Mating Plans: Sun Valley Farm

With the 2022 breeding season right around the corner, we will feature a series of breeders' mating plans over the coming weeks. Today we have Barry Butzer of Sun Valley Farm.

WILLA (m, 5, Will Take Charge–Miss Kilroy, by A.P. Indy), to be bred to Blame, and her half-sister KITTY (m, 3, Street Boss–Miss Kilroy, by A.P. Indy), to be bred to Union Rags

Very lucky to have my dad at side the day Miss Kilroy strode into the ring at the 2009 January Keeneland Breeding Stock Sale, an 11-year-old A.P. Indy daughter with one winner. While I thought about it, he bought her. In the next 18 months, she produced her first stakes winner, and yet another daughter became stakes placed in a Group 1 in Ireland.

Fast forward 13 years and she turned out to be one of the best impulse buys of all time for us, a page that has expanded to include five individual stakes-producing daughters. While Miss Kilroy (at age 24) is happily enjoying her retirement, these (two of her last three daughters) are just beginning their careers as broodmares:

Willa, a minor winner from three starts, is expecting her first foal by Gun Runner next month, and heads to Blame this season. I can't think of a better stallion to start a young mare. From a personal perspective, we raised a very talented Blame filly, a wire-to-wire winner in an Oaklawn maiden special last month. Produced from an Unbridled's Song mare, the choice was obvious.

Although unraced, Kitty is a solidly built sprinter-type much like her sire, Street Boss. Thought Union Rags was an excellent choice for her. We have had a number of them and he always provides size, scope and athleticism. Think he is in a great spot to use, having experienced big books filled with quality mares of late, while standing at twice the fee.

COURT APPEAL (m, 11, Candy Ride {Arg}–Rehear, by Coronado's Quest), to be bred to Charlatan

Presently in foal to Frosted, Court Appeal is off to a fast start as a producer. Her first foal is the multiple stakes winner Elle Z (City Zip) and her second foal is the talented GI-stakes placed Ginsburned (Noble Mission {GB}). Hard to imagine, other than both being Lane's End Stallions, two stallions with [such] vastly different profiles, so I kind of think she could be the real deal. Her current 3-year-old, Mrs Whistler (Tonalist), owns some fairly impressive works for owner MyRacehorse.

Charlatan has the goods, and is a slam dunk commercially. Competition was keen to get a nice mare in, so we chose Court Appeal. I always like to double up on important females, and this mating finds Silken Doll (second dam of Speightstown) repeated as Court Appeal's third dam.

BETWIXTING (m, 6, Macho Uno–Between the Clouds, by Sky Classic), to be bred to Quality Road

Homebred Betwixting provided us an exciting 2021, reeling off five straight wins, culminating with a win in the listed Satin and Lace S. She hails from a productive Sam-Son Farm family, her dam being a half-sister to a champion grass horse in Canada.

Betwixting turned out to be a real sprint specialist, with a devastating late kick at five and six furlongs. Quality Road has proven to be a consistent source of two-turn, Saturday afternoon graded stakes winners, so I thought it was a great match. As it turns out, Corniche (Quality Road)'s dam is Blushing Groom/Nijinsky, a pedigree with very strong similarities to our Betwixting.

HIGH STYLE (m, 15, Giant's Causeway–Tout Charmant, by Slewvescant), to be bred to Essential Quality, and her daughter MCNALLY (m, 4, Liam's Map), to be bred to Candy Ride {Arg}

High Style is another mare that has produced a couple of graded stakes horses for us, including New and Improved (Cairo Prince), winner of Belmont's GII Sands Point S. New and Improved made news recently–as the second highest-selling mare in foal to Authentic–at the Keeneland November Sale. Versatile producer with winners at the top level on the dirt, grass and synthetic.

Champion and Classic winner Essential Quality will be High Style's most accomplished mate to date. You can't help becoming enamored with his race record and deep family ties. He was all class as he struck a pose in the Godolphin yard the afternoon we paid a visit; when he went for a walk, he sealed the deal.

McNally will start her new career visiting the court of leading sire Candy Ride {Arg}. Arguably the most accomplished of proven sires, and looks to be establishing a sire-of-sires line few in history can match. Again, when it comes to young mares, the proven sire is the best choice.

Candy Ride provides that in spades, and has a real affinity for the Unbridled's Song line.

DIVINE ESCAPADE (m, 13, A.P. Indy–Madcap Escapade, by Hennessy), to be bred to Candy Ride {Arg}

Presently in foal to Curlin, a multiple stakes-producing A.P. Indy mare, whose first dam was not only a sales topper, but known to put on a show in a Grade I. Her first two stakes horses to date (by Speightstown and by Runhappy), have both shown ability; her 3-year-old (Blame) filly is in Japan; and her Gun Runner (2-year-old) and Good Magic (yearling) are both in good hands.

For reasons stated above, Candy Ride made the most sense in this spot as well. This mare is a typical A.P. Indy (except for her chestnut color), big frame and plenty of bone.

On pedigree, physical presence and the success of this cross, Candy Ride made all the sense in the world. Additionally, her Gun Runner 2-year-old looks to be pretty special.

CHAUSIE (m, 14, Bluegrass Cat-­-Descapate, by Dehere), to be bred to Omaha Beach, and MARRAKESH EXPRESS (m, 8, Union Rags–Layounne, by Mt. Livermore), to be bred to Improbable

Two other mares share a connection in each having a filly sell at Saratoga last year–a Union Rags and a Munnings [respectively]–two fillies we have high hopes for, in their future racing careers.

Chausie, presently in foal to Munnings, is a graded stakes-winning producer and consistently gets a good sales type. She heads to Omaha Beach this season. Her dam, Descapate, won stakes by as many as seven lengths, a family we believe in. Omaha Beach is a can't miss and comes from one of the best families in the stud book. The opportunity of Dehere 4×3 definitely drove this mating.

Marrakesh Express, presently in foal to Global Campaign, is from a prestigious Harbor View Farm family and is booked to Improbable for 2022. He is the one first-year horse I missed out on in 2021. This mare's Munnings filly was in our top five that year; leggy filly and all quality. One look at this horse, and there is no question that these Improbable foals will make everyone's short list at the sales.

Let us know who you're breeding your mares to in 2022, and why. We will print a selection of your responses in TDN over the coming weeks. Please send details to: garyking@thetdn.com.