A fine example of one of the most successful broodmare sires the world has ever seen.
Many of the worlds greats have passed through Argentina in the last 40 years leaving some extraordinary mixes behind them. Some on their path to greatness, others towards the ends of their careers approaching retirement. Some of these retired in Argentina, others were sent back to where they originated from. The ones who have made the biggest impact in Argentina are those which have stayed in the country. English, French and American thoroughbreds have been the most common imports with the occasional Canadian and Spanish addition too. Studs like La Quebrada are the most powerful driving forces behind this in the never ending competitiveness between studs on the race track. For example, the late Southern Halo (shown opposite) died of colic in November 2009 at a very impressive 24 years old at La Quebrada. Surely he is one of, if not the best example of this? He was the leading sire in Argentina 8 times. He sired 120 stakes winners, including 88 graded group winners and 12 champions. He ran 24 major races taking 5 wins, 7 - 2nd places and 3 shows to make career earnings of US$ 344,875. All of his ancestors going back three generations were American except for Northern Dancer who was Canadian. Southern Halo was exported to Argentina by La Quebrada and there he stayed.
He has become a cornerstone in virtually every one of today's successful breeding operations.
Northern Dancer is another fantastic, extremely famous sire. He is Southern Halo's maternal grandsire. Born on the 27th of May in 1961 he was named Champion Three Year Old Colt in 1964 in the USA and Canada and the same year was named Canadian Horse Of The Year. At 3 he ran and won at Gulfstream Park 7 furlongs which he ran in 1:22.2 and Churchill Downs 10 furlongs in exactly 2 minutes. He was named the leading sire in the USA in 1971 and 1977, and in England 1970, 1977, 1983 and 1984. He made over US$ 31 million in progeny earnings. Pensioned from stud in 1987 he died on the 16th November 1990 and was buried at Windfields Farm in Ontario. Out of 18 starts he took an incredible total of 14 wins and achieved career earnings of US$ 580,806.
Sold in 1955 for US$1,252,200 which at the time was a record price paid for a horse.
Not many people in the polo world have studied the fantastic history behind this hugely successful thoroughbred. Nashua, like his grandson Farnesio have written history on the track as well as broodmare sires. Farnesio was bred by the very famous stud 'Ojo De Agua' in Argentina. He ran 18 times taking 6 wins. At 3 years old he won the Gp Jockey Club [G1-ARG], Pr Coronel Miguel F. Martinez [G3-ARG] and was placed 2nd in the Gp National [G1-ARG]. At 4 years old he was placed 2nd in the Del Mar Invitational H. [G2-USA]. At 5 years old he won the Premiere H. [USA], was placed 2nd in the Citation H. [G3-USA], and won the San Bernardino H[G2-USA] and El Monte S. [USA]. He was a Classic sire in Argentina and who sadly died in 1994.
Nashua claimed US$1,288,565 in career earnings. Foaled in 1952 at the Belair Stud in the USA who owned him throughout the peak of his career.During his career on the track he ran an amazing 30 races of which he took an unheard of percentage of 22 wins. Races he won are Futurity, Hopeful, Grand Union Hotel, Juvenile, Preakness, Arlington Classic, Belmont, Flamingo, Florida Derby, Washington Park, Wood Memorial, Jockey Club Gold Cup (twice), Dwyer, Widener, Monmouth, Suburban, Grey Lag and Camden. Races he came 2nd in are Cowdin, Cherry Hill, Kentucky Derby and Woodward. He also came in 3rd once at Sysonby. In 1954 he was Champion 2 Year Old Colt and in 1955 Champion 3 Year Old Colt. Also in 1955 he was named Horse Of The Year. In 1954 when he ran the Belmont Park track he ran 6 furlongs in 1:08, the 1955 race at Pimlico of 9.5 furlongs in 1:54 and the 1956 race at Belmont of 16 furlongs in 3:20.
A direct descendant of Hyperion
Nice Lince is an Argentine thoroughbred stallion winner of 13 short races. His bloodline has the American sire called Laramie Trail in it who is his grand-sire and his sire's Dam is the Commendatore mare called Civil War. Nice Lince has only served 3 polo mares of which all three foals play excellently and are all female. One plays the high goal in the UK with a 6 goal player. Another is Bonita which you can see in our available ponies section in the UK and the last one is playing the Camera in Argentina with a 7 goal player. We are serving more mares with this stallion now because of the excellent results we have seen up till now.
Our own Stallion from the Southern Halo line playing polo and serving mares.
He is by Fancy Halo who was from the Southern Halo line. Fancy Halo was used for years in embryo transfer centres. His mother is Fancy Logic who is by Logical and out of a mare called Formosa who is by Make Tracks. This extremely successful bloodline has been used in both racing and polo for years. Southern Halo, Fancy Halo, Fancy Logic, Make Tracks, Swan Lake and Salt Marsh amongst other stallions from this line have covered many different mares producing a high percentage which have played and indeed some of which do still play at a high level of competitive Polo. These thoroughbred lines are still very strong in Argentina but are becoming rare. These days the horses produced from these lines are usually exported.
