A Dream Come True in Sebring
Sebring was on sale at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale, and Denise Martin and Gai Waterhouse were looking for a horse for a group of owners who were novices to the horse racing industry. What they were lacking in the knowledge of horse ownership, they made up for in enthusiasm and the love for the sport of horse racing. Waterhouse and Martin bought Sebring for the eleven member group for $130 000, not knowing that they had just purchased the upcoming racing sensation.
In his first six career starts, Sebring won five and brought home purse winnings of $2.57 million. His victories included the AJC Sires Produce Stakes and the Golden Slipper, and he lost out on the Triple Crown after being narrowly defeated by Samantha Miss at the Champagne Stakes racing event. As his success grew, so did his eligibility as a prized breeding colt, and the offers from stud farms began to roll in.
The decision to choose between stud farms was not an easy process, as the group want to see Sebring perform as a three year old before retiring him to stud. Widden Stud, which is both legendary and historic, was chosen by the group, and Sebring will be the stud farm’s fifth Golden Slipper Champion. Previous winners purchased by the stud were Stratum (2005 winner), Marscay (1982), Vain (1969) and Todman (1957). Sebring, a colt by More Than Ready, will stand stud at Widden for a starting service price of $30 000, with approximately a hundred and fifty mares for each breeding season. It is said that Widden closed the deal with a $30 million offer, one of the highest prices ever paid for a juvenile horse for stud purposes.
Sebring is a horse in demand, but with his future secured at Widden, his owners are able to concentrate on the remainder of his racing career. Continuing to race under the Star Thoroughbreds’ colors, Sebring will run his last season before moving to Widden Stud for the 2009 Breeding Season. He has left his mark on the racing industry, and each owner will walk away from the deal with an estimated $3 million. But Sebring will leave behind his legacy in the form of his offspring, which will hopefully be as successful as Sebring himself. As for the syndicate of owners – they could not have been luckier than to be part of the Sebring magic.
