2025 was a good year for York Stutteri. The highlight of the year came when Grab The Moment won the Danish Derby ahead of Firstof All – both born and raised at York Stutteri. But the year also brought many other big wins. The standard of the broodmares permanently based at the stud is quite remarkable. And Courage Under Fire – and most recently Giuseppe Piazzi – are interesting additions to the Scandinavian stallion ranks at York, where Karina and Alexander Elsass are now the sole owners of the business.
Saturday 2 August 2025 became a day that Karina and Alexander Elsass will never forget.
The Derby favourite Grab the Moment (Go Go Gadget) won the Danish Derby after an exciting finish ahead of Firstof All (Juniper Tree).
They have both spent their earliest days at York Stutteri.
”Yes, it was hard to contain the excitement when we stood on the winner’s podium together with the owner and the breeder of Grab The Moment”, Alexander said. ”The joy was enormous. It is a moment like that which makes it all worthwhile”.
It was the first time since 2011 that a horse born and raised at York won the Danish Derby.
Back then Santa Anita and Zwicky Racing’s Tigress Eleven (Academy Award) won, bred by The Handsome Forursome.
And the first Derby winner bred by the Elsass family came in 2011, when Just Pile It (Prince Mab) won the Danish Derby.
YORK STUTTERI – AN ELDORADO OF BROODMARES.
The quality of the broodmares at York Stutteri is exceptional.
At the stud we find broodmares by some of Europe’s leading stallions, among them Camelot, Dubawi, Harry Angel, Iffraaj and Europe’s leading stallion in 2025, the late Wootton Bassett.
And at York Stutteri there is progeny by stallions such as Footstepsinthesand, Iffraaj, Intello, Sottsass and Study Of Man.
The broodmares at York have a record in Scandinavian feature races that beats everything, as the following overview shows.
BROODMARES PERMANENTLY BASED AT YORK STUTTERI AND THEIR WINS IN SCANDINAVIAN FEATURE RACES.
2-YEAR-OLD RACES.
- Dansk Galops Auktionsløb: Edge Of Eternity (2010), My Jamil (2020)
- Danish Criterium: My Jamil (2020), Eternity Tree (2021)
- Vinterfavoriternas Pris: Got A Lot (2022)
- Breeders’ Trophy Juvenile: Ramone (2018)
- Amacitalöpning: Victoria Placa (2019)
CLASSIC RACES.
- Danish 1000 Guineas (Mowerinaløb): Annaboda (2013)
- Svenskt 1000 Guineas: Icecapada (2015), Angel Field (2023)
- Norsk 1000 Guineas: Iron Butterfly (2021)
- Danish 2000 Guineas: My Jamil (2020)
- Danish Derby: Iron Butterfly (2021)
- Danish Oaks: Malekha (2020)
- Norsk Oaks: Annaboda (2013)
BREEDERS’ RACES.
- Dansk Breeders’ Cup: Malekha (2021), Iron Butterfly (2022)
- Breeders’ Prize Sprint: Edge Of Eternity (2011), Ramone (2019)
- Breeders’ Prize Classic: Iron Butterfly (2021)
LISTED RACES.
- Lanwades Stud Stakes: Tatoosh (2012 & 2013), Icecapada (2015), Seaside Song (2017 & 2020), Victoria Placa (2021), Iron Butterfly (2022 & 2023)
- Bloomers’ Vase: Tatoosh (2013), Icecapada (2017 & 2018)
As can be seen, mares based at York have won the Lanwades Stud Stakes – one of Scandinavia’s biggest races for fillies and mares – eight times in the last 14 years.
COURAGE UNDER FIRE UNDER THE HAMMER.
At New Year a number of the many foals at York Stutteri become yearlings.
And at the Scandinavian Open Yearling Sale in September 2026 the first yearlings by Courage Under Fire come under the hammer at York Stutteri.
Karina and Alexander are naturally looking forward to that with great anticipation, and they are pleased with the progeny Courage Under Fire has already produced.
”They are sharp, they look ”racy”, and they have Courage Under Fire’s body”, they pointed out.
