USA 2YO of the Year Major In Art for Stallion Station

An Australian syndicate headed by the Stallion Station group has completed the purchase in America of the Southern Hemisphere breeding rights together with an interest in the racing career of the three-year-old Art Major colt, Major In Art.

Major In Art, who will be one of the highest-priced importations to ever come ‘Down Under', was named the USA 2YO Colt of the Year and is well in contention for other major awards.

He is currently spelling and will be tilted at most of this year's leading North American classics including the Little Brown Jug, North America Cup, Breeders Crown, Meadowlands Pace, The Messenger, Cane Pace and Adios Stake.

He is slated to begin stud duties in America next year before being shuttled to Australasia for the 2010/11 Southern Hemisphere breeding season. The colt will be located at Stallion Station's Toolern Vale or Christchurch farm where he is expected to serve a full book of mares. The demand is expected to be unprecedented for a freshman sire.

Major In Art is one of the best-bred, best-performed horses ever bought for stud duty in Australasia. He took a two-year-old mark of 1:50.8, winning six races and being placed three times from 10 starts amassing $US849,154 in stakes, an average of a whopping $84,915 per start!

Major In Art started his career with a bang by winning a $41,800 division of the Goshen Cup at The Meadowlands on June 26.

His next stakes engagement came in the Woodrow Wilson and, after finishing second in his elimination, the gritty colt came back with a hard-fought 1:50.8 victory in the $350,000 Final on August 1.

Major In Art then took his show on the road and came North to Canada where he swept both his elimination and the $1 million Final of the Metro Pace - the world's richest two-year-old race - at Mohawk in late August.

The colt then finished third in the $820,000 Governors Cup at Woodbine in late October going on to win a leg of the prestigious Breeders Crown and finishing fourth in the final in his final start of the season on November 29 at The Meadowlands.

Major In Art is by the Artsplace horse, Art Major, one of America's top sires. Art Major headed the USTA 2YO Sires' list in 2007 with his first crop, and was the leading stakemoney sire of three-year-olds in 2008.

Art Major, who stands at a fee of $14,000, had one of the top price yearling averages at $35,506 at the 2008 US yearling sales.

Art Major, who had a record of 1:48.8, has sired 54 pacers in the 1:55 list, and 18 $100,000 winners. With just two racing crops he has progeny earnings of more than $11million, while he is represented by a number of smart youngsters from his first Australian crop.

Major In Art belongs to one of the most distinguished families in the American Stud Book. He is out of the Jate Lobell mare Miami Spice 3, 1:54.8, the dam of five winners from seven foals with three in 2:00.

Miami Spice ranks as a half-sister to the multiple Stakes winner Tattler's Torpedo 1:53.8 ($400,737), Life Is A Tabaret 1:50.4 ($865,396), the Hayes Memorial winner Mr Tuff Guy 1:54.8 ($109,825), Black Tattler 1:50, and others.

Town Tattler 1:54.6 ($131,950), the dam of Miami Spice, was by Big Towner from Tona Hanover, by Tar Heel, and is the dam of six in the 1:55 list.

This family traces back to the foundation mare The Old Maid, dam of a champion sire in Bachelor Hanover, sire of Noodlum, and a half-sister to the immortal Light Brigade. Other top sires belonging to this noted family include Toliver Hanover, French Chef, Clever Innocence, Dancer Hanover, Tempest Hanover and Man Around Town.

Major In Art