Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Aboughazale adds to portfolio
When Malagacy kicked clear in the stretch of Saturday’s Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park, he put himself near the top of the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard for a rising owner who already has close ties to two Derby winners.
Oussama Aboughazale – who races as Sumaya U.S. Stable and breeds and purchases as International Equities Holding – purchased Malagacy for $190,000 out of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training. From the first crop of Shackleford, Malagacy has won his three starts by a combined 24 lengths. He represents just one of the investments the Chilean-based, Jerusalemborn owner has made over the past year as he expands his Kentucky operation.
Aboughazale already has an impressive homebred program, with pride of place belonging to Chilean Horse of the Year Wild Spirit, who came to the U.S. to win the Grade 1 Ruffian Handicap and place in two other Grade 1 events. She went on to produce two stakes horses and is the second dam of millionaire Protonico, who carried Aboughazale’s colors to four graded stakes victories.
Protonico entered stud this year at Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky alongside two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome. Last week, Taylor Made and Aboughazale reached a deal to shuttle California Chrome to his Haras Sumaya in Chile for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season.
“California Chrome has generated a lot of interest from the Southern Hemisphere, so we agreed to explore the option of shuttling,” said Duncan Taylor, president and chief executive of Taylor Made Farm. “We are very happy to partner with Sumaya Stud and feel extremely comfortable that it’s a great situation for California Chrome.”
Aboughazale has a connection to another classic-winning Horse of the Year, as he bred the first foal born by Triple Crown hero American Pharoah. The colt, out of the Tizway mare Kakadu – a half-sister to Protonico – was foaled Jan. 3 at Brookdale Farm.
Aboughazale further invested in American Pharoah’s stud career when he went to $575,000 to purchase Joyfully, in foal to the young stallion, at the Keeneland January breeding stock sale. The mare, from the family of unbeaten champion and blue hen Personal Ensign, delivered her colt Feb. 23.
Led by Joyfully and Grade 3 winner Delightful Joy, purchased for $700,000, Aboughazale led all Keeneland January buyers by gross purchases, with 11 horses totaling $2,251,000. He was then among the top buyers at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale, purchasing four horses for $1,305,000, led by the $700,000 Cinnamon Spice.
Aboughazale’s increased spending is the result of his recent purchase of the former Belvedere Farm, which encompasses 235 acres in Paris, Ky.
“I just bought my farm here, and we have to stock it up with nice mares,” Aboughazale said. “We want to start well, that’s why we are buying nice mares. I think we are very satisfied and have bought very well. We want to breed to sell and breed to race.”
In another tie to American Pharoah, Aboughazale has been working at the sales with Frances Relihan, who worked as the farm manager at the former Vinery in Kentucky when American Pharoah was a foal there.
“We are looking at a broad range of mares,” Relihan said as she was signing tickets for Aboughazale at the sales. “Mr. Aboughazale has his young stallion Protonico, so we have been looking at some young mares for him. We are just trying to give him a little bit of a base and give him a little kickstart in the market. Sumaya Stables has traditionally raced in the past, but we will see what kind of stock we are getting, and hopefully we can have commercial and racing interests.”