Thoughts from Ocala Part 3: Finding Value in Freshman Sires

   Justify, City of Light, Mendelssohn, Good Magic and Bolt d'Oro all received glowing reviews by various consignors in parts one and two of our 'Thoughts from Ocala' series. Logically enough, this select group of freshman sires holds the top five stud fees amongst their stallion crop in the U.S., each standing for $20,000 or more in 2022.

While 'value' and 'freshman sires' are two terms rarely used in the same sentence in this industry, as buyers can surely attest, we asked consignors to point out a few first-crop sires who might be flying under the radar now, but could very well be making headlines when their 2-year-olds take to the sales ring and the racetrack. The responses we received were all across the board, but each of the freshman sires noted stand for under $15,000 this year and could eventually wind up creating valuable opportunities for breeders and buyers alike.

 

CIARAN DUNNE: Wavertree Stables

Our sleeper horse is probably Always Dreaming. We only have two, but if they're reflective of what the rest of them are, I would think that he's a horse with a big future.  They've got a beautiful way of going and they act like horses that will stay all day long. We have a colt out of Silent Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}) who goes to OBS March [Hip 121]. He's a half-brother to Epicenter (Not This Time), who wants to go long, so we have high hopes for him.

Mor Spirit is obviously a horse that we're a little bit biased on having had him as a yearling and selling him as a 2-year-old, but the colt out of Follow My Tail (Indian Charlie) was probably one of his more expensive yearlings [$160,000 at FTJuly] and he has trained accordingly. He's going to OBS March [Hip 437] and I think everybody will know who Mor Spirit is when he's done.

Another stallion who maybe is a little under the radar is Good Samaritan. Again, we have a very small sampling. We only have one, but she is just a wonderfully-athletic filly. She came to us late, but she's done everything right and she's going to the March Sale [Hip 404] because she pointed herself there rather than us deciding it for her. We're quite excited about her. I think she'll be a neat filly down the road.

JIMBO GLADWELL: Top Line Sales

We have a Tapwrit filly that has really shown a lot of speed early and should be a nice filly over at OBS March [Hip 309]. She has looked like she would go 10 flat from the day we bought her. All we've done is maintained that and kept her going in the right direction. She's good-minded and a really good-moving filly with a lot of balance and muscle. We're very happy with the way she's broken out. Tapwrit was a sire that kind of flew under the radar for us, but she's really gone the right way and is going to be really fast at the sale.

We also have a really nice U.S. Navy Flag filly that came over from Europe. She's doing really well and we're very happy with her. She handles the training and has had no issues with anything we've thrown at her. I think she's going to really throw a big work over at OBS March [Hip 368] and we're very happy with the way she's coming along.

NIALL BRENNAN:

Obviously there are a lot of nice freshman sires this year, but there are a few I don't have any by so it's hard to comment.

However a stallion that I feel like could be very much under the radar is Cloud Computing. I've got two lovely fillies by him that are big, strong, scope-y, classy fillies. They're beautiful movers on the racetrack. They're very light on their feet, very athletic and they act like they've got speed.

One is out of a Malibu Moon mare and the other one is out of a Rock Hard Ten mare. They're both bred to run all day, but they sure look like they'll get over the ground pretty quick to me. I'm impressed with them. Just because of those two fillies, I'm going to pick him as an under-the-radar stallion.

NICK DE MERIC:

Bucchero is as a local stallion in Florida. He's a son of Kantharos, who is a sire that we've had great luck with over the years and we are particularly fond of. We've sold some good Kantharos 2-year-olds over the years. Bucchero seems to be getting nice individuals. We've seen a lot of them at local yearling sales. They seem to be precocious, athletic and quick, and we have a Bucchero filly going to the OBS March Sale [Hip 473] who would fit that description on all accounts.

SUSAN MONTANYE: SBM Training and Sales

I have an Always Dreaming colt that actually is the half-brother to We the People (Constitution), who just broke his maiden for Rudolphe Brisset. This colt is potentially targeting the OBS April Sale. I might even wait until Maryland, depending on what the brother does. He's a big, two-turn, cool horse. I think Always Dreaming might be a little bit under the radar. I know there are other people who have some and they think that they're a little on the early side as well.

