By Frances J. Karon Competition at most levels of the stallion game is tough. Mare owners who breed commercially, which seems to be most of them these days, are at the mercy of an unforgiving market that is quick to judge, and they must choose mates carefully or risk getting burned in the sales ring. … Continue reading The Freshman sire game: what’s in a number?
By Frances J. Karon Much has been written recently about Into Mischief’s success as a sire. Suffice to say that Spendthrift’s flagship stallion merits every bit of praise that he has received, as this look at his stud fee history and number of mares bred per Northern Hemisphere season can attest to: 2009: $12,500; 61 … Continue reading Into Mischief shoplifts his first leading sire title
By Frances J. Karon I’ve written previously about the 2019 first-season sires in the US, where American Pharoah is the leader by progeny earnings and stakes horses (11), and is the co-leader by number of SWs with four, tied with Constitution (second on the list overall), Competitive Edge (third), and Race Day (fourth). Although he … Continue reading Dubawi: Sire of the leading first-season sire in Europe and of a new stallion in the US
By Frances J. Karon Over the weekend, Karakontie got his third SW from his first crop (88 named 2yos of 2019) when Sole Volante (dam by Kingmambo) won the Pulpit S. at Gulfstream Park. Sole Volante is the second SW bred on the Karakontie/Kingmambo cross, after G3SW Kenzai Warrior (Lemon Drop Kid), following a no-brainer pedigree … Continue reading Karakontie: A family affair
By Frances J. Karon I heard from a friend asking if it could really be true that a stallion in his mid-to-late teens, a top sire of G1SWs, only has a handful of SWs as a broodmare sire. Because the stallion is into the latter half of his stud career and is already a successful sire-of-sires, it seemed … Continue reading How soon is too soon to judge a broodmare sire?
By Sid Fernando North American Grade 2 winner and multiple Grade 1-placed La Force (Ger), who sells with Lane’s End in November at Fasig-Tipton, will be a sought-after broodmare prospect for a number of reasons, not the least of which is her race record of 16 wins or placings from 28 starts and $599,151 in … Continue reading La Force has German class
By Frances J. Karon This year is looking like an excellent one for North American-based first-crop sires, with five stallions already registering at least one GSW in North America and/or Europe*. Ashford’s American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile), who narrowly heads the TDN Leading First Crop Sire list by earnings (as well as overall SWs, with four, tied with … Continue reading Freshman sires at the head of the class
By Frances J. Karon Sires of winners of last weekend’s 18 Graded stakes races in N.A. include horses whose names we’re accustomed to seeing in this type of race…Curlin and his sire Smart Strike, Uncle Mo, More Than Ready, Empire Maker and his son Pioneerof the Nile, Giant’s Causeway, Harlan’s Holiday, and Union Rags. Not … Continue reading Big winners for unheralded branches of the A.P. Indy line