Violence, who stands at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms in Lexington, Ky., finished 2017 as the second-leading freshman sire in North America, and in 2018 he went one step further, becoming the leading second-crop sire in North America, with progeny earnings of $5,441,805. He also finished fifth on the 2018 juvenile sire list, with earnings of $1,905,214.
While the Illinois breeding industry has seen better days, as long as there is life, there is hope for a brighter future.
In recent years, Indiana has bucked a downward national trend with its on-the-rise Thoroughbred industry.
Despite a racing program that has witnessed steady growth in purse distribution and average purse per race, and offers a respectable incentive program, Iowa's breeding end of the business has trended in a different direction.
Not only did Into Mischief finish as the leading juvenile sire by several measures, but young Spendthrift Farm sires Cross Traffic and Goldencents, the latter a son of Into Mischief, led the freshman sire list.
Leading Ohio general sires Cowtown Cat, Mobil, Factum, and Awesome Patriot will be joined in 2019 by the young graded stakes winner National Flag, who will stand at Blazing Meadows Farm.
As War Front's stallion career has developed, his handlers have prioritized quality over quantity – and the market has responded.
Kitten's Joy, who has reigned as North America's leading turf sire each year since 2013, overhauled Candy Ride atop the general sires list with earnings of $19,083,421 to the latter's $17,972,878.
Steuart Pittman, founder of the Retired Racehorse Project, and Isabela de Sousa, several times a winner at the event, were honored by the U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) at its Pegasus Awards on Jan. 10 in Florida.
Multiple graded stakes winner American Lion has been pensioned from stallion duty, gelded, and is available for adoption as a sport horse prospect at New Vocations in Lexington, Ky.
