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First-Crop Yearling Previews: Omaha Beach

The 2022 class of first-crop yearling sires features a diverse batch of Kentucky-based young stallions including a pair of Breeders' Cup champions, two sons of reigning top sire Into Mischief, five graded stakes winners at two and five Grade I winners on turf. Throughout the course of the yearling sales season, we will feature a series of freshman sires as their first crop points toward the sales ring. Check out past editions of our series here.

Omaha Beach (War Front–Charming, by Seeking the Gold) set the bar high for this year's class of first-crop yearlings stallions at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale, where five of his progeny sold and averaged $236,000. His top lot, a Spendthrift-bred daughter of Grade III winner Gas Station Sushi (Into Mischief), brought $410,000 and was the highest-priced filly by any sire at the one-day auction.

“When we went out to Fasig July, we were extremely happy with what we were seeing,” Spendthrift Farm's Mark Toothaker reported. “It was fun for us to watch them. They were nice-sized horses–not overly big, but very correct with good bodies.”

Toothaker explained how he thinks of Omaha Beach as the first horse Spendthrift took a big swing for when they began seeking out some of the most in-demand stallion prospects in recent years. He remembers visiting the Fox Hill Farms-campaigned colt in the days between his nine-length maiden-breaking score and his victory over juvenile champion Game Winner in the GII Rebel S.

“When Richard Mandella told me that Omaha Beach was the best horse he'd ever had in his barn, it didn't take long to get back here and say that we needed to figure out a way to get this thing done,” Toothaker recalled. “With the amount of ability that this horse had to go along with his great looks and pedigree, Omaha Beach was just the entire package.”

The winner of the GI Arkansas Derby and morning-line favorite for the 2019 Kentucky Derby was sidelined before his Derby bid due to an entrapped epiglottis, but returned later in his sophomore season to defeat Shancelot (Shanghai Bobby) in the GI Santa Anita Sprint Championship S., run second in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and cap off his career with an easy victory in the GI Malibu S.

Launched at a stud fee of $45,000, Omaha Beach bred 215 mares in each of his first two seasons at stud. Toothaker said that the initial demand for the regally-bred son of War Front was unprecedented in Spendthrift's history.

Mill Ridge Farm's Saratoga-bound Omaha Beach colt out of Savannah Sky | Sara Gordon

“We've never had a horse have 600 requests for seasons in his first year,” Toothaker explained. “I don't know that we've ever had a horse get that kind of book to get them started. With the type of mares that he got in his first year, there's no telling what this first crop can do because the potential is crazy.”

Omaha Beach's first crop was in demand as weanlings, with 19 of 24 selling to average $112,736 and stamp their sire as the number one freshman stallion by weanling average. His top-selling weanling, a colt out of stakes producer North Freeway (Jump Start), sold for $200,000.

At next week's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, Omaha Beach will be represented by six yearlings. The first to go through the ring will be Hip 36, a filly out of Peter Blum's stakes-placed homebred Night Time Lady (Midnight Lute).

“She was a late foal, but she still has lots of size,” agent Bridie Harrison said of the late April-foaled yearling. “She has great bone, great substance and a really good walk. We like her a lot.”

Harrison reported that Blum has been a strong supporter of Omaha Beach throughout the stallion's first years at stud.

“Peter fell in love with Omaha Beach when he saw him in Richard Mandella's barn in California,” she said. “He thought he was a big, strong, beautiful horse with a great temperament. We bred a few mares to Omaha Beach and I like all the foals. Omaha Beach added a lot of size to our mares. Every one of our Omaha Beach foals are taller than most of the mares' other foals. They have lots of substance and bone and they're strong, rangy-type horses.”

Also during the first session of the Saratoga Sale, Mill Ridge Farm will send Hip 67 through the ring. The Omaha Beach colt out of the winning Sky Mesa mare Savannah Sky was a $140,000 weanling purchase at the Keeneland November Sale.

“We liked this colt from the get-go,” Mill Ridge's Headley Bell explained. “His presence and athleticism was really everything that you look for in a horse. We couldn't be more pleased with him. We've always been big fans of Omaha Beach. Two years ago, we bred 12 mares to the horse with our clients.”

