Maryland Stallion Station has all the elements of a dream come true

Some people just never give up. In fact, giving up has never seemed to be an option for Maryland bloodstock agent and owner/breeder Don Litz. For nearly as long as I’ve worked at Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred and its predecessor The Maryland Horse (and that’s nearing two decades), Don has called at polite intervals to report on his progress toward his unrelenting dream of revitalizing Sagamore Farm.

SAGAMORE. Don utters the word with reverence. Lest the late Alfred G. Vanderbilt’s one-time showplace fade from the landscape, or from people’s memories, Don utters the word a lot. And obviously he has been speaking to the right people—because Don Litz’s dream, or something very close to it, appears finally to be on the verge of coming true.

The Maryland Stallion Station, an ambitious new venture publicly announced last month, will be constructed adjacent to Sagamore in Maryland’s Worthington Valley, and part of it will sit on land that once formed the core of Native Dancer’s homeplace. In other words, it’s as close as you can get without the deed to Sagamore (which owner Jim Ward is presently not interested in turning over).

Side-by-side, Maryland’s newest major Thoroughbred establishment (construction to begin in late 2003) and one of its oldest will trade on each other’s glory.

And the Maryland Stallion Station will be a glorious undertaking, if current plans are any indication. Along with its historic link, the new farm has working ties to one of the most forward-thinking enterprises in the Thoroughbred world—Lane’s End in Versailles, Ky.
In what may turn out to be the most elaborate marketing venture ever undertaken by a Kentucky farm in the Mid-Atlantic region, Lane’s End is sending stallions this way, in a major way. (See Stallion news on page 66.) Heading the roster for 2004 is Rock Slide (by Mr. Prospector), a multiple stakes-winning full brother to leading horse of the year contender Mineshaft.

Rock Slide will stand for a $7,500 fee—a bargain compared to the $100,000 Mineshaft will command at Lane’s End next season.

Maryland’s stallion ranks will swell with two additional Maryland Stallion Station horses in 2004: the proven sire Outflanker (by Danzig), who is moving from Flroida; and Brooklyn Handicap-G2 winner Seeking Daylight (by Seeking the Gold), who is entering stud next season.

Two stallions who stood at Shamrock Farms in Woodbine, Md., the past two seasons—Eastern Echo (sire of 2003 Santa Anita Derby-G1 winner Buddy Gil) and Dixieland Band’s young son Jazz Club—complete the Maryland Stallion Station lineup for 2004.
All five horses will stand at Shamrock next season, while the Maryland Stallion Station facilities are under construction.

When complete, the new Maryland Stallion Station is expected to look like a scaled-down version of Lane’s End. The architect responsible for Lane’s End’s palatial stables, Washington, D.C.-based Blackburn Architects, is preparing the design for a 10-stall stallion barn and separate breeding shed.

Part of Litz’s design, all along, has been to share his dream with others. Operating the new facility strictly as a stallion operation, and offering no broodmare boarding, will allow other farms in the area to bolster their businesses, explains Litz.

Litz is also deservedly proud of the group of investors, numbering about 30, that he has assembled for the project. About half reportedly are new to the horse business, including the two other principals, Baltimore investment bankers Herb May and David DiPietro.
It could be a dream about to come true not only for Litz, but for a lot of people in Maryland and the entire Mid-Atlantic region.