As the first sale on the annual calendar expressly dedicated to yearlings, the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Sale is always fascinating as a venue for the first-crop sires to test their appeal. Tuesday’s edition, kicking off at 10 a.m. (EDT) at Newtown Paddocks and featuring a 300-strong catalog, accordingly brims with first-crop yearlings representing a quality freshman class.
Cairo Prince, the early favorite for the 2014 Kentucky Derby (G1) before injury, has nine cataloged, and commands attention as a son of Pioneerof the Nile.
The top two finishers from the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), Mucho Macho Man and Will Take Charge, renew rivalry after a fashion in the sales ring. Mucho Macho Man, a $5.6-million earner, hails from the sire line of recently deceased Hall of Famer Holy Bull, while champion Will Take Charge is one of two freshmen here by the late Unbridled’s Song, along with 2013 Whitney H. (G1) winner Cross Traffic. Perennial leading sire Tapit has two sons with first-crop yearlings on offer, Flashback and He’s Had Enough.
Two-time Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Goldencents, Giant’s Causeway blueblood Fed Biz, and Strong Mandate, the 2013 Hopeful (G1) victor, are all well stocked numerically. Other freshmen of interest are Frankel’s multiple Group 1-winning full brother, Noble Mission; Grade 1 millionaires Verrazano and Itsmyluckyday; Revolutionary, successful in the 2013 Louisiana Derby (G2) and third in the Kentucky Derby; Uncaptured, Canada’s Horse of the Year at two; Atreides, the once-beaten son of Medaglia d’Oro and Dream Rush, who has a yearling half-sister to Whitmore as Hip 38; Can the Man, by Goldencents’ sire Into Mischief from the all-star family of Rags to Riches; Central Banker; Drill; Shakin It Up; and Super Ninety Nine.
The 2011 Derby-winning champion Animal Kingdom is off to a fine start with his two-year-olds, initially in Australia and now with his first Northern Hemisphere crop firing up, and two of his yearlings are in the July Sale. Orb, the 2013 Derby hero; Data Link; Declaration of War; Flat Out; Jimmy Creed; Justin Phillip; Liaison; Overanalyze; 2012 champion juvenile Shanghai Bobby; Take Charge Indy; and Violence are likewise getting results already on the racetrack. Also in this category of sires with first-crop juveniles are Graydar, Alternation, I Want Revenge, New Year’s Day, 2013 Preakness (G1) scorer Oxbow and his close genetic relation Paynter.
Maclean’s Music, sire of current Preakness hero Cloud Computing in his first crop; last year’s champion freshman sire Dialed In; Shackleford; The Factor; and To Honor and Serve are now joining the ranks of established sires.
While the up-and-comers are prominent in the catalog, veteran stallions are not to be overlooked. Just several names on that accomplished list are Bernardini, Curlin, Ghostzapper, Hard Spun, Into Mischief (whose offerings include a full brother to Vicar’s in Trouble, Hip 155), Kitten’s Joy, Medaglia d’Oro, More Than Ready, Munnings, Tale of the Cat, Tiznow, and Uncle Mo. Proud Citizen appears as the sire of Hip 198, a half to Include Betty, and Include furnishes Hip 247, a full sister to Redeemed.
“Buyers expect to find a precocious, athletic group of yearlings when they come to our July Sale, and that’s what they will find once again this year,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said when the catalog was released. “We look forward to kicking off the 2017 yearling sale season with a quality group of yearlings by many of the sport’s most successful, as well as up-and-coming young sires.”
According to rankings published by the BloodHorse MarketWatch, Fasig-Tipton July topped the major North American yearling sales across multiple categories – in percentage of Grade 1 winners, graded stakes winners, stakes winners, and two-year-old winners sold.
“Our selected yearling sales are statistically proven to be highly concentrated sources of quality,” Browning noted. “Buyers in search of success at the highest levels cannot afford to miss our selected yearling sales – and July is their first opportunity in 2017.”
Visit fasigtipton.com for the catalog, latest updates, and live video of the sale.
