Every year is important, but 2016 will be especially significant because we will see the first crop of Frankel (Galileo) the freak, the highest-rated and best racehorse of all time. Two laws, or at least tendencies, of Genetics – that any population generally breeds back to the middle; and that outliers (freaks) cannot reproduce themselves [...]

Whereas in the U.S., we used $25,000 as our stud fee cutoff for consideration in our 'value sire' edition, for European sires we are using a cutoff of 15,000 (whether Sterling, which is worth more, or Euros). We begin with England, where Kirsten Rausing's Lanwades Stud has advertised itself as “the independent option,” in contrast [...]

You know the Terms and Conditions by now: the opinions expressed herein are solely my own; we hope the data included is accurate but can't guarantee it; definitely can't guarantee there are seasons available in stallions we tout; we are most definitely fallible; and if anybody feels their horse or a horse they like should [...]

This week's Sales Ticker tells us that over $466 million in horses were sold at 2015 second-half calendar year mixed sales (“first-half” mixed sales, held in January and February, are considered separately as they carried 2014 matings). This is down $26 million (5%) from last year's corresponding sales, and about $60 million (11%) from the [...]

In last Monday's Weekly Sales Ticker (click here)–and with Arqana December, starting today, still to come, we found that 2,492 foals sold at the major mixed sales (Fasig November, Keeneland November, Goffs, Tattersalls) so far this year registered a $6.65-million (5%) gain over last year, and a $22.6-million (18%) increase over corresponding 2013 figures. On [...]

This is a new wrinkle in our market analysis this year. We know that the yearling sales are a better barometer of the overall auction marketplace than the mixed sales, because the pedigrees of over nearly 10,000 yearlings sold (see the Weekly Sales Ticker from Nov. 15–click here) are more stable, whereas the composition of [...]

Ten of the top 15 North American or European sires by average with their first foals selling this year (F2015 sires) and four or more sold, going into the final two mixed sales of the season, Tattersalls December and Arqana December, now stand in North America; five stand in Europe. I say 'now' because the [...]

There weren't too many people from out of town who came for the Breeders' Cup and stayed for the whole three-week Kentucky experience, finishing with Keeneland Book 6 Friday. Keeneland CEO Bill Thomason and his team of hundreds no doubt hope to sleep in this morning after pulling off the unprecedented logistical challenge of hosting [...]

First, the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland. There were a few minor glitches but the overwhelming consensus was they pulled it off, and how. For sales regulars any kind of racing, even the regular meet, is disconcerting, but this had even more potential for things going wrong. But it was so good regular racegoers were saying [...]

As we were discussing last week, Ashford's Uncle Mo, the 2015 Leading North American Freshman Sire by a mile heading into the Breeders' Cup, is one of nine sires with 30 or more weanlings catalogued in the upcoming November sales. But he is also the only sire with more than 40 mares catalogued in foal [...]

According to calculations by TDN's Heather Anderson, a total of 197 different sires are represented by 1,791 weanlings catalogued in the upcoming Fasig-Tipton and Keeneland November sales. Forty-two sires have 15 or more catalogued, and you will not be surprised to hear that fully one-third of them (14) are sires whose first foals arrived this [...]

The two most important yearling sales in the world are now in the books. Both three-day sales, 443 yearlings (61.2% of 724 catalogued) sold at Keeneland September Book 1 last month for a total of $134,261,000, averaging $303,072. At this week's three-day Tattersalls October Book 1 sale, 372 yearlings (72.5% of 513 catalogued) sold for [...]