New stallions for Ontario, New York, Pennsylvania and Indiana were announced on Monday, Oct. 28 by Dr. J Stallion Management.
Its Academic 1:50.1, $2,830,912 will stand the 2025 breeding season in Ontario at Tara Hills Stud in Port Perry.
Trained by Ron Burke for the majority of his career and owned by Brad Grant of Milton, Ont., the 2023 Dan Patch Older Trotting Horse of the Year is a gold standard for consistency and honesty. A precocious two and three-year-old, Its Academic won at the Delaware County Fair in 1:55.2h at two and took a three-year-old record of 1:50.3 in a division of the Bluegrass Stakes at The Red Mile. In fact, Its Academic captured seven of his 14 starts at three, also including the Currier & Ives and The Pegasus.
Its Academic blossomed into one of the best older trotters in the history of the sport. His victories as an older trotter are numerous and include the Charlie Hill Memorial, multiple legs of the Graduate Series, the Crawford Farms Trot, Spirit Of Massachusetts (twice), John Cashman Memorial, Tom Aldrich President's Trot (twice), Caesars Trotting Classic and leg of the MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series.
"Its Academic has been a pleasure to train since the first day I put the harness on him," said Burke of the dark, perfectly sized and perfectly conformed seven-year-old son of Uncle Peter out of the Muscle Hill mare Annapolis. "He’s a classy, honest horse that always gives his all and has defeated some of the best trotters in the world.”
Its Academic's 2025 service fee will be $6,000 and multiple mare discounts will be available.
Captain Albano p, 3, 1:48.1, $1,642,406, the Dan Patch Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year in 2023 and the favourite to capture U.S. divisional honours again in 2024, will stand the 2025 breeding season at Blue Chip Farms in Wallkill, New York for a service fee of $8,500 USD.
At two, Captain Albano recorded seven wins and two second-place finishes in nine starts while taking a record of 1:49.2 winning a division of the Bluegrass Stakes. Captain Albano’s other wins at two included the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final, a division of the International Stallion Stakes and an elimination of the Breeders Crown. This year at three, Captain Albano captured The Adios, Little Brown Jug and an elimination of Breeders Crown.
From the classic Shifting Sands family, Captain Albano is a handsome, correct son of Captaintreacherous out of Angelou (by American Ideal).
"Captain Albano has been a complete professional since the day I broke him," said trainer Noel Daley. "He has a great attitude, a world of talent and a terrific gait that enables him to get around any size track; I wouldn’t change anything about him.”
Shares in this great son of Captaintreacherous will be sold.
Sig Sauer 3, 1:49.3, $1,476,270 will stand in Pennsylvania at Hanover Shoe Farms for a service fee of $8,000 USD.
A top contender for 2024 Dan Patch Three-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year honours, Sig Sauer is a winner of nine of 15 lifetime starts. Sig Sauer won four of five starts at the age of two while taking a rookie mark of 1:53.3 winning the New Jersey Sire Stakes final. Sig Sauer is the fastest three-year-old trotter of 2024 by virtue of his 1:49.3 win in the Kentucky Futurity which is the only sub-1:50 win by any three-year-old trotter this season. In addition to the Kentucky Futurity, victories by Sig Sauer this year at three include a division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial, Earl Beal Memorial and the final of the Breeders Crown.
According to his trainer Noel Daley, “There isn’t a three-year-old trotter this year that can beat Sig Sauer when he is at his best.”
A $200,000 yearling purchase, Sig Sauer is a breathtakingly handsome son of the great Muscle Hill out of Sigilwig (by Donato Hanover). He is from a great maternal family that includes Back Of The Neck (1:51s - $1,552,773), Broadway Donna (1:51.1 - $1,441,047) and Fashion Schooner (1:50 - $770,113).
Shares in this exciting young stallion will be sold.
Hellabalou p,1:48.3f, $1,632,072, the iron-tough son of super sire Sweet Lou out of the Rocknroll Hanover mare Magestic Blue Chip, will stand the 2025 breeding season at Pedigree Point Stables in Etna Green, Indiana for a service fee of $4,000 USD.
At three, Hellabalou won his elimination of the Meadowlands Pace in 1:49.2 with a last quarter of :25.2, and both an elimination and the final of The Adios. As an older horse, Hellabalou became a stalwart in the Opens and Preferreds at several racetracks with his highlights including victories in the MGM Borgata Pacing Series final at Yonkers Raceway in both 2023 and 2024 and this year's Camluck Classic.
Hellabalou hails from one of the sport’s hottest maternal families whose performers include Boston Red Rocks (1:48.2f - $1,486,357), Mcseaside (1:48.4 - $599,788) and this year’s Ohio two-year-old phenom Rick Wink (1:50.2h - $376,675).
Trainer Ron Burke described Hellabalou as “the best-looking horse I have ever trained," and added that, “if Hellabalou passes his raw speed and toughness, I truly believe he can be a great stallion.”
Shares in this gorgeous son of Sweet Lou will be available.
For further information on these four stallions, contact Dr. Bridgette Jablonsky at 717-578-7395 or [email protected]. All of these stallions, except for Sig Sauer, will be featured at the Dr. J Stallion Management Open House that is scheduled to be held on Dec. 18 from noon to 3 p.m. at Scioto Downs. All are invited to attend.
(With files from Dr. J Stallion Management)