Canadian champion Tyson (by Tapit), purchased for $175,000 by Darryl and Jill Myers when topping the final session of last week's Keeneland November sale, will stand his first season at the couple's Stone Jug Ranch which is a new Thoroughbred operation in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, the breeders said in a release on Sunday.
“We've talked about [standing stallions] in the past,” said the Myers's bloodstock advisor Ed Price. “But things got serious a week or two ago when we saw this horse.”
Bred and raced by Hill 'n' Dale Equine and Stretch Run Ventures, Tyson retires as Canada's 2023 Sovereign award-winning older horse. Last year as a 4-year-old, the Josie Carroll trainee went back-to-back at Woodbine by winning the GIII Dominion Day Stakes and GII Seagram Cup Stakes, and then was third in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga. The homebred retires with earnings of $378,548.
“He's by a very successful sire of sires, Tapit,” said Price. “It's one of the strongest modern-day female families, with Rags to Riches, Arcangelo. [His third dam, Broodmare of the Year] Better Than Honour was the most expensive broodmare ever sold, at $14 million.
“Plus the fact that he had a lot of racing ability, he won four of his first five starts, was a Grade II and Grade III winner, and was third, beaten around three lengths in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. And his foals will be eligible to race in the PA-Sired/PA-Bred Series.”
One of 10 Tapit champions (from 175 stakes winners), Tyson is the first foal for Honouring, a Smart Strike winning full-sister to GISW Streaming and SW Treasuring. Another half-sister, Modeling (Tapit), is the dam of Eclipse winner Arcangelo (Arrogate). Honouring's next two foals, both by Tapit, were six-figure sales yearlings at Keeneland.
“Tyson will become one of the six new stallions to date for the 2025 Pennsylvania breeding season,” said Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association Executive Secretary Brian Sanfratello. “Thanks goes out to the Myers for their dedication to Pennsylvania breeding with the opening of their new stallion farm. Tyson should fit in very well and I wish Darryl and Jill good luck in their new endeavor.”
The Stone Jug addition is expected to arrive at the new stallion farm in a few weeks. A stud fee and terms will be named at a later date.
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