Classic Empire Yearlings Debut at Fasig-Tipton
In an unprecedented year, the yearling sales get a late start in Kentucky this week with the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling Showcase in Lexington kicking off three weeks of buying in the bluegrass.
The first crops of Classic Empire, Cupid, and Practical Joke are set to kick off an exciting few weeks of sales in the Fasig-Tipton ring on Wednesday and Thursday with a combined 55 yearlings between them before outs. Of the three exciting young sires, Classic Empire had the most catalogued of the three with 21 still being offered as of Monday morning.
It’s fast and furious for Classic Empire through the first 100 hips with five of his yearlings coming in that period.
The Champion 2-Year-Old’s offerings start with Hip 17, the first foal out of Grade III-placed Maid On A Mission. The colt consigned by War Horse Place hails from the family of stakes winner and Grade II-placed Momsfurrari and stakes winning Far Out Favorite.
Strong stakes producing family, Hip 23 from James M. Herbener Jr.s consignment is a grandson of Seattle Way, whose three stakes horses include the colt’s graded stakes placed dam Missedyoulikecrazy and her Grade III winner and multiple Grade I placed full sister Pretty Prolific with two of Seattle Way’s other daughters producing stakes runners. This colt’s third dam is champion and top broodmare Waya, who needs no introduction.
Warrendale Sales’ Hip 78 is a half-sister to three winners from four to race out of Grade III-placed Tristanme, a half-sister to eight other winners including three stakes horses. Five of this filly’s first seven dams have produced stakes winners with her three winning half-siblings combining for 14 wins.
Hip 99 from Machmer Hall Sales is a half-sister to Grade III Gotham third and Kentucky Derby runner Attachment Rate. The filly comes from an active family with her half-brother Talk Less winning on Sunday. Their dam is a half-sister to stakes winners and Grade I producers Vespers and Database, the dams of Hymn Book and Data Link, respectively. Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Caledonia Road is also found under this filly’s second dam, with that mare foaling a Justify filly this year and returning to the stallion in 2020.
Hip 323 from Gainesway is from another active family with the colt’s two half-siblings both having earning updates since the catalogue was released. They all hail from stakes placed Rever de Vous, whose half-sister was recently second in the Listed Catch a Glimpse S. at Woodbine. The sisters are out of Grade III winner Dreaming Of Liz, a daughter of Grade I winner Silver Maiden.
Calumet presents buyers with an exciting opportunity to buy a daughter of Grade I winner Swap Fliparoo as Hip 396 on Thursday. The bay filly is a half-sister to the dam of Grade III winner Lexitonian, who finished a heartbreaking second by a nose in last month’s Grade I Bing Crosby. Swap Fliparoo herself is also a granddaughter of Grade I winner Flip’s Pleasure, with stakes form throughout this family.
Four Star Sales sends out Hip 412, the half-sister to three winners from three to race out of stakes winner Tensas Punch. This is a page that consistently sees updates with the filly’s stakes placed half-brother Dharmaster continuing to improve upon his earnings and Tensas Punch a half-sister to multiple Grade II winner and Grade I Breeders’ Cup Turf placed United. That runner has had two stakes placing since the catalogue was released. Tensas Punch is a half-sister to two stakes winners and a full sister to a Grade III-placed runner with Grade I winner Liasion out of a half-sister to their dam Indy Punch.
Hip 554 from Hunter Valley Farm is out of a Giant’s Causeway half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner and Grade I-placed Crown Of Thorns. In addition to being a strong racing family, it’s also a strong producing family. His granddam is a half-sister to Grade I Hopeful S. winner and sire Smoke Glacken and multiple graded stakes winner and producer Smokey Glacken with three other siblings producing stakes horses or the dams of stakes horses.
A half-brother from two winners from two to race, Hip 585 from Denali Stud is out of a half-sister to Canadian Champion Embur’s Song. The colt has seen updates in the past few months with his Scat Daddy half-sister winning her last two starts and Grade I Preakness Stakes winner Exaggerator, out of his dam’s half-sister, among the leading freshman sires. A family full of class for generations, his third dam is also a half-sister to multiple champion Eternal Search among others.
Among the other Classic Empire offerings to keep an eye on are Royal Bloodstock Sales’ Hip 123 out of stakes winning C’mon Feet; Indian Creek’s Hip 334 out of a stakes placed half-sister to Grade III winner Sassy Sienna and two other stakes horses; Hip 362 out of Grade III winner Silsita; Hip 414 from Gainesway a half-sister to two stakes placed runners; Hip 506, the second foal out of a Grade II-placed mare consigned by Warrendale Sales; Runnymede Farm’s Hip 600 out of a half-sister to Grade I winner and stakes producer Film Maker; and Hip 604 consigned by Hunter Valley Farm from the family of Grade I Kentucky Oaks winner Summerly.
The 2020 Fasig-Tipton Yearling Showcase starts at 10 a.m. on Wednesday with its second session on Thursday starting with Hip 331 at the same 10 a.m. start time.