My Eyes on You
No freshman sire has generated more buzz this season than brilliant Grade 1 winner Yaupon. This acquisition is a strong mover with exceptional balance and substance, embodying the signature Yaupon trait: speed that carries.
Eyepopnruby ‘23 is a classy-acting horse with real presence who gives the impression that he’s very intelligent and has been there before. He’s a great mover with plenty of balance and substance who looks to have the physicality to carry his speed–that’s been the defining characteristic of the Yaupons in general.
The Feb. 20 foal showed off a huge stride (26.5 ft.--one of the biggest of his breeze session and the sale as a whole) while working in :10 2/5 before galloping out in :21 1/5 and :34 flat. He got a fairly relaxed ride and seemed to be doing it all on his own very willingly.
Also of note is that the son of Yaupon was consigned by the same outfit from which MyRacehorse’s champion sprinter Straight No Chaser was purchased as a juvenile for what proved to be an incredible bargain at $110K.
Extremely popular at both the weanling and yearling sales, Yaupon’s progeny continue to garner serious attention at the under-tack auctions in 2025. Through OBS March and April, he has produced colts that have fetched $1.3 million (the most by any freshman sire), $875K, $625K, etc. Given the many top judges who have purchased Yaupon sons and daughters thus far, it would seem very likely that he is going to pan out as a young sire.
The horse's dam Eyepopnruby has produced one stakes winner, another stakes-placed runner and a third stakes-producing dam from five winners thus far. This is a bit of an older family overall, but there’s plenty of black-type on the page and a filly from it was second in last year’s G1 Darley Alcibiades, while another took the 2023 G2 Summertime Oaks. .
After a standard post-sale break on the farm in California, Eyepopnruby ‘23 will be conditioned by top Southern California trainer Mark Glatt, who is fresh off taking the 2025 Santa Anita Classic Meet training title. Glatt, who boasts a 25% win rate this year as of this writing, counts Grade 1 winners Dr. Schivel and MyRacehorse representative Collusion Illusion among his many past standouts.
The horse will undergo surgery to remove an undescended testicle before returning to training. This is common practice in Thoroughbred ridglings, typically resolving any discomfort that might otherwise limit racing performance. Notably, A.P. Indy, one of North America’s leading sires, successfully raced and bred following similar surgery. However, there are limited veterinary studies directly assessing fertility post-surgery, and while many ridglings achieve breeding success, the condition could still influence stallion value or market perception. Investors should carefully consider these factors.
