Sires To Watch: North America's New Fathers

Foaling season is here and with it brings the excitement of seeing what last year’s freshman stallions have sired. 

Last year’s crop had many interesting horses from Arrogate and Gun Runner to regional stallions like Divining Rod and Union Jackson. Unfortunately in the interest of space I couldn’t include all of the major stallions with first foals who stuck out to me, but here are 10 both in Kentucky and in regional markets whose foals I am interested in seeing this year.

Arrogate – One of the two most eagerly anticipated retirees last year, Champion 3-Year-Old Arrogate (Unbridled’s Song) won seven of his 11 starts including the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, Travers, and Dubai World Cup. Arrogate was limited to 145 mares but they were some of the best mares in the industry with the stallion breeding over 25 outside Group 1 winners or producers, according to Juddmonte Farm, and some of Juddmonte Farm’s best U.S. mares including Sightseek (Distant View), Rising Tornado (Storm Cat), and Soothing Touch (Touch Gold). He stand for $75,000 at Juddmonte Farms in 2019.

Astern – Medaglia d’Oro’s Group 1 winner Astern joins Vancouver as Australian-bred Medaglia d’Oro sons who closely resemble their famous sire. Standing at Darley, Astern served 116 mares in his first year (for comparison sake, Vancouver received 166 that first year). Included in his book of mares who sold in the winter sales were Grade 1 winner Honey Ryder’s (Lasting Approval) half-sister and Group 2 winner Doremifasollatido’s daughter with both going through the ring at Keeneland. Astern stand for $15,000 this year.

Bal a Bali – A horse with a great comeback story in addition to a Grade 1 winning record, Brazil’s Triple Crown winner Bal a Bali (Put It Back) started his stallion career at Calumet last year. A top class Brazilian 2-year-old with three wins (including two stakes) in four starts that year, and a Triple Crown winner at three, he then came to the United States where he won four starts – including two Grade 1 races. The stallion bred 125 mares last year with stakes winner Dene Court (City Zip) and Group 1 winner Ermine’s (Exchange Rate) half sister among the mares to sell in foal to him. Bal a Bali stands for $15,000 in 2019 at Calumet.

Cupid – The second busiest horse in the breeding shed in 2018 – and most popular freshman -  was Grade 1-winning Tapit son Cupid. One of three new stallions at Ashford last year alongside Champion 2-Year-Old Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) and multiple Grade 1 winner Practical Joke (Into Mischief), who were also within the top 10 most popular sires of the year (Practical Joke covered 220 mares & Classic Empire 185 but due to space won’t be covered here), he was the winner of the Group 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita by 3 1/4 lengths. Adding to the horse’s popularity almost certainly was his dam Pretty ‘n Smart, who has produced four stakes winners from her eight runners (and winners) and whose last two yearlings brought over $1 million each at Keeneland September. Cupid bred 223 mares in 2018 and stands for $12,500 again in 2019.

Cupid

Divining Rod – Perhaps the best bred freshman sire to stand in the Mid-Atlantic last year was Divining Rod (Tapit). A Group 3 winner who was only a head away from becoming a Group 1 winner, Divining Rod combines two champion sires in Tapit and Kitten’s Joy with Divining Rod out of Kitten’s Joy’s Grade 1 winning half-sister Precious Kitten (Catienus). The stallion stands for $5,000 at Country Life Farm in Maryland in 2019 and bred 102 mares in 2018, 25 more than the next busiest stallion in the state.

Gun Runner – A Candy Ride son from one of the best families guaranteed Gun Runner a spot at stud somewhere when he won his first graded stakes but he took that to another level at four when he put together a Horse of the Year campaign. Gun Runner has all the credentials to be a top sire as a Horse of the Year out of a half-sister to Saint Liam (Saint Ballado), who sired Horse of the Year Havre de Grace. Gun Runner bred 171 mares last year and stands for $70,000 in 2019 with his dam’s half-brother Funtastic (More Than Ready) joining him in Three Chimney’s stallion barn.

Gun Runner

Klimt – The Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity winner at two and a Quality Road son, Klimt proved extremely popular in his first season at Darby Dan Farm when breeding the third most mares of any stallion in the country with 222. A few of the mares who visited him before going through the ring over the winter included stakes producers Knockatrina (Langfuhr) and Stella Prima (El Prado). Klimt will stand for $10,000 in 2019.

Lord Nelson – After having to skip what was meant to be his first breeding season due to laminitis in 2017, Lord Nelson (Pulpit) bounced back and was able to cover mares in 2018. A three-time Grade 1 winning sprinter, Lord Nelson looked to have a great chance in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint before an injury led to the laminitis. The Spendthrift team did a great job not only to help him survive but getting him into breeding shape for the 2018 season where he covered 127 mares. Lord Nelson is standing for $25,000 in 2019.

Lord Nelson

Stanford – A big boost to the California breeding program was the retirement of Stanford (Medaglia d’Oro) to Tommy Town Thoroughbreds. A winner every year of his four year career, his biggest victory was a win in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic with nine overall top three finishes in stakes races. Stanford covered 93 mares in his first year and stands for $5,000 in 2019.

Union Jackson – The only son of Curlin in New York, Union Jackson is a stakes winner who won six of his 11 starts with three other on-the-board finishes for $273,874 in earnings. Union Jackson has a strong pedigree behind him with his dam being Grade 1 winner Hot Dixie Chick (Dixie Union), who is a half-sister to Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming (Bodemeister). Union Jackson stands at Sequel Stallions New York for $5,000.

Union Jackson