2yo's for 2023

Racing
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It’s just about that time! I’m still wondering where the year went. My choices last year were a mixed bag this year, with most I’m hoping improve as 3yo’s. Of the 7 I chose, only 3 have won but Flattery managed a 4th in the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes and has been on the board all year; Lancaster has been in the top 3 all year, and Voices’ only flop this year was at the stakes level.

Instead, our best 2yo’s this year have been September who won an ungraded and was 3rd in the G1 Beach Shore Stakes, MG1P Sunstruck Flag, G3W Worth His Salt, and MSP Foolish Whispers.

Some picks for next year…

[color=red]Heavy Sugar (Foolhardy x Cherry Cheesecake). From Foolhardy’s final crop, she’s out of a gold mare and half to MSW’s Ch. Get the Axe and Ch. Cherries Jubilee.

[color=red]Iberis (Belanso x Artemis). Half to 2yo MSW Ch. Gifted Detail. 2 of her 3 older sibs are FF owned and didn’t start until 4 and 5, and her third older sibling only ran at 5 and 6, so there’s a chance her family does well early and hasn’t had the chance to prove themselves.

[color=red]Lapageria (Worthy Victor x Filly from Chile). Half to MSW Ch. Color Run, SW Ch. Caleuche who won the BC Juv Turf, and SP Ch. Frost on Tap.

[color=blue]Wild Hunt (Long Live the King x Midnight Run). Half to MSW’s Ch. Owl Hunt, Ch. Honeydukes, and SP Ch. Rosette.

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Some of my posts from that older topic disappeared, so who knows… my OTB % isn’t great, but better than last year, and I had mostly 2yo’s in the racing barn! Two are still unraced. The best one is [color=red]Ch. Wiry Feeling, which I bought earlier this year because I also owned her dam, a NCh. Then there is [color=blue]¡A ver!, rather surprisingly, he performs well at stakes level. And the recent Gr. 2 stakes winner [color=red]A Room Of Her Own. She’s from a really nice damline.

Next year I’m hoping that [color=blue]Assuri (WCh. Drum Major - Easy Union) will mature early, like most of his dam’s offspring. His sire was also stakes level as an older horse, so hopefully this colt’s career will last longer than a year.

[color=blue]Béthune (GCh. Edinburgh - Ch. Portofino) has almost reached his expected height, and I really like his pedigree.

[color=blue]Cap’n Körlinq (Curlin - Ch. Crownette) is a half brother to A Room Of Her Own, and he has the same height at the moment, although he’s expected to grow some more (also he was born a week or so later).

Also [color=blue]Cap’n Muncher (NCh. Al Mundhir - Ch. Ophelia) reached his minimal expected height, so maybe Al will have some more 2yo winners next year. 

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I didn’t make any guesses last year, but of this year’s 2 year olds, by far the best has been [color=blue]Ch. Wry Hope (NCh. Formal Occasion x Indy Angela - A.P. Indy). I bought him for $5k in the Grey Stable auction in May, and he went on to win both the G1 Hopeful Stakes and the G1 Futurity Stakes, and he even pulled a 3rd in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Other highlights included homebreds [color=red]Crisanta (NCh. Golden Text x Costa Marta - Rock of Gibraltar) with a 2nd in the G2 Reisling Slipper Trial and [color=red]Glass Belle (ICh. Belanso x All Those Glasses) with 2 stakes 3rds in the G1 Spinaway Stakes and the Ungraded Bertram F. Bongard Stakes.

For next year, I have a couple favorites I’m keeping an eye on.

[color=red]Kiss The Fool is by far my biggest hopeful for next year. She’s the first Foolhardy baby I’ve ever gotten my hands on out of gold ranked ICh. French Kiss. Her full brother, Ch. Postmaster, seems to have done fairly well his 2YO year, so hoping she follows in his footsteps.

