Ironhorse Stallions

Why Ironhorse Stallions and Why New York?

Breeding horses has always been hard, it will always be hard and success is not only not guaranteed it is the single most difficult endeavour in horse racing. That being said, there is no horse racing without breeders both large and small. Each year it becomes more expensive for breeders to pursue their passion with a smaller and smaller window for success with the extreme emphasis on sales. Sales are a vital part of the horse racing industry, but it is essential that we give breeders the opportunity to succeed even if their horse does not light up the board at auction.

The one and ONLY solution to fixing the financial viability of our breeding industry, which has led to a precipitous decline in foals, is to actively support and participate in strong state bred programs. While Kentucky will always be the center of breeding in the United States, there is no reason that other programs cannot produce quality open horses that can both benefit from a strong state bred breeding program but also go on to compete at the highest levels. Ironhorse Stallion’s first stallion, BUCCHERO is living proof that the smaller breeder, smaller owner can not only utilize a strong state bred program but produce elite horses in the process.

That leads us to why Ironhorse Stallions has launched it’s stallion venture in New York. Along with Saratoga and Belmont being two of the premier racing venues most owners and breeders strive to see their horses compete at, the New York Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund has created the most lucrative and financially rewarding state breeding program in the country. The award rates for breeders of New York Sired runners are unmatched with 40% of the winners purse money awarded to the breeder (20% -2nd, 10%- 3rd). Ironhorse Stallions feels privileged to be part of the New York breeding community and is indebted to the hard work of all of the people who have worked tirelessly to make the New York program the best in the country.

However, in order to win breeders awards, you need to produce horses who can win, stay sound and fill fields with an exciting racing product. Ironhorse Stallions foundation stallion, Bucchero, will be the model from which our operation is built. A horse who started 31 races from 2 to 6 at 15 different racetracks and capped off his career winning a grade 2 stakes at the tail end of his 6yo year, Bucchero was a breeders dream. Without the flash of 2 or 3yo graded stakes on his resume, it was the belief in the intangibles of a horse who showed his grit through a long career that led his ownership group to take a chance at standing Bucchero at stud. 3 crops in, Bucchero has proven his believers right with not only a Grade 1 winner, Book’em Danno, but runners across the board who display the heart every breeder dreams of when they look to breed. With an almost unheard of 49% of his runners in the money, Bucchero is the exact type of stallion that will help New York breeders and New York racing thrive. Breeders awards, full fields of durable runners, this is the goal of Ironhorse Stallions and the promise we make to our breeders: “We make racehorses to sell, not sales horses to race.”

Come join us as we try to do our part in making New York breeding and racing the model for every state bred program!

Harlan Malter has been involved in the thoroughbred industry since 2007 as an owner, breeder, stallion owner/manager and syndicate manager. The founder and managing partner of Ironhorse Racing Stable, Harlan has campaigned, with his partners, horses in races from the Breeders’ Cup to Royal Ascot and all types of races in between.

Instrumental in standing Bucchero first in Florida and now in New York, Malter has managed every aspect of Bucchero’s career from racing to stud. An entrepreneur at heart, Harlan has founded 3 successful businesses and brings enthusiasm and innovation to Ironhorse Stallions.

A college baseball player during his years at Columbia University (the impetus of the name Ironhorse, in honor of Columbia baseball player Lou Gehrig), Harlan views the horse business as a team sport and highly values the deep network of equine professionals, breeders and partners that he has worked with during his years in the sport.