Value Sires, Part 3: First Yearlings in '23

Stallions are at a crossroads in their career. They are trying to produce the best books from their first crop. The market testing of first yearlings and the racetrack testing for first juveniles is taking place. Farm numbers are declining and farms are dangling lower fees to keep the stallions in the game. The sands are shifting. If you believe in a horse, you expect him to make an impact on the track even if he has a tepid reception at market. Many stallion's who find themselves in this position will keep slithering into the abyss. It's important to respect the professional verdict of horsemen.

Country House sold Hip 2370 for $250,000 at Keeneland in November. He was one of only four weanlings from his debut crop. The colt is inbred to Sam-Son matriarch No Class. Lookin At Lucky has been neglected by the market.   The market allows wildly different interpretations of value. Vekoma has suggested immediate viability on a more industrial model. Bolt d'Oro is now surging beyond the reach of many operating at this level. It's possible that Country House's son might be a better runner than his father. There's no limit to the kind of runner he might produce.