Bucchero (Kantharos), who is represented this year by GI Woody Stephens Stakes winner Book'em Danno, will stand the 2025 breeding season at Ironhorse Stallions which will be based out of Questroyal North, the former Sez Who Farm. Bucchero will be the first stallion to stand under the Ironhorse Stallions banner, a full-circle moment as it was the syndicate of Ironhorse Racing Stable who first purchased him as a 2-year-old and campaigned him through his 31-race career.
After five seasons in Florida where he covered 471 mares, Bucchero stood last season at McMahon of Saratoga under a one-year agreement.
“We have tremendous respect for the McMahon family and their history in New York and both parties wanted to see how Bucchero would fit with McMahon's in-house stallions.” said Bucchero's managing partner Harlan Malter. “With Bucchero, Central Banker and Solomini the top three stallions in New York in 2024, it made sense to let the McMahons focus on their homegrown stallions and our group focus exclusively on Bucchero.”
“All of the partners involved in Bucchero have been his biggest supporters from day one and it has been a privilege to be so heavily involved in both his racing and stallion career,” commented Malter. “It is the logical next step to see where Bucchero can take us. As I said when he ran at Royal Ascot, 'Everytime we have asked him to step up to the next level, he has delivered,' and now he has done it in the breeding shed.”
The leading sire by earnings in New York in 2024, Bucchero has accomplished this feat without a single New York-bred runner.
Bucchero is currently the top stallion in America on synthetic with over $1.2 million of his $4.5 million in 2024 earnings coming across the increasingly relevant surface.
“With the lucrative breeder awards offered in New York, the combination of Bucchero's ITM stats, surface versatility and ability to produce open-company horses, we firmly believe that
breeders will be richly rewarded by breeding to Bucchero,” stated Malter. “We are all in on New York, both breeding and racing” said Malter. “Starting Ironhorse Stallions will give us the ability to not only support New York breeders as a partner in producing the best possible NY-bred and -sired runners, but from a selfish side, we will be big buyers of NY-sired Buccheros and expect Ironhorse Racing Stable to focus the majority of its stable in New York.”
Ironhorse Stallions will take up residence in the established stallion facilities of Questroyal North in Stillwater, New York.
“We have put together a great team and will be hitting the ground running working hand in hand with New York breeders as partners in the success of New York-bred racing.”
John Dowd will join Ironhorse Stallions as head of operations and bloodstock to go along with a growing team of experienced professionals in both New York and Florida.
Malter addressed the question of why Ironhorse Stallions and why now?
“Our mantra is 'we want to make racehorses to sell, not sales horses to race.' We feel that Bucchero is a perfect foundation stallion for this philosophy and we hope New York breeders will join us in this goal. My sports background was as a baseball player and the classic Field of Dreams quote comes to mind in this endeavor: 'If you build it, he will come.' With the rich breeders program in New York, the huge commitment to a new Belmont and the amazing energy that Saratoga has rekindled, 'they have built it, and we have come!'”
Bucchero will stand for $10,000 in 2025 with a “New York, New York” discount of $2,500 to any mare who will have a 2025 foal in New York or any prior breeder to Bucchero. A limited amount of lifetime breeding rights will be available along with co-breeds to specifically approved mares.
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