Trot Insider has learned that Sportswriter will continue to stand stud at Tara Hills Stud Farm in Port Perry, Ont. through the 2015 breeding season.
Tara Hills' David Heffering told Trot Insider that he was surprised to hear so many rumours that the stallion would leave.
"There was never any doubt that Sportswriter was going to stay," said Heffering, "and there's no reason for Ontario to have an inferiority complex because it's the best program out there. Southwind and Tara Hills still believe in it wholeheartedly."
With his first crop competing this year, Sportswriter is currently the leading pacing sire overall in the Ontario Sires Stakes program and tops all pacing sires in North America for earnings won by freshmen (over $2 million). Among his blossoming stars are OSS division standouts Sports Chic p,2,1:54.2f ($221,389) and Sporting The Look p,2,1:53s ($178,594).
Sportswriter earned divisional honours in both Canada and the U.S. during a near-perfect freshman campaign in which he won the million-dollar Metro Pace and divisions of the Nassagaweya and Champlain Stakes. He was also second by just a head to All Speed Hanover in the Breeders Crown in his only loss in eight starts that year.
The son of Artsplace-Precious Beauty returned at three to win his second million-dollar race, the North America Cup, in a career-best 1:48.3. He retired midway through his sophomore season due to an injury with a career record reading 8-2-1 in 14 starts and over $1.6 million banked in purses.
Sportswriter will stand for a stud fee of $6,500, with loyalty discounts available from the Tara Hills program.
"A lot of people were expecting him to be more money but we want to take care of the loyal supporters of the horse, and this is a good way of doing it," said Heffering.