Tag: adena springs

Derby Winner North Light Dies At 23

Derby winner North Light (Ire) (Danehill) was euthanized on Mar. 20 due to complications from laminitis, The Stronach Group announced on Thursday. The 23-year-old stallion had been pensioned since 2020 and will be laid to rest at Adena South in Ocala Florida.

Bred and raced by Ballymacoll Stud and trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the son of G1 Prix du Cadran heroine Sought Out (Ire) (Rainbow Quest) won one of two starts at two, and added the G2 Dante S. and G1 Derby in succession during the spring of 2004. A half-brother to multiple group winner Cover Up (Ire) (Machiavellian), he then found only Grey Swallow (Ire) (Daylami {Ire}) too good in the G1 Irish Derby and ended his season with a fifth in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. At four, he was second in the G3 Brigadier Gerard S., and ended his career with a mark of 7-3-3-0 and $1,989,577 in earnings.

Upon retirement, a majority interest in North Light was purchased by Frank Stronach, who stood the bay at his Adena Springs in Kentucky beginning in 2006. Moved to Adena North in Canada for his fifth season in 2010, he was leased to Kirsten Rausing's Lanwades Stud in England for one season in 2014. Repatriated to Canada beginning in 2015, he was pensioned in October of 2019 and lived out the rest of his days at Adena South.

 

Among his nine worldwide stakes winners were G1 St Leger hero Arctic Cosmos, who also was placed in three other group races, GII Del Mar H. hero Celtic New Year, Grade III winners Chips All In and Go Forth North, and Brazilian Group 2 winner Gol Tricolor (Brz). His daughters have produced five stakes winners, three of them Grade/Group 1 scorers–triple top-level winner War Like Goddess (English Channel), G1 Coolmore Classic heroine Lighthouse (Mizzen Mast), and Olympic Jolteon (Brz) (Elmustanser {GB}).

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Mucho Macho Man to Stand at Adena Springs

Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno–Ponche de Leona, by Ponche), winner of the 2013 GI Breeders' Cup Classic, will stand the 2024 breeding season at Adena Springs in Ontario, Canada. The 16-year-old stallion is the sire of GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. winner Mucho Gusto, as well as graded winners City Man and Mucho Unusual. He will stand for C$4,500 LF/S&N.

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Catching Up with 2004 Breeders’ Cup Classic Winner Ghostzapper

Horses aren't supposed to be able to do what Ghostzapper did. The Hall of Famer was so dazzling that the 128 Beyer Speed Figure he registered in the GIII Philip H. Iselin H.–still the highest figure in the history of American racing at a route–isn't even remembered as one of his top races. Some people might count his GI Vosburgh sprinting at three against older horses as one of his best, others might prefer his GI Woodward battle over eventual Horse of the Year Saint Liam, and still others might best remember his spectacular daylight GI Met Mile win coming off a seven-month layoff. But there's no denying his GI Breeders' Cup Classic, his first and only time at 10 furlongs, left such an impression he still holds the stakes record of 1:59.02, having run the fastest Classic in the 39-year history of the Breeders' Cup.

Javier Castellano was aboard Ghostzapper for every one of those remarkable performances.

“He was one of the biggest horses and one of the best in my career,” said Castellano. “I say that because you don't see too many horses that do what he did. This horse was particularly diversified at distances. From sprint to long distances, he did everything. He won the sprint races, he won at 1 1/4 miles, he won at a mile, at all the distances. It's hard to stretch out a horse from six furlongs to long and back again, but he did it and he won. He did everything.

“He still has [the Breeders' Cup] record. We're talking about 19 years ago and nobody has broken that record. It was against all the best horses in the world at the time: Funny Cide, Azeri, Pleasantly Perfect.

“He's pretty amazing, such a special horse. He put me on another level in my career. People didn't know who Javier Castellano was at the time and for me to ride the best horse, he opened the door for myself and my family. He opened the door for my career. He's such a special horse. I love him.

