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Freshman Top 5 Sires of Year 26: Turf
Original article written by Carolyn Eaton posted 14 years 2 weeks agoWelcome to the Year 26 Top 5 Series. This year we start with the Freshman Turf sires. As always, criteria for inclusion for this article is that the sire's oldest offspring were 2 in Year 26 and must have had 4 or more runners in Year 26. To be included for consideration, the sire must have been announced in the Sires retiring for Year 24 foals on the forum (if I happened across one, I added it, but if you did not take the time to list your stud, you must not want the publicity in the chance it's hot). The top 5 are ranked by both % winners and average earnings per starter. Without further ado:
Number 5 by % winners: Break. The son of Invincible Spirit has broken well from the gate by siring 20 winners from 35 runners (57.1%). He is a two time G1 winner from a sire that had already sired the successful Spirited, so he definitely meets the “criteria” for a likely good sire. His top runner G2 winner Humanitarian is out of the unraced (and three time stakes producer) Giant's Causeway mare Humane. Break has been siring winners from a variety of sire lines, showing a great flexibility, and since he does not have Storm Cat within three generations he is a nice source for outcrossing. He stands for a very reasonable $15,000 in Japan.
Number 5 by average earnings is a little higher on the list, and will be discussed there.
Number 4 by both % winners and average earnings is Excellence (Mark of Esteem). He sired a small but solid group of 10 runners with 6 winners (60%) with average earnings of $19,051. His best runner is stakes winner Excellent Song out of the stakes winning A Bus mare A Sonatina. Three of his winners were out of mares by Everybody's Happy (who only sired 8 mares, so a limited group), but before Mr. Bolt gets discouraged, winners were also by much more popular sires Destiny and Guitar. Excellence stands in England for $5000.
Number 3 by % winners, Jack Bauer, was also the #5 by average earnings. The son of King's Best (also the sire of Right Hand Man) sired 10 winners from 16 runners (62.5%) with average earnings of $18,067. Jack Bauer is a multiple G1 winner, including the prestigious Australian Silver Slipper. Like his famous “sire brother” he has been doing extremely well with Storm Cat mares and those out of Storm Cat line sires (A Bus, etc). His top runner is graded stakes placed Inflatable out of the stakes winning A Bus mare Play Time. Jack Bauer stands in England for $17,500.
Number 3 by average earnings was also Number 2 by % winners. Forty Four Years (Worlds Abound) who sired 7 winners from 11 runners (63.3%) earning an average of $19,615 per runner. Forty Four Years did not have a particularly illustrious racing career – his only stakes wins came in listed stakes (he did have several Grade I placings) and not a particularly illustrious female family being out of a maiden winning mare, but Peter Gleason saw “stud” and supported him with good results. His top runner is the two time stakes winner Flannel out of the winning A Bus mare Taffeta. Forty Four Years has been doing well with most turf sprinting and miler studs, he is free of Storm Cat in the first three generations, so should make a good outcross. He is currently standing in England for $1,000.
Number 2 by average earnings:Just. His 76 runners averaged $22,142. It is no surprise that the offspring of this multiple Simmy winning son of Right Hand Man out of an A Bus mare (“classic” turf sprint breeding) have been running so successfully. His top runner is G1 winner Justify out of multiple stakes producer Soothe by Star Studded. He is doing best with A Bus mares (that 2 x 3 back to A Bus becoming a turf sprint standard), and has also done well with Night Shade and Fleet Afoot mares. Just stands in Australia for $45,000.
Number 1 by both % winners and average earnings: Storm Trooper (Storm Cat) with 9 winners from 12 runners (75%) and average earnings of $81,539. He proves that full siblings can sometimes be successful (he is the full brother to the over 1 million dollar earner and multiple stakes producer Storm's Twilight). He is no longer a breeding “secret” since his best runner Storm the Blockade took the Steward's Cup Turf Dash. Storm the Blockade is by far the best offspring of the unraced mare Be Fair by Fast Gold II. Storm Trooper is proving to be extremely versatile, as no dam sire shows up twice in his top runners. He is by Storm Cat so Storm Cat mares themselves may be a little close, but since most sprint lines contain Storm Cat 3- 4 generations back, other sprint line mares should be OK. Storm Trooper stands in Ireland for $25,000.
Next up is the Top 5 Freshmen Sires: Dirt
Until then, Happy Racing and Happy Breeding!