Bear in mind that while TrueNicks is the most sophisticated and accurate guide to the strength of the sire line/broodmare sire line cross – a proven indicator of potential racing class – it does not take into account the quality of the sire and dam, or other pedigree features that might be influential, such as inbreeding or line breeding.
Starting with the short yearlings, it is a question of saving the best for last. The highest rated short yearling is the last due in the ring, a son of Street Cry, who is the second foal of the winning Deputy Commander mare Not Offensive. This rating is achieved on the basis of the Machiavellian/Deputy Minister cross, with both Machiavellian and Street Cry having already sired stakes winners out of Deputy Minister mares.
Our second highest rated short yearling will appear much earlier, in fact a little more than an hour into the sale. Hip 36, a son of Forest Wildcat, he is the first foal of the stakes-placed Academy Award mare Raise a Roar. A look at the colt’s TrueNicks page shows that he is the product of the Forest Wildcat/Bold Ruler cross that also produced grade I winner D’wildcat--like this colt, out of a mare by a son of Secretariat. Number three on day one is hip 202, a Maria’s Mon colt out of the Kris S. mare Dixie Sunset, herself a sister to stakes winner Ellie’s Moment, and three-parts-sister to multiple grade I winner and subsequently standout sire in Japan, Brian’s Time. We’d be remiss if we didn’t also mention that this one is from the family of Maria’s Mon’s Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner, Monarchos, and has several pedigree similarities to the classic winner.
Highest-rated broodmare by TrueNicks rating for the foal she is carrying is hip 93. The stakes placed Stormy Wars is offered in foal to Touch Gold, and the baby she is carrying is rated on the Touch Gold/Hoist the Flag cross which has produced grade I winners Midas Eyes and Composure. Hip 312 is the listed stakes winner Love Locket, a daughter of Hollywood Starlet (gr. I) heroine Love Lock. She is offered carrying her first foal, a son or daughter of Johannesburg. This one’s A++ rating comes on the basis of the Johannesburg/Gulch cross, which has already produced graded stakes winners Hamoody and Baroness Thatcher. Third spot goes to hip 358, Nesselrode. A Lemon Drop Kid half-sister to stakes winner Desert Gold, she is out of a sister to Breeders’ Cup Sprint (gr. I) heroine Desert Stormer. She is carrying a foal from the first crop of Giant’s Causeway’s son First Samurai, who is a product of the Giant.s Causeway/Kingmambo cross – also responsible for grade I winner Maids Causeway and grade II winner Red Giant.