Other yearlings by Omaha Beach at the same sale include Hip 41, a half-brother to GSW & MGISP Pappacap (Gun Runner); Hip 93, a New York-bred half-sister to MGSW Highway Star (Girolamo) and MSW Captain Bombastic (Forty Tales); Hip 196, also a New York-bred and a half-sister to MSW Espresso Shot (Mission Impazible) and current stakes performer Venti Valentine (Firing Line); and Hip 205, a filly out of Hot Water (Medaglia d'Oro), the dam of this year's GIII Ben Ali S. and GIII Michelob Ultra Challenger S. winner Scalding (Nyquist).

Omaha Beach will have four additional yearlings sell at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred sale.

As the young stallion's first crop begin to make their way to the track next year, Toothaker said he looks for Omaha Beach's progeny to show speed right out of the gate as juveniles.

“With his speed, he was able to win a Grade I going six furlongs and also lay very close in all of his two-turn races. With his pedigree, your hope is that he turns out to be a Classic sire, but that he's also going to be able to throw horses with enough speed that I think you'll see plenty of them be well received at the 2-year-old sales.”

Hailing from one of the most influential dirt families in recent years, Omaha Beach is a half-brother to champion Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway). His second dam, 2013 Broodmare of the Year and MGISW Take Charge Lady (Dehere), has now produced three Grade I winners while her daughter I'll Take Charge (Indian Charlie) is the dam of recent GIII Dwyer S. winner Charge It (Tapit).

“It's one of those female families that is just going to keep getting bigger and better,” Toothaker said. “It's as good as there is in the stallion book. Omaha Beach was a really good dirt horse out of a really good dirt female family, but he's by one of the best sprinters and now turf sires out there. It's an interesting combination and we look forward to seeing what they do on the track.”

The post First-Crop Yearling Previews: Omaha Beach appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Fasig Saves Best for last at Action-Packed July Sale

By Christie DeBernardis & Jessica Martini

LEXINGTON, KY–Yearling sale season started with a bang Tuesday at Fasig-Tipton's July Selected Yearling Sale. The auction house saved the best for last with the final horse through the ring, a son of Curlin (Hip 302), topping the day on a $600,000 bid from the Green family's DJ Stable. Last year's leading freshman sire Gun Runner accounted for the day's second-highest seller, a $430,000 colt (Hip 153) sold to de Meric Sales. Both colts came from the Gainesway consignment, which was responsible for four of the top 10. Antony Beck's operation sold a total of nine youngsters for $2.335 million.

The sale kicked off with the freshman sire showcase, which proved popular as always. This year's new class of sires was led by MGISW Omaha Beach, whose daughter (Hip 90) brought $400,000 from Solis and Litt. Other popular first-crop stallions included Audible, Vino Rosso and Mitole, who all had yearling sell for over $200,000.

“We got excited about it when we're seeing them on the farms,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said of the freshman sires. “Vino Rosso was a tremendous racehorse. We saw him put his head down in the [GI Breeders' Cup] Classic and refuse to lose. Omaha Beach was a horse who had tremendous talent with an amazing pedigree.”

“I think there was great anticipation for horses like that, but it's also really rewarding and I think it shows you the strength of the marketplace when you see Flameaways sell really, really well and you see horses like Copper Bullet and Maximus Mischief sell really well on modest stud fees. So it shows you that the marketplace is really looking for quality, and they respect the really strong individuals, which is kind of the trademark of our July sale.”

A total of 189 yearlings sold Tuesday for a gross of $21,763,500. The average was the second highest of the sale's history at $115,151 with the highest being $115,954 in 2006. It was a record median at $90,000, tying that 2006 sale. There were 59 horses who failed to meet their reserves.

In 2021, 208 youngsters brought $21,608,500 with an average of $103,887 and median of $80,000. There were 69 RNAs.

“It was a terrific start to the 2022 yearling season,” Browning said. “We're very happy with the activity across the board today. Average was up about 12% medians up 12%, certainly a respectable RNA rate for the first yearling sales for the year and I think there's a sense of relief. You know, despite what we tell everybody on the pre-sale prognostications and how great it's going to be and how optimistic we are, there's always a little uncertainty. We've certainly seen some changes in the financial marketplace in the last six months. Overall, we were confident. We've seen plenty of interest and we saw the 2-year-old folks had a really good sales season.”

