Metaboss enters stud at Harris Farms in California

Grade 3 winner Metaboss will begin his stallion career at Harris Farms in Coalinga, Calif. for the 2017 breeding season, where he will stand for an advertised fee of $2,000.

The 5-year-old son of Street Boss finished his career with three wins in 12 career starts for earnings of $300,420. He won the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields at age 3, then finished second by a fast-closing nose in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap last year.

“He’s very versatile,” said Mersad Metanovic, a co-owner of Metaboss and managing director at stud. “He ran well as a sprinter, then we ran up to a mile and three-eights, and won at a mile and an eighth. His ability to run on synthetic, grass, or dirt makes him a very unique prospect for California. I think it’s something that most horses in the state don’t have, that versatility.”

Metaboss was being pointed toward a start in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita, but was retired after suffering a sesamoid fracture during a gallop in the week prior to the race, which did not require surgery.

Metanovic was part of a large ownership group that campaigned Metaboss, also including Blue Skies Stables, MRS Stables, Chuck Azcarate, Milan McFetridge, and Daniel Preiss. He was trained by Jeff Bonde and Philip D’Amato on the West Coast, and Michael Dickinson during his time in Maryland.

Bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. John Toffan, Metaboss is out of the stakes-placed Free House mare Spinning Yarns, whose three foals to race are all winners, also including Puerto Rican Group 1-placed Tejedor.

Metaboss hails from the family of Grade 2 winner Bosque Redondo, Grade 3 winner Pima, and Grade 1-placed stakes winner Buckland Manor.

“I‘ve never been a fan of big stallions, and he’s right in the middle,” Metanovic said. “If you think of the great stallions, they’re actually quite smaller than him. Northern Dancer and Danzig were 15-15.1 hands at best. I think Metaboss around 15.3-16 hands is a perfect complement to those who are looking to put some speed into their mares, and is a good balance for the ones that can go a distance. I think he’s the total package for California.”