Lost Ark Enters Stud at Ontario's Northern Dawn Stables

Grade 3-placed, multiple stakes winner Lost Ark will start his stud career this year at Northern Dawn Stables in Ontario, the farm confirmed Jan. 17. He will enter stud at CA$4,000. The 5-year-old son of Violence was particularly attractive for the Ontario breeding market because of his versatility by distance and racing surface and also the depth of the family, according to Northern Dawn Stables owner Sherry McLean, who is the managing partner of a partnership that owns the stallion. "Ontario breeders need a horse that is precocious but also versatile," she said. "At 2, he won first out going 5 1/2 furlongs and won by 5 1/2 lengths and then won at a mile by 7 1/2 lengths. We need a horse like this, and small breeders need a choice. It is lovely to win the nice long races like the King's Plate but you need a horse that gets you a good 2-year-old as well." As to his family, Lost Ark's first three dams are all stakes winners. He is out of the A.P. Indy stakes winner Marion Ravenwood, making him a half sibling to 2022 Eclipse champion 3-year-old filly and three-time grade 1 winner Nest and 2021 Santa Anita Handicap (G1) winner Idol. Both Nest and Idol are by Curlin. Marion Ravenwood is out of grade 1-placed, grade 2 winner Andujar (Quiet American), who is also the dam of grade 3-placed stakes winner Abstraction. Andujar is out of group 3-placed stakes winner Nureyev's Best (Nureyev). The immediate family also produced 1998 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner and sire Real Quiet. In addition to versatility at distance—winning from 5 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/4 miles in the 2023 Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes—Lost Ark showed ability on dirt and turf. He won the Sapling Stakes at 2 on the main track at Monmouth Park and won the off-the-turf Jockey Club Derby on the dirt at Aqueduct Racetrack. He also finished third in the Saranac Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course. "We also need a horse that cannot just be dirt and cannot just be grass. Hopefully this horse will pass that along," McLean said. "It would be great if he eventually shows he can work across North America, but it is most important we have a horse that works here. His pedigree is a little different to what is here. I have checked him against the mares in Ontario that are Ontario-breds, and he crosses well with these mares." McLean said she believes Lost Ark being by Violence gave her more confidence that he will be the kind of sire she expects him to become. "Violence had the precociousness and has shown he can get graded stakes quality runners. But also with Volatile, we are getting an indication Violence can be a sire of sires," she said. "And then when I just look at Lost Ark, I really like what I see." Lost Ark was well regarded as yearling, purchased for $275,000 in Book 1 of the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Steven Young, agent, from the Ashview Farm consignment. He went on to earn $542,100 for Harrell Ventures and trainer Todd Pletcher.