Charlie O’Connor, director of sales for Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky, was standing in the winner’s circle at Keeneland when the phone began ringing. Suspicions, the first starter for the farm’s sire Corniche, had just won the first race on opening day, and breeders were already angling to get into the stallion for the ongoing breeding season.
“The phone’s ringing already,” O’Connor said. “We couldn’t be happier.”
Corniche, Ashford stablemate Golden Pal, and multiple Grade 1 winner Life Is Good already are off the mark with winners as the Keeneland spring meet kicked off 2-year-old racing in North America. The winners could boost the stock for the sires at this week’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s spring sale of 2-year-olds in training. There are 1,224 hips cataloged for the sale, which runs over four sessions from April 14-17.
Suspicions won on April 3 for Corniche. Life Is Good’s first starter, Waggley, won on April 8, and Skara Brae, by Golden Pal, won on April 9. All three won their debuts at 4 1/2 furlongs for trainer Wesley Ward, who is known for his prowess with juveniles.
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“This is what everyone looks for, is the early 2-year-olds coming out and winning,” O’Connor said. “Look out, here at the next 2-year-old sale, they’ll be hot cookies.”
There are plenty of hot cookies among this year's class of freshman sires, including unbeaten Horse of the Year Flightline, whose progeny have distinguished themselves at early sales. They are, overall, a well-regarded group.
“This year is just a really special year because there are so many good freshman sires and they’re all throwing nice-looking horses,” said Nelson Arroyo of Arroyo Bloodstock, which is pinhooking seven horses for the spring sale, including two by Life Is Good. “We’re going to have some really good sires come out of this year."
Corniche was, himself, a $1.5 million purchase at the 2021 OBS spring sale. He went on to be that season’s Eclipse Award champion 2-year-old male, capping the year with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
Corniche’s progeny are expected to be precocious, and the market has responded accordingly. Last year, he had 80 first-crop yearlings sell at public auction for an average of $162,196, more than five times his introductory stud fee of $30,000 at Ashford. He has already had a $1.35 million colt sell at the OBS March sale. He has 33 hips cataloged at the spring sale.
“We love them. As you can see, they’re very early,” O’Connor said of Corniche’s progeny. “He was very well received at the [March] sale, as well. A lot of chat in Ocala about them. They’re beautiful horses – beautifully balanced, well-made horses.”
Corniche, whose Suspicions ran the fastest time of the three early Keeneland maiden winners, is part of a strong quartet of freshman sires in this class for Ashford, which includes another Eclipse Award champion, Epicenter, the outstanding 3-year-old male of 2022. Golden Pal was also an outstanding 2-year-old, winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and later adding the BC Turf Sprint. Multiple Grade 1 winner Jack Christopher rounds out the group.
“We have a lot of excitement at the farm,” O’Connor said.
Life Is Good, who stands at WinStar Farm, was a multiple Grade 1 winner, whose victories include the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. He was represented by multiple seven-figure lots in his first crop of yearlings last year.
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While Corniche, Golden Pal, and Life Is Good have found early success at the races, other freshman sires, including Flightline, have shown up with some speedy offspring at the under-tack preview show for the OBS spring sale.
Following the six breeze sessions on the Ocala Training Center’s all-weather Safetrack, six juveniles had tied for the fastest furlong at 9 3/5 seconds. Those include a colt from the first crop of Flightline (Lane's End Farm); a filly from the first crop of Eclipse champion sprinter Jackie’s Warrior (Spendthrift Farm); and a colt from the first crop of multiple Grade 1 winner Mind Control (Rockridge Stud, for a partnership). The other three bullet workers were by established sires Authentic, Girvin, and McKinzie.
Flightline averaged $737,274 from his 57 yearlings sold at public auction last year, against his advertised fee of $200,000. His bullet-working colt is out of the stakes-winning Into Mischief mare Lucrezia, and consignor Randy Hartley of Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds said the colt resembles his broodmare sire.
“We love Into Mischief mares, and he looks like an Into Mischief,” Hartley said. “He’s a big colt and you wouldn’t necessarily think a big colt like him would have that kind of speed. He’s got that Into Mischief hip and body and if you watch his video, he just has so much power when he pushes off. He’ s just a cool horse to be around. I’m just super proud of him.”
A quintet of juveniles were tied for the fastest quarter-mile breeze in 20 2/5 seconds, including three by freshman sires: a colt by Golden Pal and fillies by Drain the Clock (Gainesway) and Early Voting (Taylor Made Farm). The other bullet quarter-mile workers were fillies by Liam's Map and Oscar Performance.
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