Thoroughbred Broodmare Sires Study—4-7yo Turf Routers

Original article written by Scott Zeigler posted 5 weeks 2 days ago

We've reached Bigmoneyville in this ongoing study of thoroughbred broodmare sires with the four to seven-year-old turf router progeny. There are 54 millionaires in this class, 21 double-digit stakes winners, and five runners with 100+ BSFs. It's an incredibly deep and powerful group of 150 runners from the mares of 72 unique broodmare sires.

At this point, you've likely read my other articles in this study, so you're familiar with my methodology and some of the limitations. I'll make a couple additional comments that are particular to this class.

First, I arbitrarily stopped at 150 progeny. Conveniently it was also at around $500k in earnings, which made it easier to drop the runners that came after. While I don't think it will make a tremendous difference in the overall broodmare sire rankings, it might make a single position difference.

Second, this field is pretty evenly distributed with 12 broodmare sires having between four and seven progeny on the list. Most of the sires will have runners at the top, middle, and bottom of the rankings. A few decisions by their respective owners, most importantly the decision to move on to the breeding shed or continuing to race, could have changed much.

Finally, and I've said this before, but it's so much more relevant here with an incredibly tight field, I'm the sole arbiter of the rankings based on my own statistical analysis. There is no way to definitively say which progeny are the best or which broodmare sires are the best. While I rank the field for ease structuring the article, the rankings don't matter nearly as much as the concept, in my opinion, that broodmare sires are an important tool in evaluating breeding options in each division.

Now, as the Muppets say, on with the show!

There was no clear leader in this study. For example, which of these two broodmare sires had the better class?

Sire A: Five progeny with $13.9 million earnings, including the #5 and #6 ranked runners.
Sire B: Five progeny with $13.3 million earnings, including #3 and #11.
Sire C: The most runners, 10, with $9.9 million earnings, but none ranked in the top 15.

Sire A, Obsidian Fury, was the top ranked broodmare sire overall, beating Sire B, Goodnite Goodnite, who finished second, and Sire C, Summerland, who finished a far back 8th. Obsidian Fury's class was led by five-year-old Persian Force ($6,624,500 earnings, 98 best speed figure, 10 stakes wins), the two-time winner of the Pegasus Turf, is entered in this year's Steward's Cup Turf on Friday, and six-year-old Cataclyzm ($5,084,570, 98, 12), who won last year's edition of the Steward's Cup Turf. His Classic Class ($997,500, 93, 9) runs in the Grade 1 "Champion's Vase" in South Africa with a solid chance to join the millionaire club. Obsidian Fury's mares continue to produce with 66 foals so far this season and 111 yearlings in training to run later next season, though he doesn't have any stakes winners in the two-year-old class. His final class of female progeny is turning four in Year-67, so he'll have several years of potential on this list. For this group, Obsidian Fury had a total class of 263 runners with 141 cashing a share of purse money (54%).

Goodnite Goodnite's five-horse class is led by Grogu ($7,612,500, 104, 10), who is ranked third on this survey with the third most earnings and tied at the top with a 104 BSF, and Bolivar ($3,754,000, 98, 9). His five-year-old active runner, Heartbreak Always ($941,250, 95, 7), is at 61 and stuck at just below a million in earnings after a fourth place finish in the Los Campeones Route. Goodnite Goodnite's youngest mares are six-years-old, so the window on his influence is beginning to close. He does have one of the top two-year-olds, Avengers Goodnite from his Meant Tosay Goodnite mare by Avengers Assemble. His class for older horses is 218 progeny from his mares with 132 earning (61%).

In third place is Light Up Light Up, who also had a five horse class. His was led by the eighth-ranked Light in Her Eyes ($3,467,750 , 102, 15), whose 15 stakes is second highest of the group. His second horse is ranked 21, Amor Encantado ($2,484,750, 99, 7). You can see how quickly high-earning horses drop in the rankings if their speed figures and stakes wins don't keep up. Light Up Light Up's group was strong overall without having a top five horse like Obsidian Fury and Goodnite Goodnite. His other horses were ranked 35st, his four-year-old colt, Long Goodbyes ($1,583,000, 94, 7), who is entered in the Grade 1 Arima Kinen on Friday, 51st, and 65th. Light Up Light Up's four through seven-year-old class was 136 earners from 257 progeny (53%).

Next up are a couple of four-horse classes from Nightmarch and Only Me. Nightmarch just cracks the top ten with US Blues ($4,676,000, 97, 7). He also has Love Actually ($1,094,000, 94, 8), who is also entered in the Arima Kinen, at 37th overall. Only Me couldn't get a runner into the top ten, but has 15th ranked The Farewell ($2,435,500, 95, 12).

