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Juvenile Turf Next Goal For Nyquist’s Son Gretzky The Great Following Summer Stakes Score

Gretzky the Great netted his second added-money trophy in taking Sunday's Grade 1, $250,000 Summer Stakes, a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Series race, at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

Trained by Mark Casse for owners Gary Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, the son of Nyquist bred by Anderson Farms Ontario survived an inquiry after coming in during mid-stretch against pacesetter and runner-up Ready to Repeat in the one-mile grass engagement for 2-year-olds.

It was Ready to Repeat, under Luis Contreras, who broke on top after briefly acting up in the starting gate. Trained by Gail Cox, who co-owns the Kentucky-bred gelding with John Menary, Michael Ambler and Windways Farm, the Victoria Stakes champ led his six rivals through an opening quarter-mile in :24.10 over an E.P. Taylor Turf Course listed as “firm.”

Gretzky the Great, with Kazushi Kimura in the irons, sat second, while Secret Potion was third, and American Monarch positioned in fourth.

Ready to Repeat was still comfortably in front by two lengths after a half in :47.82, as Kimura kept the leader in his sights. Secret Potion and American Monarch continued their tussle behind the front duo, as Dolder Grand began to close ground from sixth.

As the field rounded the turn for home, Kimura roused Gretzky the Great to engage Ready to Repeat, and the bay colt responded with an impressive outside surge, striking front and looking to put away a determined foe.

A half-length on top at the stretch call, Gretzky the Great went on to notch a 3 1/4-length win in a time of 1:34.53. Ready to Repeat finished one length in front of Dolder Grand for second, with American Monarch finishing fourth.

Heat of the Night, Secret Potion and Download rounded out the order of finish.

“He is such an amazing horse,” said Kimura, who recorded his first Grade 1 win. “When I came to the final turn then come through the final stretch, he had a tremendous explosion. He sometimes was a little bit lugging in, but he's just still a baby.”

The Summer represented the third consecutive winner's circle trip for Gretzky the Great.

After a second in his first career start on July 12, Gretzky the Great broke his maiden courtesy of a 4 1/4-length win on August 2. That was followed up by a neck nod in the Soaring Free Stakes, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course on August 23.

“First time out it was only five furlongs on the (Woodbine Inner) turf, then when he won the first time I was like, 'Oh, that will be a stakes horse for the future,'” offered Kimura. “And then winning a stakes and now got a Grade 1, he's such a nice horse.”

The next goal on Gretzky the Great's stat sheet could be a date in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland on November 6.

“He's a so easy horse – I mean to control,” said Kimura. “If I want to do something, I can do anything.”

Gretzky the Great paid $6.80, $3.30 and $3. The 4-3 exactor with Ready to Repeat ($5, $4) returned $22.60. Dolder Grand ($4.10) finished off a 4-3-7 triactor worth $115.70, with American Monarch completing a $1 superfecta worth $220.70.

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Gretzky Looks to Become Next GISW for Nyquist in Summer

Gretzky the Great (Nyquist) will be favored to become his freshman sire’s second top-level scorer Sunday in Woodbine’s GI Summer S., which grants the winner a spot in the gate for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Second behind subsequent Victoria S. winner Ready to Repeat (More Than Ready) in his grass debut here July 12, he graduated at second asking in an off-the-turf sprint here Aug. 2. The Mark Casse pupil captured the Soaring Free S. going 6 1/2 panels on the local lawn next out Aug. 23, giving Nyquist his first black-type victor. Casse also saddles D J Stable’s $800,000 OBSAPR purchase Dolder Grand (Candy Ride {Arg}), who rallied to be third on debut behind Download (Society’s Chairman) in a seven-panel turf test over this course Aug. 23.

A pair of first-out winners take a big step up in class here in American Monarch (American Pharoah) and Heat of the Night (Summer Front). Trained by Bill Mott, the former rallied to victory in a two-turn turf event at Saratoga Aug. 8, overtaking the Chad Brown-trained Secret Potion (Into Mischief) late. Tim Hamm saddles Heat of the Night, who broke his maiden in a one-mile event on the Gulfstream lawn Sept. 3.

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‘They Have A Lot Of Star Quality About Them’: Nyquist’s Second Crop Performing Well At September Sales

It can be hard out there for a second-crop yearling sire.

Between a fresh class of rookies and the ever-narrowing upper echelon of proven commercial sires to flock toward, a fickle marketplace can quickly forget a stallion still trying to establish himself on the racetrack and in the auction ring at the same time.

