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Classic trials apart, in the U.S. the championship-defining contests for straight 3-year-olds are usually the three Triple Crown events plus the Haskell Invitational (gr. I) and the Travers Stakes (gr. I). Prior to the weekend, the first four events had taken place and had been won by four different horses: Orb (Kentucky Derby, gr. I), Oxbow ...

For much of the second half of the first decade of the 21st century, the Australian sire's premiership was fought out between Encosta de Lago (AUS) (TrueNicks) and Redoute's Choice (AUS) (TrueNicks), the duo eventually claiming two titles apiece. Now New Zealand breeders will have the opportunity to breed to a stallion who combines bloodlines tied ...

While there is no doubt that nicks tend to run in sire lines, we've also often found it profitable to consider the dam of a stallion when attempting to predict potential crosses. For example, when Smart Strike (TrueNicks) retired to stud, we noted that he was a half brother to champion Dance Smartly, a daughter of Danzig. Since Smart Strike was a ...

There is a French saying that translates as something like ''the more things change, the more they say the same.'' Plenty has changed in the macro- and micro-economic climates since last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale, but despite the various undercurrents, as far as numbers sold, totals, and average, we ended up more or less in the ...

With the first two major summer yearling sales in the books, we'll take a quick look at the top 10 commercial sires of 2013 by yearling average and ponder on the potential for them to extend their lines. The millennial stallion crop, whose first foals were born in 2000, included Awesome Again (TrueNicks,SRO), Indian Charlie, Elusive Quality ...

Coming off a 10.45% increase in average and a 20% improvement in median at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale, vendors at that company's Saratoga Yearling Sale, scheduled for Aug. 5-6, will be feeling optimistic. The upward trend in prices may be less welcome to buyers seeking value, but by way of compensation there is an awful lot of quality to choose ...

Wherever in the world you're breeding, the search for value goes on, and like we did yesterday with New Zealand sires, today we'll take a look at some Australia sires that we think fall into that category. Choisir (AUS) (TrueNicks) (by Danehill Dancer) strikes us as incredible value at Aus$27,500 when compared to some of the unproven, or barely ...

Azamour is an undervalued stallion in Europe, and at NZ$12,000 looks remarkable value in New Zealand. A champion older horse in England and a group I winner at a mile, 1 1/4 miles, and 1 1/2 miles, he has 18 stakes winners in his four crops, including English champion 3-year-old filly Shankardeh, French Oaks (Fr-I) victress Valyra, and eight ...

The first major European yearling sale of the season is the Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale, which commences August 17. Below we'll take a look at some of the European first year stallions who will have their first representatives, as well as taking a glance at the offspring of U.S. sires that are represented. Taking it alphabetically, the ...

A little over two years ago, we looked at the cross of Galileo with mares by Danehill. This was fast becoming a European mega nick, having—in the space of three weeks—been represented by Frankel, who had just taken the Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-I) in breathtaking style; Golden Lilac, successful in the French One Thousand Guineas (Fr-I); and ...