The syndicate that owns top 10 third-crop sire Bucchero is establishing its own stallion operation in Stillwater, N.Y., with the 12-year-old son of Kantharos filling the first slot on the roster.
Ironhorse Stallions will be based out of the Questroyal North Farm starting with the 2025 breeding season. Bucchero stood this year at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds following a five-year stand at Pleasant Acres Stallions near Ocala, Fla.
"We have tremendous respect for the McMahon family and their history in New York, and both parties wanted to see how Bucchero would fit with McMahon's in-house stallions," said Bucchero's managing partner Harlan Malter. "With Bucchero, Central Banker, and Solomini the top three stallions in New York in 2024, it made sense to let the McMahons focus on their homegrown stallions and our group focus exclusively on Bucchero.
"All of the partners involved in Bucchero have been his biggest supporters from day one and it has been a privilege to be so heavily involved in both his racing and stallion career," Malter continued. "It is the logical next step to see where Bucchero can take us. As I said when he ran at Royal Ascot, 'Every time we have asked him to step up to the next level, he has delivered,' and now he has done it in the breeding shed."
Bucchero has had a breakout year in 2024, rising to the top of the New York general leading sire standings with 69 winners, 11 black-type performers, and progeny earnings of nearly $4.54 million, as of Oct. 28. He is the only New York sire represented by a grade 1 winner year to date, who is five-time black-type stakes winner and millionaire Book'em Danno. The 3-year-old gelding notched his biggest win in the Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. He started the year with a 12 1/2-length win in the Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and followed with a runner-up finish by a head in the Saudi Derby to Forever Young, who won the UAE Derby (G2) and was third in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Book'em Danno also won the Jersey Shore Stakes, was second in the Perryville Stakes (G3), and third in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1).
Lifelong horseman John Dowd will join Ironhorse Stallions as head of operations and bloodstock to go along with a growing team of experienced professionals in both New York and Florida.
"Starting Ironhorse Stallions will give us the ability to not only support New York breeders as a partner in producing the best possible New York-bred and -sired runners, but from a selfish side, we will be big buyers of New York-sired Buccheros and expect Ironhorse Racing Stable to focus the majority of its stable in New York," said Malter.
Bucchero will stand for $10,000 in 2025 with a "New York, New York" discount of $2,500 to any mare who will have a 2025 foal in New York or any prior breeder to Bucchero. A limited number of lifetime breeding rights will be available along with co-breeds to specifically approved mares.
