Proven turf sire Sir Prancealot heads 2020 class of new California stallions

Sir Prancealot, a stallion formerly based in Europe and Australia, will arrive in California in early January prior to the start of the 2020 breeding season. A 9-year-old Irish-bred, Sir Prancealot has an advantage for an established stallion being sent to a new region. He already has a solid reputation in this state and across the nation.

In recent years, European imports such as Beau Recall, winner of the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes at Santa Anita in 2018 and the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Stakes at Del Mar in August, and Madam Dancealot, winner of the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes at Del Mar in 2017 and the Grade 2 Santa Ana Stakes at Santa Anita in 2018, have been two of the stallion’s leading progeny in the United States.

Sir Prancealot will stand at Rancho San Miguel in central California for an advertised fee of $15,000. He is scheduled to arrive in California from Australia in coming weeks, according to Adrian Gonzalez, who managed the stallion’s 50-share syndication.

When the syndication proposal was announced earlier this year, Gonzalez and the Rancho San Miguel team were surprised at the response.

“We thought it would take four to six months to sell shares,” he said in mid-December. “We sold them in two days.There were people on a wait list who said, ‘Put me down for a breeding at least.’ ”

Gonzalez said each shareholder will receive two seasons and that ideally Sir Prancealot will be bred to as many as 150 mares.

“There are some shareholder seasons left,” he said. “We didn’t want to determine his book full in case there are some high-quality mares.”

Sir Prancealot will be a shuttle stallion between California and Australia. On the track, Sir Prancealot won 3 of 6 starts, including two stakes. The highlight was his final start, a win in the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes at five furlongs on turf for 2-year-olds at Doncaster Racecourse in England in 2012.

Sir Prancealot will be one of the more expensive stallions in the state. Square Eddie has an advertised fee of $25,000 at Ocean Breeze Farm, while Stay Thirsty has a fee of $10,000 at Lovacres Ranch.

Sir Prancealot’s progeny have excelled on turf. Promoting a turf-oriented stallion in California marks a shift from years past when breeders focused on stallions proven on dirt.

Gonzalez said an increased emphasis on turf races at Del Mar and Santa Anita and the possibility that a synthetic track could be installed at Santa Anita in coming years could work in Sir Prancealot’s favor.

“I think the climate has changed in California,” Gonzalez said. “Turf horses are prone to like synthetic. In two or three years, we could be looking at a different type of races.”

Sir Prancealot is the most prominent of the new stallions in California for 2020. Here is a list of stallions that will stand their first year in 2020 and one stallion who has been moved from Kentucky.

NEW STALLIONS

Alex Rossi (Freud–Dona Raja, by Rahy)

Farm: ATO Horses

Fee: $1,000

Alex Rossi was a Group 1 stakes winner at a mile on dirt in Peru in 2014, winning the $57,600 Polla de Potrillos, also known as the Peruvian 2000 Guineas. The top-class victory was Alex Rossi’s third consecutive win at the start of his career, a span that included a four-length win in a minor stakes at a mile in his stakes debut.

The following year, Alex Rossi won a minor stakes at 1 1/4 miles in Peru.

In the United States, Alex Rossi won 2 of 15 starts, with the two wins occurring in claiming races at a mile at Del Mar and Los Alamitos in 2017. Alex Rossi, who was trained by Doug O’Neill and Felipe Souza in the United States, has not raced since 2017 and subsequently overcame a battle with colic.

Alex Rossi’s dam, Dona Raja, was a winner in South America.

Greyvitos (Malibu Moon–Snow Top Mountain, by Najran)

Farm: Ransom Ranch

Fee: $1,500

Greyvitos won 2 of 8 starts in an abbreviated career in 2017 and 2018, with both the stakes wins occurring in the fall of his 2-year-old season.

Greyvitos won the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes at seven furlongs at Del Mar in his third start and won the Springboard Mile at Remington Park in his following start, his last race as a juvenile. After a layoff, Greyvitos had four starts at 3, including a fourth in the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland in April 2018.

Greyvitos, who did not race in 2019, was purchased for $100,000 as a yearling.

Snow Top Mountain won 7 of 24 starts and earned $525,303. She was a stakes winner at Colonial Downs, Gulfstream Park, and Kentucky Downs in two-turn turf races. Snow Top Mountain is a half-sister to the six-time stakes winner and millionaire Keertana, and the two-time stakes winner Diversy Harbor.

Om (Munnings–Rare Cat, by Tabasco Cat)

Farm: Harris Farms

Fee: $7,500

Om was at his best in the second half of 2015, winning three graded stakes for 3-year-olds on turf, including the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby. The following year, he was beaten a nose in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita, closing from last of 14 to lose narrowly to Obviously.

Om won the Grade 3 Thunder Road Handicap at a mile on turf at Santa Anita in February 2018, his final stakes win for trainer Dan Hendricks. After a layoff of more than eight months, Om returned to racing in May of this year with trainer Peter Miller.

A 7-year-old, Om won an allowance race at a mile on turf at Churchill Downs in June and was second in two Grade 1 races – the six-furlong Jaipur at Belmont in June and the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at five furlongs at Santa Anita last month.

Om did have an interesting 2-year-old season at Del Mar in 2014. In his second start, he won a maiden special weight at 5 1/2 furlongs by 7 1/4 lengths. The fifth-place finisher was American Pharoah.

Rumpus Cat (Street Sense–Sweet Catomine, by Storm Cat)

Farm: Daehling Ranch

Fee: $2,500

The well-bred Rumpus Cat enters stud in 2020 after a 14-race career that included two wins and earnings of $82,950.

Rumpus Cat is out of Sweet Catomine, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2004, the year she won the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Lone Star Park. As a 3-year-old, Sweet Catomine won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks. She finished her career with five wins in seven starts and earnings of $1,059,600.

Sweet Catomine is a full sister to Sweet Life, a four-time stakes winner who earned $1,820,810 and won the 2009 BC Ladies’ Classic (now known as Distaff) at Santa Anita, and the two-time stakes winner Calimonco, who earned $391,496.

Rumpus Cat’s wins were in consecutive starts on turf in a $62,500 claimer for maidens at 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar in November 2018 and a starter allowance at a mile at Santa Anita in January.

RELOCATED STALLION

Graydar (Unbridled’s Song–Sweetest Smile, by Dehere)

Farm: Milky Way Farm

Fee: $4,000

Graydar stood at Taylor Made Farm in 2019 in Kentucky, where he was bred to 25 mares, according to Jockey Club records.

The 10-year-old horse is the sire of Gray Attempt, winner of the Smarty Jones Stakes and Gazebo Stakes at Oaklawn Park earlier this year; and Gray Magician, who won the Ellis Park Derby in August and was second in the Group 2 United Arab Emirates Derby in Dubai in March and second in the Grade 3 Indiana Derby in July. Gray Magician is a candidate for a graded stakes at Santa Anita on Thursday, trainer Peter Miller said earlier this month.

As of Dec. 14, Graydar had 2019 progeny earnings of $3.84 million.

On the track, Graydar won 5 of 6 starts in 2012 and 2013, earning $841,560. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Graydar won three graded stakes, including the Grade 1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park, the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap at Fair Grounds, and the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap at Belmont Park, all in 2013.