Del Mar, Saratoga give freshman sires a chance to shine
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The summer meets at Saratoga and Del Mar are known for unveiling promising 2-year-olds, and for graded stakes that will begin sorting out the juvenile divisions. With rich maiden races and statebred incentives, the summer seasons also are crucial for freshman sires in New York and California, respectively, to begin putting their best foot forward.
In New York, the 40-day Saratoga meet opens Thursday. As an example of the 2-year-old fare at the meet, the opening-day card includes an auction-restricted maiden special weight for juvenile fillies with a purse of $80,000, plus as much as $13,920 in New York breeders’ awards funds. The opening-day feature is the $175,000 Schuylerville for 2-year-old fillies – the first of 12 stakes for juveniles at the meet, which include a pair of $200,000 stakes for statebreds.
King for a Day, the first New York freshman sire with a winner this season, will get to start the meet off strong; he has King’s Leap in a maiden special weight on Friday, and Soontobeking in the Grade 3 Sanford on Saturday, one of three New York-breds in that race, although the others are not state-sired. Soontobeking was third on debut May 10 at Aqueduct before winning next out on May 24.
King for a Day won the 2019 Sir Barton on the Preakness undercard at Pimlico, then proceeded to win the Pegasus at Monmouth over eventual divisional champion Maximum Security. King for a Day was Grade 3-placed as an older horse before retiring to Irish Hill and Dutchess Views Stallions. The son of champion and emergent sire of sires Uncle Mo is one of two freshmen at the farm for this season, along with classic-placed Lookin At Lee.
“King for a Day is the typical Uncle Mo,” Irish Hill and Dutchess Views stallion manager Bill Leak said. “A lot of leg, stands very tall. . . . He looks like he’s ready to just go forward constantly, even when he’s standing still. Even though his frame is very balanced, he just looks like speed. He’s got a great walk. All the positives of Uncle Mo are in King for a Day.”
New York has another son of Uncle Mo in the freshman ranks this year in Kaz Hill Farm resident Name Changer. His career was highlighted by a win in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup, and he was still a stakes performer at age 7.
Honest Mischief has support and numbers behind him that should help him make an impact in the state; the Juddmonte homebred stands at Sequel Stallions. Honest Mischief is by leading sire and emerging sire of sires Into Mischief, and out of Grade 1 winner Honest Lady, a half-sister to influential sire Empire Maker. The freshman was a stakes winner at Laurel and was Grade 2-placed at Saratoga. He has had three starters thus far without a winner, but came to hand as a 3-year-old himself.
“We have several Honest Mischiefs that are doing really well,” Sequel director of operations Carlos Manresa said.
Meanwhile, across the country, Del Mar is preparing to open its 31-day summer meet on Saturday, July 20. Entries will be taken July 17 for the opening-day card; juvenile offerings in the condition book for that card are a $75,000 maiden special weight with as much as $22,500 available in California funds, plus a $75,000 maiden for California-bred or -sired fillies. Del Mar will card 10 stakes for 2-year-olds at this meet, including four $100,000 stakes for California-breds.
With plenty of movement in this particular regional marketplace, there are three stallions listed as beginning their stud careers in 2021 in California who currently stand in the state, and thus would stand to benefit from progeny success in the region. They are Bernardini Lad, by Bernardini, at Richill Farms; Originaire, by Zoffany, at Bg Thoroughbreds; and Oscar Nominated, by Kitten’s Joy, at Bg Thoroughbreds. Multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Oscar Nominated is a full brother to young Kentucky sire Oscar Performance, who has been a breakout success this year and recently recorded his first Grade 1 winner, with Belmont Derby winner Trikari.
Grade 3-winning juvenile Phantom Boss is off to a strong start in California with four winners from five starters, but he has been pensioned and gelded, and thus isn’t among those competing for additional attention from breeders with that success.
Another stallion who will be a factor in California but is no longer available in-state is Grade 1 winner Bodexpress. He entered stud in 2021 at Barton Thoroughbreds in California before relocating to Pleasant Acres Stallions in Florida beginning this season.
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