freshman sires

As is the custom, the summer ushers in the yearling sales season, headed by Tuesday's Fasig-Tipton July Sale of Selected Yearlings at Newtown Paddocks. Beginning at 10 a.m., the sale features a trimmed-down catalogue of 286 yearlings, once again highlighted by a selection of first-crop sires, making up roughly a third of the catalog. Featuring 370 head one year ago, this season's offering of yearlings points not only to availability, but to the ongoing drive toward quality. "It's always a function of the type of horses that you're exposed to...

It's that time again. The first major 2-year-old sale, the March OBS sale, is in the books and the buyers, sellers and bloodstock agents have had their chance to evaluate this year's freshman sires. So who do they like? We asked the experts listed below to give us their pick for leading freshman sire and an under-the-radar stallion they expect will have a big 2024. Liz Crow: "I really liked the Improbables (WinStar) at the OBS March breeze show. It's very sad that he passed away. I thought he had,...

Wee Sean Gan's Inquisitively (GB) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}--Ballyalla {GB}, by Mind Games {GB}), fresh off a breakthrough score in York's Listed Roses S., continued on the upgrade with a pillar-to-post victory in Friday's Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis S. at Newmarket, becoming the first pattern-race winner for his freshman sire (by No Nay Never). The 10-3 second choice had hit the board for Ollie Sangster in Royal Ascot's Listed Windsor Castle S., in his penultimate start, and broke sharply from the far-side stall to seize an immediate lead in...

Fees have been set for Spendthrift's four first-crop sires, currently occupying four of the five top spots on the leading freshman sire list in North America, according to a release from the Central Kentucky farm Wednesday. Their fees for the 2024 breeding season were held back when Spendthrift announced the farm's roster and fees in late September. The Spendthrift roster will feature three new stallions in 2024: Taiba (Gun Runner), Arabian Lion (Justify), and Zandon (Upstart). Taiba is already at the farm and will stand for $35,000, while the other...

RP Racing's Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}--Hana Lina {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) shed maiden status with an impressive win in Royal Ascot's Listed Windsor Castle S. and once again showcased raw speed over the same five-furlong trip to garner Wednesday's G3 Jaeger-Lecoultre Molecomb S. at Goodwood. The Michael Appleby representative was the sharpest of eight into stride and seized an immediate lead racing underneath the stands' side rail. Comfortable on the front end until nudged along passing the quarter-mile marker, the 9-4 joint-favourite was strongly pressed by 'TDN...

As we saw in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, if there's anything more exciting than a duel to the wire, it's the intrusion of a third nose. And that's pretty much the way a remarkable contest for the freshman sires' title is playing out entering the stretch. The first thing to stress is that it really shouldn't matter which of the stallions involved happens to bank the critical extra cents to claim the crown. That won't be how the marketing teams of their respective farms are viewing things, naturally, but...

This is somewhat of a watershed year for freshman sires, with six first-crop sires within the top 10 on the list of leading sires of 2-year-olds in North America through Monday. Spendthrift stalwart Into Mischief leads the group (as he has for five of the last seven years), but the same farm's freshman Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) is second, Hill 'n' Dale's Good Magic (Curlin) is third, Coolmore America's Justify (Scat Daddy) is fourth, Hill 'n' Dale's Army Mule (Friesan Fire) is fifth, Three Chimneys's Sharp Azteca (Freud) is seventh,...

6th-Churchill Downs, $123,375, Msw, 9-21, 2yo, 6f, 1:09.93, ft, 1 3/4 lengths. PROTEGE (c, 2, Good Magic--Taboo, by Forestry) became the 11th winner for his in-form first-crop sire (by Curlin) with a good-looking victory beneath the Twin Spires Wednesday. The $80,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic breezer (see below) was sent off at odds of 10.55-1 and jumped about midfield before working his way forward to sit third, just off dueling pacesetters. Warming up to the task three wide approaching the stretch, the Apr. 25 foal claimed pace-pressing Lugan Knight (Goldencents) with a...

7th-Naas, €16,000, Mdn, 9-15, 2yo, 7fT, 1:31.33, g/y. BOLD DISCOVERY (c, 2, Bolt d'Oro--Caribbean Babe, by Arch), sent off at 15-2, quickly established a clear advantage. Maintaining the gallop in game fashion in the straight, the bay hit the line strong with 2 1/2 lengths to spare over Peking Opera (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). "That was very impressive and he's a gorgeous horse," Kate Harrington said. "He only came to us in June and has always done everything so easy. Obviously his sire is a sensation in America on the dirt...

Jaber Abdullah's Dance In The Grass (GB) (Cracksman {GB}--Dance The Dream {GB}, by Sir Percy {GB}) became the fifth winner for her freshman sire (by Frankel {GB}) when snagging her June 10 debut, going seven furlongs at Sandown in her only prior start, and registered a first stakes win for the Dalham Hall Stud resident in Thursday's Listed European Bloodstock News EBF Star S. over the same course and distance. The eventual winner was squeezed for room during the initial exchanges and raced off the pace towards the rear through...

Roaring Lion (Kitten's Joy) became the latest European freshman sire off the mark when Lion of War (GB) notched a debut win in Saturday's British Stallion Studs EBF Restricted Maiden S. over seven furlongs at Leicester. 1st-Leicester, £7,000, Mdn, 6-11, 2yo, 7fT, 1:23.36, g/f. LION OF WAR (GB) (c, 2, Roaring Lion--Momentus {Ire} {SP-Eng}, by Montjeu {Ire}) raced off the pace in ninth through the early fractions of this debut. Tanking forward from halfway, the 7-2 chance seized control approaching the final furlong and was ridden out in the closing...

Tweenhills Stud resident Zoustar (Aus) (Northern Meteor {Aus}) registered his first Northern Hemisphere winner when David O'Meara trainee Just Janet (GB) made all to prevail in Tuesday's Coopers Marquees British EBF Restricted Maiden S. over 5 1/2 furlongs at Wetherby. 1st-Wetherby, £12,000, Mdn, 6-7, 2yo, 5f 110yT, 1:06.49, gd. JUST JANET (GB) (f, 2, Zoustar {Aus}--Coral Sea {GB}, by Excelebration {Ire}), who posted a debut third at Great Yarmouth before running into the TDN Rising Star performance of Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) at York last month, was swiftly into stride...