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PEDIGREE HANDICAPPING JULY 12, 2008 Freshman Sires at Fasig-Tipton by Tim Holland The 2008 yearling sale season starts on Monday at Fasig-Tipton with the traditional "New Sire Showcase," and the leading freshman sires of this year -- Lion Heart, Medaglia d'Oro, Chapel Royal, Peace Rules and Friends Lake -- will all be represented. However, this sale will also see the first offspring sell by some 38 stallions, of which 14 were Grade 1 winners. The most exciting racehorse that entered stud in 2006 is GHOSTZAPPER. A son of the 1998 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner, Awesome Again, and out of the stakes-winning Relaunch mare Baby Zip, who has also produced the leading sprinter and useful sire City Zip, Ghostzapper won of nine of 11 starts. As a three-year-old the Bobby Frankel-trained colt, who had won one of his two juvenile starts, finished fast to be third in the King's Bishop (G1) before finishing the season by winning the Vosburgh S. (G1). As a four-year-old, superbly campaigned by Frankel, Ghostzapper went unbeaten in four starts with victories including a hard-fought win over Saint Liam in the Woodward S. (G1) and a wire-to-wire romp in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) over a strong field including the following year's Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) hero Roses in May and the previous year's Classic winner Pleasantly Perfect. Ghostzapper was kept in training as a five-year-old but just made one start, which resulted in an impressive 6 1/4-length win over Silver Wagon in the Metropolitan H. (G1) before an injury forced his retirement. Standing for $200,000 for the 2006 season Ghostzapper is the sire of 84 registered foals in his first crop. While a total of 18 mares in foal to Ghostzapper have been sold in the past two years, including the $2.1 million sale of Del Mar Oaks (G1) and John C. Mabee H. (G1) heroine Amorama (Fr) (Sri Pekan) and the $2.7 million realized by Irish Cherry (Irish Open), who is the dam of Grade 1 winners Spun Sugar (Awesome Again) and Daaher (Awesome Again), just two weanlings by the Adena Springs-based sire were offered for sale last year. These, a colt and a filly, brought $775,000 and $735,000, respectively, and the sole yearling filly offered so far this year sold for $300,000 at Keeneland's January sale. Just one filly will represent Ghostzapper at this sale, Hip No. 250, who is a half-sister to Lexington S. (G3) winner Sharp Impact (Siphon [Brz]). Maybe benefiting from the premature retirement of his 2004 Woodward rival, SAINT LIAM (Saint Ballado) was able, despite an uncharacteristically poor effort in the Santa Anita H. (G1), to enjoy a fruitful racing year in 2005. Having earned his first stakes victory in his 14th outing the previous fall via the Clark H. (G2), Saint Liam showed huge improvement as a five-year-old when winning the Donn H. (G1), the Stephen Foster H. (G1) and the Woodward S. (G1) before scoring impressively in the Breeders' Cup Classic, defeating Flower Alley and Perfect Drift while securing Horse of the Year honors in the process. Saint Liam retired as the leading earner by Saint Ballado, who died prematurely at age 14 but also sired such Grade 1 winners as Ashado, Captain Bodgit, Yankee Victor and Sunriver. Saint Liam was responsible for 98 foals in his first crop before he was tragically euthanized after injuring himself in a fall while being led to his paddock. Seven weanlings by Saint Liam sold last year, and they proved popular when they averaged $101,500. These included the $220,000 paid for a colt out of the multiple Grade 2 winner Miss Golden Circle (Crafty Prospector), but does not include a half-sister to Curlin (Smart Strike) that did not meet her reserve when offered at Keeneland. Three yearlings by Saint Liam are entered in this sale, including Hip 160, a colt (who has been already named Lacrosse Player) out of the stakes-placed mare Almost Saintly (St. Jovite) who may prove a bargain, having been purchased for $10,500 in Ocala last October. The champion three-year-old of 2005 was AFLEET ALEX (Northern Afleet), whose first crop numbers 138, of which nine are scheduled to be offered for sale on Monday. A precocious two-year-old winning his first four starts, including the Hopeful S. (G1), by a combined 29 lengths, Afleet Alex improved further to be an exceptional three-year-old, and a somewhat unlucky run in the Kentucky Derby (G1) deprived him of the chance at the Triple Crown. Indeed, and while the 2005 three-year-old crop was perhaps not a vintage one, Afleet Alex's dominating wins in the Preakness S. (G1) and Belmont S. (G1) proved him as an above average classic winner and also indicated that he would have been a worthy opponent of Saint Liam in the Breeders' Cup Classic had he not been sidelined by an injury. Weanlings by Afleet Alex were in strong demand at the sales last fall, with 16 averaging an impressive $119,688, including the $360,000 sale of a colt that is a half-brother to the Canadian champion sprinter, Apelia (Cool Victor). Mares in foal to the Gainesway stallion were also popular in 2007, with 24 offered selling for an average price of $167,000. These mares included the multiple Grade 3 winner Solvig (Caerleon), who sold for $750,000 at the Keeneland January Sale, and the Senorita S. (G3) winner Virden (Tactical Cat), whom Frank Stronach purchased for $550,000 in November. Ghostzapper and Afleet Alex were not the only notable absentees from the 2005 Classic as ROCK HARD TEN (Kris S.), who would have been the second favorite, was also forced to miss the event due to an 11th-hour bruised foot. A big backward type with a difficult temperament as a three-year-old, Rock Hard Ten did not make his first start until February and was rushed into the Triple Crown series. Having been shut out of the Kentucky Derby field due to insufficient earnings, Rock Hard Ten did well to finish second to runaway winner, Smarty Jones, in