Another big-ticket yearling for first-crop sire Cairo Prince

Cairo Prince’s whirlwind season with his first yearling crop continued Tuesday when Shadwell bought a $900,000 colt by him at the Keeneland September yearling sale.

Earlier this year, the son of Pioneerof the Nile accounted for the highest-priced first-crop offering of the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling sale, a $260,000 colt. He was represented by a $420,000 colt sold at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected sale, then followed up with the most expensive horse in the history of the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred yearling sale, a $500,000 colt.

The latest highlight is a colt out of the stakes-placed Include mare Kittery Point, whose six foals to race are all winners, including Grade 1 winner Sam’s Sister.

The colt was a third-generation product of the breeding program of Brereton Jones, who stands Cairo Prince at his Airdrie Stud, in association with Darley. Airdrie also consigned the colt.

“This is one that’s been a star from the start, and those are the ones that get you excited,” Bret Jones of Airdrie said. “Several months ago, we were hoping we could just wake up and it be the September sale, because you want to take care of ones like that.”

Furthering the ties in the transaction is trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, a primary trainer for Shadwell who also conditioned Cairo Prince for an ownership group that includes Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum.

“Kiaran knows Cairo Prince better than anyone else on the planet,” Jones said. “He trained him and told us a long time ago he really believed he was going to win the Kentucky Derby. He had the talent to do, but had bad luck.

“That was a big reason we set out to partner with Darley. They have been the greatest partners in the world to let us come in and really get behind him with our mares and partner up the way that we have.”