At the same time Karina and Alexander have had good feedback from other breeders who have progeny by Courage Under Fire.
At the time of writing there are nine coming yearlings by Courage Under Fire based at York. One colt and eight fillies.
The only colt is out of Charming Loza (Lawman), who is the dam of Charming Knight, winner of the Vinterfavoriternes Ærespræmie in 2021 and the Danish 2000 Guineas the year after. He is the first colt foal out of Charming Loza since Charming Knight.
Annaboda (Duke Of Marmalade), who in 2013 won both the Danish 1000 Guineas and the Norsk Oaks, is previously the dam of Eagle Eye (Gleneagles), who won the Vinterfavoriternes Ærespræmie in 2020 ahead of the 2023 Danish Derby winner, Slava Ukraini (Moohaajim).
Annaboda is now again in foal to the dual 2000 Guineas winner and quadruple Group 1 winner Gleneagles (Galileo), and she is thus carrying a full sister or brother to Eagle Eye.
Gleneagles is already the sire of six individual Group 1 winners, among them this year’s winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr.1) and the Japan Cup (Gr.1), Calandagan, who has been named ”Horse Of The Year 2025” by Cartier.
Carsten Nørgaard, who owns Joca Stable and together with Karina and Alexander is behind Breeding & Racing I/S, is an absolutely decisive person for the existence of York Stutteri, Karina and Alexander said.
”The co-operation with Carsten reaches far beyond joint ownership”, Alexander pointed out.
”He knows a lot about horses. He is a really good sounding board, and at the same time he is our good friend.”
Three mares out of the same family with All Right (Always Fair) as the taproot mare have all had filly foals by Courage Under Fire this year.
Besides being the dam of Lady Clementine (Richard Of York) and the granddam of the Derby winners Sir Henry (Academy Award) and Manacor (Primatico), All Right was also the dam of Edge Of Eternity (Academy Award), who in the breeding shed has become the dam of Habla (Juniper Tree) and her full sister Eternity Tree.
Edge Of Eternity, Habla and Eternity Tree are now all based at York Stutteri and all owned by York Stutteri.
Edge Of Eternity, who won Dansk Galop Auktionsløb in 2011 and the following year the Breeders’ Prize Sprint at Øvrevoll, is again in foal to Courage Under Fire, as are her daughters Eternity Tree and Habla.
And Edge Of Eternity’s foal by Courage Under Fire, who becomes a yearling at New Year, has incidentally been bought by Alexander’s mother, Kiddy Elsass, and named Eternal Fire. That underlines the Elsass family’s high expectations of Courage Under Fire.
Ramone (Eishin Dunkirk) won as many as three feature races as a 2-year-old, and she is a half-sister to the Danish Derby winner Iron Butterfly (Swipe).
Ramone is already the dam of the 2-year-old, unraced Believe In Magic (Juniper Tree), and she is in foal to the dual Derby winner Australia (Galileo), who is the sire of this year’s Epsom Derby winner, Coolmore’s Lambourn.
Xanthippe (Zoffany) is a half-sister to Bank Of Burden (Hawk Wing) and Duke Of Burden Footstepsinthesand). Her first runner, Tea Montana (Oasis Dream), is a winner in Sweden. Her second foal, a Study of Man filly, has been sold to Niels Petersen in Norway. Xanthippe is not in foal.
The last two at York Stutteri with foals this year by Courage Under Fire are Margrethe (Juniper Tree) and Tatoosh (Xaar).
Margrethe is a half-sister to the multiple feature race winner My Fortune (Appel Au Maitre), and she is owned by Lokalebasen A/S (Jakob Dalhoff).
”Jakob Dalhoff is one of the new, young and interesting owners in Danish racing”, Alexander noted.
”He has studied racing thoroughly – racing and breeding – and he is very passionate and open to new thinking”.
”His biggest venture to date is the part-ownership of Diego Velazquez (Frankel), whom he bought as part of a consortium led by Sam Sangster immediately before the horse won the Prix Jacques Le Marois (Gr.1). Today Diego Velazquez stands at the National Stud in Newmarket at a covering fee of 17,500 pounds”.
