By Curlin and out of Grade 1 winner Hot Dixie Chick (Dixie Union), Marsalis hails from the same maternal family as Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Always Dreaming
There are still a few months to go before the new breeding season begins in Argentina, but farms are already making moves in the market, bringing in fresh hopes and valuable additions to strengthen the national breeding industry.
Recently arrived in the country, Marsalis will stand at Haras La Leyenda, joining Capensis (Tapit), Lucullan (Hard Spun), Storm Embrujado (Bernstein), and Cima de Triomphe (Galileo) in the farm’s stallion roster. A son of Curlin, one of the all-time greats on the racetrack and now among the leading successors of the Mr. Prospector (Raise a Native) sire line through Smart Strike, Marsalis brings an exciting pedigree to the region.
Curlin is already making a significant impact in Argentina through Dabster, the country's leading freshman sire, while in the U.S., he continues to shine with progeny such as Good Magic, the sire of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage.
Bred and raced by Stonestreet Stables LLC and trained by Steve Asmussen, Marsalis won four races in ten starts, proving his class at top tracks. After breaking his maiden at Fair Grounds, he quickly added wins at Keeneland and Churchill Downs before finishing second to Bango (Congrats) in the Kelly’s Landing Stakes (L) at Ellis Park over 1,300 meters. He returned to the winner’s circle in Saratoga before retiring following a fifth-place effort in the Speightstown Sprint Stakes (L) at Lone Star Park, closing his career with $369,235 in earnings.
Marsalis boasts an exceptional maternal lineage. His dam, Hot Dixie Chick (Dixie Union), was a brilliant juvenile, winning the Spinaway Stakes (G1) and Schuylerville Stakes (G3). She also produced Pauline’s Pearl (Tapit), a Grade 1 winner of the La Troienne Stakes, and Union Jackson (Curlin), a stakes-winning sprinter. His granddam, Above Perfection (In Excess), was a Grade 3 winner herself before producing Kentucky Derby (G1) hero Always Dreaming (Bodemeister) and Positive Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile), winner of the Demoiselle Stakes (G2).
A physically imposing individual, as is often the case with Curlin’s offspring, Marsalis represents a major opportunity for Argentine breeders. With his arrival at Haras La Leyenda, a new chapter begins, filled with promise for his future at stud.
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