Simplification | Horse Racing Free Tips

First Mares in Foal for New Stallions at Pleasant Acres

The four first-year stallions at Pleasant Acres Stallions in Florida–Verifying, Doppelganger, Simplification, and Chess Chief–as well as Bodexpress, who is new to Florida after standing three years in California, all have had multiple mares confirmed in foal to kick off their stud careers.

“Since the breeding shed opened this season, we have had a very active stallion barn,” said Christine Jones, the farm's director of stallion services. “We have recently received confirmation that all five of our exciting new stallions have mares in foal, so we are off to a great start.”

The new stallions at Pleasant Acres were featured in a TDN video earlier this week.

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Pleasant Acres Optimistic on New Sire Quintet

Pleasant Acres Farm outside of Morriston, Florida launched its stallion division in 2013 with the vision of bringing top-class sires to the Sunshine State.

Over a decade later, the operation founded by Joe and Helen Barbazon is still working toward that same goal. This year they've provided a major boost to the Florida stallion ranks with the addition of five newcomers for 2024, bringing their stallion roster up to a total count of 13 members.

With his first-crop of 2-year-olds hitting the track this year, Bodexpress (Bodemeister) has relocated from California to Pleasant Acres for 2024. Meanwhile the farm has brought in four new recruits who recently retired from racing: Doppelganger, a Grade I-winning son of Into Mischief; Verifying (Justify), a half-brother to champion Midnight Bisou; Grade II Fountain of Youth S. winner Simplification (Not This Time); and near-millionaire Chess Chief (Into Mischief).

Pleasant Acres' Director of Stallion Services Christine Jones explained how their ambition to go out and recruit these notable racehorses with such in-demand sirelines reflects the farm's mission to make bloodlines normally only accessible in Kentucky available to Florida breeders right in their home state.

“We worked extremely hard this year to try to bring in yet another level of horse,” Jones said. “With the stallions that we brought in this year, our thought was that perhaps all of us who are busy running up and down the road to Kentucky might be able to stay home with a couple of mares, which would be really nice. Our roster has grown in leaps and bounds with all the headline names.”

The first of the newcomers to arrive at Pleasant Acres last fall, Doppelganger will stand for $10,000 in 2024 and will be campaigned by a syndicate of partners that includes Pleasant Acres.

A $570,000 yearling out of the multiple graded stakes-placed Quiet American mare Twice the Lady, Doppelganger's name is a nod to his shared physical resemblance with GI Kentucky Derby winner Authentic, another son of Into Mischief campaigned by a partnership that included SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables. A TDN Rising Star on debut as a juvenile, Doppelganger was twice graded stakes placed at three and got his Grade I score in the 2023 Carter H. as a 4-year-old.

Doppelganger gives trainer Brittany Russell her first Grade I victory in the 2023 Carter H. | Sarah Andrew

“Doppelganger brings a lot to the table for us,” said Jones. “He is a stellar individual. What a strong shoulder and a great hip. He is absolutely what I think everyone is looking for.”

Few incoming stallions have as high-profile a pedigree as Verifying. The half-brother to 2019 Eclipse Award champion older dirt female Midnight Bisou joins Spendthrift Farm's Arabian Lion as the first two sons of Justify to go to stud. Verifying's dam Diva Delite (Repent), winner of the GIII Florida Oaks, is also responsible for multiple stakes winner Stage Left (Congrats).

First or second in seven of his 11 lifetime starts at two and three, Verifying won the 2023 GIII Indiana Derby and put in runner-up performances in the GI Champagne S., GI Blue Grass S., GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. and GIII Matt Winn S.

Jeff Bloom, founder of Bloom Racing Stables which campaigned Midnight Bisou, joins Pleasant Acres as two members of the syndicate that will launch Verifying's stud career. The 4-year-old will stand for $10,000.

Simplification is the first the first Not This Time to stand in Florida and also one of the first three sons of the red hot sire to launch his stud career, along with Coolmore's Epicenter, who stands for $40,000 this year as his first foals hit the ground, and Lane's End's Up to the Mark, who is new this year for $25,000. Simplification with stand for $6,500 in 2024.

The Florida-bred is out of the stakes-placed Candy Ride (Arg) mare Simplify Confection, who hails from the family of champion Ashado (Saint Ballado). As a juvenile, Simplification broke his maiden in his second start by almost 17 lengths. The next year, he won the Mucho Macho Man S. and the GII Fountain of Youth S. before placing third in trio of graded stakes, including the GI Florida Derby. He also finished fourth in the GI Kentucky Derby and at four, placed in the GII Gulfstream Park Mile S.

Simplification was purchased as a yearling by Florida horsewoman Tami Bobo. She opted to skip the 2-year-old sales with him and race him herself. Even after the colt's hair-raising debut under the tutelage of trainer Antonio Sano, Bobo went against her normal practice and turned down offers so that she could continue racing the colt herself. Even now as Simplification debuts as a stallion, Bobo remains at the helm of his career.