I have an Army Mule colt going to the OBS March Sale [Hip 3]. He's more of a two-turn horse. He's a big, pretty colt and has been straightforward. I have another Army Mule filly going to OBS March [Hip 298] as well, and she is going to be hopefully really fast. She's more of a sprinter type. Fingers crossed, she should work lights out and I think Army Mule should be well received. I don't know that the Army Mules are stamped as only sprinters or only two-turn horses. I think he could kind of get you both.

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Thoughts from Ocala Part 2: Freshman Sires

With the start of the 2-year-old in training sales just around the corner, a visit to Ocala proved to be informative as we checked in with consignors who are going through the fine-tuning process with their sales horses. Leading up to the OBS March Sale, we will release a series of video features covering the topics everyone is talking about as the sales season approaches.

Watch our first episode on first-season sires with Eddie Woods, Nick de Meric and Susan Montanye here.

In this edition, we spoke with Niall Brennan, Ciaran Dunne and Jimbo Gladwell about the freshman sires whose 2-year-olds have impressed them most throughout the breaking and training process, and we asked them to show us a few of those sires' most promising progeny that we will see at the sales in the coming weeks.

NIALL BRENNAN

With first-year sires, obviously some years you might have several by one stallion and nothing by another, so it can be a little hard to compare, but we do have several by Mendelssohn this year and so far I'm really impressed with them. They were a really consistent group as yearlings and I think that's what impressed people. They're very professional and focused on the racetrack and they're good movers across the board. Most of them are average-sized and they're very athletic. I think he's got a great shot.

I've got one Mendelssohn filly in the OBS March Sale [Hip 125] that is a very nice filly. She's out of a Candy Ride (Arg) mare and is a half-sister to Simplification (Not This Time), who won the Mucho Macho Man S. She's professional with a great pedigree.

We also have several Justifys and again, so far I'm quite impressed with them. Many of them were bigger as yearlings so you figured that they might take a little longer as he was later-developing, but I've got a couple that have been very forward in their training.

We have two Justify colts going to the OBS March Sale. The one colt [Hip 476] is out of a Silver Deputy mare who has already thrown a 2-year-old stakes winner. He is good-sized, strong and balanced. He has given me the impression that he's very quick. The other colt [Hip 501] is actually a half-brother to MGSW Toinette (Scat Daddy), who was a good stakes filly on the grass. He's got a huge stride, but he really covers the ground and is deceivingly quick because he just is so easy over the ground. These colts are a little different, but they're both forward mentally and physically.

I've got a couple of other Justify fillies that are going to go to the April sale. They're bigger, growthier types like him. They're May foals so we just picked the later sale to give them a little more time, but again, I've been quite impressed with how forward they seem to be

We only have one Bolt d'Oro this year, but he's a very impressive colt going to OBS March [Hip 84]. He's mature, very powerful and a great mover on the racetrack. He's out of a Fastnet Rock (Aus) mare, so it's mostly an Australian pedigree which is a great cross. If I had to judge Bolt d'Oro by this one colt, I'm impressed because this colt is very serious.

CIARAN DUNNE: Wavertree Stables

We only have a small sampling of Justifys, but we're really high on the colt out of Appealing Zophie (Successful Appeal) who is going to Gulfstream [Hip 84]. He trains as well a horse can train. If he's a true reflection of what the rest of them are like, I think Justify is in for a big year.

As a group, the Good Magics we have are probably the most solid. We have quite a few of those; I think we have five or six of them. The colt out of Rose Mine (Street Cry {Ire}) who goes to OBS March [Hip 82] is probably one of our highlights. He's a big, strong colt with a super way of going. The thing about the Good Magics is that you forget how good of a 2-year-old he was and these guys have really shown a lot of speed.

City of Light was the hot commodity at the yearling sales. They're very quick and precocious for a horse who was later developing himself. We have a couple of fillies by him that we're high on. The Redbud (Union Rags) filly goes to OBS March [Hip 59] and we have a filly out of Naples Mist (Medaglia d'Oro) going to Gulfstream [Hip 41]. We have high expectations for both of those.

Top Line's Bolt d'Oro colt out of Foolish Cause (Giant's Causeway) sells at the OBS March Sale | Tiborphoto

We probably have as many Bolt d'Oros as we have of any of the first-season stallions. We have a really good sampling going to OBS March. The colt out of Roman Bluff (Roman Ruler) [Hip 81] might just be our fastest horse going in there based on how he has acted at home. We have a filly out of Moment of Speight (Ire) (Speightstown) [Hip 625] who has a beautifully-deep female family. She's more of a two-turn type of filly, but she acts like she's got speed too. Across the board, I think they've got a lot of quality and a future going two turns.

