Colt Out of Believe You Can Carries High Expectations

Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Believe You Can's third foal is among five hips Brereton Jones' Airdrie Stud has consigned in Book 1 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, and Airdrie's Bret Jones said the team believes the War Front  colt could be the best foal the farm has bred yet.

"With (Believe You Can) being a Kentucky Oaks winner, she deserves the best opportunities, and you can't have a better opportunity than breeding to War Front," Jones said. "He's just been an incredible stallion, really from the start, and we love the cross. We thought it made a lot of sense on paper, and sometimes when you think it makes a lot of sense on paper and you try it, it doesn't always work out. Thankfully, this time it worked out and worked out as well as we possibly could have asked for."

Believe You Can is already proven as a black-type producer. Her first foal, Believe in Royalty (by Tapit ), won last year's Ellis Park Derby and finished second in the Oklahoma Derby (G3). Her War Front colt will go through the ring Sept. 10 as Hip 258.

"The Tapit colt was a very nice colt. He was medium-sized and went on and was able to run and be a graded stakes horse, a very nice colt," Jones said. "But this colt from the start has been very, very special. We've said from early days as a foal that this might be the best foal we've ever bred, and he's never given us any reason to change our opinion on that."

Jones said the War Front colt has progressed with ease from his time as a foal to the sale.

"He's never given us any reason for concern," he said. "He's such a good-minded horse. He's not one of those horses you're worried about how he's going to handle this or that because he handles everything the same way, which is perfect."

Believe in Royalty was a $900,000 buy at the 2016 Keeneland September Sale, with William Mack and Robert Baker signing the ticket. Believe You Can's second foal, a Tapit filly named Birdy Num, sold to Don Alberto Corp. for $1 million at the 2017 sale. The mare also has an Uncle Mo  weanling filly born Jan. 22.

This year, Believe You Can was bred to Collected , the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) winner who stood his first year at Airdrie in 2019.

Among Airdrie's other offerings are a Nyquist  half brother (Hip 336) to stakes winner Harry's Holiday and multiple grade 3-placed Remedy, out of the Orientate mare Daisy Mason. The mare is a daughter of Leslie's Lady, making her a half sister to Beholder, Mendelssohn , and Into Mischief .

Hip 477 is a Candy Ride  colt out of Kittery Point (by Include), who produced La Brea Stakes (G1) winner Sam's Sister and black-type winner Sensitive. His female family includes grade 1 winner Sweet Talker.

Airdrie's lone filly in Book 1 (Hip 490) is by Cairo Prince  and is a half sister to grade 3-placed Hold Her Tight. The filly extends from the family of champion Winning Colors, the Kentucky Derby (G1)-winning filly.

Hip 551, a Runhappy  colt, wraps up Airdrie's Book 1 offerings. Out of the Indian Charlie mare Ms. Cornstalk, the colt is a half brother to Canadian Horse of the Year Biofuel and Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Tu Endie Wei.

"I think the market has been remarkably resilient this year for some of the challenges that horse racing has had earlier in the year, and there is no shortage of people looking," Jones said. "We've been absolutely slammed (during pre-sale showing), and let's just hope that translates to good results in the ring."