Story by B. Jason Brooks
“The Summer Place To Be” is in full swing with world-class racing at Saratoga Race Course and the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearlings Sale beginning on Monday, August 5th. The sales grounds will be buzzing with potential buyers inspecting the boutique sale’s yearlings.
A deep dive into the Saratoga sale yearlings’ tail-female lines finds that 23 of them are from Claiborne Farm families, as well as one from a family bred by Seth Hancock’s Cherry Valley Farm, bringing the total to two dozen or a tenth of the 240 yearlings catalogued for the sale (before “outs”). The two dozen yearlings represent 17 different Claiborne families. The full list, including Claiborne families and consignors, is attached below.
At the top levels of U.S. racing this year, 17 different horses representing 12 different Claiborne families have won 21 graded stakes races. (See “Horses From Claiborne Families Win 10% of the Graded Stakes in the First Half of 2024” on the Claiborne blog for the full list and their female families.) The Claiborne families of two grade 1 winners this year – Kentucky Derby champion Mystik Dan, by Goldencents, and repeat Bing Crosby Stakes victor The Chosen Vron, by Vronsky – are represented in the Saratoga sale.
Mystik Dan is from family of Claiborne foundation mare Royal Message, by Irish-bred Star Shoot. This old and active Claiborne family is represented in the Saratoga sale by Hip #198, a filly by McKinzie. Some notable grade 1 winners from this family include Danger’s Hour, by Claiborne-bred stallion Coastal, Let Faith Arise, by Kafwain, and Smooth Like Strait, by Midnight Lute.
The Chosen Vron hails from the family of British-bred Claiborne foundation mare Fairy Ray, by her native sire Radium. Four yearlings in the Saratoga sale share this family, including three colts (Hip #24 by No Nay Never, Hip #26 by Uncle Mo, Hip #93 by Maclean’s Music) and one filly (Hip #135 by Tapit). Another old, active Claiborne family, Fairy Ray’s descendants include numerous elite winners in Europe, 1930 Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox, and, more recently, U.S. grade 1 winners Dayoutoftheoffice, by Into Mischief, Daredevil, by More Than Ready, My Conquestadory, by Artie Schiller, and Here Comes Ben, by Irish-bred stallion Street Cry.
In addition to the ongoing racing success for horses form Claiborne families, yearlings from the legendary farm’s families have also attracted top dollars internationally this year, including two recently selling for more than US $1 million in Japan.
Consigned at the Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA) Select Yearling and Foal Sale in July, a colt by Japanese sire Lord Kanaloa out of Irish-bred mare Dream and Do, by French sire Siyouni, went for US $1.057 million. The yearling’s dam won the prestigious group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches in France, a one-mile turf race recognized as the equivalent of the British 1000 Guineas. The yearling is from the Firewater branch of imported British-bred Claiborne foundation mare Dark Water, the same family as Max Player, by Honor Code, winner of the grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup in 2021.
The sale in Japan had another Lord Kanaloa-sired yearling colt from a Hancock-bred family fetch just over US $1 million. The colt’s dam is grade 1 Acorn Stakes and Test Stakes winner Contested, by Ghostzapper, bred by Seth Hancock’s Cherry Valley Farm. Contested was sold as a yearling in the Claiborne consignment at the 2010 Keeneland September sale and after her successful racing career, she fetched a hefty $2.3 million at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton November sale. The Japanese-bred yearling’s first four dams are Hancock-bred, from the family of foundation mare Flickering Star, by Chompion. This is the same family as Hancock-bred Pomeroy, by Claiborne-bred stallion Boundary, who earned grade 1 wins in the 2004 King’s Bishop Stakes, 2005 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap, and 2006 Forego Stakes, all at Saratoga.
A third high-priced yearling from a Claiborne family sold earlier this year at the Magic Millions Gold Coast January Yearling Sale in Australia. A colt by Australian sire Extreme Choice out of Street Boss mare Euroboss sold for US $971,487. The colt’s second through fourth dams are Claiborne mares, from the family of Slew and Easy, by Claiborne-bred stallion Slew o’ Gold. The family includes grade 1-winning millionaire Combatant, by Scat Daddy, winner of the 2020 Santa Anita Handicap.
Similar to the successful breeding programs of names like Belmont, Bradley, Galbreath, Phipps, Vanderbilt, Whitney, Widener, and Woodward, the female families bred by the Hancocks at Claiborne Farm remain influential on the tracks and in the sales rings. The Saratoga Sale provides an opportunity to buy into some of these great Claiborne families still thriving today.
