Social Inclusion, the grade 1-placed son of Pioneerof the Nile, is returning to Pennsylvania to stand stud in 2027.
Having stood at Briardale Farm near Belleview, Fla., since 2022, Social Inclusion will relocate to Bonner Hill Farms near Littlestown, Pa., said Bonner Hill Farms owner Cristina Holmes.
"He's the only stud in Pennsylvania to get out of a Pennsylvania mare a Triple Crown contender, because we did have Uncle Heavy run in the Preakness (sixth in 2024), so that's the excitement. ... The opportunities are endless with him," Holmes told BloodHorse.
While 2024 Withers Stakes (G3) winner Uncle Heavy might be the sire's most accomplished runner, his top earner is grade 2-placed Gordian Knot ($655,055).
While at Briardale Farm, Social Inclusion's stud fee had been private, but with the move to Bonner Hill, his yet-to-be-disclosed fee will be "a price that Pennsylvania breeders can't resist," Holmes said.
Briardale Farm owner Joe Imbesi, who owned half of the sire from 2017-19, bought out co-owner Glenn Brok in 2019. Now he is partnering with Holmes.
Holmes said that the Pennsylvania-bred incentives were a driving force in the move.
"We have 40% owner bonuses at the track, we have 30% owner bonuses ... on top of our breeders' awards, so there's a potential to make a lot of money in Pennsylvania," Holmes said. "It's just getting the right stallions, the right mares, and them running the right races."
The state's bonus program provides 50% of the purse for maiden races and 40% for non-maiden races for Pennsylvania-sired Pennsylvania-bred runners. Additionally, if those runners hit the board in a state pari-mutuel race, the stallion owner receives 10% of the earned purse.
Social Inclusion, now 15, raced at 3 and 4 with a record of 3-1-3 from nine starts and $450,800 in earnings. He had a strong stretch in 2014, finishing third in three consecutive starts: the Wood Memorial Stakes (G1), Preakness Stakes (G1), and Woody Stephens Stakes (G2).
He was bred in Kentucky by Robert Tillyer, Martin Keogh, and Dr. Chet Blackey, and campaigned by owner Rontos Racing Stable. Manuel J. Azpurua trained Social Inclusion for most of his career.
From seven crops of racing age, Social Inclusion has 112 starters from 181 foals with 79 winners. His progeny have banked $9,376,177.
Social Inclusion's stallion journey began in 2017 at Woodford Thoroughbreds near Reddick, Fla., before spending three years at Diamond B Farm near Mohrsville, Pa.
Now, he returns to Pennsylvania, where he will join Pat On the Back and Capo Kane at Bonner Hill. The former stood this year for $3,500, while the latter had a fee of $2,500. Holmes said their fees are negotiable for those seriously interested.
"We are very excited," Holmes said of Social Inclusion's return to Pennsylvania. "We're very optimistic. This has created a little bit of buzz already. I've gotten people already saying they're going to breed their mares to him."
