Freshman Sire Watch: Yaupon takes over at the top
The 2025 freshman sire standings have seen some shuffling with Yaupon emerging as the new leader after registering his fifth winner. The son of Uncle Mo moved to the top of the table with an impressive 41.7% strike rate from 12 starters, pulling ahead of early leaders who have struggled to maintain their pace.
Yaupon added to his total when Strong Potential won at Ellis Park on Friday, followed by Sassy C W's victory in the Prairie Gold Lassie Stakes at Prairie Meadows the same day.
Yaupon was a Steve Asmussen trainee and a talented sprinter whose Grade 1 win came in the Forego, where his closing rally was punctuated by rival Firenze Fire's teeth. He stands at Spendthrift Farm for a $25,000 stud fee.
Two sires celebrated breakthrough victories last week, with Uncle Chuck scoring his first winner when Chucky's Ride broke through at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, and Raging Bull getting off the mark as Jutland captured his maiden at Horseshoe Indy on Thursday.
Behind Yaupon in the standings, Rock Your World and Leinster are tied for second with four wins each. Rock Your World has a 30.8% win rate from 13 starters, and Leinster maintains a strong 36.4% strike rate from 11 starts. Seven sires have registered two wins, led by Charlatan with an impressive 33.3% win rate from just six starters.
Beau Liam picked up his second winner as Lanaluah broke through at Lone Star Park on July 5, and Knicks Go registered another victory when Ewing captured his race at Saratoga on July 5, earning the fastest HRN speed figure of the week for a 2-year-old.
Freshman sire standings
| Sire | Starts | Wins | Places | Shows | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yaupon | 12 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 41.7 |
| Rock Your World | 13 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 30.8 |
| Leinster | 11 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 36.4 |
| Knicks Go | 15 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 13.3 |
| Beau Liam | 14 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 14.3 |
| Maxfield | 12 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 16.7 |
| Charlatan | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 33.3 |
| Listing | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 40.0 |
| Raging Bull | 14 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7.1 |
| Essential Quality | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10.0 |
| Code of Honor | 9 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 11.1 |
| Uncle Chuck | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14.3 |
| Basin | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 16.7 |
| Known Agenda | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 20.0 |
| Waiting | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 25.0 |
| Raging Tiger | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 33.3 |
| Galawi | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 33.3 |
| Modernist | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 33.3 |
| No Parole | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.0 |
| Chance It | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 |