That hasn't quite been the case for Darley's Nyquist.

The champion son of Uncle Mo has been well-represented through the first two books of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, including a class-leading seven in Book 1. Through the end of Book 2, Nyquist is the leading second-crop sire with three or more sold by average sale price, with 16 yearlings changing hands for an average of $256,250.

Nyquist was also responsible for the most expensive second-crop yearling of the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase, with Mike Ryan, agent, landing a filly out of the Elusive Quality mare Perfect Note for $510,000. That was one of two Nyquist yearlings sold for $500,000 or more at the Fasig-Tipton sale.

“They have a lot of star quality about them,” said Darren Fox, Darley's sales manager. “It's a very strong second crop of yearlings. He had a tremendous bunch of physicals at the Fasig sale, and that's obviously continued on strong into Keeneland September.”

Fox noted the fortunate timing of this year's Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes, run Sept. 6 at Saratoga Race Course, which Nyquist's daughter Vequist won by 9 1/2 lengths. Lady Lilly, also by Nyquist, finished third in the same race, giving the sire a strong update in the days leading up to the September sales.

Nyquist currently sits in second on the freshman sire list by earnings, with $562,073, trailing WinStar Farm's Outwork with $682,684. However, Nyquist holds the advantage for average earnings by runner ($24,438), and he is tied for the lead in both stakes winners (three, with Outwork) and graded stakes winners (one, with Not This Time). His eight total winners to date ties him for third in the class.

Nyquist himself got off to a blazing start as a runner, spearheading the record-setting freshman crop for his sire, Uncle Mo.

He went undefeated in five starts at two, capped off by a victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland, which clinched that season's champion 2-year-old male honors. Nyquist then won the first three starts of his 3-year-old campaign, including the G1 Florida Derby and ultimately the Kentucky Derby, making him just the second horse to ever pull off the Breeders' Cup Juvenile/Kentucky Derby double. He later ran third in the Preakness Stakes.

The first of the Nyquists have come out running early like their sire did five years ago, but Fox said he expected them to show another gear in a year's time.

“These are horses that are coming good at the right time,” Fox said. “[Nyquist] was an unbeaten champion 2-year-old, but he trained on to win the Derby. These are horses that have a two-turn 3-year-old look to them. They have lovely length of body. They certainly will not just be 2-year-olds. They have a 3-year-old year in them, and that's something that's exciting about them. What we're seeing at two certainly gives us a lot to look forward to.”

Nyquist's top yearling of the season so far is a colt out of the winning Vindication mare Invitation who sold to Courtlandt Farm for $635,000 during Book 1 of the Keeneland September sale. After the two yearlings sold for $500,000 or more at the Fasig-Tipton sale, Nyquist has since added three more at that price point during the Keeneland September sale.

Aside from the buying public's acceptance of Nyquist's second-crop yearlings this season, another thing worth noting is that Nyquist has been put in a unique position to succeed during the first books of Keeneland September, and at Fasig-Tipton's select sale, in the first place based on the quality of his stock.

At both auctions, the offerings are sorted by inspection teams based on their projected commercial appeal, and the selling that has already commenced this month represents the highest-quality commercial yearlings committed to both auction companies. The fact that Nyquist has been this active so early in the season is a stout endorsement for a stallion still proving himself.

Nyquist had 20 yearlings cataloged for the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase. Fellow Darley resident Frosted was the only other stallion in the class with more than 10 in the book.

At Keeneland, only seven second-crop stallions had yearlings in the auction's select Book 1 at all, and Nyquist had the most of that group. When the catalog opened up a bit more for Book 2, still firmly in the market's higher levels, Nyquist had 16 yearlings entered, tying him with Frosted for the most in that segment.

When it came to the respect Nyquist and his foals have seen beyond the high-profile first crop, Fox credited the consistent, high-level support the stallion has gotten from breeders throughout his time at stud. Without that sustained quantity and quality, he said, a performance like the one his yearlings have put on so far wouldn't be possible.

“Nyquist booked full every year his first four years at stud at full fee, not a dime off, and his quality never tapered off,” Fox said. “He bred a consistent, high-quality book of mares through his first four years. If anything, the market might have gotten stronger on him as the years have gone on.”

