Training Farm to Stand Top California Stallion Grazen

Grazen, California's current leading sire of 2023 by progeny earnings and number of stakes winners, will stand the 2024 breeding season at Eclipse Thoroughbred Training and Sports Therapy near Buellton, Calif. Bred and owned by Nick Alexander, Grazen previously stood at Tommy Town Thoroughbreds in Santa Ynez, Calif. "He will be their first stallion—they've been breaking my yearlings for the last two years," said Alexander. "They're very excited to have the chance to do this, and it's only 15 minutes from my ranch." Mike and Angie Scully have run Eclipse Thoroughbred Training and Sports Therapy since 2006. Mike is a third-generation horseman, and Angie is involved in equine rehabilitation. After they moved their operation to the former River Edge Farm two years ago, they built a half-mile training track. River Edge, owned by Martin and Pam Wygod, stood many leading California sires, including Benchmark, the sire of Grazen, and several major California-bred runners have come from that property. Grazen, a graded stakes winner out of the stakes-placed Rubiano mare Hazen, has sired such runners as 2021 California-bred Horse of the Year Lieutenant Dan, 2016 champion Cal-bred 3-year-old female Enola Gray, and multiple stakes winner Connie Swingle, who are all Alexander homebreds. The stallion's current runners include multiple stakes winners Alice Marble and Rose Maddox, and stakes winners Blazingbellablu, Carole Lombard, Grazed My Heart, and Old Pal. Angie Scully said that Eclipse Thoroughbred Training and Sports Therapy will also stand Unusual Heatwave for the 2024 season. Owned by Teresa McWilliams, Unusual Heatwave won three stakes and earned $488,752. He is by California leading sire Unusual Heat out of the Candi's Gold mare Miss Alphie. From a limited number of foals, Unusual Heatwave has sired such winners as Limited Heatwave and Gordy's Boy. Tom and Debi Stull, owners of Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, said back in December they would be moving some of their mares and racehorses to Kentucky. Tom Stull said at the time they were looking into buying a farm in Kentucky but had no plans to close their California facility. "We've been buying Kentucky yearlings, and we have some mares back in Kentucky," Stull told BloodHorse in December. "The purse structure is just so much better back there, and we have more opportunity to get in races. We're probably going to be racing more back there. We're just going to cut back on the California program." Gantz: Stulls to Race More in KY, But Keeping Calif. Stud Farm