Archangel, former world champion and the sire of Canada's fastest trotter, will have a new base of operations for stud duty as he heads to Europe on a breeding lease.

Standing stud in Ontario at Winbak Farm of Canada since 2015 after a prior limited breeding season in New York, Archangel has produced winners of nearly $28.2 million, including two sub-1:50 trotters, two-time O'Brien Award winner Logan Park and Canadian record holder Lexus Kody.

Lexus Kody was the first Canadian-sired trotter to break the 1:50 barrier at The Meadowlands winning the Vincennes Trot in 1:49.4 on the 2024 Hambletonian Day undercard. Double millionaire Logan Park then trotted in 1:49.2, winning last year's Allerage Farms Open at The Red Mile. Just last weekend, Lexus Kody set an all-age trotting record in Canada, winning the Maple Leaf Trot in 1:49.1 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The pair, along with Logan Park's full sister Willys Home Run and fellow two-time O'Brien Award winner Fashion Frenzie are among five millionaires sired by Archangel. New York-sired Guardian Angel As, another Maple Leaf Trot winner, is the other. Archangel is also the sire of O'Brien Award winner Twin B Archie.

Archangel himself boasts a lifetime mark of 1:50, a world record on a mile track at the time of his victory in an elimination for the 2014 John Cashman Jr. Memorial at The Meadowlands. He also set a world record for three-year-old colts on a half-mile track winning the 2012 Yonkers Trot in 1:54.1. The son of Credit Winner out of Michelles Angel earned 16 wins, 11 seconds and four thirds from 48 career starts and banked $1,141,831 in his racing career.

Owned by Elizabeth Hainsworth of Aiken, South Carolina and Clare Semer of Boynton Beach, Florida, Archangel will still be managed by Winbak Farm as he heads to Italy on a three-year breeding lease at Allevamento Perrini (Agricola Perrini S.R.L.), located in Laterza.

"The owners, Beth and Clare, felt it was a great opportunity for Archangel to be on the international level and produce some babies in Europe," Pat Woods, Manager, Winbak Farm of Canada, told Trot Insider. "Because of his success here in North America, there is a very high demand for his foals in Europe. I believe being a multiple O’Brien Award-winning sire has garnered him the recognition internationally. Logan Park, Fashion Frenzie, Lexus Kody, Twin B Archie and Willys Home Run have stamped his name as a great producing sire in North America.

"We will miss 'Archie' here at the farm, he has always been a pleasure to work with and definitely a favourite among the staff," said Woods. "Personally, I have mixed emotions with 'Archie' leaving us here at Winbak Canada. I love the way his babies and yearlings look. They are always so sharp looking so I will miss seeing his offspring at the farm, sales and racetracks here. But I am excited for him to have this opportunity to cross with some European bloodlines and produce some great international horses. I will definitely be following with great anticipation and interest."

(Standardbred Canada)