Orb, the winner of the 2013 Kentucky Derby, has been purchased by a group of Uruguayan breeders and he will relocate to that country for the upcoming Southern Hemisphere breeding season.
The 11-year-old son of Malibu Moon will stand at Haras Cuatro Piedras, a farm owned by Uruguayan Breeders Association president Pablo Salomone. He entered stud at Claiborne Farm in 2014.
From five crops of racing age, Orb has sired 155 winners for combined progeny earnings of more than $10.9 million. His runners of note include Grade 1 winner Sippican Harbor and O Besos, who is currently pointing towards this year's Kentucky Derby after finishing third in the G2 Louisiana Derby.
“Orb was a wonderful horse with a great pedigree and look about him,” said trainer Shug McGaughey, who conditioned the horse for owners Stuart Janney and Phipps Stable. “He gave me many thrills, the ultimate one being his win in the Kentucky Derby. I am sure he will do very well as a stallion in his new home.”
Orb won five of 12 starts during his racing career, for earnings of $2,612,516. He became a top threat on the 2013 Triple Crown trail after winning the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes and the G1 Florida Derby, before winning the Kentucky Derby by 2 1/2 lengths as the post time favorite. He also finished third in the Belmont Stakes and the G1 Travers Stakes.
The deal was brokered by Marette Farrell and Sebastian Angelillo along with David Seguias.
“They are thrilled to secure a Kentucky Derby winner for Uruguay from Ruffian's family,” Farrell said. “This is a key international Phipps pedigree loaded with strong South American connections like Uruguayan champion 2- and 3-year-old filly Algecira Fever, and multiple G1 winner Siempre En Mi Mente, along with Suggestive Boy who was a three-time G1 winner in Argentina and then won the G1 Frank Kilroy Mile in the U.S. We wish him all the best and firmly believe he will establish himself as the top stallion down there.”
Like many U.S. stallions who have sold to South American breeding programs in recent years, Orb was purchased by a sizable group of Uruguayan breeders. The coalition that secured Orb includes Haras Bettina, Cuatro Piedras, Don Alfredo, Don Camilo, Don Bebe, Don Juca, El Arbolito, Entrevero, La Concordia, La Coluda, La Pomme, Los Apamates, Los Seis, Mocambú, Musa, Nijú (Brasil), San Miguel Queguay, Santa Delfina de la Candelaria, Santa María de Juncal, Sin Nombre, Stud Tinto y Celeste, Tsimbalar, Vaccaro (Brasil) and Viejo Molino.
“With Orb, for the first time, there is a very well-balanced union in which no partner exceeds 10 percent (ownership),” Angelillo said. “We believe that this is a first step on a path that definitely leads in the right direction.”
Orb will join a stallion roster at Haras Cuatro Piedras that also includes Hall of Famer and 2006 Horse of the Year Invasor. The farm has previously housed shuttle stallions including Smarty Jones, Real Quiet, and Trinniberg.
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