2 classic winners in his first crop!?

Man O' War sired Florence Nightingale, winner of the CCA Oaks, and American Flag, winner of the Belmont in his first crop. (The CCA Oaks was considered to be the top race for three-year-old fillies at the time, much more important than the Kentucky Oaks was back then.) His second crop included Crusader (Belmont Stakes), Edith Cavell (CCA Oaks), and many other stakes winners.

It would take some time to research the number of Freshman sires that have had a classic winner/classic winners in their first crops; but what makes Birdstone's accomplishment most interesting to me is that he did so well with a very pedestrian, unaccomplished book of mares. The Comparable Index for the mares he's been bred to is 1.28; that means that the mares that he's been bred to that have produce records are mares that have produced offspring to the cover of other stallions that have earnings on par with the national average to slightly higher: i.e., his mares haven't produced many above-average runners.

His offspring weren't very well received at the auctions last year or the year before, and the word on them was that they tended to be small and not terribly correct-- harking back to Birdstone's sire Grindstone, who was a terribly unsound horse, making just 6 lifetime starts and being retired just 5 days after his Derby win when it was discovered he had fractured a leg.

Anyway, in addition to Mine That Bird and Summer Bird, Birdstone also has Stone Legacy, who was second to Rachel Alexandra in the Kentucky Oaks.

He was bred to 63 mares last year, down from 97 in 2007. He was bred to 69 mares in 2006, 97 mares his first year at stud in 2005. His stud fee has held steady at $10,000 but sure looks to be going up next year. Mine That Bird and Summer Bird's successes came late in the breeding season, in terms of improving the quality of his book this year, but I'm sure Gainesway received a flurry of late-season inquiries about him he'll probably be bred to more than 60+ mares by the time the breeding season finished this year.

Interestingly, Medaglia d'Oro, like Birdstone a stallion whose oldest offspring are three this year, has also had a sterling year: Rachel Alexandra, Payton d'Oro (winner of the Black-Eyed Susan stakes at Pimlico), and Gabby's Golden Gal, winner of the Acorn Stakes at Belmont today. Darley Stud just announced their purchase of Medaglia d'Oro today: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/51...

Unlike Birdstone, Medaglia d'Oro's offspring have been well-received at the sales, primarily because they've been very good-looking specimens, good-sized and correct. It will be interesting to see how the offspring of these two sires that come to the sales this summer and fall are received.

Birdstone has done better than the market bet he would. I hope his current crop of two-year-olds continue his success.

I'm not an expert on the subject but I do not recall that happening before. He didn't just sire the winners of two classics, he filled out 2/3 of the trifecta in the Belmont, the same race he won. Nobody can call that win dumb luck again. Birdstone never got respect when he was racing but I'll wager he gets it now in stud fees.

It's very impressive, considering he was standing for only $10,000 - obviously very undervalued! Street Cry's first year crop included Street Sense and Zenyatta, so although he didn't have two winners of TC races, he did have two Eclipse award winners (2 yo colt and older filly/mare) in his first crop. Going further back, Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox sired Omaha, another TC winner in his first crop.

i was thinking the same thing. Birdstone's stud fees just went way up. and look he is still beating Smarty Jones, SJ's didnt sire one good horse this first crop. Birdstone has two grade one winners already. i think we will see many more from him.