JIMBO GLADWELL: Top Line Sales

We have two Bolt d'Oro colts going to OBS March. I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say both of them are going to go 10 flat or faster. They're both fast, good-moving colts and they're very aggressive in their training. They want to do it so bad. They are two of the faster colts I've got going over there and we're very happy with the Bolt d'Oros right now. We're actually bringing a mare back to him this year.

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Fasig-Tipton NY-Bred Yearlings Sale Starts Sunday

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – The Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Yearlings Sale, which follows on the heels of a strong renewal of the company's Saratoga Selected Yearlings Sale, begins its two-day run at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion Sunday evening at 7 p.m. With the cancellation of last year's auction due to the pandemic, this marks the second time the sale will be held on Sunday and Monday, as opposed to its traditional Saturday and Sunday dates and, with an extra day of showing, consignors were kept busy on the sales grounds when shopping started Friday.

“We showed Friday and we were very busy,” said Derek MacKenzie, whose Vinery Sales has 22 yearlings consigned to the auction. “I think we showed 1,060 times. How we got that done, I don't know, but we did. It's been strong again today, not quite as busy, obviously with the second day. There have been a lot of new faces–a lot of pinhookers, quite a few new faces that weren't here for the main sale. And we are seeing quite a few of the trainers coming over as well. So that's good.”

The New York-bred sale continues to gain strength from year to year, with a record-priced yearling at each of the last four renewals.

“There are definitely more people coming than there used to be and the catalogue has gotten so much stronger, pedigree-wise over the years,” MacKenzie said. “And the physicals have improved, too. There are some very sharp buyers who told me the physicals keep getting better and better every year. And this year is the best yet.”

The strength of the New York-bred racing program has pushed the state's breeding industry to new heights and consignors are expecting those results to be mirrored in the sales ring.

“I think the sale every year has increased in strength,” said Archie St. George, who will offer six yearlings–all by Kentucky-based sires–through his St. George Sales consignment. “It seems like the sire power is getting better every year. There are a lot more consignors from Kentucky selling here. The horses are better. I think every year, the sale has taken a step forward.”

St. George looks for that trend of yearly improvement to continue in 2021.

“Racing in New York is in a good place and, if you've got the right horse, by the right stallion, and you vet well, I am sure you'll get rewarded,” he said.

Jimbo and Tori Gladwell's Top Line Sales will offer four yearlings at the two-day auction.

“We're glad to be back and have a great atmosphere to sell at,” Jimbo Gladwell said. “I think the activity at the barns is on par with years past, with the sales split up by a couple of days and an extra day of showing. The traffic has been good, we've been busy both days so far. I think it's going to be a strong sale.”

Following on a strong series of juvenile sales this past spring, buyers seem eager to restock at the yearlings auctions. The Fasig-Tipton July Selected Yearlings Sale featured competitive bidding and buying was tough at last week's Saratoga Selected Yearlings sale. Those trends should lead to a positive New York-bred sale, according to Gladwell.

“The sale in July was very strong, the trade was brisk and people were spending money,” he said. “People showed up at the first sale here and they weren't just shopping, they were here to buy horses. The same group of people are here. They are shopping hard and are keen on spending some money. I think it was very difficult to buy the horses you wanted in the first sale. What is perceived as quality is bringing a lot more than it is supposed to. That is what we are all doing it for, is trying to find that horse and get in that spot. Hopefully we get a little luck here.”

The 2019 New York-bred sale was topped by a daughter of Malibu Moon, who brought a sale record $775,000 from Larry Best's OXO Equine. Now the stakes-placed Brattle House (Malibu Moon), she was one of 186 sold for a gross of $16,200,000. The average was $87,097 and the median was $60,000.

The 2018 auction set records for both average ($107,512) and median ($76,000) and was topped by a then-record $600,000 son of Pioneerof the Nile.

Sunday's evening session begins at 7 p.m. with 100 catalogued yearlings on offer. The auction continues Monday at noon with an additional 207 catalogued head.

