Jewel of the South
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SOUTHEAST Jewel TENNESSEE MISSISSIPPI of the South GEORGIA Adena Springs South expands under Frank Stronach SOUTH CAROLINA FLORIDA ALABAMA NORTH CAROLINA NORTH BY JULIE HAZELWOOD CASTRO / PHOTOS BY LOUISE REINAGEL STRONACH STABLES IS among the most recognized racing outfits throughout the United States and Canada. A common thread connecting the string of winners raced by owner/breeder Frank Stronach, including a Canadian champion of 2015, are the early lessons they learned at his Adena Springs South training center in Central Florida. Now in its 20th year of operation, Adena Springs South is guided by a phi- losophy of allowing young horses to develop at their own pace, suitable to their physiology and mental maturity. In charge of implementing this philosophy is trainer Richie Purcell, who has been with Stronach’s Williston, Fla., farm from the start. Purcell began his ca- reer at Coolmore Stud in Ireland, which led to a position at Ashford Stud in Kentucky. He spent several months at Lindsay Park in Adelaide, South Australia, working for Colin Hayes and dabbled in steeplechase riding once back in the States, where he also worked for Brookside Farm near Versailles, Ky. (continued on page 38) ADVERTISERS’ INDEX ...................................................... 3336 ADENAMcMahon SPRINGS of Saratoga SOUTH .................................. ................................. 3233 37 WEBBAugustin CARROLL TRAINING .............................. 41 www.McMahonThoroughbreds.com [email protected] www.adenastallions.com) www.webbcarroll.com ................................................... 3456 STROUDSSpendthrift LANE FARM ..................................... 39 New York Breeding ...................................... 3336 www.spendthriftfarm.com www.nybreds.com www.stroudslanefarm.com) Hammertown ............................................... 3336 www.hammertowninsurance.com 36 / BloodHorse.com / APRIL 16, 2016 / TheBloodHorse / BloodHorse SouthEastReg_Apr16.indd 36 4/11/16 2:28 PM BLACK YELLOWMAGENTACYAN BH15-36.pgs 04.11.2016 14:29 TheBloodHorse Stallions 2016 CAPO BASTONE Street BoSS – Fight to Love, by Fit to FIGHT C I T Y W O L F GIAnt’S CAUSEWAy – BABy Zip, by reLAunCH F ORT L ARNED E DuBAi –ArLUCEA, by BROAD BRUSH SCHOLAR BORN TO BE ATHLETE WINNER SP, won Woodbine MSW 3rd in $100,000 in 2nd start Sweetest Chant S.-G3 CLASSIC CLASSIC BLOODLINES PERFORMANCE 15045 NW 141st Court, Williston, FL 32696 | Ph: (352) 528-1287 | Fax: (352) 528-1291 Season Inquiries to: Declan Doyle (352) 362-6624 [email protected] Jack Brothers (859) 509-0879 [email protected] www.AdenaStallions.com 16-0322 AS FL Sector Roster.indd 1 4/5/16 10:37 AM BLACK YELLOWMAGENTACYAN BH15-37.pgs 04.11.2016 12:19 TheBloodHorse fbegley (continued from page 36) moved on, yet Purcell embrac- Of all the horses he’s broken es the tranquility. From his at Adena Springs South, Pur- perspective, “This is good right cell maintains there haven’t here.” been any true “problem” hors- The eight 36-stall training es. By paying attention during barns at Adena Springs South the breaking process, he recog- are fashioned after the struc- SOUTHEAST nizes that when a horse starts tures at The Stronach Group- to go the wrong way, it’s a signal owned Palm Meadows Train- of a deeper issue. Right away ing Center near Boynton Beach. Purcell will change something: Designed to be airy and cool, the rider, the horse’s routine, or the barns have hefty timber its turn-out schedule. cruck blades that arch toward “It’s easier to get along rath- ample ceilings that are fin- er than to get into a situation ished with tongue-and-groove where we are misunderstand- planking. The solid 12-by-12 ing the animal,” he said. stalls are all rubber-lined. Purcell has handled a mul- Purcell and his family live in a titude of horses that have gone nice home within a foot-dash to on to lucrative careers. “I broke Barn One, which is filled with Ghostzapper when he was a 21 2-year-olds and a handful of baby, and he was a tough nut,” older horses that are recuper- Purcell said in his smooth ating from racing. Like the au- County Waterford brogue. tomobiles at an elite car show, During Danny Vella’s tenure every horse in the barn has the as head trainer at Adena Springs look of a high-performance South, Purcell also broke top model. Most of the well-made runners Milwaukee Brew, Red individuals possess large hips, Bullet, and Macho Uno. good angles, and thick bones. More recently graduated “He’s a block of a boy, eh?” from the farm were homebreds Purcell said of an Awesome Shaman Ghost, who in 2015 Horses make their way to the training track Again colt (out of Getback earned Stronach a third Queen’s at Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs South Time, by Gilded Time) as he Plate trophy and was honored ran his hands over the legs of with a Sovereign Award as champion presented by Keeneland Select (gr. IIIT). Shaman Ghost’s three-quarters brother 