Hit the Road, winner of the 2021 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita Park, has been sold to stand stud at Ridgemont.
Southern California-based trainer Dan Blacker confirmed the stud deal—facilitated by Craig Rounsefell’s Boomer Bloodstock and Bradley Thoroughbreds—for the 7-year-old son of More Than Ready.
“He was my first grade 1 winner. The horse means a lot to me personally and for his ownership group,” Blacker said. “We’re fond of the horse and we were keen to see if we could give him a chance as a stallion somewhere. His profile wasn’t particularly commercial for America, but he has a super pedigree, and one of the best stallions in South Africa is by More Than Ready.
“He’s going to a beautiful farm, very prestigious, and the whole ownership group is very pleased he’s going to have a great chance to make it as a stallion in another part of the world.”
Blacker trained Hit the Road for the partnership of D K Racing, Radley Equine, Taste of Victory Stables, Rick Gold, Tony E. Maslowski, and Dave Odmark. He was a four-time stakes winner, winning stakes at ages 2, 3, and 4. The Kilroe and the Thunder Road Stakes (G3T) were his most important wins.
Hit the Road retired with six wins in 19 starts, with earnings of $608,751.
Ridgemont’s Craig Kieswetter confirmed Hit the Road was purchased in partnership with fellow leading breeders Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein and will stand at the family’s historic Robertson farm.
“The move to acquire this well-performed, high-quality-bred athlete is an exciting one as it has already proven very successful in this country, as Hit the Road is by the same sire as South African champion sire Gimmethegreenlight,” Kieswetter said in an Instagram post. “All available shares were snapped up within hours and our thanks go, as always, to our fellow breeders who jumped in.”
