Canada breeding: Tejabo called back to Ontario home

One of the surest ways to jump-start a stallion's career is to send him away for a while.

At least that seems to be a trend in the breeding industry, and Ted Burnett, owned of Josham Farms in Ontario, is inclined to agree.

Burnett sent his stakes-winning Deputy Minister horse Tejabo to Brian Kozak's Crown West Farm in Chillwack, British Columbia, last fall on a two-year contract.

The 17-year-old had sired four stakes winners from six crops when he left Ontario, but it wasn't until this year that the horse's runners made headlines.

Thanks to the Queen's Plate victory in June by T J's Lucky Moon plus stakes performances by Bravely, Royal Dalliance, Santerra, and Timeform, Tejabo is in demand in his native province and is making his way back home.

"The horse just wasn't getting enough mares here," said Burnett. "I thought he would have a better chance in B.C. But now everybody's been asking me when he's coming back."

Tejabo was popular out west and Kozak had already booked 25 mares to the sire for next spring.

"It was a costly affair to buy [Kozak] out of the second year," said Burnett. "But there's not many Deputy Minister [stallions] in the country and Windfields just lost their Silver Deputy sire [Archers Bay]."

Tejabo will stand at Michael Byrne's Park Stud in Orangeville for a fee of $4,500. The horse is currently the fifth leading sire in Canada, behind leader War Deputy (also by Deputy Minister) with progeny earnings of $1.6 million.

Santerra, a 2-year-old filly, could add to that total, as she starts in Sunday's $250,000 Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Woodbine.

"We're excited about having him back," said Burnett. "Every time I bred a half-decently bred mare to him he came up with a pretty good horse."

New Ontario stallions

Sambuca on Ice, one of the top sprinters in Canada in 2002, has been retired to stud and will stand at Display Farms in Orton for a fee of $1,000.

The 5-year-old horse is by top Canadian sire Bold Executive and from the unraced Alwuhush mare Icy Hush. Sambuca on Ice won 4 of 7 starts this year including the New Providence and Bold Venture Stakes, the latter over probable sprint champion Wake at Noon.

Sambuca on Ice, who was raced this year by Frank Romano and trained by Rita Schnitzler, retires with eight career wins in 23 starts and earnings of just over $412,000.

Display Farm is also the home to newcomer Catahoula Parish, a multiple stakes winner of over $450,000 who won the Plate Trial Stakes in 1999. The son of Katahaula County will have a 2003 fee of $2,000.

Popular stakes winner Cracker's Folly, a son of Cozzene, will stand next season at Ridleigh Stables in Barrie and stakes-placed Rowdy Ruckus, a son of Bold Ruckus, enters stud at Buttigieg Farms in Egbert, Ontario.