3-year-old male; and the Roger Attfield- Named the early wagering favorite for before legging up his rider. The colt was trained Shakhimat, who won the 2015 this year’s Plate, the colt was one of 47 offered last summer at Keeneland Sep- 3 Coronation Futurity by 9 »4 lengths and consigned by Adena Springs to the 2015 tember but was RNA’d for $85,000. on April 8 won the Transylvania Stakes Fasig-Tipton Florida March sale. Over the years Adena Springs has been “Our breeding suggests more very active consigning yearlings. Elfrida fall-type horses and distance,” Pur- Stronach, Frank’s wife, likes to give the cell noted. buy-backs a couple of weeks off in Ken- One Ghostzapper colt, out of a tucky before they are shipped south Dynaformer mare, whom Purcell to begin the breaking process, where thinks is “special,” had just put in they join homebreds and some auction two productive days galloping with purchases. his head down and behaving like Two among the fleet were bought at a gentleman. Purcell gave a wry the same sale: a colt named Spun Out smile, believing that he had found (by Hard Spun, out of Misty Hour) who the key to captivating this mischie- is from the family of To Honor and Serve vous colt’s attention by having him and Angela Renee; and an Awesome gallop alongside a filly. “It’s kept Again filly out of Miss Loren, who was him a whole lot sweeter and hap- a champion in her native Argentina. pier to train,” he explained. Purcell tries not to have favorites and Toughness is a characteristic that said that he likes them all but hinted Purcell doesn’t mind. Ever confi- Macho Dancer, a colt by Macho Uno, dent, he surmised, “That’s OK, he’ll and the Ghostzapper colt out of Capital get it. They need to be tough. Just Plan named Gorbachov look pretty good because they want to be a little bad, right now. doesn’t mean that they are bad.” A half dozen horses head to the track in sets starting at first light accompa- Some farm trainers prefer the nied by assistant Manny Cano aboard Adena Springs South’s Richie Purcell action at the racetrack and have (continued on page 40) 38 / BloodHorse.com / APRIL 16, 2016 / TheBloodHorse / BloodHorse SouthEastReg_Apr16.indd 38 4/11/16 2:28 PM BLACK YELLOWMAGENTACYAN BH15-38.pgs 04.11.2016 14:29 TheBloodHorse SEEK AGAIN Speightstown – Light Jig (GB), by Danehill G1 winner of the Hollywood Derby & course record-seter with 105 Beyer Speed $5,000 Live Foal Co-breeder incentives on Seek Again and Admiral Kiten include discounts on S&N and foal share; complimentary for stakes-winning and stakes-producing mares. ADMIRL KITEN Kiten’s Joy – Reachinforthestars, by Grand Slam G1 winner of the $500,000 Secretariat S. by perennial leading sire KITEN’S JOY $5,000 Live Foal DADDY LONG LEGS Scat Daddy – Dreamy Maiden, by Meadowlake A Graded SW at two and winner of the $2 million UAE Derby by SCAT DADDY $5,000 Live Foal Inquiries to Ryan Barbazon (352) 591-0176 Travel the Lane to Success Cell (352) 525-5648 e-mail: [email protected] 3900 NW 165th St., Reddick, Fl 32686-2700 StroudsLaneFarm.com BLACK YELLOWMAGENTACYAN BH15-39.pgs 04.11.2016 12:28 TheBloodHorse fbegley 2016 LEADING SIRES IN FLORIDA > Go to BloodHorse.com for daily updated sire lists Stakes Rstrct Cumulative 2016 Rnrs/ Wnrs/ SW/ 2016 Stks A-E Comp Rank Rank Stallion (Foreign foaled), (YOB,Sire), Where Stands Stud Fee Wnrs Wns BT SW (Chief Earner, Earnings) Earnings Foals Wnrs Index Index 1 WILDCAT HEIR (00, Forest Wildcat) Died, 2015 130/39 0/0 0/0 (Wildcat Wish, $47,500) $1,057,912 *598 26 1.43 1.43 2 KANTHAROS (08, Lion Heart), Ocala Stud Farm $5,000 36/16 2/3 1/2 (X Y Jet, $550,970) $1,044,058 112 6 1.81 1.26 SOUTHEAST 3 WITH DISTINCTION (01, Storm Cat), Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds $7,500 103/29 0/0 0/0 (Distinctly Mine, $89,333) $787,320 *457 10 1.12 1.21 4 AWESOME OF COURSE (00, Awesome Again), Ocala Stud Farm $5,000 45/14 2/3 0/2 (Awesome Banner, $195,400) $695,348 160 10 2.09 1.44 5 IN SUMMATION (03, Put It Back), Ocala Stud Farm $2,500 68/19 1/1 0/1 (Calculator, $150,800) $643,210 190 4 0.98 1.44 6 HIGH COTTON (03, Dixie Union), Ocala Stud Farm $5,000 79/23 2/2 1/2 (April Gaze, $103,060) $599,608 *309 7 0.98 1.28 7 FIRST DUDE (07, Stephen Got Even), Double Diamond Farm $7,500 41/15 1/1 0/1 (Flora Dora, $75,250) $525,454 146 1 1.21 1.40 8 TWO STEP SALSA (05, Petionville), Get Away Farm $7,500 48/15 1/1 0/1 (Two Step Time, $95,000) $432,796 154 4 1.28 1.03 9 BURNING ROMA (98, Rubiano) N/A 25/12 1/1 0/1 (Sheer Drama, $180,000) $346,448 *179 5 0.98 1.16 10 EXCLUSIVE QUALITY (03, Elusive Quality), Journeyman Stud $2,500 67/20 0/0 0/0 (Dreaming of Neno, $28,800) $339,692 263 7 1.05 1.12 11 GONE ASTRAY (06, Dixie Union), Northwest Stud $4,500 37/10 0/0 0/0 (Natalie La Rose, $40,440) $314,093 *110 2 0.83 1.18 12 MONTBROOK (90, Buckaroo) Died 49/16 0/0 0/0 (A Colt Following, $29,000) $306,567 *893 47 1.48 1.51 13 BIG DRAMA (06, Montbrook), Bridlewood Farm $15,000 37/6 0/0 0/0 (Instant Drama, $35,105) $285,774 87 1 1.02 1.34 14 GREATNESS (99, Mr.