Thumbs Up Racing and Indiana stallion farm Swifty Farms will introduce Sleepy Eyes Todd to breeders in the Midwest and Kentucky for the 2022 breeding season. He will stand at Swifty Farms for an advertised fee of $3,500 stands and nurses.
After running at 11 U.S. racetracks in 10 states and traveling to two countries in the Middle East, the 5-year-old son of Paddy O'Prado is ready to set down some roots. The $2 million-earning stallion arrived at the Seymour, Ind., farm over the weekend and already has his owner, David Cobb of Thumbs Up Racing, revved up for the prospects of his new chapter.
"(Indiana) is the perfect place for us, and I'm excited to get going with (his) stallion career," said Cobb.
The horse retires sound and healthy, according to his connections.
"I could have taken him to a number of places, but I really do believe that regional breeding programs are the best game in town, and Indiana has a very strong program," Cobb added. "I spoke with a number of Indiana connections, including Christine Cagle of Springcliff Farm and Jerri Harmon, Swifty's new stallion manager, and it just felt right to bring him to Indiana."
Both Cobb and Sleepy Eyes Todd's longtime trainer, Miguel Silva, plan to breed their mares to the gray stallion to take advantage of the Indiana-sired program.
"The biggest benefit to Indiana is the close proximity to Kentucky," Cobb said. "And I believe that Kentucky breeders are looking for better bargains."
Sleepy Eyes Todd finished his career with 20 starts, eight wins, three seconds, and a third, and earnings of $2,051,725. Bred by Two Hearts Farm and Kristen Goncharoff, he recorded his first black-type score in 2019 in taking the Jeffrey A. Hawk Memorial Stakes at Remington Park. The next year he expanded his resume by adding the Bosselman Pump and Pantry/Gus Fonner Stakes at Fonner Park, the Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2) at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, the Lafayette Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select at Keeneland on the Breeders' Cup undercard, and in the closing race of his 4-year-old season, the Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
This year during his 5-year-old season, he was winless in five starts, though he performed well in top company, running fourth in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream and fifth in the Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse. He then wound down his career with a 10th in the Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) at Meydan, a third in the Bosselman Pump and Pantry/Gus Fonner Stakes, and a second during a title defense in the Charles Town Classic. He continued to breeze through late October at Keeneland.
"'Sleepy' has definitely shown that he is game enough to race on any track, any continent, and any distance," Cobb said. "That's what I'm hoping Indiana breeders are looking for."
