Two Punch's popularity remains strong

The golden years of venerable 23-year-old stallion Two Punch have been especially bright when his offspring have gone through the sales ring.

In 2006, Two Punch was the sire of 13 juveniles to sell at public auction, for an average of $139,846 - the 10th consecutive year his sales average has topped six figures. More than half of his juveniles that sold last year brought $100,000 or more.

Two Punch-sired offspring will once again be present at this year's Fasig-Tipton Florida selected 2-year-olds in training sale, which begins Tuesday at Calder Race Course. A year ago at this sale, a Two Punch colt out of the mare Pithy (by Quiet American) sold for $475,000, the highest price of Two Punch's 2006 2-year-olds.

The first of Two Punch's juveniles who will go into the ring this week is a colt produced by stakes winner Mz. Ann (by Citidancer). Bred in Maryland by Michael Cataneo, the Two Punch colt worked a furlong in 10.80 seconds at the under-tack show on Feb. 25. The only other foal of racing age out of Mz. Ann is the colt's winning full sister, Miss Lina.

Two Punch is also the sire of a Louisiana-bred filly out of the Time for a Change mare Something Light. The chestnut filly is a half-sister to stakes-placed Western Resolve and four other winners, from the family of Nightmare Affair.

Two Punch's runners had solid numbers on the track last year, with eight winning or placing in stakes. For the 13th consecutive year, his starters earned more than $2 million, proving the veteran stallion shows no signs of slowing down.

Not for Love, a 17-year-old stablemate of Two Punch at Northview Stallion Station in Chesapeake City, Md., is the only other Maryland sire represented at this year's Fasig-Tipton sale at Calder. Currently the nation's leading sire by number of winners and ranked in the top 10 by earnings, Not for Love also was popular at last year's juvenile sales, with 11 selling for an average of $122,045. His top sales horse of 2006 was a filly out of the Red Ransom mare Petrouchka who brought $460,000 at the Keeneland 2-year-olds in training sale in April.

Not for Love has four juveniles cataloged this week at Calder. Posting the quickest eighth-mile of the four at the under-tack show last Sunday was his New Jersey-bred daughter out of My New Pal (by Saratoga Six) named That's Ok. A full sister to stakes winner Forever Partners and stakes-placed $210,855 earner My New Love, That's Ok zipped through her work in 10.20, 0.20 of a second off the fastest time recorded that day.

Two of Not for Love's juveniles offered are Maryland-breds. The first (Hip No. 192) is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Vice on Ice from the family of champion sprinter Shecky Greene. Bred by Richard Golden's Sycamore Hall Farm, the filly is out of the Damascus mare Wewarrenju.

Four hips later comes Not for Love's son out of Wise Baroness (by Wise Times). Bred by leading Maryland breeders Tom and Chris Bowman in partnership with Dr. Jason Layfield, the colt is a half-brother to stakes winners Wise Sweep and Smoke Glacken.

A Not for Love colt gets things rolling early in the sale when Hip No. 4, the first foal out of Glacken's Grace (by Smoke Glacken), enters the ring. The dam of the Pennsylvania-bred colt is a half-sister to stakes winner Po.

Other Maryland-breds offered at the sale include a Tale of the Cat-Indy Power (by A.P. Indy) filly. Bred by Sondra and Howard Bender, the filly is a granddaughter of the Benders' graded-stakes-winning homebred mare Clever Power, who produced stakes winners Dixie Power and One More Power. The Benders have had considerable success for more than two decades with members of this family, which includes graded-stakes-winning sprinter Secret Odds. The Tale of the Cat filly posted a work of 10.40 at the under-tack show.

Frank and Ginny Wright bred a Forestry filly out of their multiple stakes-winning and graded-stakes-placed mare Blue Sky Princess (by Conquistador Cielo). Named Crimson Hope, the filly is a half-

sister to stakes winner Inner Harbour, from the family of Dynever.