High Cotton started strong six years ago as Florida's leading freshman sire of 2011, and he followed through on the potential in 2016 as the state's top returning sire by overall progeny earnings. The 14-year-old son of Dixie Union had 92 winners over the course of last year's calendar – also the most in the state for a returning sire – with earnings of $3,485,516.
Louis Quatorze, the winner of the 1996 Preakness Stakes and a perennial top sire in Maryland, died suddenly in his paddock on Feb. 17 at Murmur Farms in Darlington, Md. The 24-year-old son of Sovereign Dancer was buried at Murmur Farms.
As far as showcase races go, the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby last weekend at Golden Gate Fields was about as good as it gets for young sire Slew's Tiznow.
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Mo Town
Curlin, who has rapidly made his ascent among North America’s elite sires, had his latest career year in 2016. The Hill ‘n’ Dale stallion hasn’t lost momentum with the turn of the calendar and is one of the leading sires of this nascent season.
One-hundred years on from Man o’ War’s birth, Tiznow is the obvious conduit for the Man o’ War line, but it is by no means certain that Tiznow will succeed in projecting his illustrious ancestor’s genes further into the 21st century.
Lord of Greatness, a stakes-placed earner of $591,327, has been retired from racing and will stand the 2017 breeding season at Stonewall’s Prestige Stallions in Ocala, Fla., for an advertised fee of $2,000.
Classic Empire, who debuts as the favorite on Mike Watchmaker's Kentucky Derby future line, became the second Eclipse Award champion juvenile in three seasons for sire Pioneerof the Nile. The first? American Pharoah.
The sudden death of Lucky Pulpit, among the most active stallions in California in recent years, will have a number of mare owners hustling to make timely alternate plans as the breeding season begins.
California stallion Lucky Pulpit, sire of two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome, has died at age 16.
