With eight victories in 36 starts from 2YO through 7YO, multiple graded stakes winner and millionaire Arzak is a bit of a throwback. His speed, durability and longevity combine with a top-class pedigree and a fantastic physical to make Arzak an exciting new stallion in New York in 2026, and he’ll be a perfect pairing for the young mare Aquatic Approach.
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First and foremost, it is noteworthy that Aquatic Approach’s female family has succeeded with Arzak’s sire-line repeatedly. He is a son of the Giant’s Causeway stallion Not This Time, who has ascended all the way to #2 on the Leading Sire List for 2025 and will stand for $250,000 in 2026. Aquatic Approach’s second dam Misty Mission produced four foals by Giant’s Causeway, including Champion Irish Mission, black-type winner Mythical Mission, and a pair of six-figure earners, and then under Aquatic Approach’s third dam is the black-type winner Time To Dazzle by Not This Time himself. We also think it’s worth noting that Aquatic Approach’s own sire Omaha Beach is out of a half-sister to an Eclipse Champion by Giant’s Causeway, too.
Not This Time now has 11 starters out of mares by War Front or his sons, of which there are seven winners and three black-type winners, headed by ‘25 G2 winner Imaginationthelady. That’s enough to rate this cross an “A++” on TrueNicks, which we never hate to see.
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Aquatic Approach’s female family, which was long cultivated by Canada’s historic Sam-Son Farm, has had a plethora of success on turf (including Aquatic Approach’s half-sister Mission of Joy, who added the G2 Rodeo Drive to her resume in ‘25, having previously been a G3 winner and G1-placed) and — more recently — the all-weather surface at Woodbine. This jives perfectly with Arzak’s own talents, given that he was a graded winner on both turf and all-weather — though he skewed a little shorter, having won from 5-1/2 furlongs to a mile, whereas Aquatic Approach’s family is more classically-inclined.
But we like this about Arzak, too, as speed is king these days and hopefully he can sharpen up Aquatic Approach’s foal a tad, and make it perfectly suited to the numerous turf sprints run on NYRA tracks (not to mention the new synthetic surface debuting next year), where it can rack up plenty of breeder bonuses down the road!