NEWS
Freshman Sire Blog: Small victories
Posted: Friday, April 15, 2011 12:16 PM
John Egan's Freshman Sire Blog appears weekly as part of the 2011 Freshman Sire Contest presented by Markel and Thoroughbred Times
by John Egan
Unfortunately the spring meeting at Keeneland Race Course has not treated me so kind to date. It has nothing to do with Polytrack or anything to do with how the surface is affected by the weather; it really has just been a poor handicapping effort so far on my behalf.
Still, I have been able to take the odd small victory this week.
I went on record in my first blog for the Freshman Sire Contest page to say that I thought Teofilo would claim first season sire champion honors in Britain and Ireland this year. I was therefore thoroughly delighted to see his first runner win a nice looking maiden race at Leopardstown on Sunday.
In another more recent blog, I also noted betting a two-year-old by freshman sire Red Clubs called Jack Who’s He for nothing more than sentimental reasons for the name of the cat that is the first pet my wife and I have owned together. He remains undefeated and now 2-for-2 after a victory in a very nice conditions race at Newmarket. I would be very surprised if Royal Ascot is not in this colt’s future.
Finally, to reference one other blog of mine, I do really love opening day at Keeneland, and yes, even when I lose. I therefore thought it was great to see a juvenile by a freshman sire—Weather Warning, who is in Group 4—win the opening 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight as the first race on the card.
As the two-year-old races become more frequent, it is interesting to see those sires that record their first winners. This week, Group 1 stallion Discreet Cat recorded his first winner at Santa Anita Park. I am not a big fan of the two furlong two-year-old races that they run at Santa Anita, but the results still count and it would seem that the freshman sire son of Forestry is capable of producing speed.
In Britain and Ireland, eight freshman stallions have recorded at least one winner to date. The real stand out at present is Dark Angel, who has four individual winners already. In addition, his clear ability to produce precocious talent is reflected in the fact that he has had nine individual starters who have made a total of 12 starts.
I am really beginning to get the impression that this year is going to be very close for freshman sire honors in both the U.S. and Europe. I hope that you will continue to closely follow the freshman sire contest page and “The Freshman” Facebook page to keep up-to-date with all that is going on in the two-year-old racing scene.
Needless to say, from my standpoint, that I should only provide you with interesting facts and figures and maybe not offer any tips or selections.
Previous Freshman sire blog posts:
Spring at last
It's a marathon, not a sprint
Alright son, you're nicked!
Remembering Rags to Riches
Is 2011 a safe bet for a Darley double?
What is your name? What is your favorite color?
A change of pace
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.
Follow the conversation at The Freshman Facebook page. For the page, click here.
