Winbak Farm has announced that for the 2009 breeding season they will be moving three stallions to Hickory Ridge Farm, owned by Dr. Larry Smith, in Berne, Indiana.
Pacing millionaires Island Fantasy and Three Olives, along with trotting sire Holy Guacamolie, who is the fastest son of Conway Hall will be making the move to Indiana.
"Indiana looks to have a very bright future in the harness racing industry. Fifty per cent of the revenue generated from slot machines that is allocated to the standardbred industry goes to the breeders program, which has a great set-up and was thought out well. I think this is a great opportunity for breeders on any level to become part of a state that will possibly have one of the best sire stakes programs in North America. The three stallions Winbak Farm is moving to Indiana will be great assets to the program," stated Winbak Farm owner Joe Thomson.
Island Fantasy, millionaire son of Life Sign, will be the third richest pacing stallion in Indiana and standing for $3,000. Thirty of his progeny have become $100,000-or-better winners, over 25 horses that have marks of 1:53 or lower, and has produced stakes winners at every age, on every size track. Three Olives, sire of Martiniwith Olives, will be the fifth-richest pacing sire in Indiana and standing for $2,500. In 2008, over 50 per cent of his two-year-olds have started. And Holy Guacamolie, who has a mark of 1:52.3, will be standing his third season in 2009 for $2,500.
"We at Hickory Ridge Farm, a family standardbred endeavor, feel very blessed and excited that Winbak Farm has allowed us to expand our stallion ranks and provide top calibre genetic potential that will impact the Indiana harness racing program in an exceptionally positive manner. We feel that this will be a successful venture, as Winbak has the proven stallions and Hickory Ridge has the capabilities to ship semen, do embryo transfers, and we focus on problem mares, with facilities that enable us to board them as well," stated, Dr. Larry Smith, owner of Hickory Ridge Farm.
Dr. Smith received his veterinary degree from Purdue University and has been practicing for 32 years, as well as being involved in the harness racing business for equal amount of time. Hickory Ridge Farm is in a prime location in the northeast part of Indiana, six miles away from Ohio, an hour and a half from the Michigan border and two hours from Indianapolis.
(Winbak Farm)