Free stud fees offered for Venezuelan Hug

Sal Spedale put his faith in Venezuelan Hug when he decided to stand the graded stakes winner in New York after the son of Constitution suffered a knee injury in a freak accident walking back to the barn.

Spedale continues to believe a few days into the start of the 2025 breeding season – Venezuelan Hug’s fourth – at Mill Creek Farm in Stillwater. So much so that he’s offering a strong incentive for anyone sending a mare to Venezuelan Hug.

“His first 2-year-olds hit the track this year,” Spedale said. “There are going to be like seven or eight possibly. Everyone knows he’s at Mill Creek, but since he hasn’t had any runners yet there’s really not much interest in him other than people who might have known him from his racing career.

“If we could generate some more mares to him, which we know is the name of the game, we were willing to waive all the stud fees before his first 2-year-olds hit the track. Maybe someone has a barren mare, not really looking to do anything with or doesn’t have the money to do it, we are willing to go that route. We can have them breed to him for free. Obviously, the New York-bred program is tremendous, and we’ll go from there.”

Bred in Florida by Orlyana Farm, Venezuelan Hug won six of 10 starts and earned $252,830. He raced primarily for Spedale Family Racing and R.A. Hill Stable and ended his career with three straight stakes victories, including the Grade 3 Canadian Turf at Gulfstream Park in late February 2021.

Venezuelan Hug bred 12 mares in his first season 2022, nine in 2023 and 10 in 2024. His advertised 2025 fee is $2,500 LFSN.

“We have some gorgeous foals on the ground by him already this year,” said Mill Creek Farm’s Anne Morgan. “The 2-year-olds are training forwardly and we are anxious to see them race later this year.”

Venezuelan Hug is the first foal out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Downtown Diva, a half-sister to multiple stakes winner and $193,455-earner Winter, six-time winner and $158,153-earner Gray Phantom and four-time winner and $145,446-earner Downy Boy.

Dubbed as the “best kept secret in New York,” Venezuelan Hug was bred on the same Constitution-Giant’s Causeway cross as Group 1 classic winner Alaskan Queen, winner of the Polla de Potrancas. He hails from the family of Rare Perfume, Jaipur and What a Treat.

“I wanted to give him an opportunity at least to have a chance, an opportunity to pass on what he was on the racetrack,” Spedale said. “Time will tell.”

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2025/02/21/free-stud-fees-offered-for-venezuelan-hug/

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