Authentic gamely turned back favored Tiz the Law in the Churchill Downs stretch, giving B. Wayne Hughes his first Derby winner and giving Into Mischief his first classic winner, answering questions about the sire's ability to produce stamina.
Halo Again, a stakes winner both as a juvenile and this season, is by a stallion who excelled as a sprinter, but has produced his share of route runners.
In recent years, the club model of Thoroughbred ownership has grown in popularity, attracting new owners to Thoroughbred racing by offering interested parties a chance to buy a small share in a horse with a small single payment.
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 may also 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.
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 by first-crop sires.
The Kentucky Derby is only a few days away. But for a few of the colts who will try to write their names in the history books this Saturday, part of their future is already secured. Several of the expected entrants in their Derby field are already spoken for as future stallions, led by favorite Tiz the Law, who will eventually join some of the biggest stars in modern history at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud.
Queen's Plate pedigree profile: Dotted Line
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Storm the Court
Tiz the Law and Art Collector have arrived at this point of their 3-year-old seasons by different avenues. But both colts are from the sire line launched by the late leading sire A.P. Indy, the 1992 Belmont Stakes winner who is widely regarded as a source of stamina.
Queen's Plate pedigree profile: Merveilleux