“He's just amazing. I'm blessed, thankful, grateful to have ridden such a special horse. Mr. Frankel told me Ghostzapper was the best horse he'd trained in all his life. For him to say that, with all those good horses he had, was pretty amazing.”

Ghostzapper (2000 bay horse, Awesome Again–Baby Zip, by Relaunch)

Lifetime record: Horse of the Year, Ch. older male, MGISW, 11-9-0-1, $3,446,120

Breeders' Cup connections: B-Adena Springs (KY); O-Stronach Stables; T-Robert Frankel; J-Javier Castellano.

Current location: Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, Paris, Ky.

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Lanni Continues to Build on Canadian Roots with Canuck Racing Club

The name Canuck Racing Club might not be a familiar one to most folks in the horse racing industry, however at least one of the personalities behind it most certainly is. Less than two weeks ago in Saratoga Springs, New York, bloodstock agent Donato Lanni made his presence felt when signing the tickets on five yearlings–led by a pair of sales-topping colts–totaling over $9 million in gross expenditures.

Already well established south of the border, the Montreal-raised Lanni decided to forge a deeper stake into the Canadian industry over the last few years, first creating X-Men Racing and more recently, joining forces with childhood friends Mark Halloran and Rob Van Blokland to form Canuck Racing Club.

“I'm from Canada and I wanted to spend more time here and I've built a bigger presence here with X-Men horses since a lot of them are here,” explained Lanni. “So I've been trying to buy more Canadian-breds so I can run more in Canada.”

Placing Canada's first jewel of the Triple Crown-the Queen's Plate–squarely in his cross hairs, Lanni unearthed Moira (Ghostzapper) for X-Men Racing–in partnership with SF Bloodstock and Madaket Racing–from its initial group of acquisitions in 2020. With trainer Kevin Attard at the helm, she was a runaway winner in last year's Queen's Plate, concluding the 2022 season as Canada's Horse of the Year.

While unlikely to draw the kind of support Moira drew last year heading into Canada's 10-furlong Classic, Lanni returns, this time with Canuck Racing Club and Daniel Plouffe in tow, and will be represented by Enjoythesilent (Silent Name {Jpn}) in the re-named King's Plate, run as such for the first time since 1951.

“These are my friends from elementary school that run it with me,” explained Lanni. “The Club is basically all new guys from Canada that never owned horses and the first horse they bought is running in the King's Plate. It is so great for the game.”

Initially on the outside looking in, the Kevin Attard trainee drew in after a miscalculation of his earnings was announced early Saturday, thus pushing El Cohete (Society's Chairman) onto the A/E list.

A $37,000 weanling purchase at the Keeneland November sale in 2020, the Adena Springs bred was a runaway winner on debut going seven furlongs at Woodbine May 28 before finishing a close-up third stretching to a 1 1/16 miles against $40,000 optional claimers July 7. Favored in his latest start, the gelding just came up a neck short of the win against similar company July 30.

“He's taking a big step up in class going from Ontario-sired company to open Canadian-bred company, but he's a horse that I think the distance is going to help and will be well suited for him,” explained Attard, who has five runners in this year's King's Plate. “We are going to be adding blinkers to his arsenal.”

In his latest work, the dark bay breezed five panels in 1:00 2/5 (11/52) over Woodbine's Tapeta surface Aug. 12.

“He worked really well last week, so it's pretty exciting to see him get into the race,” added Attard. “He's been pretty consistent and all he needs to do is just take another step in the right direction. I think he's a key player.”

Also under Attard's tutelage, Canuck Racing Club recently tasted success with one of its 2022 purchases–Vandoo (Souper Speedy)–who went wire-to-wire in a five-furlong maiden over Woodbine's main track July 29. The 2-year-old filly was a C$22,000 Canadian Premier Yearling purchase.

“It was cool to have a recent winner with these guys,” said Lanni. “It is a great opportunity for these guys.”

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