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Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale Kicks off Monday

TIMONIUM, MD – The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, which was pushed back to late June in 2020 due to the pandemic, returns to its traditional mid-May spot on the calendar with bidding at the first of two sessions getting underway at 11 a.m. Monday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds.

“We are very optimistic about the sale,” Fasig Midlantic Sales Director Paget Bennett said at the sales barns Sunday morning. “We have a great group of horses here and there is a lot of interest. We were very busy on Friday and that's a good sign. Every day we have more people and different people coming to look. I think that tells us there is a lot of interest. We will find out at 11 a.m. tomorrow.”

Randy Miles's annual consignment in Timonium is a homecoming of sorts for the Virginia native and the horseman is looking for a strong market this week.

“I think the sale is going to be big,” Miles said. “I don't want to say a record, but it's going to be big. I think there is going to be a lot of competition for the high-priced horses and then we'll see if the buyers spill off on to the others. But there is going to be a lot of competition for the good ones.”

Miles continued, “People love to come up here this time of year. You can't beat this weather and it's a fun place. I love coming here. I have heard a lot of people say, 'This is the first time I've been here.' Like [bloodstock agent] Kerri Radcliffe. She is here for the first time and she said this is the coolest place.”

Last week's under-tack preview, held over Timonium's dirt track, saw 11 horses share the furlong bullet of :10 flat and a pair of juveniles work co-fastest quarter-miles in :21 2/5.

“People have a lot of confidence in the dirt track,” Miles said. “If you sit up there and watch the breezes, you can see the good ones separate themselves. So it's easier on the buyers. And you want someone who is going to spend $300,000 on a horse to get what they thought they were buying.”

Prospective buyers were out in force on a sunny, picture-perfect morning in Timonium Sunday.

“It's been really good,” Wavertree Stable's Ciaran Dunne said of action at the barns. “We have probably had more activity than we have had in years past. A lot of new faces which is kind of fun and interesting. We have 11 horses, but the views are spread evenly through them.”

Dunne continued, “I think it will be a very good sale. This has historically always been a market where you could move them from $5,000 to $500,000 and I don't see that changing. I think something else that helps is that it's sort of a last stop for all of us and people are realistic with their reserves to move horses along. I think people know that coming in, so they are confident in bidding that they have a chance.”

The Maryland State Fairgrounds is within easy driving distance of several racetracks, which makes the Midlantic auction a must-attend for trainers in nearby racing jurisdictions.

“We will see more trainers here than we will see at any of the other 2-year-old sales,” Dunne said.

Among the many trainers out at the sales grounds this weekend were Mark Hennig, Steve Asmussen, Brad Cox, Mike Maker, George Weaver, Ron Moquett, Dave Donk, Graham Motion, Tom Morley, Linda Rice, Gary Capuano, Mike Maker, Kelly Breen and Pat McBurney.

Demand for juveniles was high throughout the market at the season's first three major auctions and consignors look for that trend to continue in Maryland.

“The first three sales we've been to have been unbelievable with buyers' attendance and clearance rates and everything,” said Top Line Sales' Jimbo Gladwell. “I don't see any reason for this sale to slow down. I think if your horse works good and vets good, you're going to see a very active market.”

For many consignors, the Midlantic auction is the next stop after a record-setting OBS April sale last month.

“I was surprised by the depth at OBS,” Dunne admitted. “I thought with the loss of the Koreans we would really struggle with that lower and middle tier of the market. They had a limit to what they would spend, but they pushed everybody else up a jump or two. And with the volume that they bought, I thought it would have a detrimental effect, but I was surprised that that part of the market really didn't suffer.”

Consignor Bobby Dodd is taking a cautious wait-and-see approach to the market in Timonium.

“I think for the right horse, there will be a lot of money,” Dodd said. “But I also think there will be a lot of people shopping in that $50,000 to $100,000 range. I think there will be, I hope.”

During last year's Midlantic sale, 303 horses grossed $23,572,500. Under a cloud of pandemic-induced uncertainty, the sale average of $77,797 was down 13.7% from the 2019 record figure of $90,104 and the median dipped 7% to $40,000.

Donato Lanni, bidding on behalf of Michael Lund Petersen, made the auction's highest bid when going to $1.1 million to acquire a colt by Uncle Mo from Pike Racing.

The Midlantic sale continues with a second and final session Tuesday, also beginning at 11 a.m.

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