At the top of the overall rankings, Highland Reel has his only progeny on the list, Signaling ($7,991,000, 99, 14), a five-year-old mare by Improvisational. Owned and bred by Eric Nalbone, she has a shot at adding to her top-ranked earnings this Friday in the Steward's Cup Turf. No other progeny by a Highland Reel mare have approached Signaling's success.

The second overall horse is Time Limit's Pademus ($7,204,500, 98, 13), who will look to overtake Signalling with a victory in Friday's Melbourne Trophy. Time Limit does have two other million-dollar winners who weren't including in this four to seven-year-old class, 11-year-olds, Kindness of Others and Senor Sunday.

Rounding out the top five at four is Tick Tick Boom ($7,616,500, 98, 8), the progeny of a Moulay El Hassan mare. He's also entered in the Arima Kinen. Moulay El Hassan is one of the younger broodmare sires in this study, with a final class of 107 foals this year, of those 72 fillies. That gives him 140 mares up to age six. However, none of the other progeny from his mares has even topped $100k. He has 86 yearlings in training to run next season.

Back to the overall broodmare sire rankings, Kingdom of Rust comes in at sixth overall with five progeny led by a pair of six-year-old mares. He has 20th ranked Sachmis ($2,965,500, 95, 7) and 26th Fire Down Below ($1,936,650, 96, 8). Galileo is a short distance behind with four progeny, including 19th ranked Vormir ($2,404,000, 100, 8), who is in his second year at stud, though he came up infertile this season. Breeders will get a look at his first class when they run late next season.

Remember Sire C, Summerland? His ten-horse class is led by Legalization ($2,374,000, 95, 10), who is entered in Friday night's Melbourne Trophy. While the second half of his class is mostly in the bottom third of the rankings, Summerland has three other millionaires: Cigarette Daydreams ($1,215,000, 94, 7), entered in Friday's English Champion Stakes, Brilliantly Just ($1,255,000, 101, 6), not yet entered but looks prepped to run at the end of the week, and Levitational ($1,075,000, 97, 8), who gave birth to her fourth foal this season. Summerland's four through seven-year-old class was huge with 557 progeny from his mares, out of which 307 earned purse money (55%).

The remaining broodmare sires with multiple progeny in this study: Coleman Hell (7 progeny), Take Me Black (6), Sidney (9), Itoko (4), Brilliance (6), Take Me Up (4), Satono Moon (3), Artilleryman (2), Cats in the Cradle (2), Danon Glorious (2), Fireproof (2), Improvisational (2), Le Vent Se Leve (2), Moon Faced (2), Phenomenal One (2), Reddington (2), The Tearjerker (2), There There There (2), Two Toned (2). There are too many relations in here to name them all, though it's worth noting that Improvisational is the grandson of both Summerland and Sidney.

There There There, who has those two entrants on this list including his four-year-old, A Perfect Match ($3,110,000, 95, 10), entered in the Grade 2 Closing Time Classic, has a strong upcoming three-year-old class, which will be the subject of my next article. The grandson of Sidney by I Am Right Here, There There There has 65 foals so far this season and a whopping 165 yearlings.

We'll soon see how There There There holds up against the other broodmare sires with three-year-old progeny as this study plugs along. That will be a much needed breath between this study and the sure to be grand collection of broodmare sires with four to seven-year-old progeny. Thank you for reading.

