Air Force Blue

With the successful Chantilly debut of George Strawbridge homebred and new 'TDN Rising Star' Another Sky (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) in March (video), the colt appears to be another feather in the cap of his dam, the unraced Darkova (Maria's Mon). Her first foal is the European highweight, MG1SW Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), her second, his full-brother, the French SP Troarn (Fr). Darkova, however, is not the only European Group 1 producer flying the flag in Europe for her late Pin Oak Stud-based sire Maria's Mon, as the MSP...

Even if most racing is delayed, we're all hoping it will get underway sometime this spring or early summer, if for no other reason than so we can all find out the answer to our annual favorite question. We surveyed some top judges on who their leading first-crop sire is, and to give us some under-the-radar picks as well. DAVID INGORDO My top two picks are between Nyquist and Runhappy, but I will probably give Nyquist the number one slot. We bought several Nyquists ourselves and I've seen several at...

Even if most racing is delayed, we're all hoping it will get underway sometime this spring or early summer, if for no other reason than so we can all find out the answer to our annual favorite question. We surveyed some top judges on who their leading first-crop sire is, and to give us some under-the-radar picks as well. I want to disclose my opinion by saying that most of it is based on the two-year-olds I have seen this past week at the OBS sale. Most of my clients...

Even if most racing is delayed, we're all hoping it will get underway sometime this spring or early summer, if for no other reason than so we can all find out the answer to our annual favorite question. We surveyed some top judges on who their leading first-crop sire is, and to give us some under-the-radar picks as well. Since we are a moderate-scale operation, I often feel that there are young sires that I have coveted after but I am unable to attain anything from their first crop. This...

My leading sire for this year would be Nyquist. I was connected with him in my role with Paul Reddam. It's quite rare that you see a two-year-old win three Grade I races and then come back and win the Derby as an unbeaten horse. My number two pick is Air Force Blue. He was a very good two-year-old in Ireland and War Front seems to be a good sire of sires. My favorite horse at the sale at OBS March was Hip 27, a son of Air Force Blue...

Through the first three installments of this series, we've repeatedly complained about ever-more manic investment in unproven stallions and the resulting potential for chronic deterioration in the gene pool. So we won't reprise the theme today, other than to remark that this situation creates a rather more immediate and specific challenge for the next group under review. Because while second- and third-season stallions can still offer breeders the possibility of riding an early vogue, this lot have just been exposed to the judgment of the yearling market--which history reveals to...