Tag: George Adams

Mating Plans: Wasabi Ventures Stables

With the 2022 breeding season right around the corner, we will feature a series of breeders' mating plans over the coming weeks. Today we have George Adams of Housatonic Bloodstock, who serves as the Director of Stallions and Breeding for Wasabi Ventures Stables.

“With a relatively young group of mares, ideally we'd like to send them to a proven stallion at least once or twice in their first few years, just to get a better handle on their ability as producers,” said Adams. “At a lower stud fee price point that's not always easy to do, especially when you're trying to breed a foal with commercial appeal. But we think we're striking a pretty good balance overall.”

WILD FOR LOVE (m, 12, Not For Love–Sticky, by Concern), to be bred to Tacitus

Wasabi's most proven broodmare is Wild for Love, and she's booked to a first-year stallion we're really excited about in Tacitus. Wild for Love herself brought good money as a 2-year-old and was a pretty solid racehorse. We obtained her privately a couple of years ago, while she was carrying the foal that became the 2021 stakes-winning 2-year-old Local Motive. He's by a son of Tapit, and Not For Love mares have had success with A.P. Indy-line stallions before (see California Chrome), so Tacitus was an easy choice. He's got an outstanding pedigree and a great physical, and he might not have won a Grade I, but he was a top-class racehorse. The fact that he's a Tapit with Storm Cat on his bottom side means this foal will be similarly bred to Local Motive.

YESSHEWILL (m, 10, Giant's Causeway–Wilshewed, by Carson City), to be bred to Rock Your World

Yesshewill was just purchased by Wasabi at Keeneland in November. Unfortunately, she lost the Accelerate foal she was carrying at the time, but she's still a half-sister to a Grade I winner, a Grade II winner, a Grade III winner and another stakes winner, plus two stakes producers.

Having had a handful of foals already, she's another mare that will visit a first-year stallion in 2022 and is booked to Rock Your World. David Ingordo is one of the best judges of young horses out there, and this colt had all the brilliance and versatility you'd want in a sire. His pedigree is also top drawer, and shares some similarities with Gun Runner, who has had his biggest successes so far with mares carrying more Storm Cat blood. We're going to try to duplicate that with Rock Your World by sending him this Giant's Causeway mare, and hope it works as well for him.

HURRYUPANDCOMEBACK (m, 7, Mizzen Mast–Shared Hope, by Gone West), to be bred to Modernist

Hurryupandcomeback produced a $275,000 Saratoga yearling by Army Mule as her first foal, and last year got a shot with a stallion about as proven as you can get in More Than Ready. She's going back to another first-year sire in 2022, in Modernist.

A gorgeous horse by a stallion who has already proven his worth as a sire of sires, Modernist will suit this mare physically as she needs a little bit of leg and substance, which he offers. And her family has already had success with Uncle Mo, as he's the sire of Donna Veloce who appears under Hurryupandcomeback's second dam.

WOWWHATABRAT (m, 10, Louis Quatorze–Kim the Brat, by Smart Strike), to be bred to Jimmy Creed

Wowwhatabrat was a hard-knocking, versatile runner and is a three-quarter sister to a really good colt named Second of June. Her dam is a half to the dam of Any Given Saturday, who is by Distorted Humor, and we have been on record repeatedly as being huge fans of Jimmy Creed (obviously by Distorted Humor), who offers incredible value and is a perfect horse to start off a young mare with given his stats.

So this is a mating which we really love. Unfortunately Wowwhatabrat lost the foal she was carrying last year by Jimmy Creed, but she'll head right back to him this spring and we'll hope for better luck.

BUFF'S IN LOVE (m, 7, Buffum–Who's in Love, by Not For Love), to be bred to Alternation

Buff's in Love was a stakes-placed 2-year-old by a sneaky-good Maryland stallion in Buffum, who died just as he was starting to prove his worth. This will be Buff's in Love's first mating, and she's going to be bred to a proven Grade I sire in Alternation. Buffum is a son of Bernardini, and Alternation's big horse, Serengeti Empress, is out of a Bernardini mare. This year is also when Alternation will have a big crop of 2-year-olds reach the races that was conceived after Serengeti Empress's success, so we think he could be a really smart value play this spring.

