FELLOW BREEDER,
David Tillson
Founder, The Stock Exchange
Founded in 2009 by David Tillson to provide services to the Thoroughbred Racing Industry. A Louisiana State University graduate with a B.S. in Animal Science, David is also a experienced equine appraiser. With over 30 years in the Thoroughbred industry, he has successfully negotiated stallion acquisitions and sales, breeding partnerships, company memberships and shares in stallion ownerships, as well as, advising individual clients on acquisitions, mating recommendations and the sale of bloodstock.
Today we are heavily focused on broodmare partnerships and are actively recruiting partners for the purchase of broodmares at auction and in the private market place. We were the agent for the buyers of Street Smoke in November 2019. She was bred to BOBBY’S WICKED ONE and produced SMOKEN WICKED. Our plan is to continue to seek out the type of mares that work best with our stallions.
As well as managing the three Thoroughbred stallions at LACER, David focuses his efforts on expanding Louisiana’s stallion offerings. He also offers pedigree review, and consignment representation for both buyers and sellers at regional and national Thoroughbred auctions.
We are pleased to offer Louisiana breeders three exciting stallion options for 2025. Our stallions are entrusted to the staff of LACER, Louisiana Center for Equine Reproduction. A leading provider of specialized services for commercial breeders, to ensure successful breeding and optimal mare reproductive health.
First crop sire BOBBY’S WICKED ONE, by Speightstown, is off to a tremendous start. From a small group of starters at 2, sire of SMOKEN WICKED ($307,542), winner of the Louisiana Futurity, Louisiana Champions Juvenile S., runner up in the $225,000 Bashford Manor S. and placed in a Grade 3 at Saratoga. The precocious 7 1/2 length debut maiden special weight winner at Evangeline, won an allowance race by 8 1/4 lengths at Churchill Downs and has never been off the board, running 4th in both the Hopeful S.-G1 and Champagne S.-G1.
CARPE DIEM, by Giant’s Causeway, started 2025 off with a bang, when SEIZE THE NIGHT ($470,677) won Oaklawn’s $175,000 Tinsel S. on January 5th, earning
a 107 E Speed Figure. In 2024 KINZA was the first Graded stakes winner for a Louisiana sire when she won the Grade 3 Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita in early February. She returned in March to capture the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel S. by 5 lengths and was second in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks. Multiple stakes winner FINGAL’S CAVE added another Graded performance to her record, running 3rd in the Grade 3 Distaff S. at Aqueduct. A top five Louisiana sire by lifetime earnings, CARPE DIEM’s runners have earned over $23-Million the world over.
Candy Ride’s son UNIFIED joined our roster in 2024. The only multiple graded stakes winner for his sire standing in the southwest, UNIFIED was extremely popular with breeders in 2024. Sire of 90 winners and 7 stakes horses in 2024 with over $4.4 million in earnings, UNIFIED sits in second on the Louisiana sire list and leads all LA sires by number of 2024 juvenile winners with 18.
I am a lifelong Louisiana native. My Thoroughbred experiences in and out of the state have allowed me to form a wide network of industry contacts allowing me to offer bloodstock services throughout North America. The predetermined business model for our stallions is to provide breeders opportunities to breed sound, fast, early developing racehorses. Our stallions were selected because they are all sons of successful sires of sires who are speed oriented. Coincidentally, they are all void of Nasrullah, giving breeders sire line options such as A. P. Indy, Uncle Mo, etc.
A better bred, better raised horse attracts more buyers to sales. In turn, a higher sales average helps you, the mare, the stallion, and the program. An improved business model results in all businesses profiting. We do better, not at someone else’s expense, but because we did a better job.
I welcome the opportunity to discuss our stallions in depth with you.
Sincerely, – David Tillson