Nielson colt out of Fox Appeal. (Ziprick Thoroughbreds)
by G. S. Thompson
The first thoroughbred foals of the year are on the ground in Manitoba!
Ziprick Thoroughbreds reports they have three newborn dreams so far, but we’re sure there are lots more out there. If you have any new foals you’re proud of, please send us photos, sires and dams, and any interesting stories you have about them. We’ll share the best of what we receive here in the Inside Track.
For Cam Ziprick, this time of year carries a special kind of magic, the moment when pedigree and promise finally take their first wobbly steps into the world. And if the early arrivals are any indication, 2025 could be a very good year.
The early arrivals for Ziprick include one foal by Speculating and two by Nielsen, and it’s the Nielsen babies that have him particularly excited. Nielsen is a son of the legendary Curlin, one of the great North American sires, and his first crop is exactly what you’d expect from that bloodline.
“The Curlin horses are usually big, strong animals,” said Ziprick. “And these babies are big, strong, and leggy. They’re unreal. They’re the nicest babies we’ve ever had from any of our stallions.”
High praise from a man who has been breeding thoroughbreds for four decades. The visual descriptions alone make you want to head out to the barn. Multiple champion Manitoba-bred Hidden Grace has produced a chestnut filly by Nielsen with a bold white blaze splashed across her face, and multiple stakes-placed Fox Appeal’s contribution is an equally striking colt by Nielsen, a big chestnut with a bald face and three white socks.
Nielson (Curlin-My Wandy’s Girl by Flower Alley) (Ziprick Thoroughbreds)
With six more foals expected, Ziprick has plenty more to look forward to. Perhaps the most intriguing arrival still to come is a foal out of a mare named Swimsuit Issue, a 12-year-old Scat Daddy mare that Ziprick quietly picked up at auction in Kentucky for $12,000. The bargain price belies her credentials.
Swimsuit Issue is the dam of local Debutante Stakes winner Wecanonlyimagine, who also won the Princess Margaret Stakes at Century Mile and finished second in the Winnipeg Futurity. She is currently in foal to Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) winner Keep Me In Mind, and Ziprick plans to breed her back to Nielsen next season.
“She’s got a lot of pedigree,” Ziprick said.
Three stallions will stand at Ziprick Thoroughbreds this year: Speculating, Nielsen, and Thousand Springs, a son of Ghostzapper. Stud fees are set at $1,250. The program is largely a self-contained partnership between Ziprick, Kelly Halliday, and Charlie Fouillard.
Ziprick is also excited about two horses related to Canadian champion and millionaire Escape Clause, whom he bred in partnership with Arnason Farms. He has a yearling half-brother to Escape Clause by Speculating that will be in this year’s Manitoba CTHS Yearling Sale, and a 3-year-old half-sister to Escape Clause by Speculating that started only once last year.
Let the dreaming begin.