“Tami is well invested in this horse and he still belongs to her 100%,” said Jones. “It's lovely to have people who have so much excitement and passion because it's their own horse. She is sending between 25 and 30 mares to him this year, so it really shows her enthusiasm and it's nice to be able to tell the breeders that because they know that the owner is vested as well.”

The highest earner among the four new guys, Chess Chief will stand for $5,000 in 2024. The son of Into Mischief is out of a daughter of GISW Plenty of Grace (Roberto), who is a half-sister to champion Soaring Softly (Kris S.). Racing from two through seven for trainer Dallas Stewart, Chess Chief is five-times graded stakes-placed and got his signature win in the 2021 GII New Orleans Classic S. Owner James Coleman has retained ownership for the Virginia-bred's stallion career.

“He's a very sturdy horse, running 39 times and on the board in 14 of those starts, and he is a very good-looking horse,” said Jones. “He looks a lot like Into Mischief for sure. A nice, big shoulder, good walk, very nice hip. He was also Horse of the Year in Virginia, which is a pretty nice accolade. He brings a lot of good things to Florida.”

Verifying and Tapit Trice battle to the wire in the GI Blue Grass S. | Coady

Presenting four new sires to a regional market all in one year certainly cannot be an easy task, but Jones said that in many ways, the new recruits have spoken for themselves. She shared that they expect each stallion to fill a book of over 100 mares this year.

“Our clients are very pleased to see the level of horse that is coming in now,” she said. “We are very hopeful that each of these guys will get a very full book. We are well on our way to having that accomplished, so I couldn't be happier for the Barbazons and all of the owners of these horses. It's a challenge these days to make that happen, especially here in Florida and I think probably anywhere since our crop is on the decline, but I think in Florida we may even be seeing some people who were maybe taking a little break but are now coming back in, so that's great.”

Also new to Pleasant Acres this year, Bodexpress entered stud at Barton Thoroughbreds in California in 2021 but relocated to Pleasant Acres for this season. The son of Bodemeister won the 2020 GI Clark S. and will stand for $3,500. This year he will be represented by his first crop of 2-year-olds. Four went through the ring at the recently concluded OBS March Sale, including a colt out of Tart's Knickers (Ghostzapper) that worked in :10 flat and sold to agent Steve Young for $85,000.

There's no shortage of young blood on the Pleasant Acres roster. MGSW Gunnevera (Dialed In), MGSP Curlin's Honor (Curlin) and GISP Sweetontheladies (Twirling Candy) are also represented by their first juveniles this year. Meanwhile MGSW Leinster (Majestic Warrior) has his first crop of yearlings and both Magic On Tap (Tapit), winner of the 2021 GII Triple Bend S., and Mutasaabeq (Into Mischief), 2020 GII Bourbon S. victor, have their first foals arriving this spring.

The stallion division is just one sector of the Pleasant Acres operation. The farm will have around 150 new foals this year, from both client-owned mares and Pleasant Acres' own broodmare band.

“The Barbazons have worked very hard their whole lives,” said Jones. “Helen and Joe have made this a lifelong pursuit. They started off at a very small place in Ocala, like most of us. They had 20 acres, which they quickly outgrew, so that's how they located this [current] piece of property, which encompasses about 450 acres. The Barbazons started the stallion division when it became very apparent that we needed a few more stallions in Florida. They're always looking for a new chapter and I think this one has turned out really well.”

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Florida Horse Of The Year Simplification Arrives At Pleasant Acres For Stud Duty

Pleasant Acres Stallions welcomed to its roster GISP Simplification (Not This Time), who will stand the 2024 season for $6,500, the Florida farm said in a release Thursday.

“We are pleased to bring a talented son of Not this Time into our stallion barn at Pleasant Acres Stallions,” said Director of Stallion Services Christine Jones. “Simplification is a hometown hero for all of us in Florida and we are certain breeders will benefit from breeding to this Champion Horse-of-the-Year, Florida-bred, graded stakes winner.”

Bred by France and Irwin Weiner and owned by Tami Bobo, as a juvenile Simplification broke his maiden by an impressive 16 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park. The Antonio Sano trainee began his 3-year-old campaign with a front-running four-length victory in the Mucho Macho Man S., then finished as the runner-up in the GIII Holy Bull S.

Next, he won the GII Fountain of Youth S., finished third in the GI Florida Derby and was fourth in the GI Kentucky Derby. At four, he placed third in the GII WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile S. and fifth in the GIII Ghostzapper S. before he retired with career earnings of nearly $900,000.

The son of Not this Time is out of the Candy Ride daughter, Simply Confection, who was named 2022 FTBOA Broodmare of the Year. The new stallion joins the likes of Bodexpress (Bodemeister), Doppelganger (Into Mischief) and Gunnevera (Dialed In) at the 220-acre farm located just northwest of Ocala.

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Not This Time Share Kicks Off Tuesday Night at Fasig Saratoga

A share in leading sire Not This Time figures to provide some fireworks when it kicks off the action Tuesday night at Saratoga. The sale of the share is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Not This Time is the sire of five Grade I winners from three crops to race, and is the leading fourth-crop sire of 2023.

