Yankee Gentleman Leading Louisiana Sire

A “sleeper” among the first-year stallions of 2004 was Yankee Gentleman  , who retired to stand at Airdrie Stud at a fee of $10,000. The son of Storm Cat had won four of 10 starts at 3 and 4, and although his only stakes victory came in the restricted Pirate’s Bounty Handicap at Del Mar, he’d taken that race in 1:07.9, the fastest six furlongs recorded by a son of his sire. He’d also shown brilliance when taking a seven-furlong maiden event at Gulfstream Park by 11 lengths, and his other wins, in allowance contests at Belmont Park and Del Mar, were achieved by five lengths and 3½ lengths, respectively. In addition, Yankee Gentleman appealed as a physically imposing individual, was out of the grade I-winning mare Key Phrase, and appeared to have a pedigree that would dispose him well to crossing with Mr. Prospector-line mares.

Well, the sleeper has now really awakened, and although the emergence from slumber didn’t happen in time to save his Kentucky career, the Bluegrass’ loss has been Louisiana’s gain as Yankee Gentleman, who is now at Le Mesa Stallions, is now the clear leader of that state’s sire colony. (Incidentally, Yankee Gentleman’s somewhat similarly-credentialed and -pedigreed relative Tribal Rule–a Storm Cat half-brother to the dam of Yankee Gentleman–has stamped himself as one of California’s leading young sires with 14 stakes winners, including the grade I-winning Georgie Boy, in his first four crops.)