The 2024 Juvenile Sale Power Rankings Presented By Pedigrees 360: Nyquist Sets The Bar After OBS March

#1 - Nyquist, Darley

An upper echelon sire from last year's standings starts 2024 with the pole position.

Nyquist was the only qualifying stallion to finish in the top five by both average breeze time and median sale price after last month's OBS March Sale, giving us a preview of just what a stallion on the upswing of his career trajectory might do in 2024.

Nyquist was North America's leading freshman sire of 2020, and the juveniles he sends to the sale today were conceived a year later. 

Nyquist's foals of 2022 and beyond were conceived with the knowledge of which physical and pedigree crosses work best with him.After proving that he could improve mares with the level of support afforded to a first-crop sire, Nyquist succeeding with his 2-year-olds of 2024 would indicate that he has made it out the other end of the stallion spin cycle and on his way toward becoming a made man in the Kentucky stallion ranks.

He saw five juveniles breeze an eighth of a mile during the OBS March under tack show, for an average time of :10.120 seconds, ranking him fourth in that category.

The fastest among them was Hip 304, a chestnut filly out of the placed Malibu Moon mare High Heeled Girl who stopped the clock in 9.8 seconds (or 9 4/5 seconds if you're counting in fifths). 

Consigned by Wavertree Stables, the filly sold to Justin Casse, agent, for $750,000 to lead the Nyquists at the OBS March Sale. she also helped drive a median sale price of $225,000, which ranked Nyquist third by that metric.

Sons of Uncle Mo have famously become fast starters with their foals. Nyquist was himself a champion 2-year-old and his class-leading freshman crop included Breeders' Cup winner Vequist, who was herself named a champion during her juvenile campaign. The 2-year-old sale season is young, but Nyquist has all the tools and momentum to maintain a high position on this list through the final sale.

#2 - Twirling Candy, Lane's End

The market has always loved a Twirling Candy 2-year-old, and his class of 2024 has given buyers plenty to like.

From his 12 juveniles to breeze one furlong during the OBS March under tack show, seven went in :10-flat or faster, with his average time of :10.150 seconds ranking him seventh overall.

Twirling Candy had two horses cross the line in :9.8 seconds: Hip 398, a colt out of the Grade 3-placed Bernstein mare Lily Pod consigned by GOP Racing Stable Corp.; and Hip 482, a filly out of the unraced Uncle Mo mare My Day, consigned by Wavertree Stables.

However, it was one of the :10-flat workers that took home the top price among Twirling Candy's OBS March offerings.

Hip 499, a filly out of the unraced Eskendereya mare Nest Egg sold to Jet Horse LLC for $600,000. Eddie Woods consigned the filly, as agent.

That helped bring Twirling Candy's median sale price to $230,000, which was the second-best among qualifying sires.

#3 - Uncle Mo, Ashford Stud

Uncle Mo has already gotten a lot of ink in this piece, so it's no surprise to see him in he top three in his own right.

Buyers get this, too, as evidenced by his category-leading median sale price of $400,000. He had four juveniles sell for $500,000 or more during the OBS March Sale, which was the most of any sire at this year's renewal.

The top price among that group came from Hip 106, a colt out of the winning Candy Ride mare Canteen who hammered to B S W/Crow Colts Group and Spendthrift Farm for $750,000. Consigned by Pick View, the colt worked in :10.4 seconds.

Uncle Mo ranked ninth by average breeze show time, at :10.169 seconds. Among his 13 juveniles to work at that distance, five clocked in at :10-flat or faster.

The quickest of the bunch was Hip 745, a filly out of the Grade 3-winning Take Charge Indy mare Take Charge Paula who breezed in :9.8 seconds. She was consigned by Top Line Sales and sold to Wesley Ward for $500,000.

#4 - Munnings, Ashford Stud

The Munnings babies have been hitting the track running for years, and the early returns of 2024 have proven no different.

He ranked second by average breeze show time, at :10.092 seconds from 13 to work at the distance. From that group, six went in :10 flat or faster, and his trio to go in :9.8 seconds tied with Improbable and Mitole for the most of the sale.

The most expensive among those sub-:10 workers was Hip 26, a filly out of the unraced Bernardini mare Ansaam who sold to Woodford Thoroughbreds for $700,000. 

Niall Brennan Stables consigned the filly, who was also Munnings' most expensive overall offering of the sale. That transaction helped drive Munnings' median sale price to $135,000, which ranked him ninth in that category.

#5 - Tiz the Law, Ashford Stud

Welcome to the show, young man.

The Belmont Stakes winner showed up to the OBS March Sale in a big way with his first group of juveniles, leading all qualifying sires by average breeze time at :10.057 seconds.

Two of his seven workers clocked in under 10 seconds, including Hip 529, who went in a blistering :9.6 seconds, tying for the fastest overall time of the sale.

The fast colt is out of the Grade 3-placed Majesticperfection mare Our Majesty, and he sold to Joey Platts for $750,000, which was the highest price for a Tiz the Law juvenile at the OBS March Sale. Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds consigned the colt.

Tiz the Law's median sale price of $122,500 just missed the top 10.

Though his greatest exploits came as a 3-year-old, it's easy to forget that Tiz the Law was one of the elite 2-year-olds of his class, as well. He was dominant in his first two career starts, winning on debut by 4 1/4 lengths, then taking the G1 Champagne Stakes by four lengths. 

Ranking first by average breeze show time might have been an upset, but Tiz the Law clearly has it in him to get his runners out quickly, and he gave a heck of a first taste at the OBS March Sale.