(Sequel press release)
Multiple stakes winner Union Jackson has been retired from racing and will stand the 2018 breeding season at Sequel Stallions, Hudson, New York as a Sequel Stallions/Stonestreet Stables venture.
A five-year-old son of Curlin – Hot Dixie Chick by Dixie Union, Union Jackson was bred in Kentucky by Barbara Banke’s Grace Thoroughbred Holdings LLC , campaigned by her Stonestreet Stables LLC, and trained throughout his career by Steve Asmussen.
On only his second start, Union Jackson emulated his sire and dam by earning honors as a TDN Rising Star, breaking his maiden by 7 ¾ lengths over six furlongs at Keeneland. He went on to win six races by a combined margin of 26½ lengths, including an 8¼ lengths score in the Sam Houston Sprint Cup, and on his final outing a victory in the Iowa Sprint Handicap, which he took while running six furlongs in 1:08.75.
Union Jackson is by two-time Horse of the Year, Curlin, who also bore the Stonestreet colors for most of his career. A son of Champion Sire, Smart Strike, Curlin has made an exceptional start to his stud career his early crops producing such as Eclipse Award winner Stellar Wind, classic winners Palace Malice and Exaggerator, the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) first and second Good Magic and Solomini, and other grade one winners Curalina, Connect, Keen Ice and Off the Tracks. Having run fractions of :21.78; :44.16; :56.2 and 1:08.75, Union Jackson has strong claims to be regarded as Curlin’s fastest son.
“A brilliant horse, by a great horse, and out of a brilliant horse. I would know… I had all three!” said Hall of Fame Trainer Steve Asmussen.
Union Jackson’s dam, the Dixie Union mare Hot Dixie Chick, was an exceptional two-year-old, breaking the five furlong track-record at Keeneland on her debut, then adding the Schuylerville Stakes (gr. III), which she took by 6¼ lengths, and the Spinaway Stakes (gr. I). Out of the graded stakes winning and grade one placed In Excess mare, Above Perfection, Hot Dixie Chick is also a half-sister to this year’s Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and Florida Derby (gr. I) captor Always Dreaming.
Sequel Stallions principal Becky Thomas related that “Union Jackson is an outstanding individual from the physical standpoint, and I fell in love with him when I saw him. He was extremely fast, and when you consider that he is by a Horse of the Year and exceptional sire, out of a grade one winning two-year-old who is also half-sister to a Kentucky Derby winner, he may well be the best bred stakes winning runner to retire to begin his career in New York..”
Union Jackson will also represent a first participation in the New York breeding program for Stonestreet Stables. Stonestreet owner Barbara Banke stated the she was “very excited to be standing Union Jackson in New York,” adding that “Union Jackson was a horse that we have always though very highly of. He reminds me very much of two other Stonestreet-raced horses, Kantharos and Maclean’s Music, who broke out to become very successfully young stallions, Maclean’s Music getting this year’s Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner Cloud Computing in his first crop. Stonestreet very much believes in Union Jackson, and we will be strongly supporting him at stud.”
Union Jackson will stand his first season at a fee of $5,000.
Contact:
Molly Lightner
352-620-9006
