All Equine All The Time

Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) was last year's Keeneland topper at $3 million. He broke his maiden last month. While summer yearling sales always provide highlights for first-crop stallion ads, the Keeneland September yearling sale seems to be more of an overall indicator of their reception with the quality of the yearlings on offer running across the board. Additionally, this year, Fasig-Tipton’s new Turf Showcase the day before the Keeneland September sale also provides a place for the more turf-orientated horses to shine, making this an interesting year in Kentucky. Below are a few of the first-crop sires who will be ones to watch at both sales over the next two weeks based on their reception at previous sales, the pages of their offerings and a few other factors that could make them interesting commercial successes or bargains. Cairo Prince (Pioneerof the Nile) – The star of the first crop sire show this year has undoubtedly been Airdrie Stud’s Cairo Prince (stood in par...

The first yearling sale of the year in Kentucky is in the books and it was a history maker. Numbers were up and for the first time since 2006, a seven figure yearling was seen in the Fasig-Tipton July Sale ring. Medaglia d’Oro was the king of the sale, but more than one young sire made their presence known here as did a few buyers. Read on for some observations made at the sale and some horses and people you should watch out for later in the year. Medaglia d'Oro Medaglia d’Oro – Days after New Money Honey gave him another Grade 1 victory to add to his stallion resume, Medaglia d’Oro was back in the headlines as the sire of the first $1-million yearling at the Fasig-Tipton July sale since 2006 and first filly to bring that price since 1982. The filly, out of the stakes placed Malibu Moon mare Hung the Moon, helped create fireworks at the end of the sale when she went through the ring with less than 10 hips left. The filly, consigned by Bluewater Sales, is one of five ye...

We travel to Kentucky for the fourth edition of this series where the Kentucky yearling sales season is quickly approaching with Fasig-Tipton’s July sale taking place on July 11. This blog, we look back and see what the top 10 most expensive horses at this sale every year from 2013 to 2015 are up to. The 2016 graduates are not included in this blog as they are 2-year-olds and many 2-year-olds have not yet made a start. 2015 Fasig-Tipton July Sale So Fancy (Tapit x French Dip – Speightstown filly) – The $500,000 sales topper, So Fancy has raced five times in her career, breaking her maiden in her fourth start at the end of December. She last raced on Feb. 18 and hasn’t had any works since that seventh place finish in the Wide Country Stakes. Our Souper Star (Scat Daddy x Starbourne (IRE) – Sadler’s Wells colt) – Selling for $385,000, Our Souper Star was a $400,000 pinhook at the Fasig-Tipton Select 2-Year-Olds In Training sale last year. He has not yet raced and has no re...

With the first 2-year-old sale in the books, it was an interesting evening at Gulfstream Park on Wednesday night with three horses selling for $1-million or more and numbers looking better than 2016 nearly all around. Here are some quick observations made about this year’s Fasig-Tipton Florida Sale and the stallions represented in it. Cary Frommer: The last few years, it’s seemed like everything Cary Frommer touches turns to gold and this sale was no exception. Frommer sent five through the ring and two of the three brought over $1-million with one being the sales topper. That filly, by Uncle Mo, was a $50,000 weanling two years ago and when pinhooked as a yearling last year, bought by Frommer at Fasig-Tipton in July for $250,000. Frommer’s other $1-million horse saw a big jump in price from when he was a yearling, selling for $235,000 at Fasig-Tipton’s July Sale in Kentucky and bringing $1.1-million to be the third highest priced horse of this sale. Both tickets were signed by La...

With 16 horses selling for $500,000 or higher at last night’s Fasig-Tipton Florida Sale, I decided to look back and see what horses who sold in that price range at this sale the last two years are doing these days. A combined 25 horses sold for $500,000 or higher at the 2015 and 2016 editions of this sale with 19 making at least one start. The 2016 graduates are led by Grade 2 Risen Star third place finisher Local Hero while 2015’s class includes stakes winners Annual Report, Mor Spirit and Zulu (Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist also sold here in 2015 but brought a final bid of $400,000). Learn more about what all the Florida Sale's high priced horses have been up to since they went through the ring as 2-year-olds. 2016 Fasig-Tipton Florida Sale Tapit had the highest priced horse at this sale last year South Beach (Tapit x Bethan – Giant’s Causeway) – A $1.2-million RNA at the Keeneland September Sale in 2015, South Beach returned to the ring as a 2-year-old where he...

Spring is in the air and 2-year-old breeze up sales are kicking into gear with everyone flocking to Florida to add some horses to their stables. This week the fun kicks off with Fasig-Tipton’s The Florida Sale taking place on March 1 at Gulfstream Park. When the catalog was released, 162 hips were cataloged for the sale with 44 declared out as of the evening of Feb. 27. That same day, those still in the sale took part in the under tack show, giving buyers a preview of the sale's offerings. No one broke the 10 second barrier at the show, though five tied for the bullet time of 10 seconds flat on Monday. Here are just a few sires (other than the typical Uncle Mos and Tapits) who look like they may be interesting when their 2-year-olds go through the ring on Wednesday night. Candy Ride’s (Ride the Rails) 2-year-olds didn’t miss any time grabbing attention this sales season. While none of his five sale horses in the under tack show clocked the bullet, one clocked in at :10...

Noble Bird is one of the Grade 1 winners in the field In a race that has been in the headlines since it was announced last year, it’s fitting that the Pegasus World Cup has more than just a few interesting bloodline tidbits. From a mare who brings two rivals together to two horses looking to make earnings history, here are 13 pedigree facts you should know before Saturday’s race. Starters’ Resumes - The headliners of this race are obviously Arrogate (Unbridled’s Song) and California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) but the 12 horse Pegasus field is actually a decently competitive one when you look past them. Six of the runners are Grade 1 winners, one is a Grade 2 winner, one is a Grade 3 winner, one is a stakes winner and the four who haven’t yet broken through at the stakes level are all graded stakes placed. The field includes two Eclipse winners who have five Eclipse Awards between them (Arrogate and California Chrome) and one Canadian champion (Shaman Ghost). Restricted to horses a...