Freshman sires: Yaupon is still no. 1 as Breeders’ Cup nears

Yaupon maintains his position atop the freshman sire standings with 24 wins from 102 starts, posting an impressive 23.5% win strike rate. His reliable production continued this week as his runners competed at multiple tracks including Keeneland, where Woodstock is entered in Saturday’s Myrtlewood Stakes.

Recent stakes successes

Abarta, a son of Into Mischief based in Canada, notched a victory on Sunday at Woodbine, with Zabarta capturing race 5.

Lexitonian saw Fire and Wine break through at Woodbine on Sunday, adding to a solid season that has produced six wins from 46 starts for a 13% win rate. The sire has several runners entered this week, including Greyline Station who finished fourth on debut at Laurel Park and Lexico entering at Keeneland on Wednesday.

Silver State recorded his sixth winner of the year when Savage State captured race two at Finger Lakes on Monday. The victory came at odds of 133-1, demonstrating the unpredictability that makes these young horses compelling to follow. Silver State now has six wins from 73 starts.

Leading sires standings update

Knicks Go continues his strong showing with 15 wins from 107 starts. The champion racehorse has multiple entries throughout the week, including Colleague at Mountaineer on Wednesday. Love Knicks Hart makes her debut at Keeneland on Thursday, while Knoty Knicks enters an allowance race at the same track.

Maxfield is tied for second in wins with 15 but has done so from just 83 starts, giving him an 18.1% strike rate that ranks second among the top producers. His runner Maximum Offer finished third on debut at Keeneland on Saturday. Maxfield has seven entries this week across multiple tracks.

Rock Your World has compiled 15 wins from 89 starts for a 16.9% win rate. His offspring continue to find success at various levels, with Rock Etiquette entering at Penn National on Wednesday and Surfin’ U. S. A. making a debut at Santa Anita on Thursday.

Stakes action ahead

The upcoming week features several freshman sire offspring in stakes competition. At Belmont at the Big A on Saturday, Maxfield will be represented by both Max Money and Fourth and One in race one, the Sleepy Hollow Stakes at one mile on dirt, while Galilean’s Froutien also competes in the same event. The Maid of the Mist Stakes, at the same distance but for fillies, showcases Victory Hall by Independence Hall, Rina’s Revenge and Letmecounttheways both by Yaupon, and Grazie by Modernist.

At Keeneland on Friday, Woodstock by Yaupon enters the Myrtlewood stakes, while Misinformation by Essential Quality competes later in the card in a starter allowance. Gulfstream Park’s Saturday Our Dear Peggy stakes includes Vita Mia by Engage.

Arapahoe Park hosts stakes action on Saturday featuring Tall Cool One by Modernist in race five and She’s Never Wrong by Independence Hall in race seven. At Mountaineer, Crown the Buckeye represents Yaupon in race seven, while Sweet Kylie by Independence Hall enters race six.

Freshman sire statistics

Upcoming entries

Wednesday

Delta Downs race 1: Little Miss Curlin (Charlatan), What’s Love (By My Standards)

Delta Downs race 6: Whateveryousay (Hog Creek Hustle)

Horseshoe Indianapolis race 8: Daphne Brewnette (Essential Quality)

Keeneland race 2: Napoli (Maxfield), Lexico (Lexitonian)

Mountaineer race 1: Something Fast (Tacitus), Mustwinagenda (Known Agenda), Runslikelightning (Silver State), Colleague (Knicks Go)

Penn National race 3: Spicy Bubba (Beau Liam), A Little Presley (Combatant), Rock Etiquette (Rock Your World)

Parx race 6: Capos Sugar Kane (Capo Kane)

Thursday

Belmont at the Big A race 5: Escape Hall (Independence Hall), B Raging On (Raging Bull), Fort Griffin (Charlatan), Grumblyrumhogan (Independence Hall), Helmet of Will (Beau Liam)

Belmont at the Big A race 6: Coach of the Year (Maxfield), Atenea (Beau Liam), Joropo (Venezuelan Hug), Intothewilderness (Independence Hall), Morning Prayer (Combatant)

Horseshoe Indianapolis race 1: Piedra Preciosa (Maxfield), Law and Disorder (Charlatan)

Keeneland race 2: Maximum Effort (Maxfield)

Keeneland race 5: Love Knicks Hart (Knicks Go)

