Page 24 - The Game February 2006

24 The Game, February 2006 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
Stronach to Build Equine Centre in Aurora
Guelph had already determined that building an equine health- care and performance centre would be a key objective. I am, therefore, delighted that our priorities are so closely aligned. We applaud Adena Springs and Frank Stronach for sharing this bold vision, and we look forward to making it a reality in the months ahead."
A University of Guelph spokesman, off the record, indicated to me that any further comment might be inappropriate because actual plans for the Equine Centre are still in the embryonic stages and could therefore, be subject to much alteration over the years. Still, to be involved with Stronach on a
project like this can only heighten the reputation of a univer- sity that already is world famous for its Agricultural and Veterinary studies.
Stronach has emerged in the past ten years as the one individual with the greatest impact on Thoroughbred Racing and the money to make a difference. In just six years, from 1998
through 2004, Stronach's Magna Entertainment purchased 16 race- tracks throughout North America. Magna-owned Santa Anita hosted the Breeders' Cup in 2003, and another Magna racetrack, Lone Star hosted the event in 2004.
The University of Guelph is renowned as a research-intensive and learner-centred institution. It has six colleges that span the natural and physical sciences, social sciences and humanities and a full-time enrollment of nearly 18,000 under- graduate and graduate students.
The proposed equine health and performance centre will enhance and complement the various equine teaching, research and health-care programs already provided by the Ontario Veterinary College and Equine Guelph on the Guelph campus, as well as the equine work being done at the university's Arkell Research Station. So obviously this favors the University of Guelph. Tipping the scales dramatically as far as the U. of G. is concerned is that Stronach will be paying for the whole complex.
And Frank Stronach never does something halfway. If he gets his way - and that's usually the case - this equine centre will most likely be a state-of-the-art facility offering horse owners and trainers benefits not currently available in the area.
Stronach's accomplishments as a horse breeder and owner put him in an extraordinary position to determine the nature of an equine and performance centre. He won Eclipse Awards in 2000 and 2004 as champion breeder in North America, and was recognized by the Eclipse Awards voters in 1998, 1999, and 2000 as champion owner. In the past 12 years he has won ten Sovereign Awards in Canada, including 2005 as Canada's top breeder and owner.
The obvious appeal for horse people is that Aurora is pretty well at the epicentre of the horse racing industry of Southern Ontario. Within an hour's drive there are countless horse related operations. Many thoroughbred farms as well as equestrian centres flourish in the area.
By Peter Gross
Horsepeople in the Southern Ontario Region should be excited about recent plans revealed by Frank Stronach's Adena Springs and the University Of Guelph to build an Equine Health and Performance Centre at the site of Adena Springs North in Aurora.
This seems to be a case of Stronach etching one more master stroke in what is obviously a passionate and profound commitment to thoroughbred racing.
"My vision is to help create a world-class equine health and performance centre, and we are excited to be working with the University of Guelph to make it happen," said Stronach. "This facility will help the equine industry continue to grow and prosper by supporting the high-performance equine athletes that
are at the core of the business. Supporting the Ontario equine industry is one of my key priorities, and working with the out- standing faculty, staff and students at the university will help position this province's equine industry to be leaders in North America."
For the time being, the University of Guelph has preferred not to offer any elaborate description of their involvement with Adena Springs, apart from what was submitted in a campus press release in which the University President Alastair Summerlee was quoted.
"Mr. Stronach's vision fits perfectly with the university's multi-year plan to enhance existing facilities and services at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC)," said Summerlee. "As part of our planning, the Ontario Veterinary College and Equine
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At Anson Stud Farm we are proud of our graduates’ recent success. The following yearlings were foaled, raised and sale prepped at Anson:
Fasig-Tipton, Kentucky Selected Yearling Sale: July 18-19, 2005:
Hip No. 535 - filly by Forest Wildcat - Miss Illusion SOLD $250,000 US$
Hip No. 605 - filly by Belong to Me - Roses at Sunset SOLD $160,000 US$
Hip No. 94 - filly by A Fleets Dancer - Far Out Lady SOLD $32,000 US$
Saratoga Premier Yearling Sale: August 11-12, 2005
Hip No. 9 - filly by Orientate - Glimmering Halo - SOLD $85,000 US$
Hip No. 91 - colt by Forestry - Showering SOLD $80,000 US$ - Highest selling colt in sale
Hip No. 71 - Dreams On Ice filly by A Fleets Dancer - Romance On Ice SOLD $40,000 US$
Hip No. 174 - filly by Not Impossible (IRE) - Classiest Carat - SOLD $40,000 US$
Hip No. 152 - Boyz colt by A Fleets Dancer - Beldine - SOLD $21,000 US$
Hip No. 150 - A Fleets Tramp filly by A Fleets Dancer - Because of Love SOLD $15,000 US$
CTHS Alberta Summer Yearling Sale: August 20 - 21, 2005
Hip No. 35 - filly by A Fleets Dancer - Spring Holiday - SOLD $14,000 Hip No. 80 - colt by A Fleets Dancer - Call Me Krystal - SOLD $24,000 Hip No. 129 - colt by A Fleets Dancer - Halo Alfaari - SOLD $18,000 Hip No. 159 - colt by A Fleets Dancer - Little Storm - SOLD $34,000
CTHS Ontario Select Yearling Sale: September 6, 2005
Hip No. 62 - filly by A Fleets Dancer - Darn Taxes - SOLD $20,000 Hip No. 129 - filly by A Fleets Dancer - Mist On The Hill - SOLD $97,000
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