WEEKEND MADNESS (m, 6, Include–Weekend Connection, by Pulpit), to be bred to Goldencents

Weekend Madness was a big-money 2-year-old by Include, who is a stallion that we really love as a broodmare sire, and her 3-year-old brother Kavod is on the Derby Trail at Oaklawn this winter. She's going to be bred back to Goldencents this spring. He gets nothing but runners, and Weekend Madness is a half to a couple of stakes horses from the Storm Cat sire line. She's also a big, imposing mare with plenty of leg and substance, which should really suit Goldencents.

SEVILLE'S PRINCESS (m, 6, Seville {Ger}–Rap and Dance, by Pleasant Tap), to be bred to Connect

Seville's Princess also has a close relative on the Derby trail–she's a half to the dam of Grade I winner Rattle N Roll, and as such made perfect sense to send to Connect (sire of Rattle N Roll) this spring.

Connect is off to a very strong start at stud, and she's a young mare who could use a shot with a proven horse. He's also got the bone and substance to beef up her foal, so it's a good match all around.

Let us know who you're breeding your mares to in 2022, and why. We will print a selection of your responses in TDN over the coming weeks. Please send details to: garyking@thetdn.com.

The post Mating Plans: Wasabi Ventures Stables appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Maryland Horse Breeders Association Announces New Directors

The Maryland Horse Breeders Association membership has selected two incumbent members, a 2019 presidential appointee and two new members to the 2021 Board of Directors.

Dictated by MHBA bylaws, the annually held election fills five open seats on the board. Those elected will serve for the next three years. Michael J. Harrison DVM, a presidential appointee to the board in 2009 to 2010 who has since served from 2011 to 2016 and as the president of the board from 2018 to 2020, and Christy Holden, a board member for the past three years, are this year's incumbents.

George Adams – The owner and manager of Housatonic Bloodstock, Adams was a presidential appointee to the MHBA board in 2019. A resident of Baltimore City, Adams is an attorney who had been project manager for Country Life Farm and now serves as the director of stallions and breeding for Wasabi Ventures Stables. A member of the MHBA Social Media and Marketing committee from 2017 to 2018, and the MHBA Legislative committee in 2019, Adams is fully invested in the industry with a few of his own breeding and young stock, along with partnerships in nearly 60 horses and interests in a handful of Maryland and Kentucky stallions. He hopes to “continue to strengthen the breeder and owner bonus programs for Maryland-breds [beyond the exciting new Developer category], to incentivize more breeders to foal in Maryland and invest in young Maryland-bred stock, and to support the young quality stallions standing in the state.”

Michael J. Harrison DVM – A practicing equine veterinarian who has owned and operated his family's Willowdale Farm in Butler (Baltimore County) since 1983, Harrison has been elected to his fourth term on the board. Serving as president from 2018 to 2020, he is also chairman of the MHBA Legislative committee and member of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, American Veterinary Medical Association and American Association of Equine Practitioners. Harrison, who breeds, raises and races his own Thoroughbred stock, believes “the Maryland Thoroughbred breeding industry is the critical foundation supporting Maryland racing, directly providing future racing prospects and validating the entire Thoroughbred industry for the positive impact it creates through job generation and the preservation of open spaces, while supporting agricultural related business, and by ultimately enhancing and improving the quality of life in Maryland.”

Christy Holden – The general manager of Country Life and Merryland Farms, where she has worked since 2004, Holden will serve her second term on the board after first being elected in 2018. With a bachelor's degree in business administration and previous experience in the insurance and fire protection industries, Holden's extensive skillset helps in her role of managing four stallions and overseeing nearly 125 broodmares, 100 young stock and 20 racehorses. A MHBA Annual Yearling Show veteran and 2020 finalist for the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Award for Leadership in Breeding, the Forest Hill (Harford County) resident hopes “to be a voice for farm managers and professionals in the industry who make a living on Maryland farms, and provide ideas for the long-term success and stability of breeding and racing in the state.”

