Cairo Prince stands out with first crop at sales

First-crop-yearling sire Cairo Prince continued his run as the breakout star of this summer’s sales, with a solid week in Saratoga led by a $500,000 colt who established a record price at Fasig-Tipton’s New York-bred yearling sale.

“We had very high expectations for them coming in, and we’re very grateful that these horses have lived up to those expectations,” said Bret Jones of Airdrie Stud, which stands Cairo Prince in Kentucky.

Cairo Prince, a multiple graded stakes winner by Pioneerof the Nile, finished with three yearlings in the top 10 prices at the statebred sale. He also was represented by a $230,000 colt sold to trainer Ken McPeek for Walking L Thoroughbreds and a $225,000 filly sold to agent J.J. Crupi. All eight of his offerings sent through the ring during the two nights of the sale sold, averaging $183,125.

Cairo Prince tipped his hand at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky summer yearling sale, putting two yearlings in the top 10. His only yearling to sell at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale, several days prior to the New York-bred sale, fetched $420,000 from Cromwell Bloodstock.

The highest price for a first-year sire at that elite sale belonged to Strong Mandate, who made a splash with a filly from his first crop purchased for $825,000 by Live Oak Plantation. The filly, who was consigned by Baccari Bloodstock, as agent, is out of the Grade 3-winning Graeme Hall mare Graeme Six and is a half-sister to graded stakes winners Cali Star and Delightful Joy and stakes winner Seymourdini.

Strong Mandate, by Tiznow, posted his biggest win in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga. He stands at Three Chimneys Farm, which holds a strong hand with champion Will Take Charge also represented by his first yearlings this year. A son of Unbridled’s Song, Will Take Charge had the next-highest price for a first-year sire at the Saratoga sale, with a colt who sold for $475,000 to Kerri Radcliffe Bloodstock. The colt led a group of seven yearlings by his sire sold for an average price of $313,571.