October 2018 Member of the Month: David Anderson

David Anderson is the TOBA October Member of the Month

Canadian horseman David Anderson is having a wonder-ful year. He bred and sold a $950,000 Hard Spun filly, who lit up Book 1 of the recent Keeneland September Yearling sale. At the same sale last year, the filly’s half-brother, named Sergei Prokofiev, sold for $1.1 million. Adding to his laurels, Anderson bred the talented filly Wonder Gadot, who captured two-thirds of this year’s Canadian Triple Crown.

Born and raised on his parents’ Anderson Farms, located in St. Thomas, Ontario, Anderson worked as a retail stock broker in his twenties. Eventually, his purchase of Phoenix Performance Products, a sporting goods manufacturer that produces goods like the vests and helmets used by exercise riders, drew him back into the horse world.

Upon the passing of his father, Bob Anderson, in 2010, David bought his sister’s interest in the farm and decided to “really ramp up our breeding operation.” Selling all off his father’s broodmares except one, Anderson has since built a quality broodmare band with the help of bloodstock agent Marette Farrell and longtime farm manager Ray Carroll.

At the 2011 Keeneland January sale, Anderson purchased the Unbridled’s Song mare Song and Danz, in foal to Tapit, for $400,000. The resultant foal was named Orchard Beach. Anderson recalled, “She had a little issue, so I decided to keep her, and I put her in training with Roger Attfield in Canada and she showed some significant ability. However, unfortunately, she fractured her tibia and was unable to continue racing, so I decided to breed her and got lucky enough to breed her to Scat Daddy, and Sergei Prokofiev was her first foal.”

At the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling sale, Sergei Prokofiev realized $1.1 million from Coolmore Stud’s M.V. Magnier. This year, Sergei Prokofiev tallied the May 20 Coolmore War Command Rochestown Stakes at Naas and finished third in the June 19 Coventry Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot. “He’s the greatest horse to ever come off our property, in my opinion, off our farm. He was just a superstar right from the day he was born,” Anderson enthused. “Nothing enhances beauty like ownership, but he’s just a tremendous, tremendous athlete, and the stars just aligned at the sale.”

At the recent 2018 Keeneland September sale, Shawn Dugan, agent, spent $950,000 on Orchard Beach’s yearling Hard Spun filly. “She was my favorite filly on the farm from the get-go,” said Anderson. “She just did nothing wrong. She’s all athlete, very correct, probably a scopier filly than Sergei [Prokofiev]. She ticked all the boxes and I’m a big believer in Hard Spun. I love Hard Spun fillies, and again, we just got very fortunate; she’s going to a wonderful home.” And there are only more big things to come from Orchard Beach, whose Air Force Blue suckling Anderson called “outstanding,” and is in foal to Medaglia d’Oro.

Also at the 2011 Keeneland January sale, Anderson spent $180,000 for the Vindication mare Loving Vindication. “She was a very talented racehorse, had a lot of ability; she was out of a very good racemare—[2003 Tempted Stakes, G3, winner] Chimichurri—and we bought her off the track as a maiden and bred her to Medaglia d’Oro,” Anderson recalled. Anderson sold that Medaglia d’Oro foal for $385,000; later named Solemn Tribute, he won the 2015 Tropical Park Derby.

Loving Vindication also produced Wonder Gadot (by Medaglia d’Oro). Racing for Gary Barber, Wonder Gadot earned the 2017 Sovereign Award as Canada’s top two-year-old filly. Anderson said admiringly, “She’s been such a gritty filly. She has not missed a dance since the day she broke her maiden as a two-year-old and every race, she’s in it…She’s all heart; she’s all racehorse.” In foal to Curlin for 2019, Loving Vindication has a Nyquist suckling filly. Her juvenile Hard Spun filly, Hard Not to Love, is in training with John Shirreffs.

This year, Wonder Gadot defeated colts in both the Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes. For Anderson, these Canadian classic victories allowed him to follow in the footsteps of his father, who bred 1992 Queen’s Plate winner Alydeed. “As a Canadian kid, we wake up Christmas morning and wish for Queen’s Plate winners, and so it was definitely the highlight of my horse career,” Anderson said.

“I was there when Alydeed…won by open lengths and it was so exciting. I remember how excited my father was, and to replicate it this year, by open lengths, with a filly, was even more special, to be quite honest.” He added, “Everybody roots for the fillies when they run against the boys and it was a jam-packed crowd and everybody was shouting, ‘Girl power!’ Mr. Barber was there, and [trainer] Mr. [Mark] Casse—it was really an incredible day.”