Second pick is [color=blue]Star Sign, an Invasor son out of gold ranked Starzen mare Change Your Stars. He has 2 full siblings, winner Space Invador and Stakes Winning Ch. In The Stars, neither of whom were raced much, if at all, at 2, so it’s a toss-up whether or not he does well at 2, but being from good stock, his potential is promising.

Also interested to see how [color=red]Blind Destiny (NCh. Hidden Destiny x All Those Glasses) does. She’s half to this years MSP Glass Belle, so if she follows in her sister’s footsteps, she should be good to go.

And last but not least, I’m watching out for longshot [color=red]Speechcraft. She’s by gold ranked WCh. Express Yourself, who did quite well for himself at 2 years old. She also has a stakes winning half brother, Ch. He’s Her Knight, who was 2 for 2 at 2 years old, but her mother, Ch. Fairly Persistent, seems to have been “fairly persistent” at throwing tail-watchers, so it’s a 50/50 chance Speechcraft does what she was bred to do.

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Wow… I completely missed Palermo in that post. Pass the Buck and Madame Pele are multi-stakes winners. Dayton Accords is stakes placed. Cthulu and Billy Big Rigger are a multi-winners.

The exciting thing for us next year is that Starling’s first foals hit the track. :slight_smile:

Some ponies we’re excited about:

[color=blue]A Thankless Task is a sentimental favorite. Dam, NCh. Thank Goodness, is by FFCh. High Chances and blue-hen mare Go For Glory. The foal is 3/4s to WCh. Toast of the Town thanks to FFCh. TakeMeToHollywood. I don’t anticipate his 2yo season to be super successful, but later years should be nice.

[color=red]Attilla the Hen is the 2nd foal to race out of NCh. Madame President by Von Lichtenstein. Half-sibling Burberry is stakes placed.

[color=blue]Damascus is out of Platinum mare Spirit of Arabia by NCh. Golden Text (G). He’s a grandson on AP Indy and I would love to get him studified.

[color=red]Here Comes Jenny is NCh. Ishka’s first foal from Run Jenny Run’s first crop. Her parents were super successful, and it’s always exciting to see the first crop hit the track.

[color=blue]President for Life is from Starling’s first crop.

[color=blue]Spin Spin Spin is half to NCh. Star Spun, Ch. Fable Spinner and Ch. Frau Holle. By I’m Your Angel out of Spinning Hill. Solid, proven lines.

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My post from last year has also disappeared and I can’t remember who I was hopeful about.

We’ve currently got 52 2yos (plus 2 recent purchases who haven’t raced for us yet so can’t take any credit for those). 18 of those have managed at least one win, several have placed and we still have two who are yet to race. So far, the most successful would be [color=red]Belle of the Ball who’s a stakes winner, [color=blue]Principality (MSP), [color=blue]Cool Thunder (SP & 3 wins).

For 2023 I suspect most of the horses we have are likely to be late maturing types who’ll probably be better at 3+. We currently have 69 yearlings. Perhaps the nicest looking of the bunch so far are:

[color=blue]Book of Secrets (Calle de Oro x GCh Ancient Fire). First foal for MSW dam who’s half to NCh Ancient Magic. From his sire’s first crop.

[color=red]Buttermere (Ring of Fire x Just A Fox). Definitely a later type but deserves a mention as I love Ring of Fire and Just A Fox has been a wonderful broodmare. This filly is half to ICh Sionnach & NCh Llwynog.

[color=blue]Cashin In (Von Lichtenstein x British Pounds). Four older siblings to race - 1 x MSW, 1 X SW,MSP and 1 x MSP. VL is the sire of our two best performing two year olds this year so we’re hopeful for this guy.

[color=blue]Murmuration (Golden Text x ICh Blackbird). A later foal but our first homebred out of Blackbird, who we were lucky enough to pick up from one of Shanthi’s ‘thinning out the herd’ sales. Half to GCh Millenium Falcon.

[color=red]Smooch (Foolhardy x Ch Kissing Point). First foal for MSW dam. Sire needs no introduction. May be late maturing as dam showed no form until she was 4.

