Fasig Tipton Saratoga Top Picks

From the upcoming Saratoga Select Sale:

My top 4 hips to watch for this sale are as follows:

1.)  Hip 7   Ch. f. 08 (Henny Hughes-Sass Me*Carson City) (4/30)

This daughter of the first crop of speedster Henny Hughes (by Hennessy), comes from a sire who could carry his speed around one turn up to 8.5 furlongs (second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Belmont), while coming from a dam whose half sisters are two of the fastest female sprinters we have seen in quite some time: Madcap Escapade and Dubai Escapade.  The former was able to carry her speed up to a mile around two turns, and was also a daughter of Hennessy, making this filly a very close relation.  Add to this the bold precociousness and damsire prowess of Carson City (arguably the in the best three juvenile sires of our time, along with Meadowlake and Phone Trick... and he is also the damsire of Barbaro), and you have a filly who looks like she will absolutely fly.  And, fly early.

2. Hip 66  B.c.08 (Mr. Greeley-Angel's Nest*Storm Cat) (3/14)

Mr. Greeley always shocks me with his quality as a sire.  He was a stellar sprinter/miler his entire career, but never flashed the kind of brilliance that hinted at his chances as a stallion.  He tends to beget good milers with high cruising rates, on all three surfaces.  Add to this the best-bred dam in the sale, Angel's Nest (Storm Cat-Miesque), and you have a colt who is bred to run on anything, and be a superior miler.  Miesque has given her offspring the same brilliant turn of foot that she had, and Storm Cat adds speed, grit, and classic brilliance to his offspring.  This colt should be the sale topper, but Mr. Greeley still is not as flashy as the A.P. Indys and Unbridled's Songs.  

3. Hip 110  DB.f.08 (Giant's Causeway-Dancethruthestorm*Thunder Gulch) (2/15)(ONT)

This filly has Queen's Plate written all over her.  By Giant's Causeway, from the great Sam-Son family of Dance Smartly, with the endurance and classic grittiness of Thunder Gulch added.  This filly will run on everything short of broken glass.  Enough said.  

4. Hip 221  Gr.c.08 (Unbridled's Song-Pure Symmetry*Storm Cat/Serena's Song)(3/15)

What has to be the second-best bred colt in the sale is this son of Unbridled's Song, out of Pure Symmetry (Storm Cat-Serena's Song).  Not only was Serena's Song an amazing racemare, but she has passed on her genes to produce multiple G1 and G2 winners.  If you add in the Unbridled's Song influence, you have a colt with a similar genetic makeup as MGSW Harlington (Unbridled-Serena's Song), but with more speed with the addition of Storm Cat, and more scope (Trolley Song/Caro).  This colt has classic distance and tactical speed written all over him.