Freshman Class Well Represented at Fasig July

While Fasig-Tipton may no longer host the New Sire Showcase as part of its July Sale of Selected Yearlings, the auction will still offer a power-packed group of freshman sires when it is held next Tuesday in Lexington. The July catalogue features some 30 stallions represented by their first crop of yearlings this term, including a pair of GI Kentucky Derby winners, a GI Preakness S. winner, three Breeders' Cup winners, an Eclipse champion and 15 additional Grade I winners.

Paramount Sales' July consignment features some 15 yearlings by first-crop sires and the company's Pat Costello is confident the group will be well-received.

“I've got some very nice individuals by freshman sires this year,” Costello confirmed. “Fasig-Tipton does a great job on selecting these horses and I think they will be very popular.”

Costello acknowledged success at the season's first yearling sale could be pivotal to a stallion's commercial appeal going forward.

“I think it's important to do well early because then those horses get a bit of a buzz about them,” Costello explained. “An example would be The Factor last year. That momentum builds on these horses if they come out with some nice horses, then the word gets around and the momentum definitely carries on.”

Four stallions are represented by 10 or more yearlings in the July catalogue, with 2013 GI Donn H. winner Graydar (Unbridled's Song) leading the way with 13.

“I must say that I have seen way more top Graydars than average ones,” Select Sales' Carrie Brogden said. “I was the underbidder on the one Twin Creeks bought as a baby for $190,000–I thought he was spectacular.”

Select Sales will offer a pair of yearlings (hip 50 and hip 342) by the gray stallion who stands at Taylor Made next week.

“Out of sound stakes mares, both are correct, tremendous movers with great balance and a nice hip,” Brodgen said of the pair.

Also represented by his first crop of yearlings at the July sale will be multiple Grade I winner Flat Out (Flatter). Two-time winner of the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, the Spendthrift stallion has 10 yearlings in the auction's catalogue.

Flat Out is a stallion Brogden, co-owner of Machmer Hall, is very familiar with.

“Flat Out was pinhooked by and raised at Machmer Hall, so I am a bit biased towards his potential success,” Brogden said of the $11,000 OBS October weanling turned $85,000 Fasig-Tipton July 2007 grad. “We have a fast-looking, uncomplicated colt (hip 64) and filly (hip 218) by him. Both are good sized, correct and solid. I cannot wait to cheer on his progeny. He was a beautiful July yearling himself.”

Costello, whose Paramount Sales offers hip 316 and hip 319 by Flat Out, added of the stallion's progeny, “They look very promising–they are very fast-looking.”

Also looking forward to offering a yearling by Flat Out is consignor Chris Baccari, who said of hip 270, “He is a big, very strong-looking colt.”

Pin Oak Stud's Alternation (Distorted Humor), winner of the 2012 GII Oaklawn H., has 11 yearlings catalogued for the July sale, while Hill 'n' Dale's Violence (Medaglia d'Oro), winner of the 2012 GI CashCall Futurity, has 10.

Among Paramount's first-crop offerings is hip 259, a son of 2013 GI Preakness S. winner Oxbow (Awesome Again), who has eight yearlings in the July catalogue.

“I have a lovely Oxbow yearling,” Costello remarked. “He's very nice. His sire was a very good racehorse and this lad reminds me of his sire quite a bit.”

Baccari is also pleased with his offering by Calumet's Oxbow.

“I have a really nice colt by Oxbow,” Baccari said of hip 297. “He's very big and two-turn. He's a very nice horse.”

The Paramount consignment features six yearlings by a pair of stallions who were precocious as 2-year-olds. On offer are two colts and a filly by 2013 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner New Year's Day (Street Cry {Ire})–a half-brother to GII Fountain of Youth S. winner Moyhamen (Tapit), as well as two fillies and a colt by 2012 GI FrontRunner S. winner Power Broker (Pulpit). Both stallions stand at Hill 'n' Dale Farms.

“New Year's Day and Power Broker are really throwing horses that look a lot like the sires, and they look quite nice,” Costello said.

WinStar Farm's Paynter (Awesome Again), winner of the 2012 GI Haskell Invitational, has seven yearlings in the July catalogue, two of whom (hip 96 and hip 260) will be offered by Baccari.

“Paynter has definitely impressed me,” Baccari said. “The yearlings I've seen look like good Awesome Agains. The ones that I have maybe have a little more leg than Awesome Agains do.”

Baccari acknowledge buyers are being very critical while shopping for prospects, making it more important to bring the right type of yearling to the July sale.

“Basically most buyers come to your consignment looking for a reason to not buy a horse,” Baccari admitted. “They are not looking for a reason to do it. They are looking for anything that can take them off the list. It's always been that way.”

For the July sale, Baccari said, “I just try to take horses that are precocious enough to come here. I think you have to have a horse that is not backwards and has to be fairly correct, things of that nature. It's like any sale. You have the physical and the pedigree will tell you how much it is going to cost.”

Baccari Bloodstock will offer the only yearling by Corfu (Malibu Moon) (hip 59) in the July sale. The Bridlewood Farm stallion captured the 2013 GII Saratoga Special after topping that year's Barretts March sale with a final bid of $675,000.

“The Corfu filly is a freak,” Baccari revealed. “She is just a straight racehorse, in my opinion. Corfu is a horse that not everybody is familiar with, but she is an extremely special filly.”

While anticipation is high for young stallions ahead of the first yearling sale of the season, Gainesway's Michael Hernon noted the youngsters will be selling in a polarized market where

discriminating buyers are looking for prospects who pass every test.

“I think there is an appeal in the market for the new product, the novelty factor, and the expectation is high for those new horses,” said Hernon. “This is the first exposure into a yearling market and I think those horses will get significant consideration. But the bar is high, the expectations will be high and they are going to have to meet all the qualifications to sell effectively.”

Still success at the July sale is not a make-or-break deal for young stallions.

“I think it gives the horse credence and an endorsement going forward if they sell well in July, but obviously there will still be a significant number of yearlings to come on the market later in the year,” Hernon said. “But you'd like to see a good sale by some of the progeny of freshman stallions. So clearly it's important to stallion operations that the initial reception for those first offerings by freshman sires is positive.”

The Fasig-Tipton July Sale of Selected Yearlings gets underway at 10 a.m. next Tuesday at the company's Newtown Paddocks.