Bill Oppenheim, April 1, 2009–Sophomore Sires FROM THE DESK OF... Bill Oppenheim

SOPHOMORE SIRES The 2004 GI Wood Memorial winner , by Pulpit out of an mare, went into winter quarters as 2008=s Leading Freshman Sire by a margin of more than $1.1 million over his nearest rival, dual Grade I winner and 2004 GI second Lion Heart (Tale of the Cat). Combined with Sky Mesa=s placing at the top of the 2008 second-crop sire list, Pulpit=s reputation as a sire of sires received a major boost. Thus far in 2009, Tapit is inches ahead of the unbeaten, Fappiano-line, South American-bred (Arg) (by Ride the Rails, by , by Fappiano), who recorded a 123 Beyer when he won the 2003 GI Pacific Classic, in the battle for second place in 2009 earnings (Bloodhorse.com) among sophomore sires; Lion Heart is fourth. Just as Tapit and Sky Mesa have given Pulpit a boost as a sire of sires, this year=s number one sophomore sire to date, Medaglia d=Oro (El Prado), is providing a timely boost for the Sadler=s Wells sire line on the North American side of the Pond. A gray son of Sadler=s Wells out of the 1977 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Lady Capulet (a three-quarter sister to the speed sire Drone), Last year Tapit had another Grade I-winning filly, El Prado won the prestigious G1 National S. in Ireland in Hollywood Starlet winner Laragh; and this year another 1991, but failed to train on and didn=t win at three. A filly from his first crop, War Echo, won the GIII member of the 1994 sire class headed by A.P. Indy, El Silverbulletday S. at Fair Grounds. Through last Prado steadily worked his way up the sire ladder until weekend, Medaglia d=Oro=s runners had earned more Medaglia d=Oro came along. Bought after running than $1.1 million in 2009, $300,000 more than Tapit second in a maiden at two and sent to Bobby Frankel, and Candy Ride. In cumulative terms, though, because Medaglia d=Oro went on to win the GI Travers S., finish Tapit led Medaglia d=Oro (fourth-placed freshman sire in second in the GI Belmont S. and GI Breeders= Cup 2008) by $1.4 million, he is still over $1.1 million clear Classic as a three-year-old in 2002, and earn $2.26 among sophomore sires, with cumulative progeny million; he also catapulted his sire, El Prado, to earnings to date of almost $3.6 million. Medaglia d=Oro champion sire status. El Prado was runner-up the next ($2.44 million) has inched ahead of Lion Heart ($2.41 two years, when Medaglia d=Oro won two further Grade million), with Candy Ride fourth (almost $2.18 million) I=s, ran second again in the GI Breeders= Cup Classic, by cumulative progeny earnings. and closed out his career with a second in the 2004 G1 These four were the top four on the 2008 Freshman Dubai World Cup. A tall, striking individual, Medaglia Sire List; they=re the top four on the 2009 second-crop d=Oro retired with eight wins and seven seconds in 17 sire list; and the top four by cumulative progeny career starts, and earnings totaling over $5.75 million. earnings, as well as being the only four with over $2 Neither of the top two has any colts prominent in the million in total progeny earnings to date, according to Derby picture, but both are loaded with fillies. Medaglia statistics provided to TDN by The Jockey Club d=Oro has four good stakes fillies already this year, Information Systems. Classic contenders may be thin including GII Fair Grounds Oaks winner Rachel on the ground for these top four--only Candy Ride, with Alexandra, and Gabby=s Golden Gal, a 13-length winner GIII El Camino Real Derby winner Chocolate Candy in last weekend=s $200,000 Sunland Oaks. Tapit=s going in this weekend=s GI Santa Anita Derby as a champion two-year-old filly of 2008, the $5.7 million longshot facing Pioneerof the Nile and The Fasig November IEAH purchase Stardom Bound, won Pamplemousse, would really still have one in two Grade I=s for trainer Bobby Frankel at Santa Anita consideration for Kentucky. But it=s a credit to all these this winter, and is now with Rick Dutrow at Keeneland, stallions, really, that they=re doing so well without prepping for this weekend=s GI Ashland S. Derby contenders. Oppenheim cont.

