With the harness racing yearling sales just a few weeks away in New Zealand, Harnesslink is profiling some of the stallions represented throughout the New Zealand National Standardbred Yearling Sales of 2022.

Today it is the turn of champion racehorse Lazarus with his first yearlings to be sold in New Zealand. Only ten are for sale at this year’s sales in New Zealand.

As a racehorse Lazarus needs no introduction but to remind all buyers how good Lazarus was as a racehorse. So, here we go.

Lazarus was named New Zealand Horse of the Year twice, three-year-old Pacer of the Year, four-year-old Pacer of the Year and five-year-old Pacer of the Year, as well as Australasian Grand Circuit Champion for two years, Lazarus compiled an international race record of 51 starts, 37 wins 8 seconds 4 thirds 2 unplaced races. His best time was 1:46.3 and he has total earnings of $4,423,391.

A multiple Stakes Winner at 2, the precocious Lazarus N flashed his brilliance as a juvenile winning 6 times from 8 starts, pacing the fastest 2-year-old mile ever down under in 1:52.4 with a last half in 54.8 a final quarter in 25.1. Here is that record race;

Bred on Australasia’s golden cross, being by breed-defining stallion Bettor’s Delight out of a Christian Cullen mare, Lazarus has eight crosses to Meadow Skipper in his five-generation pedigree similar to Sweet Lou ($3,484,251), McWicked ($5,103,271), Foiled Again ($7,676,047) and Anndrovette ($3,510,582).

Lazarus N was a 15-time Group 1 winner, establishing eight records in New Zealand and another three records in Australia. Sent to race in North America, Lazarus N won the $325,000 Dan Patch in his North American stakes debut. The mile went in 1:48.4. His next US stakes victory would come in the $177,000 Hoosier Park Pacing Derby where he paced the mile in 1:48.4.

Here are videos of Lazarus winning four spectacular races in New Zealand, Australia and North America reminding all breeders just how great this champion really was.

The $765,000 New Zealand Cup 2016

The $784,345 New Zealand Cup 2017

Click here for the $1,100,000 Inter Dominion Final (2017) on the half-mile Gloucester Park track Australia

That Inter Dominion Final was no ordinary field of horses. It included the top stake earners at the that time including Tiger Tara ($2,375,065), Chicago Bull ($2,351,046), Lennytheshark ($3,007,585), Have Faith In Me ($1,471,872) and Soho Tribeca ($1,103,854).

The $325,000 Dan Patch against America’s best and starting from the outside post 9

The Dan Patch was raced on the 10th of August, and it was a remarkable result for Lazarus N. He had only been in work for six weeks after a three-month layoff. He was shipped halfway around the world to a different hemisphere and then qualified on the 28th of July 2018 winning his qualifier in 1:48.3 (beating the fastest horse in the world, Lather Up 1:46) and then shipping out to Hoosier Park to race in the Dan Patch 14 days later and winning against North America’s best was a phenomenal feat for any horse to say the least.

Horses Lazarus N beat in this race included McWicked ($5,103,271), All Bets Off ($3,186,658), Bit Of A Legend ($2,594,651), Dealt A Winner ($1,440,31) and Rockin Ron ($1,809,957).

Now on to the most important part of Lazarus N today and that is his breeding career. He stood at US$10,000 and his first crop in North America resulted in 133 mares bred for 90 registered foals to date, 45 colts and 45 fillies. This crop is now 2022 two-year-olds in North America. At the 2021 yearling sales Lazarus N proved that he could compete with all comers in North America just like on the racetrack.

At the Lexington selected yearling sale his first five yearlings (first two days) sold for an incredible average of $130,000.

Rising Star Deo – colt – (Lazarus N – Worldly Beauty) sold for $155,000

Vici – colt – (Lazarus N – Triple V Hanover) sold for $210,000

Canadian Ballet – filly – (Lazarus N – West Side Glory) sold for $105,000

Our Baby Deo – colt – (Lazarus N – Daut Full) sold for $65,000

Mimado – filly – (Lazarus N – Somesleazetoplease) sold for $115,000

Others of note that were sold were.

Zenith Deo – colt – (Lazarus N – Peaceful Deo) sold for $50,000

All About You – filly – (Lazarus N – Artsy Cafe) sold for $50,000

Rise – filly – (Lazarus N – My Drag Queen) sold for $50,000

Shou-Lao – colt – (Lazarus N – Veiques) sold for $45,000

Kalypso – filly – (Lazarus N – Talbot Chanel) sold for $40,000

At the 2021 Harrisburg Sale 31 Lazarus N yearlings sold for a very good average of $40,129 including.

Proclamation Deo – filly – (Lazarus N – Rocklamation) sold for $135,000

Handlelikeaporsche – colt – (Lazarus N – The Signature) sold for $100,000

Two Timin’ Deo – colt – (lazarus N – Double Jeopardy) sold for $82,000

Lay Up – colt – (Lazarus N – Frankie’s Dream) sold for $75,000

In The Fast Lane – colt – (Lazarus N – Quiet Cove) sold for $75,000

Uptown Blue Chip – filly – (Lazarus N – Advantest) sold for $60,000

Undeniablebluechip – colt – (Lazarus N – Put On A Clinic) sold for $57,000

Bettoruptheante – colt – (Lazarus N – Farouche Hanover) sold for $55,000

Twin B High Tech – filly – (Lazarus N – Tech Trade) sold for $50,000

Indigenous Hanover – colt – (Lazarus N – I’m Sassy) sold for $50,000

Marathon Mary – filly – (Lazarus N – Marathon Day) sold for $45,000

Aleksander – colt – (Lazarus N – Maplelea) sold for $40,000

In North America in 2020 his second crop Lazarus N bred 106 mares and in 2021 he bred 107 mares all in New Jersey.

Back to Australia and New Zealand. Lazarus has had a slow start to his breeding career down under, not in terms of bookings as he has been extremely popular with commercial breeders – but in terms of the foals he has on the ground. His pregnancy results in the Southern Hemisphere have belied how good his semen looks in the eyes of all experts and how strong his pregnancy results have been in North America. As frustrating as this has been, the fact that there are less Lazarus foals in Australia and New Zealand will surely only add to their commercial appeal. It is very likely that the demand for the colts and fillies by one of our greatest ever will outstrip supply.

In his first season at stud in Australia he produced 40 live foals in Australia and 17 live foals in New Zealand and that totals 57 live foals in his first crop. These are now yearlings and from all reports they are an impressive group of yearlings about to go to the sales.

There are just the three yearlings by Lazarus (two colts and one filly) in the Northern Sale at Karaka on the 13th of February and there are seven yearlings by Lazarus (three colts and 4 fillies) at the Southern Sale in Christchurch from the 14th through to the 16th of February.