Deep Impact – no more
While 2019 has seen the thoroughbred industry lose top sires Deep Impact (Sunday Silence), Redoute’s Choice (Danehill), and Pioneerof The Nile (Empire Maker), a number of younger sires have stamped themselves as very exciting prospects in their own right.
Sarah Whitelaw writes that North America, in particular, has seen a host of young stallions stamp themselves as potentially outstanding sires of the future.
- AMERICAN PHAROAH
The only horse thus far to win both the American Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup Classic, American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile) was, understandably hugely popular when he retired to stud for 2016 .
American Pharoah in the 2015 Belmont Stakes
A champion at both two and three, American Pharoah covered an excellent first book of mares, with his mates including Gr1 winners Maybe, Virginia Waters, Imagine, Marylebone, Indian Blessing, She Be Wild and Judy The Beauty (to name a few). While it must be conceded that he has been given every chance to succeed, American Pharoah is showing signs of living up to expectations thus far. He is currently North America’s Leading First-Crop Sire by stakes, and is also second on the Leading Two-Year-Old Sires list.
At the time of writing, the former US Horse Of The Year has produced more than 20 individual first crop winners, with his trio of group/graded winners headed by Gr2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf/Gr3 Futurity Stakes winner Four Wheel Drive.
- CONSTITUTION
Sons of multiple US champion sire Tapit are enjoying increasing success at stud, and there are signs that Constitution could well be his sire’s best sire to date. Second on the North American First-Crop Sire list, Constitution has already been responsible for more than 20 first crop winners, and has nine black type horses to his name, including Gr1 Champagne Stakes winner Tiz The Law, fellow graded stakes winners Independence Hall, Amalfi Sunrise and By Your Side, and Gr1 Breeders’ Futurity runner up Gouverneur Morris.
This is a fine start for a horse who never raced at two (Constitution went on to win the G1 Florida Derby at three and the G1 Donn Handicap at four), and Constitution is showing signs that he may well yet become a worthy heir to his champion sire.
- LIAM’S MAP
Out of a daughter of the Drakenstein Stud based Trippi, Liam’s Map is another who has made a fine start to his stud career.
Fast approaching a 20th individual first crop winner, Liam’s Map (Unbridled’s Song) was the first of the North American first crop sires this year to come up with a Gr1 winner when his son Basin romped home in September’s Runhappy Hopeful Stakes. Liam’s Map, whose six wins from only eight starts included triumphs in both the Gr1 Woodward Stakes and Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, came up with another first crop Gr1 winner when daughter Wicked Whisper captured the Frizette Stakes.
- DUE DILIGENCE
Sons of War Front are enjoying increasing success at stud, and Due Diligence made a fine start with his first two-year-olds this year. Runner up in the 2014 Gr1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes, Due Diligence has already come up with three black type winners, including the group winners Streamline (Gr3 Sirenia Stakes), and Good Vibes (Gr3 Cornwallis Stakes) – despite having begun his stud career at the relatively low fee of £6,500 – and he looks a very useful speed sire in the making.
- GOLDEN HORN
While the classically bred Horse Of The Year Golden Horn has had fewer winners than many of his contemporaries, the four time Gr1 winning son of Cape Cross has done enough with his first two-year-olds this year to suggest he has a bright future ahead of him.
Golden Horn
(Pic: “RACINGFOTOS.COM”)
Golden Horn, winner of his only race at two before embarking on a career which saw him triumph in both the 2015 Gr1 Investec Derby and Gr1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, is already the sire of eight winners with his early winners including Gr3 Sweet Solera Stakes heroine West End Girl. Given his own improvement from two to three, it is reasonable to expect Golden Horn’s progeny to show similar improvement.
- GLENEAGLES
Winner of the Gr1 National Stakes at two (he went on to land both the Gr1 2000 Guineas and Gr1 Irish 2000 Guineas the following year), the regally bred Gleneagles (Galileo) has made the expected bright start with his first two-year-olds in 2019.
Gleneagles
An own brother to two Gr1 winners (and out of an own sister to Giant’s Causeway), Gleneagles has already supplied more than 20 first crop winners including Gr2 winners Royal Dornoch (Royal Lodge Stakes) and Royal Lytham (July Stakes).
The former champion (demoted from first to third in the 2014 G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere) has already sired seven black type horses among his early runners.
- NIGHT OF THUNDER
A dual Gr1 winning son of Dubawi and out of a stakes placed daughter of Galileo, Night Of Thunder always had plenty to recommend him as a sire prospect, and he looks like living up to expectations.
The 2000 Guineas/Lockinge Stakes winner has made a flying start with his first two-year-olds in 2019, with more than 25 first crop winners including an impressive 12 black type horses, notably group winners Pocket Square (Gr3 Prix des Reservoirs), Under The Stars (Gr3 Princess Margaret Stakes), and Night Colours (Gr2 Premio Dormello).
