Full sister to Always B Miki now in Auckland

Trent and Kristie Mason of Mason Bloodstock are investing in the New Zealand Standardbred industry and a particular mare they imported from American is spinning their wheels.

Virginontherocks is an unraced full sister to outstanding racehorse Always B Miki. He’s also proving to be a sensation at stud.

Always B Miki’s lifetime achievements include Dan Patch Horse of the Year, Dan Patch Pacer of the Year, Dan Patch Older Horse of the Year and World Champion. He was also inducted into the Hall Of Fame.

Virginontherocks’ dam Artstopper who was named 2016 USTA Broodmare of the Year, has left another millionaire pacer in Yagonnakissmeornot (Panderosa) which won forty one races.

Mason says the process of buying Virginontherocks was relatively easy.

“I went through the Sales catalogue at Lexington and looked at all the results and all the mares.  I rang the owners of a dozen top mares to see whether I could buy. The opportunity came up for this one and the guy said ‘yep, I’d be happy to sell her.’ It was just a matter of doing some leg work.”

Mason was drawn to Virginontherocks because of her breeding proximity to Always B Miki.

“Miki is doing such a great job and he’s only going to get better because he’s served a lot of mares in the last couple of years.”

He says it was easy to get the mare on the ground in North Auckland.

“There were a couple of phone calls saying pick her up from here, deliver her to there and IRT just took care of it.”

“Virginontherocks has settled in beautifully to her southern hemisphere surroundings and she looks absolutely fantastic. We put her in the next paddock to Rodeo Beach (full sister to Huntsville). Both mares have foaled successfully stunning looking colts with Rodeo Beach foaling a good sized Tall Dark Stranger colt.”

Virginontherocks was in foal to Huntsville when she landed and her colt foal was born in April. Some consideration is being given to putting both the youngsters in the NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales in Auckland in February.

Although the Huntsville colt has a late birth date, Mason doesn’t see it being an issue for potential buyers.

“When it lines up as a four year old no-one is going to think about it as an April foal. I don’t think it’ll affect a long term thinker.”

Huntsville was a $1.7 million earner in America and is by game changing sire Somebeachsomewhere.

In 25 lifetime starts Huntsville won fifteen races and ran second eight times. He paced a world record mile of 1:49 at Red Mile winning the International Stallion Stakes.

His two-year-old campaign included a track record performance at the Meadowlands and a win in the Breeders Crown, when he paced the mile in 1:49.1.

Huntsville was the fastest Three Year Old Pacer in the 2017 season and retired the second richest son of Somebeachsomewhere behind Captaintreacherous.

In the stallion barn Huntsville is proving sensational.

He’s the leading sire of two and three year olds in America ahead of Downbytheseaside and Cattlewash and is currently fourth on the all-age list behind Bettor’s Delight, Sweet Lou and Captaintreacherous.

It’s worth noting that of Huntsville’s 103 three year olds, 84 have raced, winning a collective $5.6 million, while Captaintreacherous with almost identical foal and starter numbers (106-84) has left the winners of $4.7 million.

Huntsville also features prominently on the all-age list with smaller foal and starter numbers.

• Bettor’s Delight 1767 foals for 593 starters earning $17,046,822.
• Sweet Lou 818 foals for 410 starters earning $16,593,791.
• Captaintreacherous 905 foals 394 starters earning $16,569,185.
• Huntsville 523 foals 322 starters earning $14,112, 980.

At stud his biggest earners to date have been the recently retired Legendary Hanover ($1,088,681), Huntinthelastdollar ($714,101) and Max Contract ($656,305).

Trent and Kristie will be keeping a close eye on the upcoming Lexington Sales, as they have a full brother to their New Zealand born Huntsville colt going through the ring.

Virginontherocks is to be served by Captaintreacherous.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink