Yearling sale season has begun! The 1 year-olds of the choicest stallions are now available at auction. Fasig-Tipton held its Selected Yearlings: The July Sale yesterday 7/10/18 in Lexington, KY. The results were positive and it should be quite a year for yearling sales.
The sweltering summer is swiftly sweeping by as we welcome July and all of the super racing and sales that this month has to offer. As our Triple Crown winning, 2 time Eclipse Winning, Breeders’ Cup Classic and Grand Slam winning, American Pharoah headed off yesterday I am looking forward to admiring what he has left behind for now, Pharoah’s phoals.
American Pharoah retired from racing after his record breaking 2015 racing season. He stands at Coolmore America, Ashford Stud, in Versailles, KY during North America’s breeding season and then he ships to Coolmore Australia to breed during their season. American Pharoah went into quarantine for shipping to Australia the last day of June. His presence in KY will be missed but fortunately he leaves behind many from his 2 crops of foals.
American Pharoah’s foals are too young to race but they are fun to follow for their cuteness, the price that they bring at sales and the promise of future racing. His 2017 North American crop has earned an average of $445,500 at auction for 10 of 13 weanlings offered. In 2018 his North American offspring, 3 of 5 yearlings offered, have sold for an average of $540,000. AmericanPharoah has had two of his offspring sell for a million dollars each. No other sire had a million dollar weanling in 2017. In 2 North American crops, he has 173 foals, 14 weanlings and 159 yearlings. He covered 208 mares in North America in 2016 and 214 in 2017. His 2018 season just ended in June. His 2016 reported stud fee was listed at $200,000 and was last listed as private. People must be really holding on to those foals to race them themselves or watch as the value goes up. It is July and we are about to see some more of his foals at auction!
On Tuesday, July 10th, 2018 at 10 A.M ET, Fasig-Tipton in Lexington, KY will hold their July Selected Yearlings Sale. I am in a lot of anticipation for this sale and I plan to follow up with pictures from the sale of these two AmericanPharoah fillies. Hip 131 is a filly born to Yong Musician consigned by a selected sales agent for Machmer Hall. Hip 205 was foaled by Distorted Point and will be sold by Bluewater Sales, LLC.
I will continue to cover more on American Pharoah’s phoals as they progress and go thru auctions and his phamily as it was fun to watch his full brother, St.Patrick’s Day, finish 3rd in his 3rd start on Thursday. I am hoping for some more summer racing from St. Patrick’s Day. This lightly raced 3 year old finished 2nd at Del Mar last Fall before breaking his maiden in his next start, a month later, at the same track. He made his 2018 debut at Curragh in the listed Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire Celebration Stakes last week. I’d love to see him ship back to America to romp in our races this summer.
I’ve been chilling with my Chromies this week. A gracious friend invited me along for her birthday party and The Chrome Experience and what an experience it was! Two time Horse of the Year, California Chrome will soon be shipping to Chile for their breeding season. There are just a few more dates to visit with Chrome while he is still at home, in America.
Happy Marether’s Day to everyone! This weekend we celebrate a special holiday to honor all of the mothers who brought us into this world and cared for us so dearly. I am especially thankful to have a great mom myself. Tomorrow is Mother’s Day and it seemed a fitting time to focus on some of the outstanding broodmares. Thoroughbreds have mothers too and they are important to the pedigree and to the emotional and physical soundness of the foals that grow up to be the best racing champions.
What a long strange trip it’s been, this Road to the Kentucky Derby. Thinking back to last September, how many times have we changed our minds, or might there be a few who had an inkling from foaling season? I’ve had an fascinating but indecisive path myself however, I have finally come to some determinations. This is what I know about the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby and I would love to share it with you.
Are you ready for my favorite fourteen filly face-off on Friday, the 4th? I have a quick breakdown on the facts, fun, food, fashion, feelings and fortune that awaits in the 144th Kentucky Oaks. Please, follow along with my easy outline for the Oaks.
Oh, lucky day! With just 13 days left on the countdown to the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby there is still so much to consider when choosing a favorite. With a field of 20 contenders it is still best to wait for the post position draw on Tuesday to make any hasty decisions. It is a good time to think about all 40 athletes that will face off on 5/5/18. The Thoroughbreds always capture my attention and imagination but what thought do I give the jockeys? Having spent time in and around Keeneland’s jockey quarters this spring meet I have paid more attention to their influence. In this story, I want to focus on two jockeys that will compete in the upcoming KY Derby, the brothers Ortiz.
Happy Friday the 13th! I am tickled to think of all the peculiar betting habits and quirks I will see among the superstitious gamblers and horsemen at Keeneland today! Everyday is a good day at the track but tomorrow we will see the very last lap on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Saturday, 4/14/18 features the final two prep races, the Lexington Stakes and the Arkansas Derby.
And their off! Live racing returns to Keeneland today. This opening weekend of the Spring Meet will feature eight grades stakes races with purses equaling $2.75 million dollars. The 16 day meet is packed with quality Thoroughbred racing. I hope many of you get the opportunity to visit Keeneland soon and for those who can not, my favorite race of the meet, the Blue Grass Stakes, will be aired live on NBC Sports Network. Here is what we have to look forward to at Keeneland this weekend.
The action and the interest in the Kentucky Derby is really heating up! There are so many news stories and blog posts on the upcoming Fountain of Youth stakes race it is hard to find the time to take it all in. At Thoroughbred U, I could not be happier to find that there is a wealth of information pouring in. If you are short on time, this should be a helpful source for the need to know material.