Airdrie Stud stallion, Upstart, will be represented by four colts and two fillies from his first-crop of yearlings in the upcoming Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Yearling Sale, to be held at Newtown Paddocks in Lexington on July 9th. The curtain-raiser to the yearling sales season, the July Sale offers buyers a first opportunity to purchase yearlings from the initial crops of new stallions, with such yearlings comprising nearly 30% of this year’s catalogue.
Select Sales will offer a pair of Upstart yearlings, including Hip 15, the first Upstart yearling expected to go through a sales ring. The colt out of Remembermefondly was purchased by Picturesque Farms & Redfield Farm as a weanling at Keeneland November for $65,000 from John R. Penn, who had purchased his well-bred dam, Remembermefondly, from the dispersal of Saud bin Khaled’s Palides Investments in 2011. Select Sales will also offer Hip 286, a filly out of the 100% producer, Lion Lemon ‘n Lime.
Gainesway will consign Hip 353, a colt out of the Stakes-winning mare, Out Of Goodbyes. This colt was purchased by Blue Sky Stables for $85,000 at the Fasig-Tipton “Night Of The Stars” Sale last November.
A colt out of Greatest Reward, a half-sister to the dam of G1 Joyful Victory will be offered by Equus Farm, while War Horse Place will offer a homebred colt out of Ridingwiththedevil, a young daughter of Candy Ride with almost $180,000 in race earnings.
Brereton C. Jones’ own consignment will highlight Hip 103, an Upstart filly out of Visavis, by Indian Charlie. Runner-up in the G3 Eight Belles S. at Churchill Downs in 2010, Visavis has produced three winners from three to race, including the talented three-year-old colt, Admire, who contested races like the Bluegrass S. (G2) this spring while on the Derby trail.
A multiple Graded Stakes-Winning earner of over $1.7 million, Upstart was dual Grade 1 placed at 2, 3 and 4 years of age. Precocious at 2, Upstart broke his maiden in style on debut at Saratoga before winning the Funny Cide S. and placing 2nd in the G1 Champagne and 3rd, a nose behind Carpe Diem, in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. A sparkling 102 Beyer Speed Figure at 2 was surpassed by a 108 Beyer at 3 as Upstart established himself as a leader on the Derby Trail of 2015. He won the G2 Holy Bull S. on his three-year-old debut before being controversially DQ’d and placed 2nd after winning the G2 Fountain Of Youth S. next time out. He went on be placed in the G1 Florida Derby and G1 Haskell S. Upstart returned at 4 to win the G3 Razorback H. at Oaklawn Park and concluded his career with gallant placed efforts against the best North America had to offer in the G1 Met Mile and G1 Whitney H.
Upstart’s first crop of weanlings averaged over $64,000 and sold for a median of $60,000 (six-times his stud fee), and we are excited to see his yearlings go under the hammer this summer and fall.