Margrethe won the Fabellaløb in 2020 and the Sceptre Stakes in 2021, and in her career she earned almost 1 million kroner.
She is the dam of the well-made filly yearling Ice and Fire (Oasis Dream), and Margrethe is again in foal to Oasis Dream in an attempt to repeat the success.
Lokalebasen A/S has another broodmare based at York, Meleys (Moohaajim).
She is out of Harbour Light (Academy Award), who won the Danish Criterium in 2013 and the Danish 2000 Guineas in 2014. Meleys is in foal to Courage Under Fire.
Tatoosh is the dam of this year’s Danish Derby winner Grab The Moment (Go Go Gadget), who not only won the Danish Derby as a 3-year-old, but also won the Breeders’ Prize Classic at Øvrevoll.
Tatoosh was an outstanding racehorse herself. She won the Danish 1000 Guineas, the Fawzia Stakes two years running and three Listed races. The Lanwades Stud Stakes twice and the Bloomers’ Vase once.
Grab The Moment’s full brother Ready To Rumble is, like Grab The Moment, owned by Stall Trick Or Treat and in training with Niels Petersen at Øvrevoll.
”Tatoosh has become an elderly lady”, Alexander noted. ”She turns 20 in February 2026, but she can be proud of her racing career and her life as a broodmare”.
Tatoosh is owned by the Norwegian Tanja Ravn Myhre.
SEVERAL BROODMARES HAVE BEEN ON ”FOREIGN VISITS”.
Of the other coming yearlings at York, most are by very highly regarded European stallions.
Alexander thinks a lot of Iffraaj (Zafonic), who stands at Darley’s Dalham Hall Stud.
”He has progeny that have won 13 individual Group 1 races, among them Wootton Bassett, and he is the sire of two coming yearlings at York Stutteri, out of Alwaysonmymind and Seaside Song respectively, both of whom are today owned by Breeding & Racing I/S ”, Alexander said.
Alwaysonmymind (Appel Au Maitre) won the Svenskt Oaks in 2020, and her first foal, by Juniper Tree, was sold at the Scandinavian Open Yearling Sale this year to Niels Petersen for 200,000 kroner.
Allwaysonmymind is in foal to Courage Under Fire.
The dual Listed winner Seaside Song (Harbour Watch) is the dam of Lettfeti by Study Of Man (Deep Impact).
Lettfeti is a winner at Øvrevoll. His full brother was bought back at the Scandinavian Open Yearling Sale this year for 290,000 kroner, but he has since been sold to Bling Enterprise.
Seaside Song is now in foal to Courage Under Fire.
The Dubawi daughter Fire Blaze is the dam of Dancingonarainbow (Juniper Tree), who won on her debut at Jägersro this year, and Fire Blaze has had a colt foal this year by the Prix de l’Arc winner Sottsass (Siyouni)”, Alexander noted.
Fire Blaze is in foal to the Frankel son Cracksman, who is a quadruple Group 1 winner.
In the breeding shed Cracksman is the sire of Ace Impact, who went through his racing career unbeaten and in 2023 won the French Derby and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
The 2021 Danish Derby winner Iron Butterfly (Swipe) had her first foal this year, a colt by the French Derby winner Study Of Man, who stands as a stallion at Kirsten Rausing’s Lanwades Stud.
Study Of Man is the sire of Kalpana, who last year and this year won the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Gr.1) at Ascot, where she was also second in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes behind Calandagan.
Iron Butterfly, who during her racing career was owned by Stall Zuccini, is one of the most successful mares since the turn of the millennium. Besides the Danish Derby she won the Norsk 1000 Guineas, two Breeders’ races and she won the Lanwades Stud Stakes (L) twice.
Alexander mentioned that Iron Butterfly, who today is owned by Breeding & Racing I/S, is now in foal to the Frankel son Mostahdaf, who in 2023 won the Prince Of Wales Stakes (Gr.1) and the Juddmonte International Stakes (Gr.1).
