It is easy to understand why Jay and Christine Hayden of Lucan, Ontario can hardly rein in their excitement about their latest horse purchase. The couple, who are successful commercial breeders of Ontario-breds from their Saintsbury Farm, are the proud owners of one of Ontario’s newest and most impressive stallions. Mohaymen. The brilliant racehorse, a son of world-class sire Tapit and from a powerful female family, has arrived at Sherry McLean’s Northern Dawn Farm in Hillsburgh to stand at stud for the 2023 season.
This is the second go-round as stallion owners for the Haydens, who have got right back on the horse, so to speak, after their first stallion purchase, Speightster, ended in disaster a year ago. That young up-and-coming son of Speightstown was bought by the Haydens early in January and was likely headed to big things in Ontario, but the horse suffered a freakish accident in his stall and had to be euthanized.
“It took a few months to get over that,’ said Hayden. “He was young, in his prime. It was a gut punch.”
The Haydens weren’t seeking to go right back out and get another stallion, but when they learned that Shadwell Farm was moving stallions out of its Kentucky farm, they took a look. Mohaymen, just 10 years old and off to a strong start with his first two crops, caught their eye immediately.
A $2.2 million yearling purchase by Shadwell at the 2014 Keeneland September yearling sale, Mohaymen was sent to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin in New York and it wasn’t long before the colt showed tremendous promise in his training. A son of the multiple Grade 2 winning mare Justwhistledixie, whose first six foals, all winners, included Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner New Year’s Day, sire of multiple Grade 1 winner Maximum Security and graded stakes winner Enforceable and Kingly, Mohaymen won his career debut at Belmont Park at 7 furlongs.
He flew through two handy wins in the Grade 2 Nashua Stakes and Grade 2 Remsen Stakes to complete an undefeated juvenile campaign. The colt was quickly on the short list of contenders for the 2016 Kentucky Derby (G1).
Mohaymen remained undefeated through two big races to begin his three-year-old campaign. He posted 95 Beyer Speed Figures in easy wins in the Grade 2 Holy Bull and Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream and was odds-on for the Grade 1 Florida Derby. On a surface that was made a bit greasy due to early rain, Mohaymen finished fourth to Nyquist in that final start before the Kentucky Derby, but he rebounded on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs.
Despite getting shuffled back in a crowd early in the Derby, the grey colt worked his way from 13th to finish fourth beaten just over four lengths in one of the strongest Derby fields in recent years. Winner Nyquist, runner-up Exaggerator and third-place finisher Gun Runner are retired as top-class runners and are all successful young stallions.
Mohaymen would retire with earnings of $998,417 from his five wins in 13 races.
“I had a great conversation with Kiaran McLaughlin about Mohaymen,” said Hayden. “He was adamant that I know how intelligent the horse was. The jockeys who rode him hardly ever touched him [with the whip}. They would just give him the cue and he accelerated.”
Jay has always wanted a stallion and plans on breeding a dozen mares to his new purchase.
“It’s exciting. Mohaymen’s pedigree is easily one of the best in North America. The Tapit line stallions are hot; Flightline just retired as the 2022 Horse of the Year and Longines World’s Best Racehorse and Essential Quality is a two-time Eclipse award champion. And he has proven sons at stud such as Constitution, Tonalist, Frosted and Cupid. And Mohaymen’s female family is incredibly strong.”
From his first two crops of race, Mohaymen ranked as the 13th leading second crop sire on the list of active North American stallions for 2022. From his first crop he sired Grade 2 winner Elm Drive, winner of the Sorrento Stakes (G2) and multiple stakes winner Mowins. He had over 40 winners in 2022 from his 76 starters and his progeny earned over $2 million. He is off to a fast start in 2023 with nine winners and his promising filly Sue Ellen Mishkin, from an Uncle Mo mare, just won a $105,000 allowance race at Oaklawn Park on Jan. 29.
And since the Haydens have been involved in breeding for the commercial markets in Kentucky and Ontario, the acquisition of a stallion brings them closer to many people he has met in the industry. “It’s fun to be able to interact with the friends we have made.”
What really excites them is the prospect of providing an impressive stallion prospect to Ontario. “I think he’s a really good fit for here. And I am excited at the chance to breed a winner who is not only from one of my mares, but from our own stallion.”
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