New Mexico: Attila's Storm, leading juvenile sire

A successful 2012 season by Fred and Linda Alexander’s A&A Horse Ranch stallions included sires in the juvenile rankings, with the farm standing New Mexico’s top two stallions.

The leading juvenile sire in 2012 was Attila’s Storm, an 11-year-old son of Forest Wildcat who topped the state-bred list with total progeny earnings of $696,528 from 17 starters and 13 winners. His crop of 2-year-olds featured four stakes winners who tallied six stakes wins on New Mexico’s state-bred circuit. Attila’s Storm stands at A&A Horse Ranch in Anthony, N.M., for a $2,500 fee.

[MORE: See a list of New Mexico’s leading sires from 2012]

The success of Attila’s Storm capped off a banner year for A&A Horse Ranch, which also stood New Mexico’s top two sires by general earnings, Desert God and Roll Hennessy Roll. Attila’s Storm bested fellow A&A stallion Roll Hennessy Roll in the juvenile category, with the latter finishing the year at $591,783 in 2-year-old earnings.

“It’s going to be a tough year for us to ever top,” Fred Alexander said. “We had a fantastic year. 2011 was great and I didn’t think we’d top it, but 2012 was fantastic.”

Last year’s juvenile class was the second crop for Attila’s Storm, who began his stallion career at JEH Stallion Station’s New Mexico division in Hondo, and was relocated to A&A Ranch in 2012. His progeny’s performances represented a dramatic turnaround from his freshman season, when he finished 11th in New Mexico by juvenile earnings.

“He got off to a little shaky start,” Alexander said. “His first crop of 2-year-olds was the year before, and he didn’t have a whole lot going on. His second crop did really well, and a few of the 3-year-olds did well. It looks like they just needed a little time.”

Attila’s Storm’s juveniles were led by Thermal, the winner of four of eight starts in 2012 for earnings of $173,847. His biggest wins came in the New Mexico Classic Cup Juvenile Colt and Gelding Stakes and the Mountain Top New Mexico Bred Thoroughbred Futurity. The gelding has followed up with a second-place effort in his 2013 bow, the Pepsi Cola Stakes at Sunland Park.

“It looks like [the Attila’s Storms] want to go the distance,” Alexander said. “It looks like they want to get the mile, so that’s good.”

Attila’s Storm specialized at six furlongs, winning five of 18 starts over four seasons of racing for career earnings of $534,983. His on-track résumé was highlighted by a win in the Grade 3 Toboggan Handicap in 2007, as well as in-the-money efforts in the Malibu Stakes, Vosburgh Stakes, and Forego Stakes, all Grade 1 events.

Out of the winning Magesterial mare Sweet Symmetry, Attila’s Storm is one of three winners from as many starters out of his dam.

“He’s definitely got a lot of heart, and he was a heck of a racehorse,” Alexander said. “We’re fortunate to have him here.”