CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – The Atlantic breeding season continues across the region with 22 total stallions paid into the Atlantic Sires Stakes program.
With just two of those stallions being trotters, that leaves 20 pacers to choose from for prospective breeders.
Stonebridge Terror leads the way after a very productive first crop hit the track in 2017 as two-year-olds. Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park track record holder and Maritime champion, Half Cut, was the top son of Stonebridge Terror’s first group. The son of Western Terro has a new home this breeding season as he goes to Bruce Wood’s Woodmere Farms in Marshfield after breeding 32 mares last season at his former home of Elm Grove Farms. Stonebridge Terror will stand alongside Rollwithitharry, who will send his first crop of 24 foals to auction this coming fall. Rollwithitharry bred 27 mares in 2017.
Elm Grove Farms of Elmsdale will again stand Varadero Hanover, who had just three breedings in 2017, while a crop of 14 two-year-olds will hit the track this coming stakes season.
North Wiltshire has some stallion choices with Articulator again being stood by Blaine MacPherson after siring a number of top sires stakes contenders in years previous. Articulator bred 10 mares in 2017. MacPherson also stands Source Of Pride who had his inaugural season in 2017 while having 35 matings.
Malicious is also being stood by Earl Watts again this year after a strong showing at last fall’s Atlantic Classic Yearling Sale, with those horses being prepped to hit the track as two-year-olds this summer. He bred 37 mares in his third season in 2017.
Silverhill Farms of Tignish offers Proven Lover for stallion duty again in 2018 after breeding just three mares in 2017. Proven Lover also had a Maritime triple crown winner in the 2017 season with three-year-old Filly Forty Seven.
Silverhill Shadow is also at Silverhill Farms after a career that saw him win eight races, $219,813 in purse money and take a mark of 1:50.2 over Mohawk Raceway in Ontario.
Meridian Farms in Milton has four pacing stallions to choose from including Westwardho Hanover, who bred 12 mares in 2017 then saw Royaltywestho and Dusty Lane Westy become two of the top pacers in the two-year-olds ranks from his first crop. Pang Shui returns from Western Canada for the Atlantic breeding season after having top rookie pacers Sock It Away and Tangled Mind. Cougar Hall will have his second season at Meridian Farms after breeding 24 mares in 2017, while newcomer Cartoon Daddy will stand his inaugural season this spring.
Double J Farms of Cornwall has three stallions amongst their ranks including newcomer Tobago Cays, a son of Rocknroll Hanover out of world-class pacing mare Bunny Lake. Hilarious Halo stands his second season in Cornwall this year after breeding 12 mares in 2017, while Image Of Dawn is paid into the program again after having his two-year-old crop hit the track in 2017 with Island Breeder’s champion JJ Powerball leading the way.
Ultimate Luck will again be stood by Betty Gregan of Charlottetown with his first crop of two foals currently yearlings for owner Ultimate Stables of New Brunswick.
The stallion roster off-Island is much more promising this year after having just one horse paid into the program from the mainland in 2017. This breeding season has Nova Scotia entries of Immachulate, Big Joe Plumsted, Chief Exec Officer and Western Paradise.
Missing from the stallion ranks after being part of the Atlantic Sires Stakes program in 2017 are Camshaft Hanover, Camystic, Ameripan Gigolo and Steelhead Hanover.
Nicholas Oakes' column appears in The Guardian each Friday. He can be reached at [email protected].
