Gufo Moving to Darby Dan for 2025 Season

Gufo, a grade 1 winner at 3, 4, and 5, and a son of Declaration of War, is relocating from Ballycroy Bloodstock in Ontario, Canada, to Darby Dan Farm near Lexington for the 2025 breeding season, it was announced Oct. 13. Gufo stood his first season at stud this year for C$4,500 and will welcome his first foals in 2025. He is owned by Dr. John Little, who co-bred the multi-millionaire in partnership with longtime friend Dr. Stephen Cainelli. The latter campaigned Gufo under the nom de course of Otter Bend Stables. Gufo will stand the upcoming breeding season for $5,000 S&N. Incentives will be available for qualified mares. "We're excited to add Gufo to our roster for the upcoming breeding season," said Stuart Fitzgibbon, stallion director at Darby Dan Farm. "Gufo was a top-class racehorse with a physical that commands attention. His powerful physique is matched by his incredible talent and durability that he demonstrated over four seasons on the racetrack." In a spectacular racing career, Gufo won or placed in 12 graded stakes, including back-to-back renewals of the $750,000 Sword Dancer Stakes (G1T) in 2021 and '22, and the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) in 2020. Gufo also set a new nine-furlong course record at Delaware Park in 2020, winning his graded stakes debut in the Kent Stakes covering the distance in 1:46.94. Remarkably, Gufo finished in the top three in 18 of 21 lifetime starts and retired with earnings of $2,176,530. Trained by Christophe Clement, Gufo raced from ages 2 to 5. While he proved his longevity, competing against the best of his generation for four years at the racetrack, Gufo was also precocious. He broke his maiden at 2 in just his second start, winning a maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park. Gufo secured the first of his three grade 1 wins in the 1 1/4-mile Belmont Derby Invitational at 3. With a strong late kick through the final furlong, Gufo ran down the pacesetters to score by a length in the end. At 4 in 2021, Gufo proved a determined winner of Saratoga Race Course's Sword Dancer at 1 1/2 miles on the turf. Tipping three-wide on the far turn, Gufo took command at the three-sixteenths and rebuffed a challenge from Japan (GB) to take down top prize in the prestigious fixture. He successfully defended his crown the following year, defeating a deep international field by a half-length. In addition to his grade 1 success, Gufo also finished third in the Hollywood Derby (G1T) at 3; was second in the Man o' War S. (G1T), third in both the Manhattan Stakes (G1T) and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (G1T); and was second again in the Man o' War at 5, as well as third in the Manhattan. Gufo, whose name originates from Northern Italy where the sighting of a Gufo bird (owl) traditionally brings good luck, is the leading earner for his multiple group 1-winning sire Declaration of War, a son of War Front. Champion older male in England and champion older male twice in Ireland, Declaration of War is the sire of three champions, seven grade 1 winners, and grade 1 winners in four countries. Gufo, who is from Declaration of War's second crop, is produced from the Petionville mare Floy, making him a half brother to multiple graded stakes winner and millionaire Hogy. In a lengthy career that spanned nine seasons, Hogy banked more than $1.3 million and set a 5 1/2-furlong track record of 1:01.56 on the turf at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. To schedule an inspection or for more information on Gufo, contact Stuart Fitzgibbon at (859) 621-6763, or by email at Stuart@darbydan.com, or visit darbydan.com.