Leading general sire

Throughout the myriad changes in the landscape of New York’s breeding program in recent years, one name has consistently remained on top.

Empire State mainstay Freud has finished first or second by earnings among New York stallions with state-sired runners in each of the past seven years, and he has led by turf earnings every year in the same time period.

The sustained run at the top of New York’s sire standings over the better part of the past decade can be attributed not only to the talent of his foals but their durability.

Leading freshman sire

When Darley moved its homebred Desert Party to Sequel Stallions in Hudson, N.Y., after his second season at stud in Kentucky, the goal was almost certainly to position him as one of the Empire State’s most attractive offerings. So far, so good.

Leading New York juvenile sire

Champion and dual classic winner Big Brown has arrived at Dutchess Views Farm in Pine Plains to continue his stud career in New York with what could be an exciting season ahead of him.

The sire is back in the headlines with his unbeaten Grade 1 winner Dortmund among the leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby. In the 3-year-old filly ranks, Big Brown has Puca, well regarded after a 16-length maiden romp last fall at Belmont, although she was recently fourth in the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes.

As we have discussed in this space on several occasions, the Storm Cat male line has not flourished in exactly the manner breeders anticipated when his yearlings were all the rage during the first five years of the 21st century. Among Storm Cat’s sons, only Giant’s Causeway developed into a genuinely top sire, and Giant’s Causeway’s champion son Shamardal has already passed on the male line to his highweighted son Lope de Vega, leading 2014 freshman sire in Europe.

The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association named its divisional champions for the 2014 racing season, led by Grade 1 winner Real Solution.

Sequel Stallions in Hudson, N.Y., has released a mobile application for phones and tablets.

The app enables breeders to access information on the farm’s stallions, submit mares, run nicks, view the farm’s social media outlets, and more. Users can also access the farm’s full site from the app.

Bold Chieftain’s third crop of foals is beginning to hit the ground, with more than a dozen already here.

His first crop turned 2 this year, but breeder Ellen Jackson says: “I’m encouraging my clients to wait and not rush them to the races. These are not little Quarter Horse types. They’re big and rangy like him. He raced a long time and kept getting better with age.”

Jackson said she has gotten a lot of repeat customers for him at her Victory Rose Thoroughbreds.

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News coverage

- Adena Springs re-enters Florida stallion market - By Joe Nevills

Profiles - 2014 Florida stallion honors

- With Distinction: Leading general sire, leading turf sire - By Joe Nevills

Popular champion Shared Belief delivered as expected in the Santa Anita Handicap on Saturday, rolling by 4 1/4 lengths as the heavy favorite.

The 4-year-old gelding, an Eclipse Award winner as outstanding juvenile male two seasons ago, is fueling a solid start to the season for Lane’s End stallion Candy Ride. According to Daily Racing Form’s SirePowered Results, it was the fifth stakes victory of the season for the stallion.

It’s hardly breaking news to say that Frank Stronach has invested heavily in the Florida Thoroughbred program.

The head and namesake of The Stronach Group owns Florida’s marquee racetrack, Gulfstream Park, and last year he leased a spiraling Calder Race Course from Churchill Downs Inc., re-christened it Gulfstream Park West, and opened it to positive reviews.

On the bloodstock side, Stronach is a frequent business partner of Fasig-Tipton Sales Co., most recently hosting the company’s boutique sale of 2-year-olds in training at Gulfstream for the first time in 2015.