Malibu Moon's fee rising to $60K

Malibu Moon's stud fee will jump from $40,000 to $60,000 in 2011, Spendthrift Farm announced Monday.

A 13-year-old A. P. Indy horse, Malibu Moon currently ranks third on the general sire list and has enjoyed a banner year with such 2010 Grade 1 winners as Life at Ten, Devil May Care, and Malibu Prayer, among other Grade 1 performers.

"Malibu Moon has proven himself to be a top sire with each year being better than the one before," Spendthrift owner B. Wayne Hughes said in announcing the raise. "We thought he earned a bump this year and wanted to put him at a price that breeders would feel is still good value."

Malibu Moon has had 59 yearlings to sell at North American auctions this year for a median price of $95,000. His 40 colts averaged $164,150 and 19 fillies averaged $127,553. At the Keeneland September sale, the world's largest Thoroughbred yearling auction, 41 Malibu Moon yearlings averaged $171,829.