First-Crop Sires to Watch at Fasig-Tipton July

Entering year sires of 2016 were lauded during the fall mixed sales as one of the deepest sire classes by the overall quality of their first foals. Triple Crown winner American Pharoah  is the class leader by average and hype, but five other sires had weanling averages exceeding $100,000.

Heading into the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Sale, the country's first yearling auction of the year, the enthusiasm for this sire class has grown, with the spotlight capturing an increasing number of promising stallions to watch.

Select Sales will offer the only American Pharoah yearling at the July sale, a filly (Hip 131) out of the stakes-producing Yonaguska mare Yong Musician. (A second filly out of Distorted Point was scratched.) The mare has already produced Peruvian group 1-placed winner Kingdom Road and grade 3-placed winner Co Cola out of four to race. 

"People are surprised we put an American Pharoah in the July sale, but I figured why not?" said Carrie Brogden, who operates Select Sales with Andrew Cary, Jay Goodwin, Tom Mullikin, and Amy Bunt. The filly was bred by Brogden's Machmer Hall. 

"She is a good-moving, good-vetting filly, and we figured to go where no one else is going," Brogden continued. "There are ton in Saratoga—as expected—and there are ton in September. If you have the right physical, I think people will appreciate it."

Brogden said it helps the 2016 sire class's reputation collectively to have Ashford Stud's American Pharoah (by Pioneerof the Nile ) as its market leader.

"I think the feeling from having such an elite racehorse leading the sire crop boosts everything," she said. "Add to that having surprises with horses like Tapiture , a very modestly priced horse who really came out."

The weanlings by Darby Dan Farm's Tapiture (by Tapit ), who were bred on a $7,500 stud fee, wowed buyers at the fall sales, where they averaged $87,208. His top seller, a colt out of Lady Leftennant (by Officer) was bought by Hunter Valley Farm for $300,000.

"He was the surprise package of the freshman sires in November," said Hunter Valley's Fergus Galvin. "They are all well-balanced foals, good movers, and have good body types. We have a filly by him, as well, and she's a strong filly, well-muscled with plenty of quality."

Brogden said she expects Tapiture to continue commanding buyers' attention throughout the yearling sale season.

"I was regretting selling one of my seasons when I started seeing all his foals," she said. "He really stamps them with really nice hips and really solid minds."

Tapiture has the most cataloged in the July sale among the first-crop sires with 12. He had 13 initially entered, but one (Hip 22) has been scratched. The first-crop sire with the second-highest number cataloged is Ashford Stud's grade 1 winner Competitive Edge , who still has 10 entered out of 12 initially cataloged. 

WinStar Farm's grade 1 winner Daredevil , a son of More Than Ready , was another pleasant surprise at the mixed sales where 15 weanlings averaged $76,667, putting him among the top 12 in his class by average price. His progeny have only continued to impress.

"I was surprised by him and didn't expect to have as many on the short list," said Matt Lyons, vice president of Woodford Thoroughbreds. "They are good-looking horses that look like fast, early types. I would think they will be popular with the 2-year-old pinhookers."

Woodford Thoroughbreds has one Daredevil colt entered in the July sale, who out of the winning Danehill daughter Josette. The sale yearling is a half brother to black-type winner Woodwin W (by More Than Ready) and a half brother to Helena Bay, the dam of grade 1 winner Collected.

Brogden said she doesn't have any Daredevil yearlings in her consignment but she's a believer in the sire's potential.

"His yearlings are way nicer than anyone expected, across the board," she said. "I booked about 11 mares to him for his first crop. I then booked 25 mares to him second crop because everyone saw how gorgeous they were."

Two other sires that have grabbed Lyons' attention are multiple grade 1 winners Bayern , a son of Offlee Wild standing at Hill 'n' Dale Farm, and Constitution , a son of Tapit standing at WinStar.

"We had two foals by Bayern born on the farm that I'm very impressed with," he said. "He was a fast horse and these babies look fast. Right now, he is one of my early picks. The ones we have are balanced, having good angles, they move well. He will be on my radar as we start looking to buy yearlings to pinhook."

Lyons said the best filly he has entered in the July sale is a daughter of Constitution out of the graded-placed black-type winner Livi Makenzie (Macho Uno ).

"I have not seen a lot of Constitutions, but if they look like this filly then he'll be alright," Lyons said. "She has got class and is a quality horse. She could have been high up in the books in September, but I think here she'll stand out more."

As for the July sale overall, Galvin said he expects this year's first-crop sires will boost what has been an already solid market. Encouraged by a $1 million Medaglia d'Oro  filly last year and an 8.7% increase in the average price, Hunter Valley has entered a few more than usual in this sale.

"One thing that was noticeable in November was the resurgence in popularity of first-crop sires," he said. "We've got a Liam's Map that has one of the better pages in the sale. We've been quite impressed with his stock so far. We have gone a little bit heavier on numbers this year hoping it will stay strong."

Standing at Lane's End, Liam's Map  (by Unbridled's Song) had 12 weanlings average $142,500 last year. The other sires with six-figure averages included American Pharoah ($445,500 for 10 sold), Lane's End's Honor Code  ($192,778; nine sold), WinStar's Carpe Diem  ($120,824; 17), Bayern  ($103,333; 12), and Airdrie Stud's Summer Front  ($100,667, nine).

The number of sires with six-figure weanling averages is just one example of the depth the 2016 first-crop class seems to possess. Among 2016 first-crop sires with stud fees of $7,500 or more, the collective weanling average last year was $78,975 for 286 sold. By comparison, the first-crop sires of 2015 (same stud fee criteria) averaged $56,668 for 205 weanlings sold. American Pharoah's 10 weanlings that sold for $4,455,000 certainly bolstered the overall average for his sire class, but even if his weanlings are not considered, the sire class's average was still a robust $65,695.