Ramseys top individual breeders for third straight year

Ken and Sarah Ramsey led all individual North American breeders by earnings for a third consecutive year in 2015, with horses bred solely by their operation earning $9,399,425.

Based in Nicholasville, Ky., the Ramseys were represented by the winners of 202 races from 1,667 starts. The Ramseys are finalists to earn Eclipse Awards for the third consecutive year, having swept both the owner and breeder awards during the previous two seasons.

The strength of the Ramseys’ program lies in their homebred stallion, the turf champion Kitten’s Joy, who has sired many of the farm’s most successful runners.

Leading the way for the Ramseys in 2015 were Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Stephanie’s Kitten and multiple Grade 1 winner Big Blue Kitten, both Eclipse Award finalists. Other prominent Ramsey-bred runners last year included Grade 3 winner Coalport and Grade 2-placed Emotional Kitten.

Sheikh Mohammed Al-Maktoum’s Darley operation finished second among individual breeders with $9,226,571 in earnings, with 253 winners from 803 starts. However, Darley finished on top among breeders that included partnerships, with $11,607,639 in earnings and 214 winners from 1,296 starters, besting the Ramseys in second place, with $9,442,869 in earnings and 204 winners from 1,683 starters.

With a U.S. operation based at Jonabell Farm in Lexington, Ky., Darley was led in 2015 by runners such as Grade 1 winners Frosted and Wedding Toast and Grade 2 winners Sentiero Italia and Annual Report. Darley also is a finalist for the outstanding breeder Eclipse Award and won it in 2012.

Rounding out the top 10 individual breeders was Adena Springs, $8,721,749; Zayat Stables, $8,434,540; WinStar Farm LLC, $7,813,415; Brereton C. Jones, $5,061,492; Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, $4,721,497; Eugene Melnyk, $3,944,909; Spendthrift Farm LLC, $3,849,787; and Charles Fipke, $3,759,702.

The top 10 breeders including partnerships included Adena Springs, $9,412,519; WinStar Farm LLC, $8,853,197; Zayat Stables, $8,434,780; Brereton C. Jones, $6,536,196; Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, $5,584,001; Claiborne Farm, $4,768,896; Machmer Hall, $4,121,691; and W.S. Farish, $4,005,266.