For those in search of short yearlings, there may not be a better spot than the Keeneland Horses of All Ages Sale, which enters its second day Jan. 9.
There are several short yearlings by leading sires, based on yearling averages for the past year, who will enter the sales ring in Lexington.
Among those expected to draw considerable attention is a colt by Justify consigned as Hip 594 out of Undercover Justice. The Lawyer Ron mare has produced Intercontinental Stakes (G3T) placed Conquest Babayaga , by Uncle Mo and the stakes-placed Sorrentina Lemon , by Lemon Drop Kid.
"He was one of those colts that we absolutely loved from the start," said consignor Carolyn Conley of Conley Bloodstock. "The moment he was born, he was just this big, strong, and very confident colt. He was one that grabbed you right away and he's developed and continued in that way. He's big and handsome and I love how confident he is."
Justice Stables bred the colt in Kentucky, and he comes form the family of Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Negligee, a winner at Keeneland in the Alcibiades Stakes (G1). Conley said that confidence is a common thread among the sire's offspring she has seen.
"(Hip 594) also has beautiful conformation with a big strong hip and shoulder. He's correct and marked like Justify; he's going to be a fun colt."
The Triple Crown-winning son of Scat Daddy stands at Ashford Stud for a private fee.
Another top sire whose presence will be felt in the sales ring is Quality Road . The No. 5 sire in North America last year by progeny earnings, he has several short yearlings that are drawing traffic across Keeneland's barns.
A pair of fillies, Hips 552 and 833, resemble their sire but are different in their development on account of when they were born.
"They're two very different physicals. Hip 552 is more forward physically; she's got more mass and is more mature—she's an earlier foal. Hip 833 is a more immature type, more narrow in her frame; a lot like the stallion, though, and how she's made in terms of the amount of leg and scope that she has. Both are pretty correct," said Lane's End's Allaire Ryan, who is consigning both fillies.
The bay filly is a half sister to multiple stakes winner Bella Aurora, out of the winning Street Cry mare Street Interest. She was bred in Virginia by Morgan's Ford Farm and Edward P. Evans Foundation.
"She paddles a little bit in her left front. But it's not putting anybody off whether they're looking at her to resell or race. She's been going over pretty well here. Hip 833's got a little bit of that action as well. So they're both nice fillies with some appeal, but they're very different types physically."
Hip 715, a Quality Road colt, is part of the Paramount Sales consignment. Like Ryan, Paramount's Pat Costello sees a lot of similarities between the yearling and sire. Quality Road stands at Lane's End for $200,000 this year.
"This is just a proper colt—a really good colt, correct and has a great walk to him," Costello said. "He's a great sample of the sire, very typical of the sire; same color—dark bay/brown. I think he'll be one of the top short yearlings in the sale."
In addition to the sire's exploits, there is a lot of black type under the second dam on the page. General Jeanne, is the dam of eight winners, including two graded stakes winners (Chace City and Justwhistledixie). More impressively Justwhistledixie has produced sires New Year's Day , a winner in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), and Mohaymen , winner of the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2).
"That's a great family," said Costello. "You don't get them better than that."