Hansen sold to stand in South Korea

Champion Hansen has been sold to continue his stud career in South Korea, becoming the latest stallion exported to that country’s burgeoning racing and breeding industry.

Hansen, a 4-year-old son of Tapit, began his stud career this season at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky. The horse’s former co-owner, breeder, and namesake Dr. Kendall Hansen confirmed the sale to the Blood-Horse on Oct. 8

Hansen, trained by Mike Maker for Kendall Hansen and Sky Chai Racing, won his first two career starts at Turfway Park, including the Kentucky Cup Juvenile, by a combined 25 1/2 lengths in the fall of 2011. He then held off eventual classic winner Union Rags by a head in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, locking up the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male.

As a 3-year-old, Hansen won the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes and the Grade 3 Iowa Derby – the latter by 10 lengths – and finished second in both the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes and Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes. He suffered a partial tear to a left front tendon while training for the Travers Stakes and was forced into retirement, concluding his career with five wins from nine starts for earnings of $1,810,805.

Nine mares carrying foals from Hansen’s only U.S. crop will be offered at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale, which begins Nov. 5. The group includes Grade 1-placed Orinoquia; Proud Indian, a half-sister to the dam of Kentucky Oaks winner Summerly; Bayani, a winning half-sister to the dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Tapitsfly, also by Tapit; and Del Rae, a close relation to Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled.

Other U.S.-based stallions recently exported to Korea include multiple Grade 1 winner Rock Hard Ten and multiple graded stakes winner Chapel Royal, both of whom stood their first seasons in that country in 2013. The latter is the sire of the 2011 Korean Horse of the Year Ace Galloper.

Breeders’ Cup Marathon winner Afleet Again was a $30,000 purchase by Korean interests at last year’s Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Other stallions in the country include 2000 Belmont Stakes winner Commendable, Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Volponi, and classic-placed Peace Rules and Menifee.