Freshmen sires

With the 2-year-old sales season having kicked off and the first 'baby' races of the year ready to get going in a few weeks, laser focus will be placed on the up-and-coming first-crop stallions. Rightfully so, as we all hunt in earnest for the next breakout young sire. Could there possibly be another Gun Runner in the freshman class of 2023? A total of 16 young guns in North America have 50 or more current 2-year-olds resulting from their first covers in 2020. A great many more have fewer than...

Following the completion of the last major 2-year-old sale of the season in each of the past three years, we looked at the potential success of the freshmen sires by creating a handicapping event, noting that the freshmen sires of each year were very competitive bunches, i.e., many of them were capable of rising to the top five or so of their contemporaries after a few crops had raced. With the aberration in sales dates last year caused by the COVID-19 situation behind us, this season's major sales proceeded as...

2nd-GP, $65K, Msw, 2yo, 4 1/2f, post time: 1:35p.m. ET Known for his prowess with early 2-year-olds, trainer Wesley Ward sends out the first runner by champion and GI Kentucky Derby hero Nyquist in BREAKTHROUGH. Purchased for $330,000 at FTKJUL, the dark bay is a half-brother to SW & MGISP Red Vine (Candy Ride {Arg}) and his dam is a half to MGSW Fort Prado (El Prado {Ire}). Scratched from a similar spot Friday, he enters this unveiling off a bullet three panels on the turf at Palm Meadows in...