2021.
With two crops of racing age, Anchor Down has sired 22 winners and amassed combined progeny earnings in excess of $1.4 million. His six stakes-placed runners include Zia Park Derby runner-up Tesoro, Gulfstream Park stakes runner-up Lionessofbrittany, and Puerto Rican Group 2-placed Captured Prize.
Dr. Nikki Ferwerda, an associate professor of teaching at Iowa State University and manager of the school's horse farm, said ISU had bred to Anchor Down in the past, and their experience with the stallion and the ensuing foal made him a target to acquire.
“Anchor Down was my choice of the available sons of Tapit because he most closely resembled Tapit in appearance and because he appeared most likely to produce runners specializing in the sprinter/miler distance,” Ferwerda said. “The yearling by Anchor Down that Iowa State University consigned to the 2021 Fall Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association Sale was correct, elegant profiling, and prospective buyers frequently commented on her quality of movement. She reminds me a lot of her sire in terms of quality and stride.”
Bred in Kentucky by Gainesway out of the Grade 3-winning Orientate mare Successful Outlook, Anchor Down is a full-brother to Grade 3 winner Iron Fist and a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Sweet Lulu.
Anchor Down won five of 17 starts during his on-track career, earning $734,254. His resume is highlighted by victories in the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap and the G3 Westchester Stakes, along with a runner-up effort in the G1 Metropolitan Handicap.
“Locally, there is a lot of interest in breeding to produce horses that will race in the 6-8 furlong distance on dirt – which is exactly where Anchor Down was successful,” Ferwerda said.
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