Gainesway buys interest in Hat Trick

Hat Trick, currently ranked third among freshman sires, will move from Walmac Farm to Gainesway Farm in 2012. Both are in Lexington, Ky.

Gainesway has purchased what it termed "a significant interest" in Hat Trick, a 10-year-old Sunday Silence horse, but did not disclose the percentage it now owns. Gainesway intends to re-syndicate the stallion with support from some of its clients already involved in such sires as Tapti, 2008's leading freshman, and Bird stone, sire of classic winner Mine That Bird and champion Summer Bird.

Heading Hat Trick's first crop is Dabirsim, a two-time Group 1 winner and likely champion juvenile in France. Hat Trick has also has sired six other winners so far.

Walmac bought Hat Trick, a Japanese-bred son of Grade 2 winner Tricky Code, in 2007 and stood him for his initial season in 2008, breeding him to 121 mares.

"It was prudent for ourselves and our partners to consider all the alternatives and to attempt to take some chips off the table after Hat Trick's brilliant start at stud," Walmac's managing director, Johnny T. L. Jones III, said.

"Hat Trick has quickly established himself as the most promising male-line source of Sunday Silence outside of Japan, and a farm with international clientele will give him the best chance to rise to the top of the stallion ranks in the years to come," said Walmac director Robert Trussell. "Walmac is retaining a significant interest in Hat Trick and remains the largest share-holder. We intend to breed many of our best mares to him this coming season."

Hat Trick was Japan's champion miler in 2005. He won the Hong Kong Mile and Japan's Mile Championship, both Group 1's, that year. He stood for $6,000 this year.