the Preakness after he delayed the start for several minutes when he balked at the gate. After a poor showing in August in the Haskell Invitational H. (G1), the son of Kris S. was transferred to the barn of Richard Mandella, who returned him to the races four months later as a more mature and relaxed individual to win the seven-furlong Malibu S. (G1). Victories in the Strub S. (G2) and the Santa Anita H. followed, after which he was laid off until October when he won the Goodwood H. (G2) in a manner that suggested that he too could have been an important player in the Classic. Standing at Lane's End Farm for $50,000, Rock Hard Ten had nine weanlings sell last year, averaging $185,798. The highlight was the $360,000 generated by a colt out of the stakes winner Storm Alert (Storm Cat). There are two yearling colts entered in the sale by Rock Hard Ten, and Hip 127 is a half-brother to the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. (G1) runner-up, Blue Moon (Fr) (Lomitas [GB]). The champion turf male of 2004, KITTEN'S JOY (El Prado [Ire]), who is a half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Precious Kitten (Catienus) as well as to the dam of champion Dreaming of Anna (Rahy), is credited with 106 registered foals in his first crop, of which four will be on offer here. The first of the quartet to pass through the ring will be Hip 25, who is a half-brother to Port Bayou (Ghazi), winner of the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial (Ire-G3), and to last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) third-place finisher, Talent Search (Catienus). When ROMAN RULER won the 2004 Best Pal S. (G2) to become the first graded winner by Fusaichi Pegasus his trainer, Bob Baffert, proclaimed him as the fastest two-year-old he had ever trained. The colt, who is a half-brother to the successful sire El Corredor (Mr. Greeley), went on to achieve Grade 1 status in the Haskell the following year before retiring to stand at Hill 'n' Dale Farms. Last year, 22 weanlings from Roman Ruler's first crop were sold for an average of $70,091, and there will be 14 of his first yearlings on sale here, including Hip 293, a colt out of Fantasy S. (G1) winner Jeanne Jones (Nijinsky II). Although he won the Peter Pan S. (G2) and the Jim Dandy (G2) as a three-year-old, PURGE recorded his best and most important victory in his last career start the following year in the Cigar Mile (G1). After breaking slowly, the son of Pulpit came running late and drew off by nearly four lengths to defeat a strong field that included Mass Media, Silver Wagon, Value Plus and Badge of Silver. There were 23 foals by Purge sold at auction last year who averaged $60,239 -- a figure that was helped by the $150,000 price recorded by a filly out of the Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2) winner Mesabi Maiden (Cox's Ridge) who, as Hip 12, will be one of 16 yearlings by Purge scheduled to sell. Being by Storm Cat and out of a granddaughter of Blushing Groom (Fr), CONSOLIDATOR is bred on similar lines to the top-class racehorse and sire Giant's Causeway. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, Consolidator, who is out of the stakes winner Good Example (Fr) (Crystal Glitters), earned his Grade 1 win in the Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland but may be best remembered for winning the San Felipe S. (G2), when he broke the 26-year-old stakes record defeating the future Derby winner Giacomo (Holy Bull) in the process. A member of the very impressive stallion roster at Darley, Consolidator was represented by weanlings last year who averaged $62,821. He has eight yearlings scheduled to sell here, including the first horse to go through the ring, a filly out of a half-sister to the dual Grade 1 winner Magical Maiden. LEROIDESANIMAUX (Brz) (Candy Stripes) started his racing career in his native Brazil before joining the barn of Bobby Frankel, who campaigned him to win eight straight races. The last win in this streak was a near eight-length romp in the Atto Mile (Can-G1), which assured him of the title of champion turf male of 2005, and this was followed by a narrow defeat to Artie Schiller in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1). By Candy Stripes, who is also the sire of Horse of the Year Invasor (Arg), Leroidesanimaux owns a solid pedigree page, being out of a half-sister to Hasili (Ire), the dam of Grade 1 winners Intercontinental (GB), Banks Hill (GB), Cacique (Ire) and Heat Haze (GB) as well as the hugely successful young European sire, Dansili (GB). The Stonewall Farm-based stallion, whose weanlings averaged $46,955, will be represented in the ring by one colt and two fillies. Unbridled has proven himself as a sire of sires through the success of Unbridled's Song and Broken Vow, and there will be two colts by EDDINGTON on offer on Monday. A consistent runner, Eddington finished in the first three in 15 of his 17 starts, and his best performance came in his last lifetime race when he defeated Pollard's Vision in the Pimlico Special H. (G1). Standing at Claiborne Farm, the chestnut was responsible for 14 weanlings to sell last fall who averaged $51,429. Four more sires that were Grade 1 winners on the track who will be represented by their first yearlings to sell on Monday and Tuesday are Southern Image (Halo's Image), winner of the 2004 Santa Anita H; Suburban H. victor Offlee Wild (Wild Again); Midas Eyes (Touch Gold), who took the Forego H; and Metropolitan H. winner Pico Central (Brz) (Spend a Buck). The depth in quality of the stallions that will have their first runners next year is realized when one adds the Grade 2 and 3 winners such as Limehouse (Grand Slam), Eurosilver (Unbridled's Song), Closing Argument (Successful Appeal), Value Plus (Unbridled's Song), Grand Reward (Storm Cat), Pollard's Vision (Carson City) and Woke Up Dreamin (Holy Bull) to the list of new sires that will be showcased at this sale.
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