Magali Farms gets boost by adding Olmodavor

INGLEWOOD, Calif. − Olmodavor is coming back to California for the 2011 breeding season, and it’s not a moment too soon for the team at Magali Farms in Santa Ynez, Calif.

Earlier this week, Magali and Adena Springs, the breeding operation of Frank Stronach, announced Olmodavor will be sent to California. Last year, he stood at Adena Springs/Gardiner Farms in Ontario.

“I wanted to buy this horse when he came off the track,” said Tom Hudson, the Magali farm manager. “He’s a very impressive animal. I think he’s a great addition. To my knowledge, he’ll be the only A.P. Indy in California.”

Under the new arrangement, Hudson said Magali and Adena Springs will be partners on Olmodavor.

Olmodavor, 11, won two graded stakes in his career, including the Grade 3 Native Diver Handicap at Hollywood Park in 2003, the year he finished second in the Grade 2 Strub Stakes at Santa Anita. In 2004, Olmodavor was a stakes winner at Aqueduct and was second in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup.

Olmodavor, who is by A.P. Indy out of the El Gran Senor mare Corrazona, will stand for $5,000. At stud, he has sired eight stakes winners, including High Mist, who won the 2008 Fanfreluche Stakes at Woodbine and has earned $215,585.

“His babies are winning on synthetic and dirt, and obviously, we’re going to have synthetic and dirt,” Hudson said.

Del Mar, Golden Gate Fields and Hollywood Park have synthetic tracks, and Santa Anita is installing a conventional dirt track this fall.

“It was a good year for the farm to bring in a horse of this caliber,” Hudson said. “He’s a Grade 3 winner in California, and his mother was a Grade 1 winner. He should have everything they want in California.”

Corrazona was a multiple stakes winner who won the Grade 1 Beverly Hills Handicap at Hollywood Park in 1994.

For 2011, Magali has added another stallion in Roi Charmant, a 9-year-old by Evansville Slew. Roi Charmant is owned by Bruce Zietz and will stand for $1,500, Hudson said.

Cal-bred honors on line at Churchill

Six California-breds are pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup races at Churchill Downs, and their performances could determine the 2010 California-bred Horse of the Year.

Evening Jewel and The Usual Q.T. are the most successful California-breds this year, with wins in Grade 1 races for trainer Jim Cassidy.

Evening Jewel, 3, has been pre-entered for the $2 million Ladies’ Classic and the $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint, with the Filly and Mare Sprint the first preference.

Evening Jewel, bred by Betty and Larry Mabee and owned by Marilyn Braly, has won 4 of 8 starts and $816,343 this year. Evening Jewel, by Northern Afleet, has won four graded stakes this year, highlighted by wins in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes and Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks.

The Usual Q.T. has been pre-entered for Saturday’s $2 million BC Mile on turf.

The Usual Q.T. is owned by a partnership led by Don Van and was bred by Van’s daughter Carlee Van Kampen. A 4-year-old gelding by Unusual Heat, The Usual Q.T. has won 2 of 6 starts and $690,570. His best performance this year was a win in the Grade 1 Eddie Read Stakes on turf at Del Mar on July 24.

Four California-breds are pre-entered in the $1 million Turf Sprint on Saturday: defending champion California Flag, Quick Enough, Unzip Me, and Waveline. Waveline was also pre-entered for Friday’s Filly and Mare Sprint.

Of those, Unzip Me has had the best season, winning 6 of 7 starts and $363,033, with five of the wins coming in turf sprints for females. This will be her second start of the year against males; she was third, beaten three-quarters of a length, in the Robert Kerlan Handicap over six furlongs on turf on June 27.