All Equine All The Time

One of Animal Kingdom's first yearlings With multiple classic and Breeders’ Cup winning racehorses retiring to stud in 2014, there were many choices for breeders when making breeding decisions for their mares. This year, they’ll be able to see if they made the right decisions when that group of stallions have their first runners on the track. Here are a few of those freshmen sires in North America you may want to keep an eye on this year and next as their first runners get rolling on the track. Animal Kingdom – Animal Kingdom has already had some success with his first crop of 2-year-olds in Australia and there’s no reason to think that won’t continue in the United States. According to The Jockey Club, he has 110 northern hemisphere 2-year-olds in this year and his average at this early season 2-year-olds in training sale sits at $288,750, with his top priced horse being a $550,000 colt from four sold. While they started winning fairly early in Australia, I expect the...

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...