Depth of Class–Rest of the ’18 Freshman Sires

[Wandering Eyes]

It’s been 11 years since the first yearlings from Tapit, Candy Ride (Arg), Medaglia d’Oro and Speightstown hit the market. That epic sire class now has 68 Grade I winners between them, according to the TDN Sire Lists, and no fewer than 88 active sire sons.

We haven’t seen a comparable group since–and really, not many before. But the incoming freshman, those with their first yearlings in 2018, hold as much latent promise as any of the past three decades, and it wouldn’t be a shock if we look at them the same way 11 years from now.

American Pharoah is the runaway market leader, and for obvious reasons. His first-crop weanlings–the first available by a Triple Crown winner in 36 years–averaged $467,307 from 13 sold in 2017. That’s a massive figure about 3 1/2 times the average number of the crop’s leading sire for the past five years. He is joined by Honor Code, Tonalist, Liam’s Map, Carpe Diem, Constitution, Palace Malice, and Bayern, each one a multiple Grade I winner.

A month ago, we launched a videos series that put a spotlight on these stars, and spoke with connections about what to expect now that their first foals are yearlings.

In this last installment of the series, we’ll focus on some of those freshman sires who stood for $15,000 or less. These are sires that, though without the big price tag, aren’t exactly short on credentials. They include Gainesway’s GI Breeders’ Cup Mile hero Karakontie (Jpn), WinStar’s Grade I winner Daredevil and the impeccably bred Commissioner, and the Grade I winners Mr Speaker and Lea, who stand at Lane’s End and Claiborne, respectively.

Lea (First Samurai) was maybe the surprise sire of the lot last year, when 17 of 21 weanlings on offer sold for an average of $88,294. A $230,000 session topper at Keeneland November was notable, and that off a $12,500 fee (he’s now down to $7,500). Lea’s race record reflected his transatlantic pedigree. Out of a Galileo (Ire) mare, he was first or second in 13 of 19 starts and earned $2.3 million; he beat Will Take Charge in the GI Donn H., ran third in the G1 Dubai World Cup, and was a close-up second in the GI Woodbine Mile on turf.

“He’s very versatile, and I think that’s what led his weanlings to sell so well,” said Claiborne’s Walker Hancock. “I think a lot of buyers saw that potential in his offspring, that he could be dirt or turf, and that’s very attractive.”

Karakontie (Jpn) (Bernstein) is another with an international pedigree, hailing from the family of the current phenom Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). The Japanese-bred Flaxman colorbearer is a great-grandson of Miesque, so his second dam is a half to Kingmambo. A Group 1 winner at two, Karakontie emulated Kingmambo’s victory in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains as a sophomore. Then, like Miesque, he shipped to Southern California to win the BC Mile while still a 3-year-old. His 2017 weanlings average $68,866 off at $15,000 fee.

“I think his stock have progressed very well,” said Gainesway’s Michael Hernon. “They have plenty of size. He dominates his mares, and I think [his yearlings] strongly resemble him. He got very strong initial support from [Gainesway owner] Antony Beck, who really gave this horse a huge chance, breeding 40 of his own mares in year one. Maria Niarchos has also supported the horse well through the first three years.”

WinStar has four freshman sires in 2018. Carpe Diem and Constitution headline, but both Daredevil and Commissioner have offered breeders bang for the buck. Daredevil (More Than Ready), at $12,500 initially, very much fit the mold of that explosive Todd Pletcher-trained 2-year-old who looks like any kind. In fact, he’s not completely dissimilar from his sire, another Pletcher pupil. Daredevil romped in his six-furlong debut at Belmont in 1:09.87, then beat Upstart by 2 1/2 lengths in the GI Champagne S. with a huge 107 Beyer.

“More Than Ready has established himself as one of the best 2-year-old sires, year in and year out, not only here in America, but worldwide,” said WinStar’s Sean Tugel. “His 107 Beyer in the Champagne was the fastest 2-year-old mile in over 20 years. So he set himself apart from many other sons of More Than Ready with his early speed and Grade I ability.”

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Daredevil had three sell at Fasig-Tipton July for an average of $63,000.

It’s easy to remember Commissioner (A.P. Indy) as the Classic-performing 3-year-old he was. The striking colt was just touched off a head by Tonalist in the GI Belmont S., and returned at four to win a trio of graded stakes, the GII Hawthorne Gold Cup H. among them. But the half to the good sprinter Laugh Track (Distorted Humor) was early enough to break his maiden at Saratoga as a 2-year-old, albeit in a rare nine-furlong main-track event for juveniles. He went for $7,500 in his first year.

Commissioner had a big group of 10 at July. Seven sold for an average of $60,714, led by a pair of colts who made $100,000 each.

“Being by A.P. Indy, sometimes you can get labeled as a little bit later-developing horse,” said Tugel. “But the fact that there [was] such a large cross-section of his crop in the first sale shows that there’s quite a bit of precocity to him. Not only to himself, but to his first crop of yearlings.”

Lane’s End’s Mr Speaker (Pulpit) was bred to be a sire. He’s out of a Grade II-performing Unbridled daughter of Personal Ensign and thus shares a cross with Tapit. As a runner, he was a versatile sort for Shug McGaughey. He aired by four lengths in the GIII Coolmore Lexington S. on the Poly at three, then upset a deep field in the GI Belmont Derby over turf a few starts later. Backers of Mr Speaker, who stands for $10,000, had to be encouraged by the $180,000 yearling colt that sold at Fasig July. (Another by the sire was bought back for $95,000.)

“He’s got a great syndicate behind him and the support has been excellent,” said Lane’s End’s Bill Farish. “I think certainly being bred the way he is, you’d think that dirt is a real possibility, and the fact that he was a really good turf horse himself, I think he’ll be versatile. I think what we’re seeing in his yearlings is not making us thinking any differently.”

To view the entire videos series on this year’s freshman class, click here.

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