In the shadows of 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline lies a strong group of first-crop yearling sires with offspring headed to the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Sept. 8-20 in Lexington.
WinStar Farm's Life Is Good has had 11 yearlings offered and 11 sold so far this year for an average of $430,455, ranking him second among stallions with offspring in the September catalog, only behind the aforementioned Flightline. Life Is Good, a son of perennial leading sire Into Mischief , won nine of his 12 career starts for trainers Todd Pletcher and Bob Baffert—four of them being grade 1s—including the 2021 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and the 2022 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), retiring with earnings of $4.5 million. He stood his first year at WinStar for an advertised fee of $100,000 and the 2025 season at $75,000.
A Life Is Good half sister to 2024 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Seize the Grey brought $1.25 million from Repole Stable at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale. He had three other yearlings bring $500,000 or more at that sale, selling to Repole and to other top entities Spendthrift Farm and White Birch Farm.
Life Is Good is represented by 83 yearlings cataloged for the September Sale, with a couple of pedigree standouts offered early on in Book 1. Hip 30 is a half sister to grade 1 winner and millionaire Newgate and grade 2 winner Denim and Pearls—both by Life Is Good's sire Into Mischief—consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent. Hip 35 is a colt out of the stakes-winning Tapit mare Matera, who is a half sister to multiple grade 1 winner and successful sire Liam's Map and top sire Not This Time . He will be consigned by Gainesway, agent for breeder Don Alberto Corporation.
Spendthrift Farm's 2021 Eclipse champion male sprinter Jackie's Warrior sits third with an average of $272,692 from 13 sold; highlighted by a $625,000 colt who sold to Legion Bloodstock, agent, at the Saratoga Sale.
The Steve Asmussen trainee showed incredible juvenile form, and kept winning at an elite level through age 4. He was the first horse in Saratoga Race Course history to win a grade 1 race at the track in three consecutive years. He retired with 12 wins from 18 starts, with earnings in excess of $2.9 million.
"I would say first, they look like athletes," said Spendthrift's general manager Ned Toffey about Jackie's Warrior's offspring. "He's a horse that's very powerfully made. Beautiful horse, great bone, athletic, great muscling on him. I think that's something we're seeing with the yearlings.
"They have a good, strong, athletic look about them. He's doing a nice job of adding some substance to his mares."
Coolmore's entourage takes the next four rankings—Golden Pal at $169,737 from 19 sold, Corniche at $169,083 (12), Epicenter at $152,727 (11), and Jack Christopher $152,500 (18).
Golden Pal, Corniche, and Jack Christopher all showed excellent juvenile form, which should bode well for their demand in the September Sale. Golden Pal won the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T), Corniche won the 2021 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and was crowned champion 2-year-old male; and Jack Christopher notched a grade 1 win at 2 in the 2021 Champagne Stakes (G1).