[color=red]Tales Old As Time (Foolhardy x Question Authority) Penultimate foal from this mare (final filly). Half to several stakes level horses, most notably ICh Quarren. Another that’s likely to be late maturing (half-sister Smaug has hit stakes level this year for the first time as a 5yo, 3yo half-brother has only recently broken his maiden, Quarren was stakes level from 3-5 years).

[color=red]Vienna (Sponsored x WCh Highland Jet). Dam was exceptional on the track. Her best runners to date have been by Foolhardy but we’re hopeful this filly will have some talent. Sire’s early runners haven’t done much to date but he’s only had a small number hit the track.

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Can’t remember if I ever posted in the previous year’s thread but from the looks of it, my 2YOs have so far been floundering about, whether in my barn or someone else’s. [color=blue]Beyond The Horizon has been the most consistent of the lot. 6 starts and 4 wins. Kudos to AllegroThoroughbreds.

I only have 16 2YOs in my 2023 crop, which I actually like. Too sentimental to get rid of most of my older horses so they’re being leased and managed by other people while I try to do better in this game  ::)

[color=blue]HORUS (American Pharoah x Diamond Prospector, by Mr. Prospector) is my most anticipated one of the bunch. Half-brother to a stakes winner and a stakes-placed and I’m really eager to see how well the FF and real life Pharoahs do. Plus he’s black. I love black horses.

[color=blue]THE HINTERLANDS (Eighteen Karat x Scotland’s Glory, by Highland Laird) has a very nice pedigree and a really lousy owner-breeder/trainer. His older full brother [color=blue]Heart of Glory has done okay so far. Maybe he’ll do one better.

[color=red]KULESHOV EFFECT (Eighteen Karat x Fade to Black, by The Black) is a half-sis to some blacktype runners.

[color=red]SHIPS IN THE NIGHT (Naval Commander x Farewell to Arms, by Candidate) is a half-sister to [color=blue]USS Vengeance who is actually doing really well in stakes competitions which is wild because I don’t breed consistently quality horses. So based on that, I have some hopes for this filly.

16 soon-to-be-2YOs means I have hopes for all of them but the above are the ones with the more promising pedigrees. I think. Dunno, I have a pretty bad track record with that…

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Didn’t post last year, but 4 out of 12 have won in my first crop with average earnings of $18,608. Nothing fancy, but pretty good considering I only got back in the game this summer!  :wink: For next year I have a crop of 13.

[color=red]Amaryllis (GCh. Tottenham Hotspur x Prince’s Lady-Townsend Prince). She’s half to SW Ch. Suspicious Minds and SP Unabridged Prince. She’s also 3/4 to MSW millionaire Ch. Lord Tottenham. I’m pretty excited about this filly.

[color=blue]Bertie Botts (NCh. Hogsmeade x Ch. Dr Sweetie-GCh. Jazz It Up). His dam is gold rated, which makes him half to MSW Ch. Jazzy Legs and MSW Ch. Vague Guide. He probably won’t get rolling until 3 at the earliest, but hopefully he’ll be worth the wait.

[color=blue]Legilmency (NCh. Hogwarts x Gyre Carlin-GCh. Highland Laird). He’s his dam’s first foal and I’m hoping she inherited her dam’s (gold rated Dream Time) talent in the breeding shed! His dam didn’t hit the track until 4, and it looks like Dream Time’s foals did best early, we’ll see if that off sets his sire’s late development.

[color=blue]Kaiserstuhl (NCh. Von Lichtenstein x French Bikini-ICh. Candiate). Not the fanciest of female families, but his 2 y/o half brother has been amusingly consistent at coming in 2nd (5 out 5 starts). If this boy and his brother can figure out how to win that consistently than French Bikini could turn into a solid broodmare.