Ann B. Jackson – Owner of Foxharbor Farm in White Hall (Baltimore County) since 1998 with background as a private investor, Jackson will serve her first three-year term on the board. Breeder of 2015 Maryland Hunt Cup winner Raven's Choice, along with stakes winners such as Taco Supream and Artful Splatter, she is a member of the National Steeplechase Association, a past board member of the Steeplechase Owners and Trainers Association and a board member/officer for the Ladew Topiary Gardens. Jackson plans to “promote the breeding of Maryland horses that will race in Maryland and promote second careers of Thoroughbreds after flat racing, as steeplechasers, event horses, show horses, foxhunters, trail horses, etc.”

Adair B. Stifel – Co-owner with her parents of Mantua Farm, which has been in the family since 1934, Stifel will serve on the board for the first time. A land conservation consultant who owns a small herd of broodmares, horses of racing age and young stock, Stifel is involved with the Valleys Planning Council, Maryland Environmental Trust and Land Preservation Trust. Highly dedicated to preserving Maryland's horse industry and green space around the state, Stifel strives to “honor, preserve and ensure the future of Maryland's horse industry by: 1) breeding and training Maryland-breds for first, second and third careers; 2) enhance the sport of steeplechase racing with Maryland-breds; 3) continuing to advocate for private land conservation as a means of supporting Maryland's horse farms.”

Of the five directors whose terms expired this year, David Wade and Kent Murray were ineligible to stand for reelection because of having served six consecutive years as a member of the MHBA Board. Those whose terms have not expired are Richard F. Blue Jr., Ellen M. Charles, Michael D. Golden DVM, Michael Horning, Louis Merryman, Sabrina Moore, A. Leonard Pineau VMD, William Reightler, Thomas J. Rooney and James B. Steele.

The complete elections results, along with Committee presentations and a presentation on the Maryland Horse Library and Education Center project, will be on the agenda at the MHBA Annual General Membership meeting, to be held Monday, June 21, starting at 12 p.m. at the MHBA offices in Reisterstown, Md.

The post Maryland Horse Breeders Association Announces New Directors appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Maryland Horse Breeders Association Announces Election Results

The Maryland Horse Breeders Association membership has selected two incumbent members, a 2019 presidential appointee and two new members to the 2021 Board of Directors. Dictated by MHBA bylaws, the annually held election fills five open seats on the board. Those elected will serve for the next three years. Michael J. Harrison DVM, a presidential appointee to the board in 2009 to 2010 who has since served from 2011 to 2016 and as the president of the board from 2018 to 2020, and Christy Holden, a board member for the past three years, are this year's incumbents.

George Adams – The owner and manager of Housatonic Bloodstock, Adams was a presidential appointee to the MHBA board in 2019. A resident of Baltimore City, Adams is an attorney who had been project manager for Country Life Farm and now serves as the director of stallions and breeding for Wasabi Ventures Stables. A member of the MHBA Social Media and Marketing committee from 2017 to 2018, and the MHBA Legislative committee in 2019, Adams is fully invested in the industry with a few of his own breeding and young stock, along with partnerships in nearly 60 horses and interests in a handful of Maryland and Kentucky stallions. He hopes to “continue to strengthen the Breeder and Owner Bonus programs for Maryland-breds [beyond the exciting new Developer category], to incentivize more breeders to foal in Maryland and invest in young Maryland-bred stock, and to support the young quality stallions standing in the state.”

Michael J. Harrison DVM – A practicing equine veterinarian who has owned and operated his family's Willowdale Farm in Butler (Baltimore County) since 1983, Harrison has been elected to his fourth term on the board. Serving as president from 2018 to 2020, he is also chairman of the MHBA Legislative committee and member of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, American Veterinary Medical Association and American Association of Equine Practitioners. Harrison, who breeds, raises and races his own Thoroughbred stock, believes “the Maryland Thoroughbred breeding industry is the critical foundation supporting Maryland racing, directly providing future racing prospects and validating the entire Thoroughbred industry for the positive impact it creates through job generation and the preservation of open spaces, while supporting agricultural related business, and by ultimately enhancing and improving the quality of life in Maryland.”

