NA-EU 2ND-3RD CROP SIRES
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This article originally appeared in BloodHorse Daily .
Last weekend’s first four Classics, at Churchill Downs and Newmarket, did not move the needle too much on the lists of North American and European second- and third-crop sires: the only significant mover, at least as result of Classic action, was North American third-crop sire Tapizar, Gainesway’s son of Tapit whose top 3-year-old filly Monomoy Girl was a convincing winner of the GI Kentucky Oaks in spite of breaking from 14 of 14. Tapizar now moves from 10th to 8th by cumulative progeny earnings for North American third-crop sires, and from fifth to third by 2018 earnings.
How the form horses handled the sloppy Churchill surface yet managed to run one-two-three in the GI Kentucky Derby, courtesy of Justify, Good Magic, and Audible is a mystery, but in doing so they credited their respective sires Scat Daddy, Curlin, and Into Mischief – three of the hottest sires on the planet anyway – with yet more accomplishments. The two-three in the Kentucky Oaks were Wonder Gadot, by Medaglia D’Oro, and Midnight Bisou, by the resurgent Midnight Lute. From the standpoint of sire appraisal it’s perhaps notable that three of the four Kentucky Classic placings went to 3-year-olds from the sixth crops of their respective sires, all of whom had their first foals in 2010 – Curlin, Into Mischief, and Midnight Lute. The Derby winner was from Scat Daddy’s seventh crop, the Oaks winner from Tapizar’s second crop of 3-year-olds.
The Newmarket Classics were also dominated by proven sires. Plenty has been written about the growing international influence of Deep Impact, sire of impressive G1 English 2000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior (as well as a promising Derby type in Study of Man, in France), who is of course out of the top-class Galileo mare, Maybe. The placings in the 2000 were filled by Tea for Two, by the accomplished sire, Dark Angel, and G3 Craven S. winner Masar, by yet another F2010 sire in New Approach. Tea for Two was 50-1 at Newmarket, but his placing was nothing compared to the 66-1 about G1 English 1000 Guineas winner Billesdon Brook, who is from the fifth crop of her sire, Champs Elysees, a fill brother to Dansili who is now a dual-purpose sire at Coolmore, covering mostly National Hunt mares. Laurens, a Group One-winning 2-year-old last year by the top French sire (F2012) Siyouni, was a close second, ahead of favoured Happily, by Galileo.
But the fact that second- and third-crop sires went only one-for-four in the first round of Classics doesn’t mean there hasn’t been plenty of action among these groups of sires, because there has, notably among second-crop (first foals 2015) European sires. Coolmore’s Camelot, the only one of the four G1 Epsom Derby winners by his sire, Montjeu, to win a mile Classic (the G1 English 2000 Guineas), continues his surge towards the top spot among this group, now moving up to second from third by cumulative progeny earnings, with earnings just under $750,000 this year, including 23 winners and eight black-type horses in 2018. The other big mover is Intello, the 2013 G1 Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby) winner by Galileo. He has alternated at stud between England’s Cheveley Park Stud and France’s Haras Du Quesnay, and is back at Cheveley Park this season. He had two Group Three winners this week, is third among European F2015 sires by 2018 earnings, and has moved from ninth to fifth among this group by cumulative progeny earnings.
There was further important action on the European second-crop sire from on May 13, as Declaration of War is the sire of the Poule d’Essai des Poluains (French 2000 Guineas) winner Olmedo, and Dabirsim sired the second in the Poule d’Esaai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas), Coeur de Beaute. Their earnings will be reflected in next week’s review of these sires.
There’s been no change in the ranking of the top ten European third-crop sires by cumulative progeny earnings. The one-two-three remain Helmet, sire of G1 Dubai World Cup winner Thunder Snow; Nathaniel, sire of 2017 European Horse of the Year, Enable; and Frankel, now sire of 22 Black-Type Winners, 17 of them Group SW.
Among North American third-crop sires, three horses have more than $7-million in cumulative progeny earnings: Bodemeister, Dialed In, and Union Rags. Dialed In went into last weekend with a narrow lead by 2018 earnings over Creative Cause, who has moved into fourth on the cumulative list for North American third-crop sires. He’s knocking on the door.
Take Charge Indy continues to set the pace among North American second-crop sires, and though his runners in the Derby and Oaks didn’t trouble the judge, both Noble Indy and Take Charge Paula were previous Graded Stakes Winners. Only two other second-crop sires have two GSW thus far: Spendthrift’s Jimmy Creed, who has had two Grade II winners in California, the filly Spectator as a 2-year-old last year, and the colt Kanthaka (also winner of the May 12 GIII Laz Barrera) this year; and Coolmore Ashford’s Declaration of War - whose third Group winner, and first Group 1 winner, is Olmedo.