THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
Article taken from Marketwatch
At the major yearling sales, the first-crop sires are usually the ones with the “buzz”. Comments about their yearlings key around words like “athletic-looking” and “racy”. By the time a stallion’s third crop hits the sale arena, the buzz has to be backed up by some performance and how well his first two crops have done on the racetrack.
At the time of last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale, the first foals of EMPIRE MAKER hadn’t made much of an impact in 2-year-old racing. What a difference a year makes. Once the juvenile races lengthened to two turns later in the year and they got more opportunities as 3-year-olds, people began to take notice of EMPIRE MAKER'S runners.
Last year Country Star ran off with the two-turn Darley Alcibiades Stakes in early October, then came back to win the Hollywood Starlet Stakes (both Gr.1). EMPIRE MAKER'S Mushka, a $1.6 million sale yearling, took the Demoiselle Stakes (Gr.2) in late November. Those key players’ earnings helped vault EMPIRE MAKER into the top 10 list of sires with their first foals to race in 2007.
This year, he has three new Stakes winners from his first crop, including Acoma, a Gr.3 and Gr.2 winner, and Roman Emperor, who won the May 17 Barbaro Stakes on the Preakness undercard at Pimlico.
The buzz was back on EMPIRE MAKER for those buyers seeking a classic-style pedigree able to produce the two-turn horse. This year, with 30 yearlings sold, EMPIRE MAKER posted a $175,000 median.
Traditionally there is quite a drop off in price from year two to year three in sale average and median. EMPIRE MAKER'S yearlings experienced only a scant decline of 4.1% from the 2007 median of $182,500 (also 30 sold).
EMPIRE MAKER, a Juddmonte Farm homebred son of Unbridled, stands for just $100,000.
Date:
20 November 2008