Sharp Azteca Rolling Early in Freshman Sire Ranks

Three Chimneys Farm had big expectations for the 2022 racing year with its second-crop sire star Gun Runner coming off a year as leading freshman sire by progeny earnings, number of graded stakes winners, and number of grade 1 winners. Gun Runner has certainly lived up to the expectations, but the farm got another pleasant surprise in this year's freshman sire class with Sharp Azteca, a 9-year-old son of multiple leading New York sire Freud, who has been leading the standings by number of winners throughout much of the year. Sharp Azteca, who entered stud at $10,000 and had a published fee this year of $5,000, continues to lead as of Sept. 19 with 18 winners from 52 starters. He ranks third by number of black-type performers with four behind Spendthrift's leading sire by progeny earningsBolt d'Oro and Ashford Stud's Justify, who ranks third by freshman progeny earnings. Bolt d'Oro has sired eight black-type performers to date, and Justify has sired five. On the leading North American sires of 2-year-olds list, Sharp Azteca is the leader by number of winners and fifth by progeny earnings as of Sept. 19. "Sharp Azteca was an extremely fast horse on the track and was able to carry that speed going a mile," said Rebecca Nicholson, who handles stallion nominations and marketing at Three Chimneys. "I think what we are seeing now is that quick turn of foot getting passed on to his 2-year-old crop. This is a stallion that was very well supported his first year at stud." While seeing the speed in the sire's progeny was expected, the precocity of that speed has been a bit surprising, Nicholson said. Bred in Kentucky by Cloyce Clark, Sharp Azteca was sold for $35,000 by Select Sales at the 2014 Ocala Breeders' Sales August Yearling Sale to Blas Perez. The colt would up in de Meric Sales' consignment at the OBS Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale where Iván Rodríguez Gelfenstein bought him for $220,000. He would not make his racing debut until December of his juvenile year, finishing second at Gulfstream Park in his lone start at 2. Sharp Azteca got his first win Feb. 20 of his sophomore year and two races later became a graded stakes winner in the Pat Day Mile Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. At 4, Sharp Azteca did his best running, compiling a 4-2-1 record from seven starts and getting wins in the Cigar Mile Handicap Presented by NYRA Bets (G1), Kelso Handicap (G2), Hardacre Mile Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2), and Monmouth Cup Stakes (G3). He also was second in the Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), in which he set the pace throughout and got passed by Battle of Midway a furlong from the wire. "We are pleasantly surprised to see the number of winners but we are not surprised to see the speed we are seeing out of these winners," Nicholson said. "I think a key source of his speed is the dominance of Storm Cat in the sire line," she continued. "He was known for getting fast 2-year-olds. Second, you have his physical—the strong shoulder and strong hip; he just looks quick. Thirdly, you have a strong female family of producers. I think that is critical to the success of any stallion." Sharp Azteca's pedigree has a number of speed influences. Among them is Blushing Groom, who is the sire of Freud's broodmare sire Rahy. Also worth noting is that Freud is a full brother to the late leading sire Giant's Causeway, who was undefeated and a group 1 winner at 2. He went on to win five more group 1 stakes at 3. Sharp Azteca's dam, So Sharp, is inbred as well 3x5 to Mr. Prospector and 5x5 to Turn-To, who was a multiple stakes winner at 2. So Sharp is out of the Conquistador Cielo winner Sister Girl, who is the granddam of Firing Line, who set a 1 1/8-mile track record of 1:47.39 in the Sunland Derby (G3) and was second in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Sharp Azteca's top runners to date include undefeated, three-time stakes winner Tyler's Tribe, who is out of the Mission Impazible winner Impazible Woman, and last out won the Aug. 27 Prairie Meadows Freshman Stakes by 15 1/2 lengths. His other stakes winner is Sharp Aza Tack, who is out of the Bernardini daughter Que Chulo and won the July 30 Tyro Stakes at Monmouth Park by 7 1/4 lengths. Both stakes winners are being aimed for the Breeders' Cup World Championships, according to Nicholson. At the ongoing Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Sharp Azteca will be represented by 14 yearlings cataloged from session eight through session 12. The first yearlings will enter the auction ring Sept. 20 starting with Four Star Sales' entrant Hip 2421 and Hip 2638, which is in the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. Hip 2421 is a colt out of the stakes-placed winner She's Roughin It (Forest Camp) who also has produced grade 3-placed winner The Truth and K G and stakes-placed winner Francesco Appeal (Successful Appeal). Third dam, Tennis Lady, is a grade 3 winner and a full sister to 1994 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Concern. Hip 2638 is filly out of Gal Factor, a daughter of The Factor and a half sister to Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Super Stock (Dialed In) and grade 1-placed winner Boujie Girl (Flashback). The immediate family also has produced La Brea Stakes (G1) winner Heir Kitty. The other Sharp Azteca September Sale yearlings still entered are the following: Hip 2939, f., out of Adele Dazeem (Unbridled's Song), consigned by Machmer Hall Sales Hip 3066, f., out of winner Good Creation (Creative Cause), consigned by Havens Bloodstock Agency Hip 3079, f., out of Helloo Regina (Wilburn), consigned by Penn Sales Hip 3175, f., out of stakes winner Northern Netti (City Zip), consigned by Eaton Sales Hip 3212, c., out of winner Rue Royale (Unbridled's Song), consigned by Ballysax Bloodstock Hip 3488, f., out of winner Hijiki (Globalize), consigned by Taylor Made Sales Hip 3270, c., out of Swakopmund (Any Given Saturday), consigned by Taylor Made Sales Hip 3515, f., out of Kiawah Gal (Orb), consigned by Hinkle Farms Hip 3726, f., out of stakes-placed Cascabella (Afleet Alex), consigned by Taylor Made Sales Hip 3874, f., out of Our Deirdre (Run Away and Hide), consigned by Bona Terra Stud Hip 4075, c., out of First Glory (Honour and Glory), consigned by Blandford Stud, agent for Westwind Farms Hip 4078, c., Flume (Verrazano), consigned by Hidden Brook