Tiznow's Commercial Resurgence

By Nicole Sauer

Tiznow entered his stud career as the only horse to win two Breeders' Cup Classics, but there's only so long a stallion can ride his racing laurels before the commercial market decides his fate. As the only high-profile Relaunch line stallion in Kentucky at the time, the odds were not necessarily in his favor.

After two strong initial crops, the market valuation of Tiznow's yearlings dropped considerably (as is typical of third and fourth crops), and that was despite having 2005 champion 2-year-old filly Folklore in his first crop.

Tiznow's post-Folklore yearlings garnered a spike in popularity (also thanks to 2008 Travers Stakes winner Colonel John and, to a lesser extent, 2008 Belmont Stakes winner Da' Tara), but then he returned to his earlier position in 2009. But since then, Tiznow has steadily gained momentum, developing into a commercial sire irrespective of his sire line. His 2013 Keeneland September median is 5x what it was in 2009 even though the corresponding stud fee (the fee those yearlings were bred on) is only 3x.

With no yearlings left to sell at this year's Keeneland September sale, Tiznow's average ended at $326,634, with a median of $250,000. He also realized a career-high price of $1.75 million for a half sister to leading sire Speightstown, more than double his previous Keeneland September top of $725,000 in 2005.