Court Vision Relocated to Louisiana

A Louisiana-based horsemen's investment group has purchased multiple grade I winner Court Vision   and has relocated the second-crop sire to Acadiana Equine at Copper Crowne near Opelousas, La.

Court Vision, an 11-year-old son of Gulch—Weekend Storm, by Storm Bird, started 31 times from 2 to 6 and made 21 of those starts in grade I races. He won or placed in 10 of those grade I stakes and retired with earnings of $3,746,658. He will stand for $3,500 for the 2017 breeding season.

"He has arguably as a good a pedigree as anyone considering his dam is a sister to A.P. Indy," said David Tillson, who represents the limited liability corporation that now owns Court Vision. Tillson is a former general manager of Copper Crowne who left to work for Spendthrift for several years.

Tillson said Court Vision's blend of precocity and speed should fit well with the speed-oriented mares that dominate the breeding programs in Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. 

"To bring in a stallions that that has started 31 times is a big deal," he said "We have speed, we have precocity, and you definitely getting soundness from this family."

Court Vision won two stakes at 2, taking the Iroquois Stakes (gr. III) and the Remsen Stakes (gr. II). At 3 he began finding more success on the turf, winning the grade I Hollywood Derby and the Jamaica Handicap (gr. IIT). Court Vision continued to improve with age, winning four grade I stakes at 5 and 6 including the Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes, Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap, and Woodbine Mile Stakes before capping off a stellar career with a victory in the 2011 Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) over champions Gio Ponti   and Goldikova.

As a sire Court Vision ranked in the top 10 of his sire class and is currently 14th on the leading second-crop sire list. Having previously stood at Park Stud in Ontario, Court Vision is now represented by two of Canada's top juveniles. Recent Coronation Futurity winner King and His Court, who also placed in the grade III Grey Stakes, is now an early favorite for the Queen's Plate. The stallion is also represented by undefeated, multiple stakes winning daughter Conquest Vivi.

Tillson added that bringing Court Vision to Louisiana is one step in a larger initiative to further raise the bar on quality for the state and the region. 

"I'm as excited as I have ever been about Court Vision, but our long-term goal of this investment horsemen's group is to bring in a couple more stallions that will be a real positive influence on the breed," Tillson said. "There are some really good stallions down here, but we feel there is room to grow as far as stallion quality."