My Jamil (Al Shemali) was bought by Jørgen Vedel at the Scandinavian Open Yearling Sale at York Stutteri in 2019 for only 28,000 kroner. That was to prove a good investment.
The following year My Jamil was named not only 2-Year-Old of the Year, but also Horse of the Year after wins in the Danish Criterium and Dansk Galop Auktionsløb.
And in 2021 she became a classic winner when she won the Danish 2000 Guineas.
Today My Jamil is based as a broodmare at York Stutteri. Last year she had a filly, La Belle Applée, by Appel Au Maitre, and this year she has had a colt by Hurricane Red.
My Jamil is today owned by Stutteri Langkjær ApS.
”LT Racing, Lulu Tøpholm’s Angel Field (Harry Angel), who was bred by Godolphin, managed only three starts before she went to stud”, Alexander emphasised.
”On only her third start she won the Svenskt 1000 Guineas at Bro Park ahead of Got A Lot and Thunder Sea (Night Of Thunder).
”Now she has gone to stud and is based with us at York Stutteri, and she had her first foal this year, a filly by Intello (Galileo), who won the French Derby in 2013 and later that year was third in the Prix de l’Arc”.
Intello is the sire of three Group 1 winners, among them Junko, who won the very valuable Hong Kong Vase (Gr.1) in 2023.
Angel Field is now in foal to the German Derby winner Sea The Moon (Sea The Stars), who stands at Lanwades Stud and is the sire of five individual Group 1 winners.
Victoria Placa is by Coolmore’s late Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj).
”Wootton Bassett is Europe’s leading stallion this year and the sire of, among others, this year’s French Derby winner Camille Pissaro”, Alexander said. ”So we are naturally pleased to have a broodmare by him in the barn”.
Victoria Placa has this year had a colt foal by Footstepsinthesand (Giant Causeway), whom we in Scandinavia know as the sire of, among others, Duke Of Burden, Funinthesand, Giant Sandman, Sandtastic and Stroxx Carlras.
Besides wins in the Amacitalöpning in 2019 and in the Lanwades Stud Stakes (L), Victoria Placa was placed second, third and fourth in Listed races in Germany.
Victoria Placa, who today is owned by Breeding & Racing I/S, is the dam of Vincenzo (Juniper Tree), who was second in the Produce Stakes, and she is in foal to Courage Under Fire.
26 BROODMARES PERMANENTLY BASED AT YORK STUTTERI.
There are currently 30 horses permanently based at York Stutteri. The four stallions Giuseppe Piazzi, Courage Under Fire, Hurricane Red and Wentworth plus 26 broodmares.
Added to that are the 17 foals that become yearlings at New Year and the 18 foals arriving in the spring.
And especially during the covering season there are naturally several more. Besides that, a few boxes are let to private owners of riding horses etc.
York Stutteri (Karina and Alexander Elsass) themselves own six of the broodmares, Joca Stable (Carsten Nørgaard) three and Breeding & Racing I/S (Carsten Nørgaard and Karina and Alexander Elsass) six.
Among Joca Stable’s broodmares at York we find Got A Lot by Camelot (Montjeu).
”Camelot won the 2000 Guineas (Gr.1), the Epsom Derby (Gr.1) and the Irish Derby in 2012”, Alexander said.
”In the breeding shed he is the sire of 13 individual Group 1 winners, among them the winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe last year, Bluestocking, and two Irish Derby winners. Latrobe, who won in 2018 and Los Angeles, who won in 2024, the year Camelot was Europe’s leading stallion”.
Got A Lot won the Vinterfavoriternas Pris in 2022 at Bro Park ahead of Cotton Eye Joe (Appel au Maitre) and Ami De Vega (Lope De Vega).
Got A Lot is in foal to the quadruple Group 1 winner Muhaarar (Oasis Dream).
Joca Stable also owns Icecapada (Mastercraftsman), Hurricane Red’s half-sister, who is not in foal.
Icecapada first showed her considerable ability with the win in the Svenskt 1000 Guineas in 2015, and later in her career it became as many as four Listed wins.
