Disarm, the joint bet between Haras Vacación and Haras Santa Inés
- Turf Diario
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Owner of a highly distinguished campaign and son of the formidable Gun Runner, he will serve starting in 2026 at the first of those farms
By Diego H. Mitagstein
There is an old saying that goes: unity is strength. And that is how Pablo Zabaleta and Alessandro Misserocchi, owners of Haras Vacación and Haras Santa Inés, respectively, understood it, working together to achieve a common goal: making the arrival of the outstanding Disarm possible to provide service starting this season in Argentina, in a truly remarkable contribution to the breeding industry.
Within a market in turmoil whenever these types of horses appear, the two breeders met, agreed, and finally, everything came to fruition, with the son of Gun Runner landing next July here to join the distinguished stallion roster of Vacación, where Fortify (Distorted Humor), Hi Happy (Pure Prize), Satono Flag (Deep Impact), and Cityscape(Selkirk) are already working.
The chestnut began covering in the first half of the year at Hidden Lake Farm in New York, in the United States, and between Santa Inés and Vacación, they acquired the South American rights, and "hopefully he comes for many years," as Agustín Ventimiglia, manager of the blue and pink silks, says, extremely enthusiastic about the chestnut.
And he has plenty of reasons to be, as the stallion unifies a solid campaign, a pedigree with maximum current relevance, and a physique that excites, following the paternal line of the star Candy Ride (Ride the Rails) and guaranteeing a good commercial performance. Disarm raced from ages 2 to 5, and always at the highest level, exhibiting a steady gait and measuring himself against the best horses of his time. Over 19 starts, he won 4 of them, finishing second and third in as many others and totaling $1,697,565 in prize money.
A winner at age 2 by several lengths at Saratoga over 1,400 meters (beating the later important Arthur's Ride, Crupi, and Rocket Can), he completed an excellent campaign the following season, establishing himself as one of the best names of his generation. He won the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) at Ellis Park, and in the Travers Stakes (G1), he left great smiles despite being defeated by Tapit Trice (Tapit), as behind him remained champion Forte (Violence), National Treasure (Quality Road) —Preakness Stakes (G1)— and Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic). At age 3, he was also second to the talented Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) in the Louisiana Derby (G3) and third behind First Mission (Street Sense) and Arabian Lion (Justify) in the Lexington Stakes (G3).
His notable performances did not end there. As an adult, he escorted fellow Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan(Goldencents) in the Lukas Classic Stakes (G2), ahead of the distinguished Banishing (Hit Show), Candy Ride, and Rattle N Roll (Connect); he was third to Highland Falls (Curlin) in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), surpassing Tapit Trice and Arthur's Ride (Tapit); and also third in the Whitney Stakes (G1), behind champion Sierra Leone(Gun Runner) and Highland Falls, and defeating White Abarrio (Race Day), Fierceness (City of Light), and Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator), among others. In the summary of his campaign, analyzing the names he faced, it is not hard to imagine his racing power and category. It is a merit to remain in the elite for so long...
To speak of Gun Runner is to refer to a formidable horse, a runner like few others who, with just a few generations, has become one of those stallions that appear only once in a while, one of the most influential. Undoubtedly the best continuer of Candy Ride, and soon to reach 50 stakes-winning offspring, Sierra Leone, Locked, Early Voting, Gunite, Taiba, Cyberknife, and Gun Pilot are some of his progeny already standing at some of the most important farms in the United States.
Through his maternal line, Disarm is a maternal brother to the champion and G1 winner in Venezuela, Tap Daddy(Scat Daddy), and the stakes-placed Total Tap (Candy Ride). Easy Tap, the dam of all of them, is by Tapit, in an extremely successful combination with a very important bottom line.
With Disarm, a stallion who earned enormous respect during his campaign arrives in Argentina, with modern and attractive genetics and a physique that completes the combo bet on jointly by Haras Vacación and Haras Santa Inés, who have already set aside a powerful group of broodmares so that the support is the best possible in his debut season. In a 2026 that has just begun, high-ranking arrivals are starting to be known —hopefully many more will occur— the kind that make one dream that great horses will continue to emerge from our lands.
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