Rank Name Type Earnings Dam Sire Points BSF Stakes
1 Signaling bl.m.5 $7,991,000 Highland Reel 795 99 14 8.35
2 Pademus dkb.h.6 $7,204,500 Time Limit 881 98 13 7.86
3 Grogu b.h.7 $7,612,500 Goodnite Goodnite 753 104 10 7.73
4 Tick Tick Boom bl.h.6 $7,616,500 Moulay El Hassan 749 98 8 7.09
5 Persian Force gr.h.5 $6,624,500 Obsidian Fury 595 98 10 6.54
6 Cataclyzm bl.h.6 $5,084,570 Obsidian Fury 773 98 12 6.18
7 Exodus bl.m.7 $4,924,500 Richard Parker 635 104 9 5.64
8 Light in Her Eyes bl.m.7 $3,467,750 Light Up Light Up 812 102 15 5.61
9 This Black Filly bl.m.6 $3,133,000 Halley's Comet 879 96 16 5.26
10 US Blues b.m.6 $4,676,000 Nightmarch 517 97 7 4.51
11 Bolivar bl.h.7 $3,754,000 Goodnite Goodnite 621 98 9 4.42
12 Shadow Star bl.f.4 $3,755,000 Phenomenal One 611 99 7 4.10
13 Coco ch.h.6 $2,302,000 Le Vent Se Leve 697 100 13 3.95
14 A Perfect Match b.c.4 $3,110,000 There There There 485 95 10 3.59
15 The Farewell gr.h.5 $2,435,500 Only Me 644 95 12 3.59
16 Tangoatmidnight gr.h.6 $2,509,500 I Am Right Here 603 99 9 3.32
17 Legalization bl.h.5 $2,374,000 Summerland 562 95 10 3.05
18 Positive Vibes ch.h.7 $2,104,000 Good Magic 545 95 12 3.03
19 Vormir dkb.h.6 $2,404,000 Galileo 523 100 8 2.92
20 Sachmis bl.m.6 $2,965,500 Kingdom of Rust 455 95 7 2.87
21 Amor Encantado b.m.6 $2,484,750 Light Up Light Up 463 99 7 2.63
22 Honour and Privilege b.h.7 $2,392,500 Sidney 462 97 7 2.44
23 Fury ch.h.6 $1,492,500 Coleman Hell 663 95 10 2.25
24 Science gr.m.7 $1,214,250 Muto 565 99 12 2.18
25 Have Proof ch.h.7 $1,406,500 Fireproof 517 95 11 1.99
26 Fire Down Below bl.m.6 $1,936,650 Kingdom of Rust 421 96 8 1.98
27 I'll Burn for You bl.m.5 $1,565,250 The Tearjerker 514 96 9 1.92
28 Shadows of Ghosts dkb.m.6 $1,557,250 All Shades of Blue 513 94 9 1.81
29 Whoomp There It Is bl.h.6 $1,487,750 Sidney 567 98 7 1.69
30 Sea Ghost gr.m.7 $1,496,000 Black Tide 561 94 8 1.66
31 One More Sunday bl.h.7 $1,557,500 Sunday Heartbreak 499 95 8 1.66
32 Dee Es See Haitch b.f.4 $1,614,500 Contrail 503 97 7 1.66
33 Ivermectined gr.m.5 $1,053,500 With Class 569 95 11 1.60
34 Land of Leadership bl.m.6 $1,005,500 Yasiel 572 95 11 1.53
35 Long Goodbyes ch.c.4 $1,583,000 Light Up Light Up 438 94 7 1.32
36 Not Avengers gr.h.5 $989,000 Street Cry 485 95 10 1.16
37 Love Actually b.m.5 $1,094,000 Nightmarch 524 94 8 1.02
38 Careless Remarks bl.h.6 $1,267,500 Charlton Heston 427 93 8 1.00
39 The Womble bl.h.5 $1,558,500 Mal 376 95 6 0.99
40 Squid Game bl.h.7 $1,601,500 Two Toned 437 95 5 0.98
41 Natural Born Killer bl.h.6 $1,180,500 Take Me Up 467 93 8 0.97
42 Cigarette Daydreams bl.h.5 $1,215,000 Summerland 495 94 7 0.95
43 Brilliantly Just bl.h.5 $1,255,000 Summerland 396 101 6 0.93
44 Sanity's Fall ch.m.5 $929,500 Sottsass 491 95 9 0.91
45 Classic Class bl.h.5 $997,500 Obsidian Fury 487 93 9 0.91
46 Fadetoawhisper bl.h.6 $713,500 Only Me 489 99 10 0.90
47 Christian b.h.6 $1,164,500 King of Ashes 426 93 8 0.85
48 If I Say gr.m.7 $1,726,300 Coleman Hell 339 94 5 0.83
49 Levitational gr.m.7 $1,075,000 Summerland 386 97 8 0.82
50 Throw No Shade b.m.7 $923,750 Coleman Hell 473 97 8 0.79
