Connect , a grade 1-winning son of Curlin , has been sold to Seyda Ercan Stable in Turkey, which is rebuilding its stallion roster following the loss of prominent sire Mendip, according to the Turkish racing website Yaris Dergisi and confirmed by Lane's End Farm.
Agent Murat Sancal bought Connect on behalf of Seyda Ercan, which was keen on the 13-year-old stallion particularly after his stakes-winning son Chip Honcho finished third in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and another son Ocelli finished third in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Since entering stud at Lane's End in 2018, Connect has sired 239 winners that include 19 black-type winners. His top performers include multi-millionaire Rattle N Roll, who counts the Breeders' Futurity (G1) among his seven graded stakes wins; 2023 Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Witwatersrand; and, other graded winners Hidden Connection, Forever After All, Candy Quest, Apple Picker, and Implicated.
Connect was the third-leading sire of his freshman class in 2021 by progeny earnings and ranked second by number of graded stakes winners behind Gun Runner . He ranked in the top five as a second-crop sire by progeny earnings.
As a racehorse, Connect won the 2016 Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) and Pennsylvania Derby (G2) on his way to earning $1.37 million.
He is out of the unraced Holy Bull daughter Bullville Belle, who is half sister to grade 3 winner Native Regent and graded-placed stakes winners Royal Fair and Morriston Belle.
Seyda Ercan lost Mendip, a graded stakes-winning son of Harlan's Holiday, in February due to an apparent heart attack.
