by Michael Burns

La Mission stallion station in Argentina has added Juddmonte Farms’ homebred multiple Group/Grade 3 winner Art Master to its 2008 stallion roster after privately purchasing the six-year-old Royal Academy horse.

A two-time Group 3 winner in France, where he was trained by Andre Fabre, Art Master captured the 2007 Poker Handicap (G3) at Belmont Park in July for Bobby Frankel.

Kentucky-bred Art Master won three of 13 starts and earned $288,955. He is out of the multiple Grade 2-winning Capote mare True Flare, dam of Grade 1 winner Latent Heat and Grade 2 winner Indian Flare.

“We have great confidence in Art Master for his pedigree," said Ezequiel Valle, sales manager of La Mission. "He is very attractive and of quality. We were also interested in a son of Royal Academy considering that Val Royal (Fr) did very well for us and will not be able to return to La Mission this year due to a [bout of] colic he suffered some months ago. We were also seduced by his great physique and race record, since he is a stakes winner in France and the United States at distances like one mile."

La Mission will have 100% ownership of Art Master.

Michael Burns is a South America-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent