Gufo Retired to Stud at Ballycroy Bloodstock in Ontario

Multiple grade 1 turf winner Gufo has been retired to stud at Ballycroy Bloodstock, a new facility owned by the Kemp family that has a more than 20-year history with Thoroughbred racing. The farm is a full-service breeding and sales operation outside of Toronto. Gufo, a 6-year-old son of Declaration of War, is a multi-millionaire who raced from 2 to 5. He became a stakes winner in his second start at 3 and one race later captured his first graded stakes in the 1 1/8-mile Kent Stakes (G3T) at Delaware Park. Trained by Christophe Clement for Otter Bend Stables, Gufo went on to win two editions of the Sword Dancer Stakes (G1T) in 2021-22 at Saratoga Race Course, the 2020 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T), and the 2022 Pan American Stakes (G2T) at Gulfstream Park. For his career, he won or placed in 12 graded stakes. He was retired with 9-4-5 record from 21 starts and banked $2,176,530 in earnings. "I sent him to Ballycroy because they loved the horse more than anyone else," said John Little, who co-bred Gufo with his friend Stephen Cainelli and helped manage the horse's racing career while he ran in the name of Cainelli's Otter Bend Stables. "I'm sure they wanted him because he was so successful on the turf, and they don't run on dirt at Woodbine." Michaela Kemp, Ballycroy's director of bloodstock, said Gufo's success in routes on the grass helped the farm provide a more complete stallion roster for breeders. "First, we think Woodbine is headed in the right direction with its dual turf tracks and in offering more turf racing," she said. "And now with Gufo, we have covered three different breeding points and can give Ontario breeders options to find exactly the right stallion for their mares." The farm also stands sprinter Collusion Illusion, a 6-year-old son of Twirling Candy, and Tamarkuz, a 13-year-old son of versatile sire Speightstown, who won four graded stakes at a mile, including the 2016 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1). Gufo will stand for CAN$4,500 with some incentives available. A discount is available for breeding multiple mares and a 50% discount is being offered for mares that are under 12 and were either maiden special weight winners at 2 or won a stakes at any age. The 50% discount is available, too, to mares who have produced a stakes winner. Little owns the stallion, which he bought back from Cainelli during this year's Keeneland November Breeding Stock for $220,000. The horse unfortunately broke his jaw in an accident just prior to the sale and Little said he didn't want to give the horse away. "I think his progeny will stand out because he is not your typical two-turn turf horse. He weighs about 1,300 pounds and is 16.2 hands," he said. "He's a big gorgeous horse that looks more like Meadowlake than Sadler's Wells." Gufo is out of the Petionville mare Floy, making him a half brother to multiple grade 3 winner Hogy (by Offlee Wild), who set a 5 1/2-furlong track record of 1:01.56 in 2017 on the grass in the Colonel Power Overnight Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Gufo also set a nine-furlong track record in 2020 at Delaware Park in the Kent Stakes, which he won in 1:46.94. Gufo's immediate family also produced stakes winners American Standard and Baldski along with 1986 champion 2-year-old Capote, who all went on to successful sire careers.