Gainesway's Brian Graves was equally pleased with what he saw in the market Tuesday.

“The market is alive and well,” he said. “You know, there were some hesitations, but it looks like it's the same as last year. I haven't seen the final numbers, but the appetite to buy horses is the same at least whether it's up or down a little bit. I don't know. I'm just happy that people want to trade.”

Donato Lanni said there was a horse for everyone, which was represented in a deep a diverse buying bench. Each of the top 10 lots were purchased by individual buyers and were a mix of end users and pinhookers.

“The good ones are standing out and separating themselves,” Lanni said. “It's a very good sale. There are a lot of people here. There are horses here for just about everybody.”

Fasig-Tipton moves to Saratoga next for the highly anticipated Saratoga Selected Yearling Sale Aug. 8-9.

Late Fireworks for Curlin Colt

The final horse through the ring at Tuesday's Fasig-Tipton July sale brought the day's biggest fireworks when selling for $600,000 to the Green family's D J Stable. By Curlin, the colt (hip 302) is out of Four Sugars (Lookin at Lucky) and is a half-brother to multiple Grade I-placed Gronkowski (Lonhro {Aus}).

“When you come to a sale like this, you want to try to take a shot at a stallion prospect, which obviously he is, being a half to Gronkowski and by Curlin,” Jon Green, who did his bidding in the balcony alongside bloodstock agent Kim Valerio, said. “It's just the kind of family we look for. We just wanted to take a full swing at a horse like this because they don't come along all that often. We've been doing this a long time and I can honestly say you don't have a horse who checks all the boxes like this colt.”

It wasn't the first member of the family the Greens have bid on. “We were outbid on the half-sister, the Nyquist filly, a little while ago,” Green said.

The sale-topper was consigned by Gainesway on behalf of his breeder, Adam Bowden's Diamond Creek Farm, which purchased Four Sugars, carrying that Nyquist filly for $375,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November sale. The filly sold for $200,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton October sale.

“We knew that we had a chance to top the sale,” admitted Gainesway's Brian Graves. “We brought him here to try to be one of the best colts in the sale. You know how that sometimes works out, sometimes it doesn't. But it worked out in this case. So, yeah, it's a good one when it goes as planned.”

Of plans for the yearling, Green said, “He'll go to Gainesway and rest and relax there for a couple of weeks and then we will send our first yearling group down to Mark Casse in Ocala and he will break them down there. We just have to think of a good stallion name for him now.”

DJ Stable purchased four yearlings at the July sale, going to $200,000 for a colt by Bolt d'Oro (hip 206); $100,000 for a filly by Mucho Macho Man (hip 292); and $50,000 for a colt by Preservationist (hip 227).

“We bought a couple of other horses, but this horse was always on the radar,” Green said. “He was the last horse in the sale and we were going to stay until the bitter end. That was literally our last bid, so I am glad we did get him. Anytime you raise your hand for a four-legged animal at this level, it's always nerve-wracking, but I feel like if he fufills his potential, he's going to be a stallion. And that's why we do this, to try to race the great ones on the First Saturday in May.” @JessMartiniTDN

Gun Runner Colt in High Demand at Fasig

It was no surprise to see a fury of bidding when the only offering by last year's leading freshman sire Gun Runner entered the ring. When the dust settled it was de Meric Sales' Tristan de Meric left holding the winning $430,000 ticket on Hip 153.

“He is for a pinhooking group,” de Meric said. “We love the horse. He was our pick of the sale. We knew we'd have to stretch on him. I'm just happy to have the horse.”

Bred by Fern Circle Stable and consigned by Gainesway, Hip 153 is out of SW Perfect Wife. Fern Circle retained his full-sister Runaway Wife, who finished second in last weekend's GIII Indiana Oaks for trainer Ken McPeek.

“The sire speaks for himself,” de Meric said. “It is unbelievable what he has done with his first crop. We think the horse is a top individual, beat mover in the sale. Hopefully, he goes the right way for us.”