2024 SARATOGA SALE YEARLINGS FROM CLAIBORNE FEMALE FAMILIES
- HIP #19 – b. f. (KY) (Gun Runner – Conquest Tapdance, by Tapit), Cleopatra branch of Gallice (GB), Consignor Vinery, Barn 3
Hip 19 - HIP #24 – b. c. (IRE) (No Nay Never – Cry Me A River {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}), Marguerite branch of Fairy Ray (GB), Consignor St George, Barn 8
Hip 24 - HIP #26 – dkb. c. (KY) (Uncle Mo – Dakota Wind, by Tiznow), Marguerite branch of Fairy Ray (GB), Consignor Hill ‘n’ Dale, Barn 2
Hip 26 - HIP #34 – dkb. c. (NY) (Medaglia d’Oro – Earth Shaking, by War Front), Star In The North branch of Lighted Lamp, Consignor Machmer Hall, Barn 5
Hip 34 - HIP #35 – ch. f. (NY) (Gun Runner – East India, by Mizzen Mast), Jacola branch of La France, Consignor Paramount, Barn 1
- HIP #49 – b. c. (KY) (Twirling Candy – Frank’s Folly, by Mineshaft), Firewater branch of Dark Water (GB), Consignor Lane’s End, Barn 7C
Hip 49 - HIP #51 – b. c. (KY) (Constitution – Galina Point {CAN}, by Saffir), Sun Spot branch of Sunstep (GB), Consignor Taylor Made, Barn 7B
- HIP #57 – ch. c. (KY) (Charlatan – Goldfield, by Yes It’s True), Triangle branch of Delft, Consignor Warrendale, Barn 1
Hip 57 - HIP #74 – b. c. (FL) (Quality Road – Lady Esme, by Majestic Warrior), Damaged Goods branch of Peroration (GB), Consignor Eaton, Barn 9
Hip 74 - HIP #93 – b. c. (KY) (Maclean’s Music – Modacious, by Uncle Mo), Marguerite branch of Fairy Ray (GB), Consignor Warrendale, Barn 1
Hip 93 - HIP #96 – b. f. (KY) (Candy Ride {Arg} – Moonlit Garden, by Malibu Moon), Flaring Top branch of Flaming Top, Consignor Taylor Made, Barn 10
Hip 96 - HIP #98 – ch. f. (KY) (Tapit – Carolyn’s Cat, by Forestry), Winesap branch of Seaton Pippin, Consignor Blake-Albina, Barn 7A
Hip 98 - HIP #121 – b. c. (KY) (Street Sense – Princesinha Julia, by Pioneer of The Nile), Merry Maid branch of Mermaid, Consignor Four Star, Barn 7C
- HIP #123 – ch. f. (KY) (Gun Runner – Pure Clan, by Pure Prize), Jacola branch of La France, Consignor Gainesway, Barn 6
Hip 123 - HIP #129 – dkb. c. (KY) (Uncle Mo – Requested, by War Front), Questress branch of Nahema (Cherry Valley Farm family), Consignor Buck Pond, Barn 3
Hip 129 - HIP #135 – ch. f. (KY) (Tapit – Rosalind, by Broken Vow), Marguerite branch of Fairy Ray (GB), Consignor Northview Stallion Station, Barn 8
Hip 135 - HIP #148 – b. f. (KY) (Into Mischief – Separationofpowers, by Candy Ride {Arg}), Zeal branch of Zonah, Consignor Hunter Valley, Barn 2
Hip 148 - HIP #160 – grr. f. (KY) (Tapit – Sneaking Out, by Indian Evening), Band branch of Swingtime, Consignor Gainesway, Barn 6
Hip 160 - HIP #182 – b. f. (KY) (Quality Road – Sustained, by War Front), Cleopatra branch of Gallice (GB), Consignor Scott Mallory, Barn 5
Hip 182 - HIP #198 – b. f. (KY) (Mckinzie – Unobstructed View, by Yes It’s True), Decree branch of Royal Message, Consignor Gainesway, Barn 6
Hip 198 - HIP #209 – b. f. (KY) (Not This Time – Wild Silk, by Street Sense), Yarn branch of Knights Daughter (GB), Consignor Mill Ridge, Barn 5
Hip 209 - HIP #210 – ch. f. (KY) (Munnings – Windy Forecast, by Stormy Atlantic), Damaged Goods branch of Peroration (GB), Consignor Elite, Barn 8
Hip 210 - HIP #214 – b. c. (KY) (Maclean’s Music – Affirmation, by Astrology), Triangle branch of Delft, Consignor Taylor Made, Barn 7B
Hip 214 - HIP #218 – grr. f. (KY) (Essential Quality – American Model, by Bayern), Embroidery branch of Eonette, Consignor Taylor Made, Barn 7B
Hip 218