Was there really ever any doubt as to who would be the leading freshman sire of 2019? American Pharoah was always the stand-out among the first crop sires. The surprise is that he’s turned out to be a great turf sire.
Category Archives: Bloodstock
Constitution Surprises in the Race for Leading Freshman Sire
This past weekend’s jam-packed racing schedule, the last gasp of the win-and-you’re-in Breeders’ Cup stakes races, created many surprises, but at the top of that list may be the drama in the leading freshman sires list.
Brothers and Sisters to Watch: Lady Eli and Princesa Caroline
Who didn’t love Lady Eli? So many reasons to adore her: her ten wins and three seconds from 14 starts, her many Grade One wins, at least one for every year she raced, her devastating turn of foot down the stretch, her $2,959,800 in earnings.
Stud Notes: The Ongoing Legacy of Smart Strike
On Saturday, September 28, Smart Strike sired the winner of the John Henry Turf Championship S.-G2 at Santa Anita. His spectacular son, Curlin, sired the winner, before disqualification, of the Jockey Club Gold Cup S.-G1 at Belmont, Vino Rosso. And his freshman sire grandson, Palace Malice, sired the winner of the Pilgrim S.-G3, at Belmont, Structor.
Upset Saturday At Parx As Low Key Stallions Sire Grade One Winners
The big racing news of Saturday, September 21, occurred when both Grade One races at Parx, the Cotillion S. for three-year-old fillies and the Pennsylvania Derby for three-year-old colts were won by longshots, both by near-forgotten stallions.
Lea’s First Stakes Winner
Vast, a daughter of Claiborne Farm’s first crop sire Lea, won the Hollywood Wildcat S. on September 22 at Monmouth by 2 ¾ lengths, to become the popular young stallion’s first stakes winner. Lea stands for $7500 at Claiborne, and his yearlings have been well-supported, with an average of over $75,000 at auction.
Stud Notes: Lane’s End is Red Hot
It doesn’t take Albert Einstein to realize some genetics are, simply, magical. Juddmonte Farms advertised Empire Maker, when he first went to stud, as a “genetic masterpiece,” and they were correct, but Empire Maker isn’t Juddmonte’s only genetic masterpiece. The full brothers Frankel and Noble Mission represent more great art.
Stud Notes: Tiznow & The Old School Sires At Keeneland
The frenzy over discovery of the next big thing in the thoroughbred industry—note the competitive if not frenzied bidding at the Keeneland September Sale for the offspring of Runhappy, Nyquist and Frosted—frequently obscures the great older sires and their achievements. On Saturday, September 14, old school sires shone, with Tiznow’s son Dennis’ Moment taking the Iroquois S.-G3 at Churchill in dominant, if not downright easy, fashion.
Stud Notes: Noble Mission’s Travers Winner
At first, it seemed that Noble Mission’s sole claim to fame was being the great champion Frankel’s full brother. Having run only on grass in Europe, the Group One winning millionaire seemed an odd choice for Lane’s End in Versailles, Kentucky, to import to add to its stallion roster in 2015. However, it would seem that doubting the stallion acumen of the masters of Lane’s End, William Farish, the elder, and former Ambassador to England, and William Farish, the younger, who has run the farm for the past decade, is utter foolishness.
Pedigree Column: Back to the Future with Blushing Groom
The Lake Placid S.-G3T at Saratoga (August 17) was a hard-fought thriller ending in a lengthy stewards’ consultation which eventually declared a dead heat between Varenka and Regal Glory. Neither mare deserved to lose. What was surprising was that the most superficial glance at the two mares’ pedigrees revealed stunning similarities, making them almost seem like sisters from another mother.