Alexander was able to report that in the breeding shed Icecapada is the dam of Glendevon (Gleneagles), who is a winner, of Icefall, who was placed in his two starts at Jägersro this year, and of Icelady Carlras (Oasis Dream), who has been bought by Stald Ras and gone into training with Rikke Rohbach Bonde.
Stutteri Guldborg (Mogens Drehn Guldborg) has three broodmares at York Stutteri. Mylegend and her daughter Wozzy Legend plus Danaziya.
Mylegend (Binary File) won the Fawzia Stakes in 2018, and in 2019 she repeated the triumph in the Fawzia Stakes and also won the Sceptre Stakes.
Mylegend is in foal to Dubai Mile (Roaring Lion), who won the Critérium de Saint-Cloud (Gr.1) in 2022.
She is the dam of Wozzy Legend (Helmet), who last year was third in both the Danish and the Svenskt 1000 Guineas. Wozzy Legend is in foal to Courage Under Fire.
”The third, Danaziya (Dariyan), had a filly in 2024 by Moohaajim (Cape Cross), who is unraced. And she is, like Mylegend, in foal to Dubai Mile”, Alexander noted.
Waleed Zawawi’s Malekha (Juniper Tree) was in her racing career the winner of both the Danish Oaks in 2020 and the Dansk Breeders’ Cup the year after. In addition she was second in the Danish St. Leger and third in the Danish Derby, among other results.
In 2024 Malekha had a filly foal by Footstepsinthesand, Mallee Sand, who has gone into training with Søren Jensen. Malekha is not in foal.
Lady Battenberg (Iffraj) is owned by FTHK Racing (Frank and Helle Hansen and Tom and Kiri Glæsner). She is in foal to Kodi Bear (Kodiac).
There are two new broodmares at York Stutteri.
Bitesof Luck, whom York Stutteri has bought from The JC Organization, is by U.S. Navy Flag (War Font).
U.S. Navy Flag was ”Cartier Champion Two-year-old Colt” in 2017 after winning the Middle Park Stakes (Gr.1) and the Dewhurst Stakes (Gr.1), among others.
Alexander mentioned in that connection that Alice and John Weiste Christensen – who from now on will run their horses in their new Irish company JWC Bloodstock Ltd. – are another example of relatively new owners investing heavily in racehorses both in Scandinavia and internationally.
ARE NEW LEGENDS ON THE WAY?
York Stutteri is associated with legendary stallions such as Academy Award, who was co-owned with Stutteri Hjortebo, and Richard Of York. Perhaps two new stars are on the way?
Of the four stallions at York, three are owned by ScanVet Stallions (Flemming Velin): Giuseppe Piazzi, Courage Under Fire and Wentworth, while Hurricane Red is owned by Stall Zada.
And Alexander emphasised that the Velin family’s major commitment is a gift to Danish breeding without comparison.
”It is a fantastic co-operation we have with them, which we value incredibly highly”.
Juniper Tree, who this year got his first Derby winner with Celtic Lullaby, has been sold to Eva CS Petterson.
”And I hope and believe that Juniper Tree can become a significant asset for racing and breeding in Sweden, which faces great challenges”, Alexander emphasised.
Giuseppe Piazzi is the latest addition at York, where he starts as a stallion in 2026.
He is by one of the most successful stallions in racing history, Galileo (Sadler’s Wells).
”He is beautiful”, as Karina put it. ”And he must be a dream for every breeder with Derby dreams”, Alexander added.
Giuseppe Piazzi came to Denmark after two wins in France as a 2-year-old, and he continued his fine racing career in Scandinavia.
”Yes, he was unbeaten in his best year in 2017, when he won all three of his starts in the Pokalløb, the Oslo Cup and the Scandinavian Open Championship, and he was Scandinavia’s highest handicapped horse that year with a general handicap of 95”, Alexander reported.
Giuseppe Piazzi impressed with his presence and his long legs at the recent stallion parade at York.