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Second-Book Stars: The Top 20 Keeneland September Book 2 Graduates Of The Decade

Book 1 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale is the one that gets the headlines, with flashy prices and pedigrees grabbing seven-figure bids from the deepest pockets in the game. The marathon sale's second book might not have the same front-page appeal, but it has consistently offered some of the auction's most visible graduates on the track over the past decade.

Not every Book 2 is created equal, with some commencing as soon as the second session following a hyper-boutique Book 1, and others going into the auction's first weekend gatherings. The Book 2 population can also differ year-to-year from a snappy two-day tilt to a four-day march through the upper-middle market.

As such, every Book 2 horse is there for a different reason. Some sellers prefer to have their Book 1-caliber horses go through the ring in the second book to better stand out to a group of buyers still looking to spend top dollar, while others might have the physical to belong in Book 2, even if their pedigree would normally place them later in the sale.

Following are the top 20 Book 2 graduates sold at the Keeneland September sale since 2010, as ranked by bloodstock editor Joe Nevills, with assistance from the Paulick Report staff. Horses were judged strictly based on their on-track performance, leaving aside factors like their breeding careers or value against their sale price.

1. BEHOLDER
Henny Hughes x Leslie's Lady, by Tricky Creek
Sold to Spendthrift Farm for $180,000 in 2011; Consigned by Clarkland Farm
A sure-fire Hall of Famer, Beholder was one of the sport's towering figures of the mid-2010s, earning Eclipse Awards in four of her five campaigns, and 11 Grade 1 victories. She was a two-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Distaff and she secured the champion 2-year-old female Eclipse with a victory in the 2012 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Her exploits against males were just as storied, winning the G1 Pacific Classic Stakes in 2015, and finishing second in the same race a year later.

2. NYQUIST
Uncle Mo x Seeking Gabrielle, by Forestry
Sold to Sutton Place Stables for $230,000 in 2014; Consigned by Dromoland Farm
The standard-bearer for Uncle Mo's record-setting debut crop, Nyquist won each of his first eight starts – five of which were in Grade 1 company. He locked down champion 2-year-old male honors after winning the 2015 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and then he became the second horse in history to wear the roses in the Kentucky Derby after taking the Juvenile. He also finished third in the Preakness Stakes.

3. ACCELERATE
Lookin At Lucky x Issues, by Awesome Again
Sold to L.E.B. for $380,000 in 2014; Consigned by Bluewater Sales
A horse that just got better with age, earning the 2018 Eclipse Award for champion older male at age five with wins including the G1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes, Pacific Classic, Awesome Again Stakes, and Breeders' Cup Classic. Though he didn't get started racing until April of his 3-year-old season, he won at least one graded stakes race in each of his first three campaigns, and the lone start in his fourth was an in-the-money effort in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes.

4. ABEL TASMAN
Quality Road x Vargas Girl, by Deputy Minister
RNA for $65,000 in 2015; Consigned by Clearsky Farm
Six of her eight career victories were in Grade 1 races, including the 2017 Kentucky Oaks. That victory helped her secure the Eclipse Award for champion 3-year-old filly, further bolstered by wins in the G1 Acorn Stakes, and Coaching Club American Oaks, along with a narrow runner-up effort in the Breeders' Cup Distaff.

5. LADY ELI
Divine Park x Sacre Coeur, by Saint Ballado
Sold to Bradley Thoroughbreds, agent, for $160,000 in 2013; Consigned by Runnymede Farm
One of the decade's biggest comeback stories, recovering from laminitis to become the champion turf female of 2017, and the winner of five lifetime Grade 1 races. She was undefeated prior to her year away to recover from infection after stepping on a safety pin, highlighted by a victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

6. WEST COAST
Flatter x Caressing, by Honour and Glory
Sold to Ben Glass, agent, for $425,000 in 2015; Consigned by Hermitage Farm
Though he was late to reach the upper-tier competition during his sophomore campaign, West Coast earned the champion 3-year-old male Eclipse on the strength of a campaign that included wins in the G1 Travers Stakes and Pennsylvania Derby. He went on to secure a series of big checks with in-the-money efforts in the Breeders' Cup Classic, Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes, and Dubai World Cup.

7. GAME WINNER
Candy Ride x Indyan Giving, by A.P. Indy
Sold to Ben Glass, agent, for $110,000 in 2017; Lane's End, agent
The champion 2-year-old male of 2018 went undefeated that season, using victories in the G1 Del Mar Futurity and American Pharoah Stakes to lead into his crowning score in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

8. MCKINZIE
Street Sense x Runway Model, by Petionville
Sold to Three Amigos for $170,000 in 2016; Consigned by Lane's End
One of his crop's most consistent high-end runners, McKinzie has taken down four Grade 1 races, and he finished second in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic. All four of his campaigns have included at least one graded stakes win.

