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 5yo Mr. Sidney (Storm Cat–Tomisue’s Delight, by A.P. Indy), a Grade I winner at a mile on the turf, will stand at stud at Haras du Quesnay in Normandy, announced by Lee Einsidler and Daniele Churchill, who campaigned the horse under their Circle E Racing Stable, and Alec Head, the stud farm’s owner. He will stand for an introductory fee of 9,000 Euros.
The winner of the Maker’s Mark Mile (Gr1 - Turf) over the Keeneland turf course this April, Mr. Sidney also came home first in the Firecracker Handicap (Gr2 - 1,600mT) at Churchill on the grass in July.
The $3.9 million 2005 Keeneland September yearling is out of a full sister to Horse of the Year Mineshaft, the multiple Grade I winning millionaire Tomisue’s Delight.
Said Einsidler, of the decision to send Mr. Sidney overseas, “We weighed offers, both domestically and internationally, but we thought going to France would give Mr. Sidney the best chance for success as a stallion. Bill Mott, who trained him, has known Alec Head for many years and has trained for him. That relationship gave us a degree of comfort, as did the recommendation of Bill, who was really responsible for the horse’s success.”
Alec Head said that there was a lot to recommend about the stallion from a conformation and pedigree standpoint. '' First of all, his looks: he is a very well-made horse, by the stallion of the century, Storm Cat, who has been successful all around the world. His dam is a winner of two Grade Is, his granddam (Broodmare of the Year Prospectors Delite) is also a multiple Grade I winner, which already is rare. When you go back in his pedigree, you have Storm Cat, A.P. Indy and Mr. Prospector, three of the best. His dam is a full-sister to Mineshaft, who is a very promising young sire. There are also five sires in the first three generations.”
While he raced strictly in America, Mr. Sidney will have no trouble finding demand in Europe, according to Head. “I think that Mr Sidney will cross well with the European mares,” he said. “Regarding his nomination price, we will stand him for 9,000 Euros. When you think that Storm Cat stood for $500,000, A.P. Indy for $300,000 and Mr. Prospector at any kind of money, Mr. Sidney will be a great asset to the French breeders."
While Einsidler credits Mott for his success with the horse, Mott said it was hard to find fault with Mr. Sidney.
“He is one of the most attractive Storm Cats I’ve ever seen,” said Mott. “Not only was he a Grade I winner, but he was a horse with almost perfect conformation. It’s very difficult to pick this horse apart. He was a Storm Cat who never had any breathing issues. He had perfect wind–very good air. He was very, very sound. It was unfortunate that he lost a little bit of time early in his career due to a freak accident, but once we got going with him, he maintained a consistent schedule. He is a very handsome horse who has good bone, great conformation and who loved to train. He needed a lot of training and he was a horse with the constitution and makeup to handle that.”
Continued Mott, “I think he’s going to be very popular in France. He is one of the better Storm Cats we’ve seen recently, a very sound, tough, good-looking type of horse that Mr. Head liked, and we’re all very enthused that he is going to be a part of this. The fact that he’ll be supporting the horse with some of his own mares, combined with how popular we expect him to be there, will get him off to a good start.”
Einsidler, Chief Executive Officer of Sidney Frank Importing Company, Inc., perhaps best known for the creation of Grey Goose Ultra-Premium Vodka, and Churchill, named Mr. Sidney after the company’s founder. Recalled Einsidler, “We had a very special relationship with Sidney Frank, and when we bought him, we told him we had bought this very special horse, and we would like to name him after him.” Frank died in January, 2006 before the colt had a chance to run.
In a happy coincidence, Einsidler will get the chance to visit his charge now and then. “In my business, I have an opportunity to go France from time to time. We import cognac from France and, although the decision to send Mr. Sidney to France was based strictly on finding the best spot to allow him to succeed, the fact I do travel to France on business will open up a whole new avenue for us in terms of breeding and racing overseas. It’s not the reason we’re going, but an interesting by-product of the decision.”
Located four miles from Deauville in the Normandy countryside, Haras du Quesnay is home to stallions Bering, Dunkerque, Gold Away, Kentucky Dynamite, Sevres Rose and Panis.
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