Munnings is quietly crafting a stellar season, both on the racetrack and in the commercial arena. The sire of nine stakes winners in 2021 – including Grade 1 winner Kimari – he is posting a career-best average during this 2-year-old sales season.

A colt by Munnings sold for $475,000 and multiple graded stakes winner Royal Charlotte sold for $400,000 to help the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale open in respectable fashion Monday, ahead of some anticipated offerings.

Through the first quarter of a racing season unlike any other, the sire standings are a list unlike any other. The global COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the $12 million Dubai World Cup, but the $20 million Saudi Cup got in its inaugural running before the pandemic began to upend the racing calendar.