2019 TOBA State Breeder of the Year for California
Paul and Zillah Reddam PILLARS OF THE CALIFORNIA BREEDING INDUSTRY BY EMILY SHIELDS
S
quare Eddie is the gift that keeps on giving.
Te son of Smart Strike was a grade 1 winner at 2 and graded stakes-placed at 3 for owners Paul and Zillah Reddam. He has gone on to be one of the great stallions in modern California history, with more than $16 million in progeny earnings. His prowess has helped the Reddams win their second title, for 2019, as the Toroughbred Owners and Breeders Association’s State Breeder of the Year for California. Tey previously won the award in 2015.
ANNE M. EBERHARDT
Best known for their success with Kentucky Derby (G1) winners and champions Nyquist and I’ll Have Another, the Reddams have been among the leading breeders in California for years. Teir 2019 standouts include California-breds Eddie Haskell, Listing, and Don’t Sell, all by Square Eddie, and they topped all other California breeders in 2019 with purse earnings of $2,928,938. Eddie Haskell races for James Hailey and Philip Wood. Te bay gelding has earned $627,707, with wins in the Daytona Stakes (G3T) and the Siren Lure Stakes in 2019. He was ultimately sent of as the second choice in an international feld for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) in NoPaul and Zillah Reddam: TOBA’s State Breeder of the Year for California vember, but fnished 11th. for the second time Listing, an earner of $280,400, runs for his breeders, the Reddams. He won three stakes in 2019, starting with the “It’s a shame because he’s just 14 years old,” Reddam said. $100,351 California Cup Turf Sprint in January, followed by “He should have had another seven years. It really makes the job the $91,000 Desert Code Stakes in June. He took his show on of Kasey and her crew even more impressive because so many the road to win the grade 3, $100,000 Quick Call Stakes at Sara- mares wouldn’t catch and they would have to be bred again.” toga by a half-length on a yielding turf course. Instead of slowing, the Reddams are taking the loss in Reddam homebred Don’t Sell won four of 10 starts in 2019, stride. Ocean Breeze is now standing two young stallions: including the $100,205 Unzip Me Stakes at Santa Anita in Sep- $2,090,351-earner and grade 1 winner Pavel and Square Eddie’s tember. She was also twice stakes-placed for the year, those ef- talented son Mrazek. forts coming at Santa Anita and Del Mar. “He looks just like Square Eddie,” Reddam said of Mrazek, Other Reddam-bred horses include fve-time winner Carniv- a four-time winner who was top three in 10 of 13 career starts. orous, three-time winner Prodigal Son, and $341,952-earner “He soundly defeated (fellow homebred) Ralis in the GraduaAn Eddie Surprise, a mare by Square Eddie who won the 2020 tion Stakes at Del Mar in 2015 and was supposed to go back to Wishing Well Stakes in February. More winners include Vegan, Saratoga for the grade 1 Hopeful Stakes. He ended up injured Hit the Seam, Acai, Wandering Patrol, Cheap Cheap Cheap, before shipping, and Ralis went and won it. We have to assume and Lippy, the latter stakes-placed in 2019. Mrazek would have done well there. We are very optimistic Paul Reddam is quick to pass credit on to Kasey Bennett, who about him.” manages Ocean Breeze Ranch. Mrazek returned to the track as a sophomore and added the “Kasey and her team do everything,” Reddam said, “and Zil- 2016 Tor’s Echo Handicap at Santa Anita before retiring with lah goes down to the ranch quite a bit as well.” earnings of $312,304. He will now carry on the legacy of his Square Eddie has recently been pensioned, following several sire, and the hopes of his breeders, who are so deserving of the seasons of declining fertility. TOBA award.
www.ctba.com ❙ August 2020 ❙ CALIFORNIA THOROUGHBRED
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