Square Eddie retired as stallion due to infertility

Square Eddie, one of the leading stallions by progeny earnings in California in recent years, has been retired from stud service because of infertility, according to Dennis O’Neill, racing manager for stallion owners Paul and Zillah Reddam.

O’Neill said Friday that Mrazek and Pavel will be available during the current breeding season at the Reddams’ Ocean Breeze Farm in Bonsall, Calif.

Pavel, a 6-year-old by Creative Cause, won 3 of 18 starts and earned $2,090,351 in a career that spanned from 2017 to last August. Pavel won two stakes for the Reddams – the Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx Racing in 2017 and the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs in 2018.

Pavel was second to 2018 champion older male Accelerate in that year’s Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar and was fourth to Thunder Snow in the $12 million Dubai World Cup in 2019. Pavel was eighth in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic last August in his final start.

Pavel will stand for $5,000 for the current breeding season and in 2021. For each additional mare a breeder commits to the stallion, the fee will be reduced to $3,000, O’Neill said.

Mrazek, a 7-year-old California-bred by Square Eddie, was bred to approximately 10 mares owned by the Reddams in 2019, O’Neill said. For the current breeding season, Mrazek is being offered to outside mares for a fee of $2,500.

Mrazek won 4 of 13 starts and earned $312,304 in a career highlighted by wins in two six-furlong stakes for California-breds – the Graduation Stakes for 2-year-olds at Del Mar in 2015 and the Thor’s Echo Stakes at Santa Anita in 2016. Mrazek won his final start in an allowance race with a $62,500 claiming option at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar in August 2018.

O’Neill said Mrazek closely resembles his stallion, with a little more size.

“He was a carbon copy of Square Eddie, just a couple of inches larger,” O’Neill said.

Square Eddie, 14, ranked third by progeny earnings among California-based stallions in 2018, with $3,119,933, and was fourth, with $3,352,766 in 2019. Square Eddie’s leading money-winning runner in 2019 was Eddie Haskell, who won two sprint stakes on turf and earned $318,104.
Square Eddie will continue to reside at Ocean Breeze Farm, O’Neill said.

O’Neill said Square Eddie struggled to get mares in foal in 2019 and was unsuccessful this year in a limited number of matings.