Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Last year’s freshman stallions continue strong run to Derby
Last year’s class of freshman sires was touted as stellar. Not only did the class have success with its 2-year-olds, with a pair of Breeders’ Cup winners and several other Grade 1 winners sired by the group, but now, the following year, with several expected entrants in the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks.
Three individual sires have first-crop representation in the Kentucky Derby, led by WinStar Farm’s Constitution, sire of race favorite Tiz the Law. Four other first-crop sires are expected to have runners in the Oaks.
New York-bred Tiz the Law helped put Constitution on the map last year with a victory in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes. He is unbeaten thus far in 2020, with victories in the Grade 3 Holy Bull; Grade 1 Florida Derby; Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, the first leg of this year’s rescheduled Triple Crown; and the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers Stakes in his final Kentucky Derby prep.
“Constitution’s been a real blessing,” Elliott Walden, president and CEO of WinStar Farm, which co-campaigned and stands the stallion, told Keeneland this week. “He came out of a good career with Todd Pletcher, won two Grade 1s. He’s a beautiful horse, out of a [WinStar stallion] Distorted Humor mare. When his progeny came out, they just ran. It seems like they have the heart of Tapit, and then you throw in Distorted Humor on the bottom side, that’s a great combination.”
Constitution also is the sire of graded stakes winners Amalfi Sunrise, By Your Side, Independence Hall, and Laura’s Light; of stakes winner Alexandria; and of five graded stakes-placed runners, led by Grade 1-placed Gouverneur Morris.
“Constitution was very spirited and tough,” said Randy Gullatt of Twin Creeks Farm, which co-campaigned Constitution, bred and sold Tiz the Law, and co-owns Independence Hall. “He was all racehorse. We’re seeing that in a lot of his offspring.”
Honor Code, the Eclipse Award champion older male of 2015, is the sire of Derby contenders Honor A. P. and Max Player. Honor A. P. will join his sire at Lane’s End in Kentucky upon his eventual retirement. Rounding out the young stallion trio in the Derby is French classic winner Karakontie, winner of the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Mile. The Gainesway stallion has Sole Volante in the field.
In the last 10 runnings of the Kentucky Derby, three winners have been from the first crop of their respective sires. Birdstone sired 2009 winner Mine That Bird, as well as that year’s Belmont Stakes winner, Summer Bird. Uncle Mo sired 2016 victor Nyquist, and Bodemeister followed the next year with Always Dreaming.
One day prior, Daredevil and Bayern, both Grade 1-winning members of this stallion class, will each have two in the Kentucky Oaks. Daredevil, who began his career at WinStar before being exported to stand in Turkey, is the sire of Swiss Skydiver, one of the favorites for the Oaks with four graded stakes wins this year. He also has Honeybee and Indiana Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil in the field.
Bayern, who stands at Hill ‘n’ Dale, will be represented by the longshots Bayerness and Tempers Rising. Speech, one of the favorites for the Oaks, is from the first crop of Lane’s End stallion Mr Speaker. Hopeful Growth is by Darby Dan’s Tapiture – like Constitution, a son of Tapit.
Dealing a Derby horse
Every Thoroughbred bloodstock entity faces difficult decisions in wheeling and dealing its stock in pursuit of success. Of course, operations want to breed or acquire the best horses possible – but financing that pursuit also may require selling some stock to raise capital.
The Albaugh Family Stable faced some of those difficult decisions at the 2018 Keeneland September yearling sale – and so far, the Iowa-based racing operation of Dennis Albaugh and Jason Loutsch has wound up with a good hand. After generating capital by selling a half-sister to one of its best runners, the stable was able to pick up a high-ticket offering by a classic sire at that Keeneland sale. That colt is Grade 2 winner Thousand Words, whom the family owns in partnership with Spendthrift Farm and is expected to start in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
The Albaughs sent a Tapit filly who is a half-sister to Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Liam’s Map, Grade 3 winner and Eclipse Award finalist Not This Time, and stakes winner Taylor S through the ring via the Taylor Made Sales consignment at Keeneland September. She sold for $1.4 million to Don Alberto Stable.
“We were going all day long, ‘Should we sell? Should we not sell?’ ” Loutsch said at that time. “But for that kind of money, sometimes you need to make an economic decision, and that’s what we did. Now we’re going to go reinvest in some colts.”
Less than 24 hours later, the Albaughs teamed with partners Spendthrift Farm to purchase Thousand Words for $1 million. The Floridabred son of Pioneerof the Nile is out of multiple Grade 2 winner Pomeroys Pistol. The purchase expanded the partnership between the two entities, as Spendthrift stands the Albaughs’ Grade 1 winners Brody’s Cause and Free Drop Billy.
Meanwhile, the Albaughs, who have diversified their stallion interests, are watching two of their young sons on the rise in Kentucky. Liam’s Map, standing at Lane’s End, was among last year’s leading freshman sires, with Grade 1-winning juveniles Basin and Wicked Whisper. Not This Time, standing at Taylor Made Farm, is currently one of this year’s leading freshman sires.