Multiple Grade 1 winner Wekiva Springs, one of the all-time leading Florida-bred earners, is headed back to his home state to stand the 2002 season at Donald Dizney's Double Diamond Farm near Ocala. The ten-year-old son of Runaway Groom stood his first five seasons at Josephine Abercrombie's Pin Oak Stud near Versailles, Kentucky, as the property of Dizney, James English, Pin Oak, and Mill Ridge Farm. He will stand his first season in Florida for $7,500, $2,500 less than his 2001 fee.

"We always wanted to stand him down here, we just got so many offers for him," said Roger Brand, Double Diamond general manager. "Pin Oak did a really good job starting him out and we just think now is the perfect time to bring him home. He's gotten a lot of exposure up there and we've gotten a lot of support down here in Florida. He should be one of the top horses down here."

Wekiva Springs was ranked 38th on the North American freshman sire list in 2000 and was among the 30 leading second-crop sires with lifetime progeny earnings of $1,375,503 through November 27.

Wekiva Springs had ten winners from 21 starters in his first crop and has 35 individual winners from 68 starters overall, including 2001 stakes winners Spring Winds and Blue Springs and 2000 stakes winner Flex Jet. He is also the sire of stakes-placed runners Rodeo Springs and To Be Springs.

"We're trying to make the move when everything is positive," Brand said. "He's doing well. Pin Oak and Mill Ridge still own an interest in the horse and they think it's a positive move."

Wekiva Springs was expected to arrive at Double Diamond by the end of the week.

Bred in Florida by Dizney, Wekiva Springs was produced by the Tri Jet mare Jetting Angel, who is also the dam of stakes winner Diamond Sunjet and a pair of stakes-placed winners.

Wekiva Springs was one of the nation's top handicap runners in the mid-1990s despite being overshadowed by stablemate and two-time Horse of the Year Cigar. A striking gray, Wekiva Springs won ten of 21 career starts with four seconds and two thirds for $1,512,575 in earnings. He enjoyed his best season in 1996 with victories in the Suburban (G1), Gulfstream Park (G1), and Brooklyn (G2) Handicaps and second-place finishes in the Oaklawn (G1) and Donn (G1) Handicaps.

Wekiva Springs also won the 1995 San Fernando Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park and the '94 Vernon O. Underwood Breeders' Cup Stakes (G3) at Hollywood Park during his four-year career.—Tom Law