51 Fiat Lux dkb.m.7 $1,017,500 Light Up Light Up 497 93 8 0.79
52 Cupid's Moon bl.h.6 $770,750 Morning Becomes 487 94 10 0.74
53 Black Sabbath bl.h.6 $886,050 Take Me Black 475 93 9 0.70
54 Claude Von Riegan b.h.7 $990,500 Coleman Hell 433 95 7 0.52
55 Hot Stepper bl.h.7 $1,087,500 Take Me Black 449 95 6 0.52
56 Mind Shahryar dkb.f.4 $811,250 Galileo 407 95 9 0.52
57 Cat Bird Seat bl.m.5 $698,000 Cats in the Cradle 396 96 10 0.49
58 Heartbreak Lovers dkb.h.5 $833,000 Nightmarch 381 95 9 0.49
59 Violinist bl.c.4 $1,257,000 Satono Moon 302 97 6 0.48
60 Vala bl.m.7 $1,097,140 Moon Faced 411 95 6 0.44
61 Heartbreak Always bl.h.5 $906,250 Goodnite Goodnite 445 95 7 0.41
62 Adore You dkb.m.5 $1,056,000 Danon Glorious 389 93 7 0.41
63 Rainbird ch.m.6 $686,000 Take Me Black 358 99 9 0.36
64 Nite Sky bl.h.6 $745,500 Take Me Black 438 96 8 0.35
65 Noises in the Dark bl.m.7 $915,000 Light Up Light Up 413 93 7 0.25
66 Growing Crops bl.c.4 $811,500 With Drama 403 96 7 0.20
67 Mybestblacksocks bl.h.5 $1,153,250 Take Me Black 405 93 5 0.19
68 Pulpit Rock bl.h.5 $760,750 Phenomenal One 425 96 7 0.17
69 Snapped dkb.h.5 $922,750 Anthony Van Dyck 391 96 6 0.17
70 Sweet True Lies bl.m.7 $701,500 Obsidian Fury 415 98 7 0.13
71 Mawu b.f.4 $848,000 Moon Faced 363 95 7 0.11
72 Fire 'n Fire gr.h.5 $650,000 Improvisational 391 92 9 0.02
73 Less Has Changed bl.f.4 $1,148,900 Only Me 304 95 5 0.02
74 Tearful Moon bl.h.7 $988,100 Satono Moon 346 92 6 -0.05
75 Surmized gr.m.7 $737,500 Summerland 349 96 7 -0.07
76 Day to Day bl.c.4 $788,250 Kitasan Black 345 94 7 -0.09
77 Scorpion Grass bl.f.4 $637,000 Rust Red Moon 343 95 8 -0.15
78 Emerald City dkb.m.5 $707,000 Satono Moon 342 94 7 -0.25
79 Brilliant Blues gr.m.5 $755,500 Summerland 403 93 6 -0.25
80 Nouvelle dkb.m.7 $602,250 Sidney 369 92 8 -0.30
81 Fight Em With Fire bl.m.5 $776,500 Sidney 389 96 5 -0.30
82 Bleeding Black bl.m.6 $711,500 Two Faced Panther 370 95 6 -0.31
83 Carnival Radiance b.m.6 $608,500 Itoko 291 99 7 -0.33
84 Ways to Be Wicked ch.h.6 $933,000 Coleman Hell 346 92 5 -0.36
85 Peaceful Hearts bl.f.4 $642,500 Omaha Beach 343 93 7 -0.42
86 Sand bl.m.5 $658,250 Pinatubo 267 100 6 -0.45
87 Lady of the Socks ch.m.5 $574,500 Like Diamonds 353 94 7 -0.48
88 Ivorian Brilliance gr.m.6 $567,750 There There There 339 94 7 -0.53
89 Looks Totally Fab bl.m.7 $405,750 Brilliance 307 96 9 -0.53
90 Too Cool bl.h.7 $655,500 Goodnite Goodnite 341 94 6 -0.55
91 Quintilla bl.c.4 $888,250 Brilliance 283 93 5 -0.56
92 You and I Forever bl.m.6 $804,500 Kingdom of Rust 313 94 5 -0.56
93 Summertime Silence bl.h.7 $743,100 Suzuka Silence 389 92 5 -0.57
94 Keri dkb.m.7 $633,300 Signed in Flame 363 93 6 -0.58
95 You Changed Mine dkb.m.6 $698,500 Two Toned 336 96 5 -0.59
96 Ivory Tears bl.m.6 $713,640 The Tearjerker 294 97 5 -0.63
97 Qismat bl.h.6 $603,500 Quieter Time 349 98 5 -0.64
98 Mauriously bl.h.6 $554,050 Take Me Up 345 92 7 -0.65
99 Le Nord b.g.5 $797,150 Deputy Governor 293 93 5 -0.68
100 Takeabowsaygoodnite b.m.7 $571,500 Galileo 299 93 7 -0.69
