Graded stakes winners Archer City Slew, Nite Dreamer, and Walkslikeaduck have been purchased privately by Asian interests to stand the 2002 season on the island of Cheju in South Korea.Nite Dreamer, a four-time stakes winner in five seasons of racing, and Walkslikeaduck, who finished second to Horse of the Year Tiznow in the 2001 San Fernando Breeders' Cup Stakes (G2), were purchased by the Korean Racing Association and will stand publicly at its farm. Archer City Slew, once considered a leading prospect for the 2000 Triple Crown series, was purchased by Pegasus Stud Farm and will stand there privately.
Emmanuel and Laura de Seroux's Narvick International brokered the deals and purchase prices were not disclosed. Narvick's Richard Cross confirmed the sale of the three stallions, which were sent from the United States to Korea on December 26.
"They'll all be standing on the island of Cheju, which right now is the major area of breeding in the country," Cross said.
Archer City Slew, a Kentucky-bred five-year-old son of Slew City Slew out of the unraced Miswaki mare I'm Yours Joe, won three of 13 career starts, placed five times, and earned $193,930.
Campaigned by David and Holly Wilson, Archer City Slew won two of seven starts as a two-year-old in Northern California for trainer Vladimir Cerin. He started his three-year-old campaign with a fifth-place effort in the six-furlong San Miguel Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park then bounced back to win the seven-furlong San Vicente Stakes (G2).
Archer City Slew stamped himself as a classic contender with a game second-place finish behind War Chant in the one-mile San Rafael Stakes (G2). Archer City Slew finished off the board in his final two starts of 2000?running a dull seventh in the Turfway Spiral Stakes (G2) and fourth in the Lazaro Barrera Memorial Stakes at Hollywood Park.
On the sidelines for more than 15 months after the Barrera, Archer City Slew finished sixth in his final career start, the 2001 Pirate's Bounty Handicap at Del Mar.
Nite Dreamer, a seven-year-old Canadian-bred by El Prado (Ire) out of stakes winner A Dream Above, by Great Above, competed on 14 different racetracks during his lengthy career. He won five of 37 career starts with ten seconds and six thirds for $1,149,788 in earnings.
Second in the 1998 Prince of Wales Stakes in the Canadian classic series, Nite Dreamer won the '99 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Breeders' Cup Handicap (G3) during his career for trainer Niall O'Callaghan. He also set a track record of 1:43.53 during his victory in the 2000 Sportsman's Park Breeders' Cup Handicap at 1 1/16 miles.
Walkslikeaduck, a five-year-old son of Blushing John out of Nabla, by Theatrical (Ire), was unraced at two and later became one of Southern California's leading three-year-olds on the turf.
Trained by Patrick Gallagher, Walkslikeaduck won four of his first seven starts, including the 2000 Del Mar Derby (G2) and Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Derby (G3) to earn a start in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1). He finished 12th in the Mile, 5 1/2 lengths behind winner War Chant, and ended the season with a fifth-place finish in the Hollywood Derby (G1) won by Brahms.
Walkslikeaduck returned to the main track for his lone start at four and finished 1 1/4 lengths behind Tiznow in the San Fernando Breeders' Cup Stakes at Santa Anita. Overall, he won four of ten starts, placed three times, and earned $418,354.?Tom Law