Fifth-ranked Speightstown (Gone West), champion sprinter of 2004, also has a Classic outsider, in G1 English 2000 Guineas candidate Lord Shanakill. He won the G2 Mill Reef S. over six furlongs last year, and ran second in the seven-furlong G1 Dewhurst. But that looked a relatively weak race: the winner, Intense Focus (Giant=s Causeway), has been beaten before and since; both Intense Focus and Lord Shanakill are around 40-1 for the Guineas on Betfair (though, of course, you=re “Here’s the difference between the earlier mixed sales not allowed to make that bet from America), but like and the more recent two-year-old sales so far this year they say, you can=t win if you=re not in, and Lord (not including Texas yesterday): there were 24 percent Shanakill will be in--and could run better than a lot of fewer catalogued and 23 percent fewer sold at the mixed sales, so the percentage sold/catalogued was actually up people expect; he s very seasoned. = a tick. But the gross plummeted 56 percent and the Sixth-ranked Chapel Royal (Montbrook) was sent average 43 percent – also reflecting a drop in catalogue from Ashford to Florida this year, but is tied with quality. At the two-year-old sales, the number catalogued former barnmate Lion Heart, each with 48 winners of is down 5 percent, but the number sold down 16 percent 61 races, to lead all sophomore sires in both categories. – 44 percent sold/catalogued, down 6 percent from last Even the Score (Unbridled=s Song) has punched above year. The two-year-old gross is down 36 percent, the his weight, and has another GI Santa Anita Derby average down 24 percent.” –Bill Oppenheim longshot, in the Todd Pletcher-trained Take the Points. Congaree (Arazi), who won five Grade I=s over three seasons and ran third to Monarchos in the 2001 GI Kentucky Derby, was the biggest mover last week, with the Jim Bolger-trained filly Maoineach winning the G3 Leopardstown 1000 Guineas Trial, and the colt Mythical Power earning $176,000 for running second in the $900,000 Sunland Derby. Peace Rules (Jules) and () round at the current top 10, followed by Cuvee (Carson City), Friends Lake (A.P. Indy), and Toccet (Awesome Again), who has made the biggest move forward (21st to 13th), but still does not have a stakes winner. Ranked 18th at the moment is TOTAL US AND EURO 2YO SALES Pleasantly Perfect (Pleasant Colony), who defeated YEAR CAT RING SOLD % S/C GROSS AVE Medaglia d=Oro in the second of his GI Breeders= Cup 2009 1,264 887 555 43.9% $66,084,196 $119,071 Classic runner-up finishes and the following year=s G1 2008 1,330 985 658 49.5% $103,471,179 $157,251 Dubai World Cup. 2007 1,454 1,089 716 49.2% $110,087,009 $153,753 2006 1,344 1,024 691 51.4% $124,956,000 $180,834 Racing News... What about that huge, lifetime-best, 119 Beyer, 14-length demolition job by Tiznow=s Well Armed in the G1 Dubai World Cup; he was imperious! Speaking of catapulting sires, that win (which is counted for the Blood-Horse=s General Sire List) catapulted last year=s number three, Tiznow, into a $1.2 million lead on the 2009 General Sire List this week. The 1999 GI Breeders= Cup Mile winner Silic (Sillery), who stands in California, is temporarily second, thanks to G1 Dubai Duty Free winner Gladiatorus; but it=s Distorted Humor, now almost $1.5 million behind Tiznow, in third, who is likely to emerge as Tiznow=s biggest challenger for the TOTAL US AND EUROPEAN MIXED SALES 2009 title. Distorted Humor was number one before the YEAR CAT RING SOLD % S/C GROSS AVE weekend, and helped his cause immensely when his 2009 4,054 2,992 2,184 53.9% $40,517,162 $18,552 three-year-old Regal Ransom upset stablemate Desert 2008 5,305 3,847 2,824 53.2% $91,317,936 $32,336 Party in the G2 UAE Derby, thus bumping his sire=s 2007 6,219 4,977 3,607 58.0% $104,518,083 $28,976 earnings by $1.2-million--just $2.4 million less than Well Armed=s winning payday for Tiznow. 2006 6,004 4,695 3,627 60.4% $102,741,906 $28,327 Data compiled by Brianne Stanley Speaking of three-year-olds, big weekend coming up: I Want Revenge (Stephen Got Even) against potential up-and-comer Imperial Council () in the GI Wood Memorial; Pioneerof the Nile (also Empire Maker) against The Pamplemousse (Kafwain) and company in the GI Santa Anita Derby; and the GII Illinois Derby, all on Saturday. Florida Derby one-two Quality Road (Elusive Quality) and (Unbridled=s Song) are >in the bank,= form-wise at least. DON=T BE FOOLED: it would definitely tarnish the race if Dunkirk didn=t get in. He was making only his third lifetime start in the Florida Derby, so very likely there=s still improvement to come. Bill Oppenheim may be contacted at [email protected]. Please cc TDN at [email protected].