The de Merics were quite busy Tuesday, acquiring a total of four yearlings. Their other purchases were:

Hip 133, Into Mischief colt, $260,000

Hip 185, Into Mischief colt, $235,000

Hip 47, Audible filly, $70,000

—@CDeBernardisTDN

Arrogate Filly Headed to Her Sire's Former Stomping Grounds

A filly from the final crop of the late champion Arrogate (Hip 247) will walk a shedrow familiar to her sire next year when she is ready to join Bob Baffert's barn after being purchased by bloodstock agent Donato Lanni for $400,000. He was acting on behalf of an undisclosed client.

“I love the sire,” said Lanni, smiling ear-to-ear as he signed the ticket outside of the pressbox. “We have been looking for a really good Arrogate. I am happy that we found a nice Arrogate at this sale. She was really a good representation of Arrogate. She's nice.”

Consigned by Wynnstay Sales, Hip 247 was also bred by Tim and Nancy Hamlin's operation in partnership with Donna Moore and Jim Richardson. Out of Attempt to Name (Consolidator), she is a half-sister to MSW Gray Attempt (Unbridled's Song).

“The sibling was on the Derby trail for a while,” Tim Hamlin said. “When Arrogate came to be, they called and said, 'We would love to have your mare to breed to Arrogate.' So, we did and this is the result.”

He continued, “Everybody loved her on the farm. You didn't even know she was there really. She was just always class. She kept herself out of trouble and did everything right always.”

Hip 247 is from the third and final crop of four-time Grade I winner Arrogate, who died in June 2020 at age seven after a sudden illness. His top runners this year include GI Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath and 'TDN Rising Star' Artorius. —@CDeBernardisTDN

Omaha Beach Filly to LNJ Foxwoods

A filly by Omaha Beach (hip 90) attracted the highest bid for a first-crop sire when selling for $410,000 to bloodstock agents Jason Litt and Alex Solis, acting on behalf of the Roth family's LNJ Foxwoods, at Fasig-Tipton Tuesday.

“Omaha Beach was a great racehorse. I wasn't looking exactly for one, but we were looking for a really good filly in the sale,” Solis said. “I thought she was one of the top fillies in the sale. The mare could run, a graded stakes winner, who had speed and was an early type. That's kind of what everyone is drawn to lately.”

Consigned by Woodford Thoroughbreds on behalf of her breeder, Spendthrift Farm, hip 90 is the second foal out of GIII Beaumont S. winner Gas Station Sushi (Into Mischief). Spendthrift purchased the mare for $675,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November sale.

Gas Station Sushi's first foal, a colt by Lord Nelson, sold for $200,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale and was acquired for $80,000 at this year's OBS March sale. Now named Wasabi Boy, he has opened his career with two runner-up efforts at Belmont Park and Monmouth Park.

“It was a filly we would have been very happy to keep,” Spendthrift's Ned Toffey said. “She is really a nice filly, but we wanted to showcase the stallion, so we brought her out here so breeders could see what Omaha is capable of doing.”

Of Tuesday's result, Toffey said, “That was probably a little bit beyond what we were thinking coming out here, but she was placed here because we felt like she could be a standout in the sale. And it looks like that was borne out.”

Spendthrift hit a homerun last year with first-crop sire Bolt d'Oro and the operation's first-crop sires look to be carrying on from those results with a strong showing at the July sale.

Omaha Beach had five yearlings sell Tuesday for an average of $236,000, while sprint champion Mitole had five sell for an average of $108,400 and GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso had 11 sell for an average of $135,455.

“I am really pleased with how all of our first-year stallions have done so far,” Toffey said. “Vino has three horses over $200,000, one of which we bought and we were happy to get for that. Mitole's gotten off to a great start, he had a $250,000 filly and we also sold a $140,000 filly, hip 2. You always worry about being that early in the sale, but that was a fair price for her, we thought. So we are really, really happy with how the first-year horses are doing.” @JessMartiniTDN

Lanni In Action for Glassmans

Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, bidding on behalf of Karl and Cathi Glassman, went to $400,000 to acquire a colt by Uncle Mo (hip 193) from the St George Sales consignment Tuesday in Lexington.

“I like the sire and he looked like a good Uncle Mo,” Lanni said of the yearling's appeal. We were looking for a two-turn looking Uncle Mo. That's what the clients wanted.”

