The Stillwater S. on July 18 at Saratoga turned into a showcase for one freshman sire, and an exclamation point for another. Ashford’s freshman Competitive Edge emerged from the shadow of American Pharoah when his fillies, My Italian Rabbi and Fierce Lady, finished first and second in that race, dueling one another like real pros. My Italian Rabbi is the first stakes winner for Competitive Edge. Finishing third was a first-time starter, Jewel of Arabia, from another frequently overlooked freshman sire, Winstar’s Daredevil.

My Italian Rabbi, a $160,000 purchase at Fasig-Tipton’s Saratoga Preferred New York Yearling Sale in 2018, has a fascinating pedigree, with A.P Indy appearing in his sire’s and dam’s side, while adding yet another dose of Seattle Slew in the sire’s side. Fierce Lady’s pedigree doesn’t have the Seattle Slew/A.P. Indy inbreeding, but does feature both In Reality and Damascus, both of which were present as well in the pedigree of My Italian Rabbi.

Jewel of Arabia is out of a Mineshaft mare, and was a $140,000 weanling at Keeneland November, 2017. Her pedigree features inbreeding to both Mr. Prospector and Northern Dancer, and it makes good sense that the double dose of Halo in Daredevil holds hands with the Hail to Reason in Seattle Slew on the dam’s side.

With Khozan, with his $4,000 stud fee, atop the freshman sire list, and these two relatively bargain priced stallions, the expected emergence of American Pharoah as a force of nature among freshman stallions has been at very least delayed. That is not to say that he won’t end up as leading freshman sire of 2019. However, Competitive Edge and Daredevil are also making their mark for breeders with smaller checkbooks but just as high hopes.

-- Roberta Smoodin