THE export of expertise and knowledge is often neglected when discussing Ireland’s world-class reputation in the equine world but is no less important than the quality of stock produced on this soil.

Michael Callanan is a central cog in an already tremendous story that has the potential for even more heart-warming chapters should Nadal take the spoils in the Belmont Stakes or any of the other major three-year-old prizes in America this year.

From Ballyfoyle, just north of Kilkenny city, Callanan has been in Lexington 18 years, having made his first trip to America’s thoroughbred heartland on work placement while studying equine science in University of Limerick. That was with his uncle, Pat Costello, who owns Paramount Sales and it gave him a taste for Kentucky life.

Once he had his degree, he was recruited by another UL graduate and current Candy Meadows COO Matt Lyons to ClassicStar Farm. While the operation would later be at the centre of fraud proceedings, it provided Callanan with an excellent start.

Notorious

“It ended up being a pretty notorious place but it was a really good opportunity for a young fella like me to learn the ropes. I worked there for two or three years and then I went to Vinery for two or three years. In 2008, I started here in Sierra Farm.”

As manager, Callanan has overseen a change in emphasis and a steady rise in quality of broodmare and progeny. He was employed by Ed and Sharon Hudon, who had bought the business as Chance Farm two years previously.

“Ed owned an aluminium plant in California called Sierra Aluminium. Ed and Sharon were always in the horse business. Then when Ed was retiring his eye turned to retire to Kentucky with his wife. He wanted to build something. Ed loved racing and he wanted to race.

“When I first came here in 2008, we were racing about 75-80% of our crop and then selling about 25%. The mares weren’t to the quality you needed to have in Kentucky. We stripped away to the bare bones of what we had. Then we started adding some really nice older mares that we could get a couple of fillies from. Also, we were buying nice yearling fillies. Our goal was to buy a nice mare every year and a nice yearling filly.

“That’s how we got Solar Colony, the grandmother of Nadal. We bought a mare called Dreamy Maiden, who is the dam of Daddy Long Legs. We had another mare called Mighty Renee, dam of American Theorem who was second in a Grade 1 last year.

Nadal (Joel Rosario, right) overpowers Ginobili (Abel Cedillo), to win the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita Park \ Benoit Photo

Older mares

“It was all about looking for value in the market. There is really good value in those older mares. You can get a nice older mare, get a couple of nice fillies out of them and they will replace them down the line. If you get lucky you might do well and we have been very successful in that.

“We bought into some nice pedigrees with the yearling fillies. The horse that won the Saudi Cup this year, Full Flat, was out of a mare (Golden Flair) we bought as a yearling.”

All the progeny are offered for sale as yearlings but if the reserves aren’t met, they are retained. Nadal’s dam, Ascending Angel is one such example. Ascending Angel is no longer with us but Callanan has Nadal’s half-sister Angel Number in-foal to American Pharoah and is currently weighing up the pros and cons of maintaining the line he has worked hard to develop, or cash in on the ever-increasing offers on the back of Nadal’s enhanced reputation.

This is just one example of the dividends the Kilkenny man’s strategy are beginning to pay. In 2018, the $1.4 million sale of American Pharoah colt Kittensett (out of Pipit mare Bsharpsonata) preceded Nadal’s track heroics this season, and the success of Full Fat.

Sadly, Ed Hudon died the day after the sale. His close friend, Randy Bradshaw purchased Nadal a couple of days later in Book 2 before moving him on at a huge profit ($65,000 to $700,000) the following March. Full Flat sold for $250,000. It was the first sale that Sierra consigned all their own stock.

Michael’s brother Daragh made the trip from Ireland to help at Keeneland, in what was an extremely trying and emotional period. Little wonder Michael’s mother Ann and the rest of the family have relished Nadal’s rise.

After an injury kept him off the track at two, the Bob Baffert-trained colt made it three from three in division two of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby this year. He is among the leading fancies, along with stablemate Charlatan (who is now under investigation for testing positive for lidocaine), for the Belmont.

Monster

“He was a monster, an absolute brute of a horse. He is approaching 17hh and he is around 1,300lb. As a yearling he was so big, just an absolute tank. His energy levels were through the roof. I used to swim him to keep him tucked up a bit because he was so big. He would go around that pool 15 or 20 times and he was like, ‘let me loose!’ You couldn’t get him tired. He would come out of the pool and be kicking and bucking. He is an alpha male.

Nadal (Joel Rosario, right) overpowers Ginobili (Abel Cedillo), to win the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita Park \ Benoit Photo

“He was undervalued because he was so big. People worry about being that big and keeping them sound. He had the bone, he had the structure and his toughness there. Unfortunately, the only person that saw it was Randy Bradshaw at the sale. That is the way it goes.

“To be honest with you I would prefer if the Belmont was left at a mile and a half (it has been reduced to nine furlongs this year). His pedigree is all distance. I would be pretty confident in the Belmont no matter what way it shapes up. I think he will dance every dance this year. Hopefully stay sound and keep going. He worked at Santa Anita yesterday. He worked fastest out of 80 horses. His energy levels haven’t dropped. He seems like he is still moving forward. So hopefully he keeps going.”

Callanan is married to Angela and they have two daughters, Ava and Orla. Angela works at her father Bruce Gibbs’ Greenfield Farm, two miles away.

Coronavirus hasn’t had a huge impact on farm life, apart from having to stay in the truck while the mares are being covered. They will all be glued to the television, in Lexington and Kilkenny, when Nadal represents Sierra this year.

“It’s special, in a melancholy kind of a way. We lost the mother after having him. You would love if she was still here but unfortunately horse business doesn’t exactly work that way. The fact Randy is involved is very special because he is such a friend of Ed and Sharon’s. It is at a good time for Sharon.

“We did very well the first year at the sales, last year we didn’t have a great sale. This year, with all that is going on, it is helping to keep the spirits up on the farm. It is nice. And the horse in Saudi Arabia doing that as well.

“We are in the business of selling horses. We have relations to all these horses now to sell.

“So it is very special for everybody really.”