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Second-Season Sires Make a Quick Impact

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Jan 09, 2009 | 10 Comments

It is beginning to look as if the stallions that were represented by their first runners in 2008 are quite a promising group. Two of them -- Speightstown and Friends Lake -- have been quick to make an impact in 2009.

Speightstown (TrueNicks,SRO) had a great first weekend of the new year. On Saturday, Jan. 3, his son Haynesfield won the Count Fleet Stakes at Aqueduct, the first step on the New York road to the Triple Crown. Haynesfield is out of Nothing Special, a daughter of the Deputy Minister sire Tejabo, who is closely related to Touch Gold (TrueNicks,SRO) . The following day, his daughter Gemswick Park -- a homebred to for Eugene Melnyk, who also campaigned Speightstown -- won the Old Hat Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park. She is out of the Relaunch mare Queen's Park. Her second dam, Bright Tiara, is a sister to the Brooklyn Handicap (gr. I) winner Chief Honcho, and is by Chief's Crown, a horse bred on a similar Northern Dancer/Secretariat cross to Speightstown's broodmare sire, Storm Cat. Overall, Speightstown has 17 first-crop winners, and four other stakes horses, including the Mill Reef Stakes (gr. II) winner and Dewhurst Stakes (gr. I) runner-up Lord Shanakill, and the Champagne Stakes (gr. I) second Munnings. (Read more about sophomore sire Speightstown in today's Porter on Pedigrees column)

Friends Lake (TrueNicks,SRO), who sired 16 first crop 2-year-olds winners, including the Bashford Manor Stakes (gr. III) winner Screen Your Friend and black type winner Merus Miami, also already has a 2009 first-crop stakes winner. This is Loch Dubh, who came home two lengths clear in the Turfway Prevue Stakes at Turfway Park Jan. 3.

Filed under: Recent Winners, Sires

10 Comments:

What do you think of Peace Rules as a sire?

Karen 09 Jan 2009 3:34 PM

I too would like your early opinion on Peace Rules. While he does not have a "fashionable" pedigree, (except for dam name) he ran tough and looks great. Maybe he can overcome with a really great runner and improve his book to the quality of mares Speightstown sees.

Speightstown now there's fashion. Gone West/Storm Cat/Chieftain/Buckpasser.

Do you think the difference in progeny earnings over Peace Rules could partly be attributed to sprinter heritage?

outsider 09 Jan 2009 5:40 PM

I'm sure Peace Rules is going to improve his standing in the group, with time. He was a smart turf two-year-old, but much better at three and four, when switched to dirt (interesting to see how they'll do on all weather).

He's had 23 winners so far, and has 50 foals yet to start, so he certainly bears watching. As I said, this is shaping up to be an interesting group.

Alan Porter 09 Jan 2009 8:23 PM

What is your 'early' opinion of Smarty Jones as a sire? Do you think he will be a late bloomer?

Linda 09 Jan 2009 11:47 PM

I am no expert on pedigrees, and I ask about Peace Rules because he was always a favorite of mine. It seems the number of his runners(49) and winners(23) is comparible to some of the other top first year sires with a larger number of runners, although he does not have any stakes winners. I also assume he achieved this numbers not having the best book of mares but like I said, I am no expert.

Karen 09 Jan 2009 11:55 PM

Hi Linda,

Well, even his closest friends would have to admit that Smarty Jones hasn't made the start that one might have hoped for. He did only run twice as a two-year-old, and although he won the Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes by 15 lengths on the second of those two starts, he obviously did improve with age.

We can also note that 57 of his first crop have yet to run, so it seems that his offspring are indicating to their conditioners that they need some time.

Alan Porter 11 Jan 2009 10:08 AM

Hi there,

I had posted on a freshmen sire list earlier about Soto and had been going to write here about looking forward to him as a 2nd season sire. Heard a rumor that he has been sold and is heading out of the country. I had a feeling about this horse and was going to try and send (doubt it would have been difficult) him 3 mares. He is probably off to Japan (talk of his son Suni heading for Kentucky Derby from out there) or if not who bought him? Speightstown is off to a great start, I thought he was nailed on this time last year to win 1st season sires division. Bolger apparently has a few in Ireland yet to race. They are maybe not as precocious as we first thought. Another that should improve up the list I'd say is Action This Day. I always felt he would be a horse that will get nice middle distance horses and I think he may make a similar move up the table as Milwaukee Brew did in is 2nd season. What do you think of Rock Hard Ten, do you think he can be a top ten 1st season sire?

John Wells 20 Jan 2009 11:17 PM

I just heard that he went to Saudi Arabia!! What farm or who bought him for there?

John Wells 21 Jan 2009 9:42 AM

I have heard that Action This Day has some that are expect to move forward at three. I know that his trainer thought an awful lot of him, and he's got very strong connections. The negative would be that Kris S. has not been the best sire of sires. Of course, Rock Hard Ten is by the same stallion. He is out of a mare who was a very good two-year-old, and by Mr. Prospector. She was a turf mare, so these might like the all-weather. They did sell well, so one would have to give him some shot.

Alan Porter 22 Jan 2009 8:30 AM

Do you know whether Suni will be coming to the Derby from Japan? We own his half sister and are very excited by his success.

Beth Anderson 08 Feb 2009 2:15 PM

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Second-Season Sires Make a Quick Impact

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