Bred by T. F. VanMeter, hip 193 is out of multiple stakes winner Super Saks (Sky Mesa).

Of immediate plans for the yearling, Lanni said, “He will go to Barry Eisaman [in Ocala] and will hang out there for a bit.” @JessMartiniTDN

Legion Reputation Continues to Grow

The burgeoning Legion Bloodstock, formed just last year by partners Travis Durr, Evan Ciannello, Kristian Villante and Kyle Zorn and already represented by eight 2-year-old winners, hit a homerun in the sales ring Tuesday when selling a colt by Bolt d'Oro (hip 214) for $240,000 to Lynnhaven Racing. The bay had been purchased by Villante for $20,000 as a short yearling at this year's Keeneland January sale.

“We have a weanling-to-yearling pinhooking partnership with Legion,” Villante explained. “We bought him for that and pieced him out to partners that always support us through the pinhooking. They each bought a leg of him.”

The colt, consigned by Stuart Morris, is out of Ultimate Prize (Smart Strike), a half-sister to stakes winner Goin to the Window (Tapit).

“He was a big, immature framed horse that was kind of backward,” Villante said of his impressions of the colt in January. “As soon as we got him back home, he just started to blossom and fill out. He's always been a beautiful horse and very straightforward. I was surprised to get him for $20,000. I didn't think we would be able to get him for that.”

With freshman sire Bolt d'Oro already proving a success in the sales ring and on the racetrack, the group decided to send his yearling son through the ring at the July sale.

“With Bolt d'Oro being on a tear right now, we figured the market really loves him and he's off to a great start,” Villante said. “We've bought a number of Bolt d'Oros that we like ourselves. Fasig does a great job, so we figured this would be a good spot to bring him and let the market appraise him.”

Among Legion Bloodstock's early success stories is Song Parody (Practical Joke). Purchased for $25,000 at last year's OBS October sale, the filly was a first-out winner for Matt Hand, Dick Nicolai and Bob Hahn and trainer Kelly Breen before selling for $360,000 during Monday's Fasig-Tipton Horses of All Ages Sale.

Of Tuesday's pinhooking score, Villante said, “It was awesome. We are very happy with that. Hopefully, he goes on and proves everyone right.” @JessMartiniTDN

Stoneriggs Hits the Ground Running with First Consignment

Robert Slack's Stoneriggs Farm was making their sales debut at Fasig-Tipton July with a two-horse consignment and they came out of the gate running with their Audible colt (Hip 4) summoning $220,000 from Pete Bradley.

“We are really happy,” said Stoneriggs General Manager Martin Keogh. “We knew coming up here that we had a really nice colt. He definitely exceeded expectations. He was really popular at the barn, had been vetted a lot. He was just a horse that spoke for himself. He did not miss a beat the whole few days here. Every day he came out and just marched up and down.”

When asked his impressions of the first crop of GI Florida Derby winner Audible, Keogh said, “We are big fans of the stallion. When we were looking in November, we short-listed a lot of them, but I kept telling the boss I thought we had a better one at home. He is very typical of his sire, Into Mischief.”

Hip 4 is out of I'm Guilty (Verrazano), a half-sister to GSW Ready To Please (More Than ready), who is the dam of Japanese GSW Nac Venus (Daiwa Major).

Stoneriggs other offering was also by a first season stallion in champion Vino Rosso (Curlin). Their homebred daughter of that GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner brought $45,000 from James Connors. Hip 53 is out of the Hard Spun mare Twisted Adage.

“We have 30 yearlings this year and have 60 mares to foal next year, so we are going to keep building,” Keogh said. “We are going to be a commercial operation. We are going to evaluate all them and decide whether to sell them as foals or keep some for yearling sales. We are going to do a bit of it all.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

Venosa Well-Armed at Fasig-Tipton

Three yearlings by Darby Dan's first-crop stallion Copper Bullet sold during Tuesday's Fasig-Tipton July sale and Steve Venosa's SGV Thoroughbreds went home to Ocala with two of them.

“You can never have too many bullets,” the pinhooker quipped after signing the ticket on hip 64 at $160,000.

