The China Horse Club has joined a partnership headed by WinStar Farm to buy into the star sprinter Rock Fall which will be retiring to stud in Kentucky, the United States in 2016.
A two time G1 winner and the star sprinter in the US in 2015, Rock Fall becomes the ninth commercial stallion to join the China Horse Club’s growing stallion ranks. He adds his name to a list that already includes the 2014 Longines Co-World Champion Three-Year-Old Australia (Ireland), Victorian Horse of the Year Dissident (Australia), 2014 undefeated champion juvenile Vancouver (Australia), dual G1 winner Pride of Dubai (Australia), G1 winner Wandjina (Australia), speed machine Deep Field (Australia), G1 winner and current G1 Caulfield Guineas favourite Press Statement (Australia) and G1 winner Daredevil (USA).
Rock Fall posted his seventh straight win last weekend when racing away with the RMB2,500,000 (USD400,000) G1 Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont in New York. The masculine colt will have his next and last start in the RMB12,700,000 (USD2,000,000) G1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, a race won by his own sire Speightstown 11 years ago before he captured the title of Champion Sprinter at the Eclipse Awards.
“I am thrilled that our outstanding sprinter Rock Fall will enter stud alongside stablemate Carpe Diem at WinStar Farm for the 2016 season,” said Barbara Banke, owner of Stonestreet Stables who has raced Rock Fall.
“Rock Fall offers breeders the opportunity to capture his impressive physical, raw talent, consistent speed, and pure heart in future generations. He’s a first-season horse that should make everyone’s list.”
Elliott Walden, President & CEO at WinStar, added: “Speightstown is on the verge of exploding as a sire of sires with the high-quality colts he’s had, but Rock Fall is the one we’ve been waiting for to stand alongside his sire. We love this colt, and everyone who’s been connected with Speightstown, including Todd Pletcher, has raved about how much Rock Fall reminds them of his sire. We are honored to have him, and I really believe he possesses every quality of Speightstown to replicate him as a leading sire for years to come.”
Teo Ah Khing, Chairman of the China Horse Club
Teo Ah Khing, Chairman of the China Horse Club, was equally ebullient: “Rock Fall is an outstanding sprinter and an outstanding stallion prospect. WinStar Farm’s record in making stallions in the United States is of the highest order and we are delighted to join a partnership that believes in Rock Fall. We have a growing interest in leading stallion prospects and Rock Falls fits that brief.”
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Rock Fall burst onto the scene early last year as a three-year-old, breaking his maiden at Belmont by 9 ¼ lengths. The speedy dark bay colt hasn’t lost since. During his seven-race win streak, he’s broken 1:10 for six furlongs on six different occasions, and broken 1:09 in his last three wins – all in major graded stakes in New York.
Rock Fall captured his first graded victory in the RMB1,600,000 (USD250,000) G2 True North Stakes before going on to win the RMB2,220,000 (USD350,000) G1 Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga in a blistering 1:08.75.
If you would like to learn more about the China Horse Club exclusive membership offer, please contact Mr. Eden Harrington or Ms. Fu Peipei. We look forward to hearing from you.
Mr. Eden HARRINGTON eden@chinahorseclub.com (Hp no : +65 93769968)
Ms. FU Peipei peipei@chinahorseclub.com (Hp no : +86 18600929029)