Leading sires attract full books in North America

Tall Dark Stranger, Captain Crunch and Huntsville, the USA 2YO Pacing Colt of the Year in 2019, 2018 and 2016 respectively, were among a select list of pacing stallions in North America to serve a full book of 140 mares this year.

The list also includes the 2017 3YO Colt of the Year Downbytheseaside, this season’s leading first crop sire and second on the two-year-old premiership.

Bettors Delight (179 mares) and McWicked (154), who both stand at the prestige Winbak Farm, Ontario where there is no limit on stallion bookings, were the most popular sires in North America.

Of the top 10 sires, nine are available to ‘down under’ breeders through either fresh or frozen semen.

Tall Dark Stranger and Huntsville are both available from Empire Stallions, Bettors Delight and Downbytheseaside are based at Woodlands Stud in NZ, Captain Crunch stands at Alabar Bloodstock’s NZ farm and McWicked is a member of the Cobbitty Equine Farm roster in NSW.

Other pacing stallions to attract 100 or more mares that are currently standing in Australia or NZ are Sweet Lou, American Ideal and Lather Up (Woodlands), Always B Miki, Bettors Wish and Lazarus (Alabar), Captaintreacherous and Stay Hungry (Empire), Fear The Dragon (Yirribee Pacing Stud) and Capt Midnight (Cobbitty Equine).

In the trotting section, the most popular stallions were Muscle Mass (Nevele R Stud), Tactical Landing (Stallions Australasia), Long Tom and Green Manalishi S with 139 mares.

Other well patronised sires available to southern hemisphere breeders are Woodlands Stud’s What The Hill (137 mares), the Stallions Australasia quartet Royalty For Life (121), Muscle Hill (113), Trixton (101) and Six Pack (99), Father Patrick (113 – Nevele R), Helpisontheway (87 – Trump Bloodstock) and Pastor Stephen (80 – Northern Rivers Equine)

There were 294 pacing stallions registered and they covered a total of 7,157 mares, while 569 trotting sires served 9,637 mares including 29 in France, 25 in Sweden and five in Israel.

Sires to serve 100 mares or more:

Pacers

Stallion                       No. Mares Served      State/Province

Bettor’s Delight           179                              Ontario

McWicked                   154                              Ontario

Downbytheseaside    140                              Ohio

Tall Dark Stranger       140                              Pennsylvania

Huntsville                   140                              New York

Captain Crunch           140                              Pennsylvania

Fear The Dragon         139                              Ohio

Capt Midnight            139                              Indiana

Sweet Lou                   138                              Pennsylvania

JK Endofanera            137                              Indiana

Papi Rob Hanover       137                              Pennsylvania

Rockin Image              136                              Indiana

Always B Miki             134                              Pennsylvania

Captaintreacherous   125                              Pennsylvania

Shadow Play               121                              Ontario

American Ideal           115                              New York

Lather Up                    114                              Ohio

Lazarus                        109                              New Jersey

Stay Hungry                108                              Pennsylvania

Well Said                     104                              Ohio

Bettor’s Wish              103                              Pennsylvania

Bit Of A Legend           101                              Ohio

TROTTERS

Muscle Mass               139                              Ontario

Long Tom                    139                              Ohio

Tactical Landing          139                              New Jersey

Green Manalishi S      139                              Ontario

Swan For All                138                              Indiana

Walner                        138                              New Jersey

What The Hill              137                              Ohio

Greenshoe                  136                              Pennsylvania

Don’t Let Em               132                              Indiana

Chapter Seven            130                              New York

Mohegan Hanover     130                              Ohio

Bar Hopping               125                              Pennsylvania

Uncle Peter                 124                              Ohio

Enterprise                   122                              Ohio

Royalty For Life           121                              Ontario

Perfect Popper           117                              Ohio

International Moni     116                              Pennsylvania

A Masterpiece            115                              Ohio

Marseille                     113                              Ohio

Muscle Hill                  113                              New Jersey

Father Patrick             113                              Pennsylvania

Mister Anson              107                              Ohio

Trixton                        101                              Ontario

• Statistics from US Trotting Association as at December 14

By Peter Wharton