In this series, we ask agents and others who book a lot of mares for their clients which sires might be flying slightly under the radar in this breeding season. Who might be getting overlooked in the rush for the new, hot thing? Read on.
Marie Yoshida, Winchester Farm
AIR FORCE BLUE, Ashford Stud, $20,000
It is essential for breeders who sell or race to select, if they can afford it, a stallion who was a dominant champion 2-year-old racehorse. There are not so many of these racehorses around and Air Force Blue is definitely one of the rare ones. He won three Group 1 races at 2 in England and Ireland (6-7f) and was crowned the European Champion 2-year-old in 2015. It is essential for breeders to use the Danzig/Northern Dancer sire line with War Front, who is developing into a sire of sires. War Front himself only breeds around 80 top select mares per year and his record is outstanding; he's a superior stallion, an “improver.” Air Force Blue has a completely American pedigree and was bred by world-renowned expert breeder Arthur Hancock of Stone Farm, from a deep female family including champion 2-year-old filly Flanders who produced champion 3-year-old filly Surfside. It is the responsibility of every breeder to optimize every year his mating program. Many can be tempted to follow the present “bubble economy” and only breed to first-season sires, even though most of them lack pedigree, race records or physical soundness and conformation. A stallion like Air Force Blue is exceptional and is standing for extremely good value at $20,000 LFSN in 2019.
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