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Alfred Pais: Homebred Brickyard Ride Embarks On A Stallion Career

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(Originally published in the March 2026 issue of “California Thoroughbred” magazine)

Horse racing has given Alfred “Sonny” Pais the ride of a lifetime.

Pais (pronounced Paze) made his money through income property investment, but horses were always where his heart is. That’s been true from the time he was a young man out of high school in the 1970s and helped train harness racers for his father, to the present day as a breeder of Thoroughbreds.

Beginning in the 1990s, Pais has had several successful California homebreds. His best has been the blazingly quick Brickyard Ride, a multiple graded stakes victor who won 13 of 31 races and earned $925,477. Retired from the track in 2024, the former sprinter is on a journey that is far from over, as Pais embarks on a stallion career for the statuesque chestnut son of Clubhouse Ride. Brickyard Ride is the all-time leading earner for his sire.

“I’m a senior citizen on the hustle,” remarked the loquacious Pais, now 72. Always a small breeder, he has grown his broodmare base to 12 as he looks to support Brickyard Ride, standing his second season at Rancho San Miguel in San Luis Obispo County. Pais wishes he could do more, but his resources are limited. As it is, he figures he could possess upwards of 40 horses by the time the stallion’s newest foals arrive this year.

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CLICK HERE to view the rest of the story at ctba.com

CLICK HERE to view the entire March 2026 issue of “California Thoroughbred” magazine

First Foal For Multiple Graded Stakes Winner Brickyard Ride Is A California-Bred Filly

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San Miguel, California—Multiple graded stakes winner Brickyard Ride, the leading lifetime earner for the Candy Ride (Arg) stallion Clubhouse Ride, was represented by his first foal on January 24: a filly born at Rancho San Miguel in California.

Bred by Jerry Engelauf, the youngster is the fourth foal out of the winning mare To the Limits, an 11-year-old daughter of Swiss Yodeler.

“I am very impressed by the quality of this first foal by Brickyard Ride,” said Rancho San Miguel owner Tom Clark, whose San Luis Obispo County farm stands the 9-year-old stallion. “Her sire exhibited great class, speed and longevity on the extremely tough Southern California racing circuit, and this smart-looking filly is an excellent early representative of those strengths.”

Racing as a homebred for Alfred “Sonny” Pais, Brickyard Ride won or placed in 21 of 31 starts and compiled a career bankroll of $925,477 while competing from ages 2 through 7. Eight of his 13 victories were recorded in black-type races conducted on dirt and turf, including Santa Anita Park’s 2021 San Carlos Stakes (G2) and back-to-back editions of the Kona Gold Stakes (G3) in 2022 and 2023.

Brickyard Ride covered an inaugural book of 44 mares in 2025. His 2026 fee is $4,000, accompanied by a live foal guarantee.

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