9. SHANGHAI BOBBY
Harlan's Holiday x Steelin', by Orientate
Sold to Starlight Racing for $105,000 in 2011; Consigned by Stonehaven Steadings
A perfect five-for-five record with wins in the G1 Champagne Stakes and Breeders' Cup Juvenile secured champion 2-year-old male honors for Shanghai Bobby in 2012. He came back at three to win a stakes race and finish second in the G3 Holy Bull Stakes.

10. LIAM'S MAP
Unbridled's Song x Miss Macy Sue, by Trippi
Sold to St. Elias Stables for $800,000 in 2012; Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency
Never worse than second in eight career starts, Liam's Map became one of the top contenders in the older males division in 2015 after winning the G1 Woodward Stakes and Breeders' Cup Mile. He preceded those efforts with a runner-up finish in the G1 Whitney Stakes.

11. HAWKBILL
Kitten's Joy x Trensa, by Giant's Causeway
Sold to John Ferguson for $350,000 in 2014; Consigned by Gainesway
A Group 1 winner on two continents, who came within a head of adding a third in the G1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes in 2017. His six career group stakes victories included the G1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes in England and the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in the U.A.E., and he was also multiple Group 1-placed in Germany.

12. LADY AURELIA
Scat Daddy x D'Wildcat Speed, by Forest Wildcat
Sold to George Bolton and Peter Leidel for $350,000 in 2015; Consigned by James Herbener Jr.
Europe's champion 2-year-old filly of 2016 was a two-time winner at the prestigious Royal Ascot meet. She also picked up a Group 1 win in France and a listed stakes win in the U.S.

13. PRACTICAL JOKE
Into Mischief x Halo Humor, by Distorted Humor
Sold to Aquinnah Ventures for $240,000 in 2015; Consigned by Gainesway
A precocious juvenile who grew into a high-level one-turn horse by the end of his 3-year-old campaign. He won his first three starts, including the G1 Hopeful and Champagne Stakes, then ran third in the 2016 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. At three, he took the G1 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes, then competed admirably against older foes in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and G1 Cigar Mile Handicap.

14. OXBOW
Awesome Again x Tizamazing, by Cee's Tizzy
Sold to Bluegrass Hall for $250,000 in 2011; Con- signed by Burleson Farms
The 2013 Preakness Stakes winner, who also finished second in that year's Belmont Stakes and won the G3 LeComte Stakes earlier in his career.

15. VEKOMA
Candy Ride x Mona de Momma, by Speightstown
Sold to R.A. Hill Stable for $135,000 in 2017; Consigned by Lane's End
After winning the G2 Blue Grass Stakes at three, the colt is undefeated at four, including wins in the G1 Carter Handicap and Metropolitan Handicap.

16. I'M A CHATTERBOX
Munnings x Chit Chatter, by Lost Soldier
RNA for $30,000 in 2013; Consigned by William B. Harrigan
Notched G1 wins in the Cotillion Stakes, Delaware Handicap, and Spinster Stakes, and ran third in the 2015 Kentucky Oaks.

17. SHE'S A TIGER
Tale of the Cat x Shandra Smiles, by Cahill Road
Sold to Mersad Metanovic Bloodstock for $150,000; Consigned by Warrendale Sales
Champion 2-year-old filly of 2013 won the G1 Del Mar Debutante Stakes, and was later disqualified from first to second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

18. DIVISIDERO
Kitten's Joy x Madame du Lac, by Lemon Drop Kid Sold to Margaux Farm, agent, for $250,000 in 2013; Consigned by Hinkle Farms
A two-time winner of the G1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes.

19. BODEMEISTER
Empire Maker x Untouched Talent, by Storm Cat Sold to Zayat Stables for $260,000 in 2010; Consigned by Brookdale Sales
Parlayed a win in the G1 Arkansas Derby to runner-up efforts in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

20. CON TE PARTIRO
Scat Daddy x Temple Street, by Street Cry
Sold to Cromwell Bloodstock for $130,000 in 2015; Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency
A Grade 3-placed multiple stakes winner who was later sold to race in Australia, where she has become a two-time Group 1 winner at age six.

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