Tamarkuz Yearlings Hit the Mark for Buyers

Tamarkuz | Horsephotos

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The first crop of yearlings by GI winner Tamarkuz drew strong interest from buyers at the Keeneland September sale this fall, with the first five yearlings to go through the ring all selling for six figures. So far this year, his yearlings have averaged $91,000 off of a $7,500 stud fee in 2017. The son of Speightstown stands at Shadwell Farm. Shadwell's stallion manager Kent Barnes said that the farm is confident in Tamarkuz's future as a stallion. “He has the looks of his foals and he's a great minded horse. I think if you combine that with his pedigree, he has great shot of becoming a pretty good stallion in the future.”

Tamarkuz, who has six yearlings catalogued at Fasig-Tipton October, which runs from Oct. 21-24, was bred by John Gunther and sold as a yearling to the Shadwell Estate for $325,000 at the Keeneland September Sale. He started off his career in Europe, winning twice as a 2-year old over the all-weather. He was then moved to Dubai and switched to the dirt surface at Meydan. He won four races in a row there as a 5-year-old including the G2 Godolphin Mile, G3 Firebreak S., and G3 Burj Naharr. From there he traveled back to the States, joining Kiaran McLaughlin's stable. During his 6-year-old campaign, he was second in the GI Forego S. at Saratoga and in the GII Kelso H. at Belmont. Tamarkuz topped off his career by winning the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile by 3 ½ lengths, beating Eclipse winners Gun Runner, Accelerate, and Runhappy. He retired with earnings of almost $2 million, becoming Speightstown's leading earner at stud.

Tamarkuz has an adaptable pedigree as a sire, with winners on both dirt and turf in his family. He is the first foal out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Without You Babe, who has gone on to produce two other stakes horses including Without Parole (GB), a Royal Ascot winner. His dam is a half to Stay Thirsty, winner of the GI Travers S. and GI Cigar Mile H. Kent Barnes said that Tamarkuz's conformation and pedigree will make him a stallion capable of producing dirt and turf runners. “Speightstown really stamps his stock by color and size,” said Barnes. “Tamarkuz has really nice hindquarters, just like his father. But I think with his dam by Lemon Drop Kid, it stretched him out a bit. He's a little leggier than a typical Speightstown sprinter. With his pedigree, Tamarkuz is very adaptable as a sire, especially with the turf-type horses that Lemon Drop Kid tends to throw as the bottom side of the pedigree.”

Barnes also talked about the type of horse that Tamarkuz has been producing. “We've obviously bred quite a few of our own mares to him, so we have a crop of yearlings and a crop of foals to look at. They're a fairly consistent group. They've got nice, beautiful bodies to them. We're really pleased with what we see.”

Tamarkuz's weanlings sold well last year at the November Keeneland sale, with four selling at an average of $82,500, and two of those hitting six figures.

This fall's Keeneland September sale was also a big success for Tamarkuz as his first-crop yearlings averaged over $112,000 and the first five to go through the ring reached six figures. His top-priced yearling went for $280,000, purchased by Three Amigos. Consigned by Glenwood Farm, the colt is the first foal out of the Street Cry (Ire) mare Mama Tembu and is from the same family as Justify. Another top-priced yearling sold for $220,000 to Michael Dorsey. Out of the mare Surrender, the colt is a half to the stakes winner Surrender Now.

Barnes said that the farm was pleased with these results. “We were so happy with these sales results, and really pleased for the breeders. I think off a $10,000 stud fee in 2019, all the breeders have got to be really excited by his future prospects and what they're able to sell for. I think the buyers were obviously really happy with what they saw. They paid a premium for them.”

The success of Tamarkuz's offspring in the sales ring has not got unnoticed by breeders. Barnes noted, “The foals sold very well last year, which was nice. That has actually helped increase his book size. He's bred a larger book each year, which is very unusual in today's market. Usually you see a decline through the first three years. I suspect we'll see an even bigger book of mares for him in 2020.”

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