Christy Holden – The general manager of Country Life and Merryland Farms, where she has worked since 2004, Holden will serve her second term on the board after first being elected in 2018. With a bachelor's degree in business administration and previous experience in the insurance and fire protection industries, Holden's extensive skillset helps in her role of managing four stallions and overseeing nearly 125 broodmares, 100 young stock and 20 racehorses. A MHBA Annual Yearling Show veteran and 2020 finalist for the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Award for Leadership in Breeding, the Forest Hill (Harford County) resident hopes “to be a voice for farm managers and professionals in the industry who make a living on Maryland farms, and provide ideas for the long-term success and stability of breeding and racing in the state.”

Ann B. Jackson – Owner of Foxharbor Farm in White Hall (Baltimore County) since 1998 with background as a private investor, Jackson will serve her first three-year term on the board. Breeder of 2015 Maryland Hunt Cup winner Raven's Choice, along with stakes winners such as Taco Supream and Artful Splatter, she is a member of the National Steeplechase Association, a past board member of the Steeplechase Owners and Trainers Association and a board member/officer for the Ladew Topiary Gardens. Jackson plans to “promote the breeding of Maryland horses that will race in Maryland and promote second careers of Thoroughbreds after flat racing, as steeplechasers, event horses, show horses, foxhunters, trail horses, etc.”

Adair B. Stifel – Co-owner with her parents of Mantua Farm, which has been in the family since 1934, Stifel will serve on the board for the first time. A land conservation consultant who owns a small herd of broodmares, horses of racing age and young stock, Stifel is involved with the Valleys Planning Council, Maryland Environmental Trust and Land Preservation Trust. Highly dedicated to preserving Maryland's horse industry and green space around the state, Stifel strives to “honor, preserve and ensure the future of Maryland's horse industry by: 1) breeding and training Maryland-breds for first, second and third careers; 2) enhance the sport of steeplechase racing with Maryland-breds; 3) continuing to advocate for private land conservation as a means of supporting Maryland's horse farms.”

Of the five directors whose terms expired this year, David Wade and Kent Murray were ineligible to stand for reelection because of having served six consecutive years as a member of the MHBA Board. Those whose terms have not expired are Richard F. Blue Jr., Ellen M. Charles, Michael D. Golden DVM, Michael Horning, Louis Merryman, Sabrina Moore, A. Leonard Pineau VMD, William Reightler, Thomas J. Rooney and James B. Steele.

The complete elections results, along with Committee presentations and a presentation on the Maryland Horse Library and Education Center project, will be on the agenda at the MHBA Annual General Membership meeting, to be held Monday, June 21, starting at 12 p.m. at the MHBA offices in Reisterstown, Md.

The post Maryland Horse Breeders Association Announces Election Results appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Who’s Your Pick? George Adams

GEORGE ADAMS, Housatonic Bloodstock

Instagrand (Into Mischief), $7,500, Taylor Made

   Of the first-years, Instagrand is a really interesting horse and priced competitively at $7,500 at Taylor Made. If he’d retired after his first two starts, folks would have knocked him on soundness but they’d have bred to him because of that brilliance and the Into Mischief factor, and his fee would’ve been higher. Nothing he did after that changes anything about his juvenile campaign, and physically he’s a beast. Plus, Into Mischief has only gotten hotter. I think the commercial market will really love him, even without Larry Best supporting him strongly at the sales.

Jimmy Creed (Distorted Humor), $10,000, Spendthrift

     I was a huge Jimmy Creed fan last year at $15,000, and Spendthrift knocked him down even more this year to $10,000. I think that makes him hands-down the best value in Kentucky this year —we will book more mares to him than anything else this year.

I’m not the only one who has noticed that he’s achieved great stats with very mediocre mares (7.4% stakes winners to runners and 16.8% black-type horses to runners, including four top-class graded horses, all from mares good for just a 1.01 CI) and there are some very sharp people going in big on him this year. With better-bred crops in the pipeline, he could be the next one on that Kantharos/Munnings trajectory as far as commerciality and stud fee.

Thank you to the breeders and agents who have participated in our ongoing ‘Who’s Your Pick’ series this week. Did you miss a few responses? You can catch up on the entire series here.

The post Who’s Your Pick? George Adams appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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