The moments between Valentine’s Day and Easter are filled with apprehension in Harness Racing.  The 2-year-olds are going faster. Most are reasonably gaited by now. With those by established sires, one kind of knows what to expect, as the trainer has undoubtedly sat behind or watched others by that sire so there’s room for comparison. With the first-crop sires, it’s a whole different exercise, although it helps if like trainer Tony Alagna you previously trained the sire (Captaintreacherous) and are now conditioning his offspring. For Alagna, it could be an embarrassment of riches in that he has no less than 18 by ‘The Captain’ at his Sunshine Meadows headquarters. They break down into 11 colts and seven fillies. All have been scrutinized by the still sharp-eyed aging kibitzers who assemble each training day at what’s known as ‘The Deck’ adjacent to Alagna’s barn 12 at the South Florida facility. It is recalled that Captaintreacherous, from the first crop of Somebeachsomewhere, was the only one by that sire purchased by the Myron Bell led ownership group which includes Alagna. Captaintreacherous, considered the foremost son of the recently deceased super-sire, is from Worldly Treasure, a full sister to the great Worldly Beauty from World Order, the full sister to Art Major’s dam Perfect Profile.    Thus ‘The Captain’ not only has the racing credentials being the fastest and richest son of Somebeachsomewhere, but he is arguably the ‘Beach’s’ best bred son as well. Captaintreacherous was the Dan Patch Pacer of the Year as a 2-year-old and Horse of the Year in his sophomore season. The Bell-Alagna team ably assisted by Trevor Ritchie acquired a half-dozen of the best bred and conformed Captaintreacherous colts and fillies. Unlike decades ago when Lou Guida sought to corner the market with Niatross first croppers, they used the yearling sales as the vehicle for acquisition. We can still recall how Guida and Bob Boni privately acquired first-crop Niatross performers Nihilator, Pershing Square and Flight Of Fire, although Guida passed on Handsome Sum who was probably third best of Niatross’ first crop.        Thus far Captaintreacherous progeny illustrate many of the same tendencies he showed, being willing trainers with great attitudes, and all are nicely gaited. “If I had to pick out two that most remind me of the Captain it would be US Captain, the colt from American Jewel, and Shipshape, the colt from Fresh Idea,” said Alagna.     Both US Captain and Shipshape were plucked from the Brittany Consignment in Lexington at $180,000 and $175,000, respectively. U S Captain is the third foal and first ‘Captain’ from the brilliant American Jewel p,3, 1:48 2/5 ($1,840,565), she an American Ideal three-quarter sister to free-for-all star Luck Be Withyou from the prolific Trim Hanover. Shipshape from the Western Hanover mare Fresh Idea is a half-brother to last year’s excellent Bettor’s Up by Bettor’s Delight. Then there’s Captain Ahab, the Captaintreacherous colt from Artspeak’s full sister Aquavella. He was a $100,000 purchase at Lexington Selected. One the Bell-Alagna team doesn’t own is Major Deception, from Loving Caroline who began life as Sir Caro and went through the Lexington Standardbred ring for $130,000. Renamed Major Deception, this colt is a Captaintreacherous brother to Divine Caroline, the Dan Patch 3-year-old filly champion of 2015 and arguably the foremost Rock N Roll Heaven filly at least in this hemisphere. A Bell group-owned filly getting some attention is Key West, a Captaintreacherous descendant of Bunny Lake’s daughter Bodacious Hanover. In that daughters of truly Amazonian mares have been known to out produce their mothers, the $130,000 purchase Key West has the genetic license to be something special. Alagna has only one by another heralded first-crop sire Sweet Lou in Odds On St Lucie. She is from Sweet Treasure and here’s where this gets interesting. Sweet Treasure is a full sister to Captaintreacherous and this $110,000 filly is her first foal. Alagna gave her the stamp of approval thus far as she’s showing well. Odds On St Lucie is owned by Dana Parham’s Odds On Stable. Mr. Parham also owns Odds On Boca Raton, a Captaintreacherous colt from Captiva Island, she a daughter of Sanabelle Island and dam of a pretty fair Art Major horse in Captive Audience. He’s right with the others as of this writing. I personally haven’t seen any but I’m told by super scout Perry Soderberg that the Father Patricks are looking extremely well up at Takter headquarters in New Jersey.  Father Patrick is the optimum son of Cantab Hall, who already has respectable siring sons in Explosive Matter and My MVP. Perry says that the Trixton’s are looking good as well and Alagna has three by that Hambletonian-winning Muscle Hill first-cropper. Being a Muscle Hill from a sister to established sires Andover Hall, Conway Hall and Angus Hall, Trixton has the genetic license to be a top sire. Alagna’s three Trixton’s are good-gaited and willing enough thus far, though none of that trio would qualify as the most sought after, at least at last year’s yearling sales.  The most expensive, Memo from Easy Agenda, was a $60,000 yearling while High In The Sky, from Kite Flyer, went for $34,000. The other colt, Zeus PV from Massive Drama, was a private acquisition. Having launched first-crop stallions like Rocknroll Hanover, Muscles Yankee, Malabar Man, Matt’s Scooter, McArdle, etc. from my previous base at Perretti Farms, I can well appreciate the apprehension and/or anxiety that comes with the unknown factor in that conjecture and speculation, not established fact, dominate the equation. Thus far from what I’ve seen and heard, there’s ample room for more than just cautious optimism on the part of the upcoming class of 2-year-olds from Captaintreacherous, Sweet Lou, Father Patrick and Trixton.