Keeneland race 7: Knoty Knicks (Knicks Go), A Million Dreams (By My Standards)

Mountaineer race 1: Bourbon N Blush (Basin)

Mountaineer race 5: Unbridled O’Brien (Beau Liam)

Remington Park race 3: Girls Knicks Now (Knicks Go)

Friday

Belmont at the Big A race 2: Wamo (Yaupon), Combat Mission (Combatant), Whiskey Point (Yaupon)

Belmont at the Big A race 5: Tacticality (Essential Quality)

Delta Downs race 6: Captain Blood (Mo Forza)

Gulfstream Park race 1: Coqueta Blue (Maxfield)

Gulfstream Park race 2: Hot Cocoa (Chance It), Kathleen’s Derby (Leinster)

Gulfstream Park race 6: Permian Basin (Basin), Essential Girl (Essential Quality), Amuse Me (Maxfield), Little Georgie (Charlatan)

Keeneland race 4: Emancipation (Independence Hall)

Keeneland race 5: Easter Promise (Tacitus), Bohemian (Essential Quality)

Keeneland race 6: Woodstock (Yaupon) - stakes

Keeneland race 10: Misinformation (Essential Quality) - stakes

Laurel Park race 4: Maxpower (Maxfield), Shenadoah Sunrise (Engage), Knickoletta (Knicks Go), Judy G (Engage)

Santa Anita race 3: Surfin’ U. S. A. (Rock Your World), Soul Sister (Modernist)

Santa Anita race 4: La Motta Avenue (Raging Bull)

Saturday

Arapahoe Park race 1: Sophie’s Heart (Knicks Go), Thoroughlicious (Mo Forza)

Arapahoe Park race 5: Tall Cool One (Modernist) - stakes

Arapahoe Park race 7: She’s Never Wrong (Independence Hall) - stakes

Belmont at the Big A race 1: Max Money (Maxfield), Fourth and One (Maxfield), Froutien (Galilean) - stakes

Belmont at the Big A race 4: Victory Hall (Independence Hall), Rina’s Revenge (Yaupon), Letmecounttheways (Yaupon), Grazie (Modernist) - stakes

Delta Downs race 3: Kanon’s Parole (No Parole)

Fairmount Park race 1: W W Star (Maxfield), Time to Toast (American Pastime), Ladies Legacy (Shogood), Chief Gross (Shogood)

Gulfstream Park race 1: Mi Amada (Independence Hall), Ivey My Love (Tacitus), R Slew of Cash (Knicks Go), River Blossom (Chance It)

Gulfstream Park race 3: Chance On Me (Chance It), Polizon (Modernist)

Gulfstream Park race 8: Nour (Core Beliefs)

Gulfstream Park race 9: Vita Mia (Engage) - stakes

Horseshoe Indianapolis race 1: Tokajii (Sombeyay), Infinite Speed (Sombeyay)

Horseshoe Indianapolis race 4: Imperial Merlot (Sombeyay) - stakes

Keeneland race 2: Adir (Essential Quality)

Keeneland race 4: Easy Kiss (Yaupon), Leedu (Independence Hall), Jackie Blue (Knicks Go), Sonic Sass (Yaupon)

Keeneland race 10: Chatterfield (Maxfield)

Laurel Park race 6: My Lady Jbella (Maxfield), Ivy Garden (Tacitus), Floyness (Silver State)

Laurel Park race 9: Broadside Salvo (Fortune Ticket), J J Pacheco (Engage)

Mountaineer race 6: Sweet Kylie (Independence Hall) - stakes

Mountaineer race 7: Crown the Buckeye (Yaupon) - stakes

Remington Park race 8: American Taylor (Rock Your World)

Santa Anita race 3: Postmodern (Charlatan)

Sunday

Gulfstream Park race 4: Lady Chance (Chance It), Kokomo Kitty (Uncle Chuck), Inde Rose (Independence Hall), Sweet Ruby (Uncle Chuck)

Laurel Park race 6: Max Capacity (Maxfield), Bonsai Warrior (Yaupon)

Looking ahead

As of Oct. 21, the freshman sires with Breeders’ Cup contenders are Independence Hall with Civil Liberty in the Juvenile, and Leinster, who has Lennilu for the Juvenile Turf Sprint. Yaupon’s Sassy C W and Yaupon de Replay are listed as probables for the Turf Sprint as well.