There is plenty of change going on in the California Thoroughbred industry, with an uncertain racing landscape in the northern sector of the state; the death of major breeder John Harris and the dispersal of his stock, including stallions; and a new horse moving to the state who will factor in the stallion ranks. Remaining as constants in the Golden State are its leading sires, Stay Thirsty and Grazen. Grazen, a 19-year-old son of Benchmark, has spent his entire stud career in California since entering the stallion ranks in 2010. Nick Alexander’s Grade 3-winning homebred has resided at Eclipse Thoroughbred Farm in Solvang since the 2024 season. Grazen has ranked among the top 10 California sires by earnings, regardless of progeny conception area, every year since 2019. He claimed the state’s leading general sire title in both 2023 and 2024. Stay Thirsty, a multiple Grade 1-winning son of Bernardini, began his career in 2013 at Ashford Stud in Kentucky and moved to Lovacres Ranch in Warner Springs beginning with the 2018 season. Every year since his first California-sired crop hit the track in 2021, he has ranked among the state’s top three general sires. Stay Thirsty and Grazen battled it out atop this year’s general sire list and as of Dec. 14 are separated by just $12,500. Stay Thirsty has recorded 93 winners from 204 runners this season for progeny earnings of $3,710,024, making him the leading California resident sire with state-sired progeny of racing age. Meanwhile, Grazen had recorded 56 winners from 115 runners, including five stakes winners, for seasonal earnings of $3,697,524. Collected moves from Airdrie Stud in Kentucky to Rancho San Miguel for the 2026 season. His record in Kentucky indicates he will be a major factor in this market and places him among the state’s leaders, regardless of progeny conception area. Already the sire of seven graded stakes winners from his first four crops to race, including millionaire Taxed, Collected has 101 winners from 190 runners on the season as of Dec. 14, with earnings of $6,623,179. Stay Thirsty and Grazen top other California sire lists. Stay Thirsty is the state’s leading 2-year-old sire with state-sired runners by a wide margin, with 11 individual juvenile winners this year and earnings of $622,260. Next on that list is I’ll Have Another, now a pensioner residing at Old Friends, with five winners and $439,850. Grazen recorded his first career Grade 1 winner in 2025, with Lovesick Blues taking the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes in July at Del Mar. The 7-year-old gelding fits his sire’s mold. Grazen’s five graded stakes winners all earned top wins at age 4 or later. Grazen has been equally adept on both dirt and turf and leads the California’s turf sires list for 2025 with state-sired progeny. Although Lovesick Blues earned his biggest win on dirt, he also won the Siren Lure Stakes on turf and placed in three other stakes on that surface. He finished sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Lovesick Blues earned the year’s top Beyer Speed Figure for a California-bred when he posted a 105 winning the Bing Crosby. He helped his sire to a solid placing on Daily Racing Form’s Beyer Sire Performance Standings, with the stallion’s runners combining to earn 18 Beyers of 90 or higher. He is one of just two stallions outside of Kentucky to crack the top 40 nationally by that metric. The other is Bucchero – whose racing progeny were conceived in Florida but who currently stands in New York – with 22 Beyers of 90 or higher. As of Dec. 10, Grazen’s other stakes winners in 2025 were Cornelia Port, Lonesome Stew, Old Pal, and Shocking Grey. The next generation Among a small group of California freshman sires in 2025, Listing and the late Cistron both had consistent percentages from their limited starters and should be a factor with future crops. Listing, who stands at Ocean Breeze Ranch, and Cistron, who died of colic complications last year at Harris Farms, had each recorded three winners from four first-crop starters as of Dec. 10. Listing had one stakes winner from his trio – California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Stakes winner Jasmina – to put him ahead of his foe earnings-wise. Listing was a stakes-winning sprinter on both dirt and turf, with his four stakes wins highlighted by the Grade 3 Quick Call Stakes in 2019 on the Saratoga turf. He is a son of prominent California sire Square Eddie and could be among the heirs to that stallion. Cistron, by The Factor, was a three-time graded stakes winner, topped by the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes in 2019. He was in the midst of his third season at stud when he died.