Freshman sire watch: 20 runners are set for Keeneland action
The 2025 freshman sire crop continues to perform at a high level as the season moves into October, with Yaupon firmly establishing himself as the leader with 21 wins from 80 starts through Tuesday. The son of Uncle Mo has posted an impressive 26.3% strike rate, the highest among any sire with more than 10 wins. Knicks Go is in second place with 14 wins from 90 starts, and Maxfield has secured 12 wins from 64 starts.
Last week saw 18 winners from freshman sires across multiple tracks, with Yaupon adding two more victories to his tally. Independence Hall also enjoyed a strong week with three winners.
Recent winners
Yaupon continued his dominant run with two winners last week. Letmecounttheways broke her maiden at Belmont at Aqueduct on Saturday, followed by Woodstock's victory at Remington Park on Sunday. Independence Hall's three winners included Glorious Boy at Belmont at Aqueduct and Victory Hall at Delaware Park, both scoring victories during the week.
Leinster picked up his seventh win when his star Lennilu scored in the Hollywood Beach stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. Essential Quality had two winners during the week with Essential Wild Cat and Essential Time, and Basin, Knicks Go, Modernist and Mo Forza each registered victories.
Freshman sire standings
| Sire | Starts | Wins | Places | Shows | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yaupon | 80 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 26.3% |
| Knicks Go | 90 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 15.6% |
| Maxfield | 64 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 18.8% |
| Rock Your World | 70 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 15.7% |
| Beau Liam | 60 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 16.7% |
| Essential Quality | 65 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 13.9% |
| Independence Hall | 67 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 11.9% |
| Uncle Chuck | 38 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 21.1% |
| Basin | 35 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 22.9% |
| Modernist | 49 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 14.3% |
| Charlatan | 44 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 15.9% |
| Leinster | 29 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 24.1% |
| Raging Bull | 61 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 8.2% |
| Silver State | 58 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 8.6% |
| Code of Honor | 44 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 11.4% |
| Known Agenda | 49 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 8.2% |
| Tacitus | 48 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8.3% |
| By My Standards | 46 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 8.7% |
| Lexitonian | 40 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 10.0% |
| Engage | 40 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 10.0% |
This week's entries
Freshman sires have 75 entries in the next five days, with major action scheduled for the weekend. Saturday's card at Belmont at Aqueduct features 10 entries from freshman sires, including multiple runners from Essential Quality, Maxfield and Yaupon. Keeneland opens its fall meet Friday, with 20 freshman-sire runners entered through the weekend.