[color=red]Serval (NCh. Exit Poll x War Cat-created). Out of an interesting mare that holds speed records at 5.5 and 6f on dirt, and also is SP at 18f over the jumps. I own two of her half brothers. The 3 y/o was doing nicely at flat sprints, but I switched him to jumps and he won immediately, so we’ll see if keeps that up. The 2 y/o has won three times, and has only been out of the money at the stakes level, hopefully he has even more talent over the jumps next year. Tldr she should be able to handle flat races next year and fly over the jumps as an older horse. She’s also half to MSP and SP horses.

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I didn’t post last year but my 2022 2yo highlights are: Note that I very lightly race all my 2yos :slight_smile:
[color=blue]Feel The Rythym (WCh. I’m Your Angel (S) x Capture The Glory (S)) - Record is 5(3)-1-2(2)-0-1
[color=red]Fiery Crash (WCh. I’m Your Angel (S) x Fan Into Flame (G)) - Record is 5(3)-1-2(2)-0-0
[color=red]Long Island (FFCh. Foolhardy § x GCh. Solo Sunset (S)) - Record is 4(2)-2-0-1(1)-0

My high hope prospects for my 2023 crop are:
[color=blue]Lord Licorice (FFCh. Foolhardy § x Ch. Candyland §) - 1/2 to MSW Bubblicious, SW Lieutenant Uhura and SW Sweet Treat. And obviously with Foolhardy as his sire there is always potential!

[color=blue]Illusion (WCh. I’m Your Angel (S) x GCh. Desert Mirage) - First foal out of his dam but she had a fantastic racing career reaching her peak at 4yo. So if Illusion follows her steps he’ll be a late bloomer.

[color=red]Never Ending (WCh. I’m Your Angel (S) x Never Ending) - First foal out of his dam but she had a fantastic racing career reaching her peaking as a 2 and 3yo

[color=red]Goddess (NCh. Lake Highlands x Ch. Fleet Goddess (G)) - First set of foals by Lake Highlands and i’m excited to see them run! Goddess is also 1/2 to MSW and Stud GCh. Naval Commander and MSW Ch. Dionysus

[color=blue]Run Down (NCh. Lake Highlands x Kill A Mockingbird (G)) - First set of foals by Lake Highlands and i’m excited to see them run! He is also 1/2 to MSW GCh. Sin Pecado and GCh. Susurro

[color=red]Musician (GCh. Naval Commander x Musical Gift §) - First set of foals by Naval Commander and i’m excited to see them run! She is also 1/2 to MSW GCh. River Star and Ch. Mister Sun

[color=red]Kissed By The Sun (ICh. Quarren (S) x California Dreams §) - I like this girl’s lineage, quite a bit different then my usual. She is 1/2 to MSW GCh. Blue Eyed Girl and SW Ch. California Girl and Morning Angel

[color=red]Red Rum (NCh. Run Jenny Run x Expressway Kiss (G)) - First set of foals running for Run Jenny Run and i’m really looking forward to watching them grow. She is 1/2 to alot of rockstars including: GCh. Sheza Sheila, Standing Stud GCh. Turnpike Wannabe and GCh. Lady Express

[color=red]AfraidOfHeights (NCh. Sunday Paper (B) x Ch. High Enough (G)) - This year was Sunday Paper’s 2yo debut, I think they’ll blossom more as 3yo. This filly is 1/2 to GCh. Mocktail, GCh. Vertigo, GCh. Gabriel and NCh. Take Me Higher. She is also the last foal out of this fantastic mare before she passed away

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I thought I had posted in last years thread but can’t find it. I know some of the horses i had the most hope for though because I usually pick on the basis of their dam’s success. 

I certainly had high hopes for [color=red]Ch. Wild Fool grey filly FFCh. Foolhardy x Wild Highland.  She certainly did not disappoint with 5 wins and 4 places all but one at stakes level. she is also my youngest ever millionaire!

