Much attention is, rightfully, focused on the sires in a sales catalog, with plenty of discussion of the leading stallions represented, the young sires whose stock is rising, and the merits of the stallions with first-crop yearlings on offer. But the stallion is only half the equation, and the strength of broodmares in a young stallion’s book can help make or break his reputation.
Grade 1 winner Charlatan has been a breakout success with his initial commercial offerings. Some of that is due to his own accomplishments and the athleticism he appears to be passing on to his offspring. But some is due to the immense amount of black type on his catalog pages – a result of the stellar operations supporting him with accomplished broodmares – and that bodes well for him at the upcoming Keeneland September yearling sale.
Charlatan, by Speightstown and out of graded stakes winner Authenticity, was bred by Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Farm and was raced in partnership by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet, Fred Hertrich III, John Fielding, and Golconda Stables. He won four of his five starts, including Grade 1s around one and two turns in the Malibu and the Arkansas Derby.
He retired to John Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm, which has partnered with Stonestreet on several successful stallions, including classic sires Curlin, Good Magic, and Maclean’s Music.
With both Stonestreet and Hill ‘n’ Dale among the prominent outfits supporting him, Charlatan emerged as an intriguing first-crop weanling sire last year when 18 youngsters sold averaged $210,278, more than four times his introductory stud fee of $50,000. His average sale price in 2024 has more than doubled. At this year’s first three true yearling sales – the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale, Saratoga selected sale, and New York-bred sale – Charlatan’s nine yearlings sold, from 10 led into the ring, have averaged $441,111.
That group is led by a $1.5 million colt sold at the Saratoga selected sale to John Stewart’s Resolute Racing. The colt, bred by Stonestreet, is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner and leading freshman sire Complexity, as well as to multiple graded stakes winner Valadorna.
“We think Charlatan is going to emerge as a good stallion,” Stewart said. “Stonestreet bred the horse, so, you know, that says a lot. Anytime Barbara Banke’s name is associated with something, it gives you a lot of confidence as a buyer.”
The support of prominent operations with strong broodmares is evident in Charlatan’s 117 cataloged yearlings at Keeneland September, including 16 chosen for the elite Book 1 portion of the sale – the most of any first-crop stallion. Hill ‘n’ Dale’s consignment in Book 1 includes a Charlatan filly out of Grade 1 winner Got Lucky, dam of stakes winner Slip Mahoney; and a colt out of Grade 1 winner Guarana. Stonestreet’s lots, which are spread across various consignments, include a half-sister to stakes winner Fairchild, out of Samantha Nicole, a winning full sister to the great Rachel Alexandra.
Other prominent outfits supporting Charlatan in Book 1 include Clearsky Farm, breeder of Hall of Famer Arrogate, with a half-sibling to that champion on offer; Glennwood Farm, best known for breeding Triple Crown winner Justify, with a yearling out of graded stakes winner Tiger Moth; Clarkland Farm, best known for breeding Hall of Famer Beholder, with a yearling out of stakes winner Miss Interpret; and Glen Hill Farm, with a half-sibling to Grade 1 winner Aspen Grove.
In addition to Charlatan, other prominent runners in the first-crop sire class include a pair of champions – 2021 Horse of the Year Knicks Go, standing at Taylor Made Farm, and two-time Eclipse Award winner Essential Quality, standing at Darley.
Knicks Go’s five Grade 1 wins were highlighted by the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and 2021 Breeders’ Cup Classic. He averaged $65,750, against a conception fee of $30,000, for eight yearlings sold at the Fasig-Tipton July and New York-bred yearling sales, with none cataloged in the Saratoga selected sale.
By far the most accomplished son of Paynter, Knicks Go has 62 yearlings cataloged at Keeneland September. His two lots in Book 1 include the first foal out of a half-sister to both multiple classic producer Puca and Grade 1 winner Finnegans Wake.
Essential Quality, a son of Tapit, won seven graded stakes and never missed the board in the Godolphin blue. His biggest wins included the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to secure his first championship, and then the following year’s Belmont and Travers in his second championship season.
He retired with an introductory fee of $75,000, tops in his class, and his weanlings last year were led by a $485,000 colt sold to Shadwell at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale, one of the top prices in this class. He averaged $367,500 for six yearlings sold between the Fasig-Tipton July and Saratoga select sales.
Essential Quality’s nine offerings in Book 1 at Keeneland September, second most in this class, include half-siblings to graded stakes winners Bob and Jackie, Cavalry Charge, and Stays in Vegas, and yearlings out of graded stakes winners Coniah and Minit to Stardom. He also has one out of stakes winner and producer Uptown Twirl, a half-sibling to champion Classic Empire. Overall, Essential Quality has 79 yearlings cataloged over the 12 sessions.
Other Grade 1 winners in the first-crop sire class represented at Keeneland September include Basin (Spendthrift Farm), the late Code of Honor (Lane’s End Farm), the late Combatant (Rockridge Stud), Known Agenda (Spendthrift), Lexitonian (formerly at Lane’s End, now at Calumet Farm), Maxfield (Darley), Mo Forza (Rancho San Miguel), Raging Bull (Gainesway), Rock Your World (Spendthrift), Silver State (Claiborne Farm), and Yaupon (Spendthrift).
Maxfield, who stands alongside his sire, Street Sense, at Darley and who gives that operation a strong one-two punch in this class, has been among the most well-regarded horses in this group.
“When we went to farms this spring and looked at yearlings,” said Fasig-Tipton president and CEO Boyd Browning Jr., “some of the horses that jumped out at us, that were making nice, consistently well-conformed yearlings were Maxfield, Yaupon, and Tacitus [a multiple graded winner at Taylor Made]. The reason they sold well is that they looked well. They fit the mold of what buyers seek in 2024.”
Maxfield made a splash last fall by siring the most expensive weanling in his class – a $500,000 colt out of Belle’s Finale, the dam of champion turf horse Up to the Mark, purchased by EnFuego Stables. Overall, Maxfield had 11 weanlings sell last year for an average of $165,182, more than four times his introductory fee of $40,000.
At the first three yearling sales this summer, 10 of the 11 Maxfield yearlings led through the ring sold, for an average of $209,750.
Maxfield has four yearlings in Book 1 at Keeneland September, out of 77 cataloged overall. Those include a stellar duo – the Belle’s Finale colt, offered as a pinhook, and a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Randomized.
Yaupon, by emerging sire of sires Uncle Mo, was represented by the most expensive yearling of his class at Fasig-Tipton July, a $285,000 colt. His offerings in Keeneland September’s Book 1 include a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Brightwork.
The other first-crop sire represented by a sibling to a Grade 1 winner in Book 1 is Silver State, winner of the stallion-making Metropolitan Handicap, who has a half-brother to Chocolate Gelato.