Buyers hoping to get a look at the newest yearlings by freshman stallion V. E. Day will have only one stop to make at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale.
All six youngsters by V. E. Day that are cataloged to the four-day sale will be offered through the consignment of Doug Arnold's Buck Pond Farm, the same Versailles, Ky., farm where the 9-year-old stallion stands.
"They all have a lot of quality to them," Arnold said. "They are classic-looking horses, and it wouldn't surprise me if they end up being turf-oriented as well because of having English Channel in the pedigree. They're just really nice horses.
"We have a good group here, and hopefully people will recognize that and like what they see. I think it's nice if someone is interested in the horse, they get to see what several of them look like."
Campaigned by Magalen O. Bryant, V. E. Day provided trainer Jimmy Jerkens with a thrill of a lifetime when he nosed out stablemate Wicked Strong in the 2014 Travers Stakes (G1), which was just the colt's third start on dirt. The son of English Channel out of California Sunset (by Deputy Minister) also defeated Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Tonalist , who was 2 1/2 lengths back in third, as well as grade 1 winners Mr Speaker and Bayern, graded stakes winner Kid Cruz, and Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) runner-up Commanding Curve.
The first two V. E. Day yearlings slated to go through the ring during the Oct. 26 opening session are Hip 105 and Hip 115, a colt and a filly, respectively.
Bred in Kentucky by Miller Thompson, Hip 105 is out of the unraced Holy Bull mare Holy Beast. The colt's third dam is Miss Otis, who won the Noble Damsel Stakes (G3). Hip 116, bred in Kentucky by Bryant, is out of the Ireland-bred Cape Cross mare Hope Cross (IRE), who was second in the My Charmer Handicap (G3T). The filly's extended family includes European group 3 winners Sir Ron Priestly and Subjectivist.
Hip 689, a filly out of Sealington (by Harlington) also bred by Bryant, will go through the ring Tuesday. The filly's third dam is group 1-placed Coral Dance, who produced Prix de la Salamandre (G1) winner Pennekamp; Black Minnaloushe, the winner of the Entenmann's Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1) and St. James's Palace Stakes (G1); and Nasr El Arab, the winner of three grade 1 races on the turf as well as the Charles H. Strub Stakes (G1) on the dirt at Santa Anita Park.
Hip 779 is out of Southafrican Queen (Horse Chestnut). The colt, who was bred in Kentucky by Miller Thompson, is from the same female family as Hip 105 as his dam is a half sister to Holy Beast.
Rounding out the V. E. Day yearlings Thursday are Hips 1381 and 1502. Hip 1381 is the first foal out of Dame's Cause (Niagara Causeway) and was bred in Kentucky by La Bahia Stud. The chestnut's fourth dam was Pedicure, who produced grade 3 winner Masseuse and stakes winners Buff and Second Performance. Hip 1502 is out of the Ball's Bluff mare Farewell Sally and has the lightest pedigree of the bunch. The filly was bred in Kentucky by Bryant and is the third foal for the mare.
Despite his race record, V. E. Day has not proved the most popular stallion among breeders in his first years at stud. In 2020, The Jockey Club reported that V. E. Day bred a total of 13 mares in Kentucky.
"He's got a stallion's pedigree and he's out of a Deputy Minister mare from a really good old Darby Dan family," said Arnold, who admits that starting a stallion perceived to represent the lower end of the market comes with its own unique challenges. "It's harder on the bottom to do it, but we bred enough to him that he will have the opportunity for at least one or two of them to step up and do something. There are a lot of good stallions in his family. I would think he definitely has a chance."
