American Pharoah, Justify Top Sires by Sales Average

Ashford Stud's American Triple Crown winners American Pharoah   (2015) and freshman sire Justify   (2018) are leading the sire standings by average following the first two 2-year-olds in training sales of the year.

American Pharoah led his sire class at the end of 2021 by cumulative progeny earnings with more than $20 million and by number of black-type stakes winners with 22. The 10-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile has four stakes winners so far this year who are all graded/group stakes winners—As Time Goes By  (Beholder Mile Stakes, G1), Café Pharoah (February Stakes, G1), Forbidden Kingdom  (San Vicente and San Felipe Stakes, both G2), and Merneith  (Santa Monica Stakes, G2).

The momentum from these performances helped make American Pharoah the top sire by the combined average price of the Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale and Fasig-Tipton's Gulfstream Sale of selected 2-year-olds held March 30. All three of American Pharoah's juveniles sold were offered at OBS and averaged $576,667, topped by a $1 million filly out of the Forest Camp mare Just Parker that Top Line Sales sold to bloodstock agent Donato Lanni. In 2021, four American Pharoah juveniles averaged $405,833 during  the 2-year-olds in training sales season.

Justify topped his sire class with a $490,000 average from five sold. The son of Scat Daddy's top seller sold for $1.1 million to agent Jamie McCalmont, buying on behalf of Coolmore's M.V. Magnier at the Gulfstream sale. Wavertree Stables sold the seven-figure colt out of grade 1 winner Appealing Zophie, who is also the dam of Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) winner and Gainesway's freshman sire Tapwrit  .

Spendthrift Farm's freshman sire Bolt d'Oro   had the strong representation at the first two juvenile sales of any North American sire with 15 sold of 18 offered. The sire's $367,333 average is the second-highest among freshman sires and the seventh-highest among all sires represented by three or more sold.

Only one of Bolt d'Oro's progeny has sold for less than $100,000 so far, and a filly out of the winning Not For Love mare Rich Love topped The Gulfstream Sale at $1.2 million. Spendthrift Farm bought the filly from consignor Tom McCrocklin.

A 7-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro  , Bolt d'Oro showed more precociousness than his sire who made only one start at 2. Bolt d'Oro won his debut at Del Mar Aug. 5 and went on to win the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and FrontRunner Stakes (G1) before finishing third in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). Under tack shows provide only a glimpse into a horse's potential, but when looking for indications that Bolt d'Oro will pass along his precocity, it is worth noting that five of his progeny sold worked an eighth in :9 4/5 and five others worked the same distance in :10. The sale-topping filly at Gulfstream worked a quarter-mile in :20 2/5, which is the co-fastest time at this distance for both the Gulfstream and OBS sales.

Five proven sires are represented among the top 10 overall sires by average, a slightly greater presence than at year ago at this point in the year when four were among the top 10. Besides American Pharoah, the top includes Spendthrift's three-time leading sire Into Mischief   ($469,444), Darley Stallion's Medaglia d'Oro ($441,667), Ashford's Uncle Mo   ($408,750), and WinStar Farm's shuttle stalwart More Than Ready   ($345,333).