Consigned by Darby Dan Farm, the colt is out of Amazement (Bernardini), who is also the dam of multiple Grade I winner Colonel Liam (Liam's Map).

Earlier in the session, Venosa paid $80,000 for hip 32, a son of Quite a Secret (Liaison) bred by Outfoxed Farm and consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.

“They look very balanced, very athletic and they look like they are going to be very precocious,” Venosa said of his impression of Copper Bullet's first yearlings.

Copper Bullet (More Than Ready) won the 2017 GII Saratoga Special S. and was second in the 2019 GIII Razorback H. He stands at Darby Dan for $7,500.

Ciaran Dunne's Waves Bloodstock purchased the third Copper Bullet to sell Tuesday, going to $48,000 to acquire hip 11 from Stuart Morris's consignment.

Asked his impression of other first-crop yearlings, Venosa said, “It looks like the Vino Rossos, across the board, seem like they are a consistent bunch. It looks like he is really stamping his babies.” @JessMartiniTDN

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Charge It to Granddam’s Account

This whole industry, as I've often remarked, turns on a delicate pivot. We need pedigree to hold up sufficiently for the big investors to stay in the game, and incidentally to keep the rest of us in business; but we also need a sufficient number of unaccountable aberrations for the little guy to feel he always has some kind of chance, as well. If the top lot at Keeneland September Book I won the GI Kentucky Derby every year, then almost the whole pyramid beneath would collapse. But nor can we afford a Rich Strike (Keen Ice) to turn everything on its head too often, either.

This is why, when it comes to blue hens, we need two types of Lady in our lives. We need Leslie's Lady (Tricky Creek), the $8,000 daughter of a mare once claimed for $5,000 and a stallion who ended up in New Mexico. And we also need Take Charge Lady (Dehere), who was sold for $4.2 million after an elite racetrack career and has proved worth every cent.

In hailing yet another stellar talent under Take Charge Lady in her grandson Charge It (Tapit), we must remember that there is no more cherished tool in pedigree analysis than hindsight. Since we tend only to study the backgrounds of horses that excel sufficiently to claim our attention, it's difficult to avoid post-rationalization. Sure enough, I have often enjoyed demonstrating how Leslie's Lady was actually saturated with genetic quality a couple of generations down.

Given the mosaic of influences behind every Thoroughbred, we hardly ever find ourselves looking at the pedigree of an elite animal and discovering absolutely nowhere to hang our hat. Conversely, however, we seldom consider the countless duds to ask just what went wrong, when their pages often offer far more obvious hooks for quality.

There's an implicit assumption that the fulfilment of genetic potential has been thwarted by the fallibility of our own intervention, which can unravel a Thoroughbred's development at so many stages: foaling, raising, feeding, breaking, training.

Personally, however, I suspect that we're better off admitting that much of what we do will always be contingent on mystery. Of course, you're welcome to pay for a software program that claims to reconcile an infinite number of imponderables into some kind of system. It's your money, and we'll see you on the racetrack. But anyone who has met my charming, cultured and handsome brother will confirm what every Thoroughbred breeder knows, that even full siblings won't necessarily have the slightest thing in common.

It is now a couple of decades since William Schettine banked exactly the same sum for consecutive yearling fillies out of an unraced Rubiano mare he had bought for $42,000 at the 1998 Keeneland November Sale. The first had arrived with the mare, in utero, and was sold to Kenny McPeek for $175,000 at Fasig-Tipton's July Sale. Schettine had obviously liked her, because he had sent the mare straight back to Dehere. This time, the resulting daughter went to Keeneland September where, again offered through Bluewater Sales, she realized the same price from G. Watts Humphrey Jr.

Though named Uplifting, she fell rather flat as a runner, failing to break her maiden in a dozen attempts. Nonetheless her owner was able to cash out for a nice profit, for $450,000 to Glen Hill Farm at the 2004 Keeneland November Sale. Her sister with McPeek having meanwhile turned out to be none other than Take Charge Lady, winner of 11 of 22 starts (including three Grade Is) and nearly $2.5 million for Select Stable.

The more illustrious sister had actually been sold just minutes before in the same ring with a Seeking The Gold cover. As we've already noted, she realized nearly 10 times as much.

