'We’re trying to source A-Class types’: B2B Thoroughbreds' building exceptional broodmare band

Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions

Ricky Surace Jnr of B2B Thoroughbreds spoke to TTR AusNZ about their exciting results and investments over the past few weeks.

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The ANAMOE advantage: first in-foal mares selling now!

B2B Thoroughbreds struck early on the final day of the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale, going to $1.4 million to secure the three-time Group-winning sprinter Rubisaki. Offered in foal to Snitzel, the young mare consigned by Morningside ticked all the boxes for Surace, who was thrilled to take her home.

“Obviously, she wasn’t cheap, but she was a beautiful mare. She’s got a massive shoulder and a big hind end, moves really well, and was a superstar on the track, so she ticks all the boxes,” Surace said.

With her Snitzel in-utero foal due in September, Surace hasn’t waited around on future plans, already securing her mating for the upcoming season. “She’ll go to I Am Invincible; it’s the ideal mating for her physically and will give her every chance of producing a really nice foal,” he added.

B2B-bred impresses in town

The acquisition of the highest-priced mare on the final day of the sale occurred less than 24 hours after another celebration for the farm, when their smart juvenile filly Tehina (Toronado {Ire}) scored impressively at Canterbury on Wednesday. Born and raised at the Southern Highlands property, the Surace's purchased her Group 3-winning dam, Lyuba (Turffontein) privately towards the end of her racing career, where she claimed over $400,000 in prize money earnings.

Tehina is the first foal from the mare to race, and it looks like there is plenty more to come. A $230,000 yearling purchase by Demi O'Byrne/James Bester at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, B2B Thoroughbreds elected to stay in the ownership group of the Michael Freedman-trained filly, which is generally not their usual style.

“It’s something we usually never do, especially with the fillies. But she was purchased by great judges, we believe in our product, and thankfully it looks like it’s going to work out,” Surace noted. “Physically, we thought she would be a perfect match for Toronado, who was going from strength to strength. He was also standing for considerably less at the time ($27,500 including GST), so we sent Lyuba and a few other really nice mares.”

“She (Tehina) was one of the best types, she turned out to be a gorgeous filly with so much swagger about her,” Surace added. Speaking of her future, Surace notes that Tehina will only improve with time and, as such, Toronado is unsurprisingly in contention for the upcoming season’s mating.

“Her future is obviously up to the majority of the ownership group and Michael Freedman, but she looks capable of stepping up through the grades, especially as a 3-year-old given Toronado’s offspring keep getting better with age.

"She’s got some maturing to do; she wants to rush her races a little still, so when she learns to settle, she could be a very good horse for the future. We actually haven't done a mating on her yet, but Toronado is definitely an obvious choice that we will consider.”

The future is bright

It’s been a big couple of weeks for the team, with yearling purchase Lazzura (Snitzel) claiming valuable black-type in the prestigious Listed Woodlands S. over the Scone Cup carnival. Purchased for $500,000 from last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling sale Arrowfield Stud draft, Surace notes bigger and better things are on the cards for the Chris Waller-trained filly.

“She’s spelling at the farm and will be aimed at the Princess Series in the spring. Hopefully, she can measure up in some of the nice fillies' races, but we'll just leave it up to Chris (Waller), who obviously knows what he’s doing. Who knows, she might even end up on the Gold Coast in January. There are no set plans; we’ll just see where she takes us, but she’s already secured valuable stakes status,” Surace said.

While she was a lofty investment herself, Surace notes she is part of a bigger plan to secure the long-term quality of the B2B broodmare band.

“We've cut down a fair bit recently, offloading mares that don’t fit our A-grade category. We’ve now got about 15 really high-quality mares that are either stakes winners or stakes producers. The idea is to find these fillies that we can race and enjoy but have decent pedigrees that we can retire to our broodmare band.

"We’re trying to find A-class types with very good pedigrees. Hopefully, they do it on the track and then in the breeding barn,” he explained.

Innovative investments

It’s been an active few days for the team, having also cashed in on a valuable Pierata breeding right earlier in the sale for $250,000.

“We paid significantly less than we thought at the time, and it was the right time to move along. Being based in New South Wales, we don’t typically focus on Victorian stallions outside of the obvious, being Toronado, so it was a logical decision,” Surace said.

Commencing stud duties off a fee of $44,000 (including GST), Pierata’s impressive start to stud, which includes stakes winners Coleman and Tobeornottobed, has resulted in a fee increase to $66,000 (including GST). While it was a healthy cash injection, it was quickly re-invested with the team securing the last slot in the new $3 million Sunlight slot race.

“We sold the Pierata breeding right for $250,000 and subsequently purchased the last slot in the Sunlight race for the same price, so it worked out well,” Surace noted. The inaugural running of the Magic Millions Sunlight slot race is open to all 3-year-olds and is not restricted to Magic Millions sales graduates. It will be run over 1100m under lights at the Gold Coast on Friday, January 10, 2025.

With a strong contingent of rising 3-year-olds on their hands, Surace notes the array of options they have in filling the slot.

“We have some really nice 2-year-olds coming through that could represent the slot, so we’ve got plenty of options which obviously include Lazzura and Tehina”.