Another of my favourite  broodmares is While We’re Waitng  so also hoped for good things from [color=red]Sweet Wishes black filly WCh. As You Wish x While We’re Waitng. She is multi stakes placed and I hope she will get a stakes win in due course.

[color=red]April’s Fool brown filly FFCh. High Chances x Ch. Undebatable. Undebatable has so far produced 100% winners  and April has won also but only at lower allowance races.

The only colt that I had high hopes for is [color=blue]Royal Fool Dark bay colt FFCh. Foolhardy x NCh. Best Queen. Although he has won 3 times he has only managed places at stakes level. I really hope he trains on as 3yo as I’d love to have a stud qualified horse. in 12 years of playing this is something I have never managed  :frowning:

For next year  i am looking forward to seeing these 2yos run
[color=red]Contrary Mary FFCh. Foolhardy x Ch. Mary Hill. Mary has 4 winners from 4 runners the best of which is her full sister GCh. Fool on the Hill MSW MSP

[color=red]Last Highlander grey filly ICh. Candidate x Wild Highland. This is Wild Highland’s last foal and I so hope she will be a winner for her.

and finally [color=red]Waiting for Rain bay filly ICh. City Upon a Hill x While We’re Waitng.

seems like not only do I usually have more filly foals they are also more successful than the boys!

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Oh 2yos for this year have been our best yet, and

Our best this year is [color=blue]Ch. Gifted Detail who has 2 G1 wins and 2 G1 OTB finishes. He’s almost a millionaire too! His dam is in foal to Too Stressful but will definitely be visiting Unabridged again next. I also own his weanling half sister. Record: 7(5)-4(2)-0-2(2) $927,000

We have two other SP 2yos this year!

[color=blue]Dark Sunrise. He ran 3rd in the G3 Coventry Stakes and has 3 allowance wins! Record: 6(2)-3-1-1(1) - $88,000

Today, [color=red]Your Love got her stakes placing coming in 2nd in the G2 Brandywine Breeders’ Stakes! Record: 7(2)-2-3(1)-0 - $86,750

For next year’s 2yo crop I’m most excited for:

[color=red]Kissonthelips Silver Wizard (B) x Blarneystone Lane § - out of Platinum ranked Blarneystone Lane, dam of stallions NCh. Hogwards & NCh. Hogsmeade as well as MSWs GCh. Belak and Ch. Bele. We were very excited to acquire this filly from Grey Stable this year especially since Silver Wizard is now retired.

[color=red]Hollywood Dixie Dixie Time (B) x Hollywood Victory (G) - half to GCh. A Pharoahs Victory, GCh. Triomphe, & GCh. Quest for Victory. All were MSWs at 3 or later so we’ll see.

[color=red]Muggle Silver Wizard (B) x Secret Magic (G) - half to Ch. Salazar & Ch. Saghi. We also own a half brother by Belanso, Smart Flower, who has been on the board for all 4 of his starts at 2 included 3 allowance wins. 

[color=blue]Silver Sigil Silver Wizard (B) x Swirling Silver § - half to Ch. Starfleet Command, Ch. Sajen, & Ch. Shield Invertor. We own a half brother, Sunad, who has’t performed well at stakes level but is consistent.

[color=blue]Toxic Belanso (S) x Townsend Victory § - half to Ch. Taleen, Ch. Tarchannen, Ch. Talosian, Ch. T’Pau, & Ch. Temarak all SWs at 3 so might have to wait. 

[color=red]Wishcraft Silver Wizard (B) x Black Spiral (G) - half to Ch. Natagora, Ch. Solicitant, Ch. Ba’ku, GCh. Bird of Prey, Ch. Bok’Nor & Ch. Borathium. We also own a full sibling Steep Mist who is a winner at 2yo this year & half sibling weanling (& last foal) Death Eater.

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We’ll definitely be keeping an eye on her next year! Still trying to get Llwynog that last win. I’m just letting him sit & train for a couple months and hoping he can pull it off!

Excited to follow her next year considering how well Gifted Detail did this year!