Now the only rule in this game is that there are no rules. Just because an identical pedigree had functioned so much better in Take Charge Lady, on the racetrack, it remained perfectly feasible that Uplifting could parlay their genes more effectively in their second career. In the event, however, this has proved one of those occasions when the market's assumptions, about the replication of ability, would be thoroughly vindicated.

Uplifting had been in foal to Came Home when she changed hands. The resulting filly was unraced before making little impact as a producer, and likewise the Smarty Jones filly Uplifting delivered next, who was discarded for $3,200. The mare was then given a chance with Medaglia d'Oro and their gelded son, while he did win a couple of times, ultimately descended to mediocre claiming company. By that stage Uplifting had been culled for $50,000, soon after delivering what unfortunately proved to be her final foal, a minor winner by Rock Hard Ten.

For all concerned, then, Uplifting proved a thoroughly deflating experience. In the meantime, her sister has founded one of the great dynasties of our time.

The most obvious point of departure is that Take Charge Lady was routinely given opportunity commensurate with the cost of her acquisition by Eaton Sales. Okay, so her first date after delivering her Seeking The Gold filly was with Fusaichi Pegasus (then still a six-figure cover); but her remaining eight named foals were by Storm Cat, A.P. Indy, Unbridled's Song, Indian Charlie, War Front (three times) and American Pharoah.

Three of these emulated their dam as Grade I winners: Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song) in the Travers and Clark H.; Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy) in the Florida Derby; and As Time Goes By (American Pharoah) in the Beholder Mile earlier this year. Meanwhile that first foal by Seeking The Gold, Charming, not only instantly recouped $3.2 million as a yearling but then contributed lavishly to her dam's legacy despite curtailed careers both on and off the track. Just five named foals included two elite performers in Omaha Beach (War Front) and Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway), herself since dam of this year's Jerome S. winner Courvoisier (another Tapit).

By the time Take Charge Lady's daughter from the final crop of Indian Charlie arrived at the 2013 September Sale, her page was already decorated by Will Take Charge and Take Charge Indy. With residual value duly guaranteed, the filly was recruited for $2.2 million by Mandy Pope of Whisper Hill Farm, who named her I'll Take Charge. Confined to five starts, she showed fair ability (won a Belmont maiden) before commencing her second career and has wasted little time in coming up with a colt eligible to recover her cost in Charge It, her second foal. (The other is a daughter of Medaglia d'Oro, also retained by her breeder. She has required patience, now four, but has suggested the ability to win a race, again placed at Monmouth only last week).

The imposing gray Charge It could obviously have made good money as a yearling, but he looks like repaying the gamble of his retention for Pope's racing division. Unraced at two, thanks partly to an eye infection, he progressed quickly enough to run second in the GI Curlin Florida Derby, but remained pretty raw on the first Saturday in May. He apparently displaced his soft palate anyway, but was sensibly given an easy time once his chance had gone and, regrouping for the GIII Dwyer S. last Saturday, outclassed a short field by a jaw-dropping 23 lengths. He's clearly going to be a force in what is promising, after a messy Triple Crown series, to prove a dynamic second half of the year among the sophomores. Indeed, his 111 Beyer at Belmont is the top of the crop to date.

In the current context, it requires some effort to take a step back and see what lurks beyond the neon presence of his granddam in Charge It's pedigree. On doing so, however, you notice at once the branding of a second mighty mare. For Tapit's dam Tap Your Heels (Unbridled) is, of course, out of the celebrated Ruby Slippers (Nijinsky)–whose son Rubiano (by Unbridled's sire Fappiano) gave us Take Charge Lady's dam Felicita.

Through a double dose of Rubiano, interestingly, Ruby Slippers also has a top-and-bottom footprint in Omaha Beach, arguably the most brilliant member of this clan: in counterweight to Felicita (third dam, as with Charge It), his sire War Front is out of a Rubiano mare.

Tapit, meanwhile, already has a monster talent out of an Indian Charlie mare in Flightline. (Pope and her team wisely bred I'll Take Charge back to the Gainesway phenomenon after she delivered an Into Mischief colt this spring). Indian Charlie's record as a broodmare sire has also been lately enhanced by siblings Mitole (Eskendereya) and Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow). In terms of distaff influence, however, few modern stallions have been more abundantly qualified than the sire of Take Charge Lady herself. Dehere is by one outstanding broodmare sire in Deputy Minister, out of the daughter of another in Secretariat.

