All Equine All The Time

Breeders' Cup Classic winner Gun Runner winning the Stephen Foster earlier this year. The Breeders’ Cup taking place in Del Mar, Calif. for the first time was historic in itself but the horses couldn’t let it be the only special thing to happen on the weekend with a Keeneland September Yearling sale topper winning a Breeders’ Cup race for the first time, multiple broodmares joining an elite list and many sires getting their first winners. Read on to learn about just a few of the historic points that happened at this year’s Breeders’ Cup. Leslie’s Lady – 2016 Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Broodmare of the Year Leslie’s Lady (Tricky Creek) may have made a case to take home her second title when Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Friday. The mare has had a runner in the Breeders’ Cup winner’s circle four of the last six years with Beholder (Henny Hughes) winning three between 2012 and 2016 and...

No Nay Never is the first European-based son of Scat Daddy to have yearlings hit the sales ring. With the Keeneland September sale wrapping up in mid-September after breaking a few records, attention now turns across the Atlantic to the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Comprised of three Books in 2017, Tattersalls October has 1968 yearlings scheduled to go through the ring before outs. As always, those lots include yearlings by multiple highly regarded first-crop stallions with breeders keeping an eye on their results as they prepare to make breeding decisions for the 2018 season. Here are 11 of the first crop sires standing in Europe it’s worth keeping your eyes on at this year’s sale. Australia (Galileo)–  Royally bred and an accomplished racehorse, it’s no surprise Australia has 32 lots currently entered - including 17 in Book 1. His yearlings have been well received so far with his top lot a $490,000 Keeneland September purchase by Godolphin, followed by a $300,0...

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...

We travel to England for our third edition of this series, to check on graduates of the Tattersall Craven Breeze Up Sale. While this year’s 2-year-olds will go through the ring this week, 25 of the 30 2-year-olds to sell for 200,000 guineas or more at this sale over the past two years have hit the track. Among the most successful have been Group 1 placed Stormy Antarctic, European stakes winner Mokarris and U.S. stakes winner Fact Finding. Learn more about what all 30 horses have been up to since the Breeze Up sale in today’s blog. 2015 Craven Breeze Up Sale War Front sired the 2015 sales topper. ’13 Rehear (War Front x Rehear – Coronado’s Quest colt) – The U.S.-bred topper from the 2015 edition of the sale when bringing 360,000 guineas has not been named yet. He was purchased in 2015 by Jamie McCalmont and AC Elliott. Aljuljalah (Exchange Rate x Ruler’s Charm – Cape Town filly) – The U.S.-bred filly has won one of eight races with three second place finishes. H...