Courage Under Fire (War Front), who began his career as a stallion at York Stutteri in 2024, was second in the Phoenix Stakes (Gr.1) as a 2-year-old.
He is a full brother to the triple Grade 1 winner Omaha Beach, who has had great success at stud. In 2024 he was ”Champion 2nd Crop Sire” in North America.
Alexander reported that Courage Under Fire covered 44 mares in 2024 and 43 were in foal. In 2025 Courage Under Fire covered 41 mares and 40 were in foal.
Wentworth is a son of Acclamation, who was one of the best sprinters of his generation with a win in the Diadem Stakes (Gr.2) at Ascot, among others.
Wentworth went to stud in 2020, and he has had only few runners, among them Run for Justice, who has won five times at Øvrevoll.
At the Scandinavian Open Yearling Sale this year a colt out of the dual, now deceased Oaks winner Elektra Art (Excellent Art) by Wentworth was sold for 300,000 kroner, and another foal by Wentworth, a colt out of Habla, for 130,000 kroner.
Hurricane Red (Hurricane Run) became a stallion at York in 2019.
His record is exceptional; among other races he won Stockholms Stora Pris (Gr.3) three times. In 2015, 2017 and 2018, and in his racing career he earned almost 6.5 million kroner.
Hurricane Red has already produced 10 winners from only 13 runners, among them Lucien, who became a millionaire in earnings this year, when he reached a handicap of 88, as well as the winner of Dansk Galop Auktionsløb in 2024, I Can Do It.
Hurricane Red/Jacob Johansen wins Stockholms Stora Pris (Gr.3) in 2015 ahead of Bank Of Burden. Photo: Elina Björklund / Svensk Galopp.
NEW TIMES AT YORK STUTTERI.
York Stutteri was founded in 1992 by Kiddy and Nick Elsass at Bregnerødgård. In 1999 the stud moved to Stumpedyssegård, where it is based today.
In 2010 a generational handover began, when Karina and Alexander took over the day-to-day management, and from this year they are the sole owners of the stud.
York is not a traditional stud. It is a stud business offering the whole palette.
A professional platform for breeders who do not have the facilities themselves, but who at York Stutteri can have every task connected with breeding thoroughbreds taken care of
And over the years Karina and Alexander have succeeded in building Scandinavia’s leading breeding station for Scandinavian breeders.
Karina and Alexander are both very knowledgeable about breeding racehorses, and they are well educated, among other things through stays at big foreign studs. They have a large network. They know what it is all about.
”We are”, as Alexander put it: ”vaccinated with the disease”.
At the same time he emphasised that it only works because the two of them share everything.
”Running and managing a stud business is hard work”, Alexander continued. ”It is not a game or a hobby. The finances have to add up, and thoroughbred breeding is a long-term investment”.
”That is why it is also important to have success now and then. To win feature races and to be able to see that the stallions at York have successful progeny and are sent plenty of mares to cover”.
And Alexander continued: ”Racing is a small sport. That is why it is important that we stick together. Across owners and breeders and across Scandinavian borders.”
He also pointed out that it is important that the racecourses move with the times. That they are spectator-friendly.
”Klampenborg Racecourse does it well. There are many spectators at the races. Many activities around the racing, but a visit to some of the racecourses can be a dull experience”.
A visit to York Stutteri, on the other hand, is always an experience.
Already at the entrance to York Stutteri you sense a special atmosphere. It continues when you reach the main buildings, the barn and the big indoor arena, which every September is the setting for Scandinavia’s largest thoroughbred sale.
Everything is under control. It is clean everywhere, and the impression is repeated when you visit the well-kept barns and look out at the paddocks with frisky foals looking forward to soon becoming yearlings.
During my visit to York I had the pleasure of meeting not only Karina and Alexander, but also Alexander’s parents Kiddy and Nick Elsass, who still lend a hand when needed.
All four of them rode in races when they were younger.
Karina and Alexander have two children, Emma aged 16 and Oliver aged 14, and the interest in horses looks set to continue in the family.
Emma has thus ridden on the national dressage team for the past couple of years, and she too is part of daily life in the barn.
