Sweden Gets a Stallion

The 6-year-old SW & MGSP Barocci (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}–Bastet, by Giant’s Causeway) will soon be bound for Sweden, where he’ll commence stallion duties at Ivan Sjoberg’s Ravdansen Stud. Marie and Naoya Yoshida purchased the full to the 2012 G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches heroine Beauty Parlour (Jpn) for $57,000. Lane’s End consigned Barroci, who sold as a stallion prospect only, as Hip 3695. 

“It’s so exciting,” said Marie Yoshida. “We’ve been following this horse for several years, and we really wanted him. He has amazing bloodlines–he’s by Sunday Silence’s best son Deep Impact–and is from a great Wildenstein family. Sweden does not have a big breeding program there, and we hope that this horse might help them grow.” 

Barocci won the Prix Omnium II in France as a 3-year-old in 2011 and was second in the G3 Prix du Prince d’Orange before relocating to the U.S. in 2012. A winner and on the board in four of five starts for trainer Christophe Clement, Barocci ran third in the GII American H. and GII City of Hope Mile S. for owner Hronis Racing and trainer John Sadler in 2013. 

Ravdansen Stud is located in the city of Arla, a roughly 70-minute drive due west from Stockholm. 

Horse racing is extremely popular in Sweden, but it’s Standardbreds–trotters in particular, there are no pacers–that dominate the racing scene there. The Yoshidas, however, are hoping to help Thoroughbreds gain a better foothold there, starting with a homegrown breeding program. 

“They usually buy their mares at Tattersalls in England, and also buy foals and yearlings there,” Marie explained. “They’re very passionate about horse racing, and they have wonderful turf racing in the summer and spring. The breeding industry is very small there right now, but our plan to get Swedish and Scandinavian Thoroughbred breeding back on track.”