Adena Springs North Sells One Stallion, Gains Another

Adena Springs North has sold Singing Saint and welcomed Signature Red  to its roster for the 2018 breeding season.

Frank Stronach's farm near Aurora, Ontario, sold a majority interest in Singing Saint, a 13-year-old son of El Prado—Relaxing Rhythm, by Easy Goer, who was bred and raced by Adena Springs. The stallion was bought by Alberta businessman and ranch owner Kerry Wilson and Meadow Brook Farm, which will stand the stallion with assistance from Highfield Stock Farm near Okotoks, south of Calgary. 

"Making this horse available is part of Mr. Stronach's efforts to help Western Canada develop and improve its racing," said Dermot Carty, director of sales for Adena Springs. "It is going to be nice because they have a new racetrack in Calgary, so the more horse racing going on, the better for the whole industry."

Century Downs reintroduced live horse racing to Calgary in 2015, but didn't run its first Thoroughbred meet until this fall. Prior to Century Downs opening, the last sanctioned live Thoroughbred race was run in 2008 at the former Stampede Park. 

"It really was a fantastic meet," said Jennifer Buck with Highfield Stock Farm of the Sept. 23-Nov. 5 Century Downs meet. "It was a reuniting of the horse people in the area, and the energy was amazing."

Buck said she hopes Singing Saint will help contribute to a resurgence of Thoroughbred racing in Alberta. The stallion has sired 30 winners out of 45 starters from 59 foals of racing age. His top runners include black-type winners Harp N Halo and Songs and Laughter, and also stakes-placed winners Tairneach and Hot Cross Buns.

Singing Saint will stand for CAN$3,000 ($2,340).

New to the Adena Springs North roster for next season is Signature Red, the leading first-crop Canadian sire of 2017, who is currently ranked second among this year's second-crop sires. 

The 11-year-old son of Bernstein—Irish and Foxy, by Irish Open, was bred in Kentucky by Gary Tussey and raced by owner/breeder Howard Walton, who races under the nom de course Norseman Racing Stables.

Signature Red was a multiple graded stakes winner who compiled a 6-6-7 record out of 27 starts and collected $630,232 in earnings.

Signature Red entered stud at Colebrook Farms Stallion Station and stood there through the 2017 season. Walton, who has been a friend of Stronach's for more than 40 years, decided recently he wanted the stallion closer to his home north of Toronto.

"There was no issue with Colebrook," Carty said. "Mr. Walton really likes his stallion, and now he is only 15 minutes away."

The stallion's relocation was a boon to Adena Springs as well. Signature Red has sired 13 winners from 17 starters to date, which includes black-type stakes winner Latonka. Signature Red will also stand for CAN$3,000 next year.

"I quite like the horse," Carty said. "His numbers are good, and he upgrades his mares."