NEWS
Freshman Sire Blog: Alright son, you’re Nicked!
Posted: Friday, March 11, 2011 7:02 PM
AFTER MARKET
Bill Denver/Equi-Photo
by John Egan
With six groups in the Freshman Sire Contest, I have definitely finalized my selections for Group 1 and Group 6. So as I now have Hard Spun and Teofilo confirmed as selections I have turned my attention to Group 2 this week.
Making a selection from Group 2 is by no means easy. However, I have a smile on my face as I struggle to make my pick. I’ve come to the conclusion that if I have worked on putting together six sections for the 2011 Freshman Sire Contest and still find it hard to make my own choice, then many of you out there are also taxing your brains on this group of stallions.
Last year, the overall freshman sire champion, Congrats, was placed in the second grouping of stallions, so surely a stallion from Group 2 will make an impression with his first runners and also have a significant impact on the competition.
The A.P. Indy sire line certainly catches the eye. Master Command, a son of A.P. Indy, boasts an impressive second dam in Lady Winborne, a half sister to French Horse of the Year Allez France. Stevie Wonderboy won the 2005 Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) and was named that year’s champion two-year-old male. By Stephen Got Even, Stevie Wonderboy’s grandsire is A.P. Indy.
There are also two sons of 1995 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Unbridled’s Song in the group. Half Ours was a stakes winner at two. Political Force is out of Grade 1 winning Glitter Woman, by Glitterman, and is from the same family as 2001 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) winner Unbridled Elaine.
Lawyer Ron will certainly have a number of supporters. He made an impressive ten starts at two. At four, he won the Whitney Handicap (G1) and Woodward Stakes (G1) and was named 2007 champion older male.
English Channel is another that has every chance to succeed as a stallion. He was a multiple Grade 1 winner and named champion turf male at five.
However, I think the stallion I am finally going to settle on in Group 2 is multiple Grade 1 winner After Market. For those who put stock in nicking patterns, you cannot fault the fact that he is bred on the same cross as Giant’s Causeway, being by Storm Cat out of a Rahy mare.
The dam of After Market, Tranquility Lake, was a multiple Grade 1 winner on the turf. After Market is also a full brother to multiple graded stakes winner Courageous Cat and Group 2 winner Jalil, who was bought for $9.7-million at the 2005 Keeneland September yearling sale by John Ferguson on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum.
After Market has four juveniles catalogued at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. March selected sale of two-year-olds in training on March 15 and 16. I will be attending this sale, so will be paying special attention to see how they do. I will pay particular attention to Hip 235, a dark bay or brown colt out of Rose Bourbon.
The THOROUGHBRED TIMES Stallion Directory and Buyers Guide are great sources of information. It states that Giant’s Causeway nicked with Mr. Prospector mares produces 45% winners and has produced five stakes winners—including multiple Group 1 and English classic winner Ghanaati. Hip 235 at the OBS sale is bred on a similar nicking pattern, being by After Market out of a stakes-placed Woodman mare.
About John Egan
A native Londoner, John Egan has been a racing enthusiast from a very young age and even owned interests in Thoroughbred racehorses with his parents. After graduating from University with a business degree in 1997, John spent three years working in the London insurance market before pursuing his desire to work in the racing industry. He began work as an assistant to a trainer and was predominately based at Wolverhampton racecourse in England. After a spell in training, John then went to work for Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber's farms of Watership Down in England and Ireland before relocating to Kentucky and Lane's End Farm in 2002. After two years at Lane's End, John decided to combine his experience in the horse and insurance industries and became an equine insurance agent, which he did for three years, before making the transition to underwriter for a large multi-national insurance company. In 2008, he became underwriting manager of the Lexington office of Markel Insurance Company, which was opened in October of that year with the primarily focus of writing Thoroughbred equine mortality insurance.
With the launch of the Lexington office, John has become actively involved in Thoroughbred media to help promote Markel. He appeared on the Horse Racing Radio Network's Saturday morning show in 2009 and 2010 to discuss horses on the Kentucky Derby trail. In 2009, John also began a freshman sire competition and created a newsletter with that competition called The Freshman. That contest caught the eye of THOROUGHBRED TIMES and a partnership was formed to present the Freshman Sire Contest together in 2010. The partnership continues with the 2011 competition also being presented by Markel and THOROUGHBRED TIMES.
John lives in Lexington and is married to Melissa, who is a small animal veterinarian.
For John Egan's first blog, click here.
For John Egan's second blog, click here.
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: EK, Kenbridge, VA on March 14, 2011 at 10:17 PM
The website wiped out my stallion picks. I tried reentering but it refused to accept my entry. I keep getting required in red next to my state and zip code even tho I entered the info in both fields. I put my picks in 2 weeks ago.
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Posted by: John Egan, Lexington, KY on March 13, 2011 at 08:41 PM
Hi EK. Thank you for your note. A number of factors are taken into consideration when placing a stallion in a certain group. With English Channel, for instance, you may think his progeny may need a little time. With this competition revolving around a sires first two-year-olds a more conservative approach of Group 2 was taken with him.
Invasor was a Breeders Cup Classic winner with a good yearling average, so was moved to Group 1.
Ecclesiastic did not have big numbers at yearlings sales, but he could well be a popular selection in Group 5.
Thank you for the question and I hope you enjoy the competition.
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Posted by: EK, Kenbridge, VA on March 12, 2011 at 05:04 PM
I am curious as to how horses were selected for each group. Why was English Channel placed in group 2 when his stud fee and foal numbers would suggest inclusion in Group 1?Invasor is Group 1 with only 57 foals. Ecclesiastics foal numbers and stud fee seem to suggest Group 4 rather than 5,etc.
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