Take Charge Lady's dam Felicita, as noted, was unraced but her siblings included a couple of bright streaks of green, in a Group 1-placed juvenile in Europe plus the dam of GII Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Chamberlain Bridge (War Chant). That figures, their mother being by Blushing Groom (Fr)–himself, of course, another killer broodmare sire.

Besides Take Charge Lady, Felicita gave us a couple of minor graded stakes operators–one of whom (by Lear Fan) became a triple black-type producer, notably with Grade II winner/Grade I runner-up Straight Story (Giant's Causeway), also on turf. But some excellent covers, for instance by A.P. Indy twice and Deputy Minister, proved less productive. And, as we've already elaborated, repeat matings with Dehere could not have yielded more contrasting results.

Take Charge Lady, sadly lost to foaling complications in 2018, has founded a dynasty that only continues to proliferate. Omaha Beach, having received all the support he has been priced to tempt, surely has a massive chance in his new career, having exceptionally spanned his Grade I success across six and nine furlongs in the same season. And Charge It, if he can build from here, will similarly bring one of the best families around into the competition to succeed an ageing sire.

Yet how perplexing, to witness all this, for those who invested in her sister. Even our old standby, hindsight, can't really help them this time.

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Fasig-Tipton Catalogue for April Digital Selected Sale

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 23 entries for its April Digital Selected Sale. Bidding is now officially open and will close this Tuesday, Apr. 26, at 2 pm. The catalogue, which may now be viewed at digital.fasigtipton.com, consists of horses of racing age and breeding stock. Entries catalogued include:

Time Sensitive (Hip 1): 4-year-old daughter of Nyquist is a half-sister to recent GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. winner Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile).

Topo Grigio (Hip 2): Winning daughter of multiple graded stakes winner Summer Wind Dancer is believed to be in foal to Liam's Map.

Weekend Away (Hip 3): Daughter of Malibu Moon from the family of Private Mission, Dunbar Road, and Secret Status. She is believed to be in foal to Nyquist.

Wrong Color (Hip 4): Stakes-placed daughter of Gemologist is a half-sister to Jean Gros (More Than Ready), a recent 3-year-old Group 2 stakes winner in Japan, and multiple graded stakes winner Tom's Ready (More Than Ready). She is believed to be in foal to Caravaggio.

Amazing Ride (Hip 5): The first mare offered in foal to multiple Grade I winner Charlatan.

Champagne Bliss (Hip 6): Young daughter of Into Mischief is believed to be in foal to Bolt d'Oro.

Delia O'Hara (Hip 7): Multiple stakes-placed mare is a half-sister to graded stakes performer Winning Map (Liam's Map) and believed to be in foal to Bolt d'Oro.

Gun Society (Hip 8): Stakes-winning 2-year-old and earner of over $200,000 from the immediate family of Kentucky Derby winner Country House and graded stakes winners Mitchell Road and Breaking Lucky. Believed to be in foal to Omaha Beach.

Hidatsa Park (Hip 9): Stakes-placed earner of over $210,000 is believed to be in foal to Upstart.

Mamasz (Hip 11): Daughter of Giant's Causeway is the dam of recent GII Monrovia S. winner Brooke Marie (Lemon Drop Kid). Believed to be in foal to Midshipman.

Philanthropic (Hip 12): Stakes-placed daughter of Malibu Moon from the family of leading sire Curlin. She is believed to be in foal to Constitution. She sells with her 2022 Not This Time filly at her side.

Rich Love (Hip 13): Dam of the recent $1.2-million sale-topping Bolt d'Oro filly at the 2022 Gulfstream Sale, this mare is believed to be in foal to Breeders' Cup winner Good Magic. She sells with her 2022 Good Magic filly at her side.

Power Surge (Hip 22):3-year-old California-bred daughter of young sire Straight Fire won the Evening Jewel S. at Santa Anita in her most recent start on Apr. 9.

The post Fasig-Tipton Catalogue for April Digital Selected Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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