Lane’s End purchases interest in classic winner Tonalist

Lane’s End has purchased an interest in classic winner Tonalist, and the 3-year-old will presumably stand at the Versailles, Ky., farm upon the conclusion of his racing career.

Tonalist, a son of the leading sire Tapit, won this year’s Belmont Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup and will make his next start Nov. 1 in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The colt, who now will race in partnership for R.S. Evans and Lane’s End, is trained by Christophe Clement. Lane’s End did not indicate whether Tonalist would retire for 2015 or return to race as a 4-year-old.

“We are extremely excited to acquire an interest in this outstanding colt,” Lane’s End’s Will Farish said in a release issued by the farm Saturday. “[Tapit] is quickly becoming the most important stallion in America. Tonalist is his only Grade 1 winning son at a mile and a quarter and the only multiple Grade 1 winning son.”

Tonalist would become the third Belmont Stakes winner on the active Lane’s End roster, joining Lemon Drop Kid (1999) and Union Rags (2012). The farm’s flagship sire is the pensioned champion A.P. Indy, winner of the 1992 Belmont and Tonalist’s paternal great-grandsire.

Tonalist is out of the winning Pleasant Colony mare Settling Mist, whose four stakes-producing half-sisters include the dams of Horse of the Year Havre de Grace and Grade 1 winner Riskaverse. It is the family of leading sire Raja Baba, champion Plugged Nickle, and Grade 1 winners Sauce Boat and Christiecat.