101 Falling bl.m.6 $644,550 Take Me Up 278 95 6 -0.70
102 Wolfman Jack ch.h.6 $1,216,500 Brilliance 221 94 3 -0.70
103 Set My Heart On Fire bl.m.7 $758,000 Kingdom of Rust 265 95 5 -0.73
104 Lamujerquebotafuego bl.m.5 $664,000 Kingdom of Rust 306 96 5 -0.74
105 Sensationalize b.f.4 $595,000 Improvisational 313 94 6 -0.74
106 Flames Glow bl.m.6 $515,900 World Wakes Softly 319 93 7 -0.75
107 Good Times Tonight gr.m.6 $577,250 Goodnite Goodnite 337 93 6 -0.77
108 Melody's Song bl.m.7 $626,000 Galileo 301 93 6 -0.77
109 Spectacular Smooch bl.m.5 $820,000 Summerland 225 99 4 -0.78
110 Accend dkb.h.7 $679,500 Stalingrad 346 92 5 -0.80
111 Trailsman bl.h.7 $642,300 Reddington 323 94 5 -0.83
112 Still Lucky bl.f.4 $653,500 Kementari 260 93 6 -0.84
113 Fresh Pasture dkb.g.6 $581,000 Summerland 407 92 5 -0.84
114 Forever Knight ch.h.7 $577,000 Take Me Up 308 93 6 -0.85
115 Sales Meeting bl.m.7 $665,500 Secret Meeting 389 94 4 -0.85
116 Kiss Me More bl.m.7 $589,000 Take Me Black 261 95 6 -0.86
117 Just So You Smile bl.m.5 $648,000 Epiphaneia 306 94 5 -0.87
118 Be Your Possession dkb.m.5 $647,250 Sidney 317 93 5 -0.89
119 Future Nostalgia b.m.6 $517,000 Timing 317 94 6 -0.90
120 Legolas dkb.h.6 $535,500 Nightmarch 334 92 6 -0.91
121 Pick of Destiny bl.h.7 $570,950 Reddington 403 91 5 -0.93
122 Palma Nova dkb.m.7 $614,500 Summerland 343 92 5 -0.94
123 Ivorian Twist ch.m.5 $524,250 Bricks and Mortar 353 91 6 -0.94
124 Archrivals gr.m.6 $548,750 Itoko 330 95 5 -0.96
125 Stars Blazing gr.m.6 $548,750 Itoko 307 92 6 -0.96
126 England Expects b.h.6 $520,350 Saxon Warrior 303 93 6 -0.98
127 Holy Diver ch.h.5 $567,500 Saturnalia 283 92 6 -0.99
128 Road to Singapore bl.f.4 $552,250 Coleman Hell 310 95 5 -1.00
129 Raphael gr.h.6 $618,000 Giant's Causeway 297 93 5 -1.01
130 Sage of Fire dkb.f.4 $514,500 Danon Glorious 253 95 6 -1.04
131 Rocket Tothe Moon b.m.7 $508,000 Summerland 273 93 6 -1.10
132 Evil Starfall bl.c.4 $683,000 Itoko 293 93 4 -1.13
133 I Never Was Alone bl.m.5 $538,500 Brilliance 285 94 5 -1.16
134 Southern Peach ch.f.4 $541,250 One More Page 263 95 5 -1.17
135 Know Heartbreak b.h.5 $511,000 King of Monsters 315 93 5 -1.18
136 Bulletproof gr.c.4 $591,000 Sidney 294 95 4 -1.20
137 Leonidas bl.h.5 $510,000 Artilleryman 293 93 5 -1.25
138 Warbler bl.h.5 $589,250 Artilleryman 335 92 4 -1.25
139 I'll Always Love You bl.m.5 $660,500 Coleman Hell 253 99 3 -1.25
140 Cats Impact b.c.4 $536,250 Cats in the Cradle 305 95 4 -1.29
141 Numb My Tooth bl.h.5 $523,250 Wizarding War 329 93 4 -1.35
142 Hush Puppy b.g.5 $521,350 Obsidian Fury 230 93 5 -1.42
143 La Joya b.h.7 $547,750 Sidney 320 91 4 -1.43
144 Smashing ch.m.7 $560,500 Only Me 307 91 4 -1.44
145 The Awesome One dkb.f.4 $514,500 Sidney 189 99 4 -1.50
146 Residentials gr.m.7 $503,500 Sidney 263 90 5 -1.51
147 Temple of the Cat b.c.4 $1,000,700 Brilliance 141 95 2 -1.59
148 Impactless b.c.4 $613,000 Brilliance 259 93 3 -1.64
149 Funky Stank dkb.h.6 $681,750 Fireproof 285 95 2 -1.64
150 Tearsforanotherday ch.h.7 $507,000 Le Vent Se Leve 217 94 4 -1.68

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