The risks involved in buying a seven are pretty obvious.
Spending a considerable amount of cash on a boneless horse does not guarantee any form of success. The infamous lesson of The Green Monkey, who sold for $16 million in 2006 only to lose all three of his career starts and earn just $10,440, is the consequence for that.
However, paying $1 million or more when selling a stallion also has a distinct advantage in creating a higher ceiling for that horse as the price tag often reflects regal lineage.
That principle will be shown on April 9 in the $300,000 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets (G1) at Aqueduct race track when First Captain will try to become a student who won the first prize.
A 4-year-old son of Curlin , First Captain is really someone who aspires to millions of dollars and then some. Raised by celebrity chef Bobby Flay, it was purchased for $1.5 million at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton’s New York Sale of Select Yearlings, from a Stone Farm shipment. Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm, Flay and Woodford Thoroughbreds, he has enjoyed success in the classifieds holdings company, winning the Dwyer Stakes (G3) for coach Shug McGaughey.
He’s made $285,600 through four wins in five career starts, and winning the Carters seven times would bring that total to about $460,000. However, that number represents a fraction of what his value would be if he won Saturday. To the First Captain and his relationships, Carter reflects the immense importance of a 1st place win for a particular type of horse.
Should First Captain win Carter, a conservative estimate of his worth as a steed would be 5 times his purchase price, or about $8 million, with plenty of opportunity to That number increases with additional success and those with lucrative financial investments tied to other top-level winners.
Terry Finley, president and chief executive officer of West Point Thoroughbreds, said: “The difference with a horse like the First Captain is that when they’re standing in place and a stallkeeper gets the call, they don’t need to. have to dance around the pedigree.” “You can have a talented uber horse on the track but if the pedigree isn’t there that’s what people will think of every time they order a mare for him. That’s why you pay the price. expensive to sell; to take away that question is in a breeder’s mind.”
As AP Indy mare America’s first pony, First Captain certainly has the pedigree of being an intriguing stallion in the years to come.
America on the track was the 3rd and 1st place winners and earned $580,532 for Flay. On her genealogy page, she comes from the Better Than Honor family, the dam of the winners of Belmont Stakes (G1), Rags to Riches and Jazil and her two most recent ponies perfectly bred, the avid sister of the First Captain and a weaner Uncle Mo pony.
She was also part of Flay’s special breeding program that produced mares like Dame Dorothy, which had three ponies (Spice is Nice of Curlin, $1,050,000; Principe d’Oro via Medaglia d’Oro $650,000; Sgt. Pepperof Uncle Mo, $1,600,000) was sold for a total of $3.3 million. Flay also bred the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) winner in 2021 Pizza Bianca who belongs to? Fasnet Rock out of the mare Galileo White Hot.
“Bobby is a good breed,” said McGaughey, who has had a series of well-bred horses during his Hall of Fame career working for owners like the Phipps family. “He took some nice mares and bred them to good stallions and it all seemed to work for him.”
Finley also sees the value of Flay’s quality versus quantity approach.
“Bobby doesn’t have the same number of mares as others, but he has quality mares that make him at the top of the livestock industry. He loves being in families with explosive opportunities,” Finley said. . “The first captain comes from a top notch family and it will be uplifting if we can get him into the winner’s circle after the tier 1 race.”
Carter promises to be an intriguing test for First Captain as he will have to face quality opponents like Speaker corner , Mind control and Green light reduced a single option benefit race grant over the past eight months.
“You never expect an easy 1st grade,” says Finley. “People don’t look past them.”
Unranked in 2nd place, First Captain won the first three starts, capped by his 3/4 length win in the Dwyer, a junior mile test 3 years old. That win put First Captain in the middle of Runhappy Travers (G1) Stake conversations, but a disappointing third in Curlin Stakes on July 30 at Racecourse Saratoga changed everything. When the foal’s subsequent training did not satisfy McGaughey, he was kept on the sidelines until returning to the trainer’s stable in Florida in December and was looking as good as ever for a campaign. 4 years old.
Finley said: “We had some stops and starts with this guy, but one of our thoughts was to race more as a 4-year-old and 5-year-old. We’re seeing the work of our blood agent, David Ingordo, and everyone else involved with it and it looks like the plans are starting to come to fruition. “
The first captain returned to the races in a seven-month race on 27 February in Gulfstream Park was a classic performance for the chestnut pony as he once again appeared to be in a difficult position on his way home but then produced three lengths in the final eight-mile to won with a score of 1: 22.19.
“We’re not allowed to win that subsidy race,” Finley said. “But he has the will to win. He keeps running the same race. It doesn’t look like he’s going to win, but he has a goal and gets there. He’s a really interesting horse. taste and part of it is pedigree and relationships, but I think his killer instincts put him first.
“He’s a great horse, he’s got the looks and the charisma,” he added. “When we first started, we dreamed of having a horse like him. We don’t underestimate how lucky and fortunate we are to be associated with him.”
While McGaughey is pleased with the First Captain’s physical development since his last race, he still sees some room for the foal’s growth in maturity, which could be holds the key to his talent.
“He’s a lot more mature than he was last year but he still has a lot of way to go,” McGaughey said. “He’s only run five times and needs to grow more. You can see the potential in him, and, with the exception of Curlin, he’s always run his race and I don’t see why he’s not participating. join on Saturday.”
While Carter is a difficult enough next step, what happens on Saturday could create an extremely interesting situation for West Point and its partners in June.
The First Captain is one of seven horses worth millions of dollars or more that West Point has purchased for sale, with some mixed results.
Chestertown the son of Tapit Bought for $2 million from Sequel Bloodstock consignment at Ocala Breeders’ March Sale 2 year olds in training sale for just $392,625 to West Point, breeders Chester and Mary Broman, Woodford Racing, Siena Farm, and Robert Masiello and were soldered.
On the contrary, a great success story is Flight route , an undefeated and brilliantly agile 4-year-old Tapit was purchased for $1 million from Lane’s End consignment at The Saratoga Sale. California-based 1st place winner for coach John Sadler and team ownership of Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, Summer Wind Equine, West Point and Woodford Racing, he’s an electric length 11 1/2 winner of Runhappy Malibu Stakes (G1) for a coveted and valuable level 1 victory.
Haven’t hit the mark since scoring that exhilarating December 26 at Santa Anita . Parkhe is expected to resume training mid-April with the goal of the Hill ‘n’ Dale Capital Handicap June 11 (G1) at Belmont Parkthe same famous mile race can also attract First Captains and provide West Point association members and several other ownership groups an unforgettable Belmont Stakes Day experience.
“We are enjoying the trip with both Flightline and First Captain,” Finley said. “There are separate entities that own each of them, and we manage them as if there’s no connection. You can’t be too cute with a race like the Met Mile, so the running. both, if all goes well, we’ll think. it’s going to be a fun summer.”