The share includes all projected income from the 2023 breeding season. Shareholders receive one nomination annually, plus their proportional share of the excess book. (See complete details here.)

Not This Time is governed by a 50-share syndicate. “It's a very tightly held syndicate,” said Mark Taylor of Taylor Made Sales. “The Albaugh family has retained almost half of the shares in Not This Time. Taylor Made owns a chunk of shares, Coolmore owns a chunk of shares, and there are a few other single-share owners. The opportunity to buy these doesn't come along very often because none of those people who own blocks of shares are sellers. This is a unique opportunity.”

Though a fourth-crop sire, Not This Time is just nine years old, having started his breeding career at three.

“For a horse to have already accomplished what he's accomplished at nine is really rare,” said Taylor. “I mean, a lot of these good stallions didn't retire until they were five, start breeding at six or whatever, and by the time they have a chance to establish themselves, they're 13 or 14, whatever. That makes him unique.”

Not This Time's Grade I winners include Up To The Mark, winner of the GI Manhattan S. and the GI Turf Classic S. on turf. Epicenter won the GI Travers S. on dirt, and was second in the Derby and Preakness. Sibelius won the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, a dirt sprint; Just One Time won the seven-furlong Madison S.; and Princess Noor won the GI Del Mar Debutante on the dirt at two.

That versatility in his offspring is, said Taylor, “the hallmark of a lot of the really, really great stallions. Some of them are pigeonholed more dirt, turf or sprint or distance. But if you look at his top horses, you've got Princess Noor who was a Grade I winner at two. She was a seven-figure 2-year-old-in-training. You've got Up To The Mark, who was a $450,000 Book 1 yearling bred off a $15,000 stud fee, and he's turned into a two-turn grass horse. But he was good on the dirt early on in his career. You've got Epicenter, who was champion 3-year-old on the dirt and with a little better circumstance, probably could have won the Kentucky Derby. And then you've got horses that are like Simplification, who was a top 3-year-old on the dirt last year.”

As if to underscore his point, Not That Time's Cogburn won the GIII Troy S., a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint, at Saratoga Saturday.

“Cogburn was good on the dirt last year, they brought him back, and now he looks like he's a real player for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint this year,” said Taylor. “He is a turf sprinter, so I think his versatility is unique. The fact that he gets 2-year olds, he gets route horses on the dirt, he can get turf horses going short or long, and the X-factor is he gets beautiful yearlings. I think anybody that's looking around the grounds this week at Saratoga is going to come away just saying, 'Wow. The product he puts on the end of the shank is very impressive.'”

Recent sales of his progeny have been strong; his 2022 Saratoga sale average was $425,000, with seven sold from seven offered. “His sales averages are now just really taking off, and the best mares by far are coming up in the subsequent crops,” said Taylor. “All his success has come off of mares that were bred on $15,000-and-under stud fees. Now he's got a yearling crop that was on a $35,000 stud fee. He's got foals that were on a $45,000 stud fee, and then he's got in-utero mares that were covered on $135,000. The pipeline is really loaded and I think the sky's the limit. He's a very fertile horse, which makes life easier when you're a shareholder and when you're breeding. It's a big deal in this day and age when people are trying to cover large books of mares.”

Taylor said that there were obvious advantages to putting the stallion share up for sale in a public format and at a marquee event. “It's a unique offering and I think the thought was that the vast majority of these stallions that retire to the bigger stallion farms are not syndicated. Finding a horse that's moving into the upper echelon of stallions that is syndicated makes it unique. If we put it in front of the public and let people bid on it, as opposed to just doing a private solicitation of people we think might be interested, we just thought we could get the word out, get more eyeballs on the opportunity. The seller came up with the idea and they asked our permission and we said, Yes.'” The seller, said Taylor is a private individual who wishes to remain undisclosed.

People often comment on Not This Time's good looks, and his name ties into that, Taylor said.

“His mother, Miss Macy Sue, was campaigned by the Albaughs. She produced Liam's Map, and in his year, he was arguably the best-looking yearling on our farm. They didn't plan on selling him, but we lobbied and said, 'Hey, there's a beautiful horse. You could really take a lot of chips off the table, and then there's a lot of years still to breed Miss Macy Sue. Why don't you put it in the sale?'

“They decided to do it, said Taylor. “He brings $800,000. And so when Not This Time came along, he was clearly the best-looking yearling on our farm. He was absolutely just stunning, this big dark bay Adonis of a horse. And so we said, 'Hey, this is another opportunity to take some chips off the table. Why don't we put him in the sale?” And they said, 'Uh-uh. Not this time.'”

Taylor said he believed that as promising as his first few seasons have been, the best is yet to come for Not This Time.

“The support he got this year from the best breeders around the world was really amazing. I mean, you can't name a really top breeder that didn't send mares to him this year. I think that the support he's getting now is hopefully just going to take him to the next level in his career.”

Bidding on the share is available in person at the sales pavilion at Saratoga, online, or via telephone.

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