Tuesday’s July Sale at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky is loaded with first-crop yearlings by a cavalcade of stars, chief among them Triple Crown champion American Pharoah.
The 2015 Horse of the Year and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) star had only two cataloged, one of them withdrawn, but his remaining Hip No. 131 has a very current page. The filly, consigned by Select Sales as agent for Machmer Hall, hails from the family of two-time Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) hero Mind Your Biscuits, who missed by a whisker in the June 9 Metropolitan H. (G1).
Palace Malice, who turned a rare Belmont Stakes (G1)/Met Mile double in 2013-14, has more on offer including Hip 9, a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-placed stakes heroine Wonder Gal, and Hip 328, a half-sister to Canadian champion Midnight Miley.
Champion Honor Code has a single representative, an Arizona-bred filly out of multiple stakes winner Hisse (Buddha) listed as Hip 264. So does Liam’s Map, the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) hero, whose Hip 79 is a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Itsaknockout. Fellow Breeders’ Cup victors Bayern (2014 Classic) and Secret Circle (2013 Sprint [G1] and 2011 Juvenile Sprint) likewise have first-crop yearlings in the catalog.
Other Grade 1-winning freshmen include Carpe Diem, whose Hip 38 is a half-brother to exciting juvenile Bano Solo; Competitive Edge; Constitution; Danza; Daredevil, sire of Hip 285 from the immediate family of Pacific Classic (G1) hero Collected; Golden Ticket; Jack Milton; Lea; Mr Speaker; Palace; The Big Beast; and Wicked Strong, whose draft features a half-sister to Grade 1 vixen Seattle Smooth (Hip 4) and a colt out of a full sister to Songandaprayer (Hip 286).
Commissioner, the 2014 Belmont near-misser and later a Grade 2 hero, has a well-related youngster in Hip 95, a half to multiple Group 3-winning highweight Maoineach and Grade 2-placed stakes scorer Tiz Now Tiz Then. Multiple Grade 2 victor Tapiture, also the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile runner-up, sired the half-brother to Kharafa (Hip 220). Multiple Grade 2 winner Race Day’s offerings include Hip 66, a half-sister to Prospective, and Grade 2 hero Summer Front has several engaged.
Grade 1-placed Fast Anna, Conveyance, Royal Delta’s half-brother Khozan, Fury Kapcori (whose Hip 318 is a half-brother to Grade 2 sprint star Smokey Stover), Medal Count, and Sky Kingdom are additional first-crop sires to note.
Sires with first-crop juveniles on the track also have a presence. In this category are champion Will Take Charge, Cairo Prince, Can the Man (whose Hip 230 is a three-quarter sister to Beaumont [G3] winner Gas Station Sushi), Cross Traffic, Fed Biz, Flashback, Goldencents, Hampton Court (sire of Hip 193 from the family of Havre de Grace), He’s Had Enough, Mucho Macho Man, Revolutionary, Shakin It Up, Strong Mandate (whose Hip 231 is a descendant of Personal Ensign), Uncaptured, and Verrazano.
With a 349-strong catalog, established sires remain prominent.
Supersire Tapit has one cataloged, a half-brother to multiple Group 3 scorer Maftool (Hip 124). Speightstown’s Hip 208 is a son of Grade 1 winner Dream Empress, while the Candy Ride filly sporting Hip 201 is out of Grade 2 victress Devil’s Cave.
Street Sense is responsible for a three-quarter brother to Al Bastakiya winner Yulong Warrior (Hip 312) from the family of Lewis Bay. Mizzen Mast’s lone entry, Hip 214, is a full sister to Grade 2 winner Paulina’s Love already named Lebkuchen. Tiznow has a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Yara (Hip 147), and Congrats’ Hip 302 is out of a half to 2001 Breeders’ Cup Sprint champ Squirtle Squirt.
First Samurai has a colt descended from Leslie’s Lady, offered by Clarkland Farm as Hip 43, and a half to The Truth or Else (Hip 295). Orb, whose oldest offspring are three, sired the half-sister to Race Day listed as Hip 33. The late Unusual Heat has Hip 112, a full brother to Grade 3 victress How Unusual.
Other noteworthy sires with yearlings on offer are Awesome Again, Bernardini, Bodemeister, Declaration of War, Distorted Humor, Flatter, Into Mischief, Kantharos, Lemon Drop Kid, Lookin at Lucky, Macho Uno, Maclean’s Music, Majesticperfection, Malibu Moon, Midnight Lute, Midshipman, Mineshaft, Misremembered, More Than Ready, Munnings, Point of Entry, Run Away and Hide, Shackleford, Shanghai Bobby, Sky Mesa, Street Boss, Super Saver, Take Charge Indy, Tale of the Cat, Temple City, The Factor, Uncle Mo, and Union Rags.
“July was a very healthy market last year,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said upon the release of the catalog, “and as a result, consignors have responded with increased quality and quantity.
“This year’s catalog is our largest for July in nearly a decade, and boasts a significant uptick in sire power, as well.”
The single-session sale opens Tuesday at 10 a.m. (EDT), the morning after the July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale, and full coverage is available on fasigtipton.com.
