Yearlings by first-year sires plentiful

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A total of 464 Canadian-breds have been cataloged for the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's annual yearling sale at the Woodbine Sales Pavilion on Sept. 8 and Sept. 12.

The selected session, scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sept. 8, has 242 offerings. The major consignors include Michael C. Byrne, Cara Bloodstock, Gardiner Farm, Hill 'N' Dale Sales Agency, Beth Hancock, Richard Hogan, and Woodlands.

Byrne has several offspring of the promising first-year Ontario sire Survivalist, including a half-brother to stakes winners Krz Ruckus and Krz Exec.

Cara Bloodstock will sell a half-brother to multiple stakes winner Sugar Bay, who hails from the first Ontario-sired crop of Best of the Bests.

Gardiner Farm has an assortment of yearlings by successful Ontario sires Bold Executive, Trajectory, Peaks and Valleys, and Where's the Ring. First-year sires Philanthropist and Old Forester are also well represented.

Highlights of the Gardiner consignment include a Philanthropist colt from the dam of crack sprinter Legal Move, and a Peaks and Valleys colt from the dam of stakes winner Mean Green.

Hill 'N' Dale has yearlings by the popular Kentucky sires Stormy Atlantic, Smart Strike, Medaglia d'Oro, and Tale of the Cat. The Medaglia d'Oro colt is out of champion 2-year-old filly My Vintage Port, and the Smart Strike filly is out of the good producing stakes winner Green Noble.

Beth Hancock will sell a More Than Ready colt out of champion grass mare Heliotrope, and a Grand Slam colt from champion older female Woolloomooloo, the dam of stakes winner Affirmed Dancer.

Richard Hogan has a filly by Arch out of the successful mare La Belle Blue, and a full brother to stakes winner Dancer's Bajan, by Trajectory.

Woodlands (Gail Wood) sends out a son of Medaglia d'Oro from stakes-placed Words of Royalty, the dam of champion 3-year-old Le Cinquieme Essai. Also among the Woodlands consignment are two colts from the first crop of Queen's Plate winner Niigon.

The open session, scheduled for 4 p.m. on Sept. 12, has 222 yearlings on the auction block.

Among the sires with representation in the open session are Aptitude, Bold Executive, E Dubai, Langfuhr, Leroidesanimaux, Mobil, Posse, Strut the Stage, and Wando.

Alberta: Yearling sale Tuesday

A group of 141 yearlings will be up for sale at the 2009 Alberta summer yearling sale, which is being held at Westerner Park in Red Deer beginning at 11 a.m. Mountain on Tuesday. Last year, the sales topper at $56,000 was Bear Is Confirmed, who is by Include out of Mockingbird Valley.

Hip No. 59 should attract some attention. A gray or roan filly out of Forever Valentine, she is from the first crop of 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo. She is also a half-sister to Beau's Valentine. A 4-year-filly by Alphabet Soup, Beau's Valentine placed in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness Stakes and has earnings of $107,350.

Hip No. 42 is a colt out of $126,011 stakes winner Devil at the Wire. His sire is Breeders' Cup Mile winner Artie Schiller, who earned $2.08 million. This is his first crop.

Hip No. 50 is by Old Topper out of Grade 3 Eclipse winner Northern Lance. An unnamed bay gelding, he is a half-brother to stakes-placed $264,832 earner Exciting Metro.

Kiridashi, who is among the leading sires in Canada, is represented by 15 yearlings. Kiridashi sired Financingavailable, who was the champion female in Canada in 2006.

Cobra King, a Grade 3 winner with $256,825 in earnings, is next in line with 12 of his sons and daughters up for sale.

- additional reporting

by Randy Goulding