A high-quality miler with a very high cruising speed, Sharp Azteca joined the stud after his trainer Jorge Navarro was convicted of doping. Despite this affair, Three Chimneys Farm had taken the gamble, offering its new stallion at the price of $10,000 per mating. The gamble paid off because for his first season, he had been the most requested sire in the USA, and is today the number one first production stallion.
Sharp Azteca ©Three Chimneys
Superstar on the track, the only Triple Crown winner to remain undefeated in his career, Justify returned to stud in 2019. 2022 was therefore the year during which his first foals were going to perform on the ring. Strongly supported by Coolmore (his owners editor’s note) who had spent fortunes to buy his sons and daughters in the various rings, Justify saw a certain Bolt d’Oro, although offered at $25,000 per mating (compared to $150,000 for Justify) display prices similar to sales (Read the article on Bolt d’Oro and Justify here). This duel was perpetuated on the tracks during the first tests for 2 years, the two stallions being at present 1er and 2e to earnings. However, a third thief came to invite himself into the duel, it is about Sharp Azteca. Even smaller thumb than Bolt d’Oro, Sharp Azteca was offered at $10,000 per service in 2019, he is clearly in the lead in the number of victories at present, with 11 winners including one at Stakes level in the ranking stopped on July 20.
Sharp Azteca will be fighting a year-long battle with Justify and Bolt d’Oro ©Three ChimneysSold for $35,000 as a yearling, then $220,000 at 2 at the Breeze Up Ocala Spring, Sharp Azteca will join the stables of Jorge Navarro, then top of the list in New York. Relatively little precocious, the colt will run only once at 2 years old, before revealing himself at 3 years old. During this season he won two Groups and a Listed. The following year, the son of Freud wins by more than 5 lengths the Cigar Mile (Gr.1) at Aqueduct. After a large-scale investigation by the FBI, Jorge Navarro, the coach of Sharp Azteca, will have his license revoked before being sentenced to 5 years in prison and a fine of 25 million dollars. Consequently Sharp Azteca sees his sports career come to an end at the end of the 4-year year. Despite this very large affair, Sharp Azteca attracts the greed of Goncalo Torrealba the manager of Three Chimneys Farm, one of Kentucky’s largest stud farms.
Jorge Navarro, the sulphurous coach of Sharp Azteca ©ThouroughbreddailynewsAdmiring his very high basic speed, his hardness and his tenacity, Torrealba will take the gamble of entering the horse as a stallion (at the same time as the champion gun runner editor’s note) In addition, the boss of Three Chimneys appreciated the pedigree of the horse. Son of the unknown in France Freud, the own brother of Giant’s CausewaySharp Azteca could become a new success in the male line of stormcat, as were before him Harlan, Harlan’s Holiday and especially Into Mischief, the number 1 stallion in the United States. Offered at the very attractive price of $10,000, the sire will obtain the favors of breeders, being the most requested stallion in the country with 195 mares covered in 2019. Despite this strong demand, Three Chimneys had decided for this breeding season 2022 to offer the services of his stallion at the rate of $5,000. A real bargain for a sire who monopolizes the top of the national ranking, whose success story is not about to stop!
Three Chimneys Farm got their hands on a nugget with Sharp Azteca.
