2021 Stallion Review

As another year of racing data gets tucked away in the history books, nothing is influencing the next year's sales like stallions' overall performance the year prior. Stallions' fees also rise or fall based on these year-end stats, so looking through them is vital for anyone participating in the thoroughbred racing industry at any capacity.

Deep Impact(JPN) by Sunday Silence(USA) continued to lead as Japan's top-ranked sire in 2021 due to his progeny's immense earnings over the year. While his daughter, Loves Only You(JPN)'s three G1 wins abroad or any of his other progeny's international success, was not factored into the year-end totals, his domestic runners claimed more than enough to keep him on top. In April, Lei Papale(JPN) was his first G1 winner in the G1 Osaka Hai. May was a big month for him, with World Premiere(JPN) in the G1 Tenno Sho Spring, Gran Alegria(JPN) in the G1 Victoria Mile, and finally Shahryar(JPN) in the G1 Japanese Derby. In June, Danon Kingly(JPN) won the G1 Yasuda Kinen. Akaitorino Musume(JPN) won the G1 Shuka Sho in October while Gran Alegria(JPN) captured the G1 Mile Championship and Contrail(JPN) secured the G1 Japan Cup. He ended the year with Killer Ability(JPN) in the G1 Hopeful Stakes.

Lord Kanaloa(JPN) out-performed Deep Impact(JPN) by winners and wins overall, with G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen winner Danon Smash(JPN) ending the year as his most prominent performer. Heart's Cry(JPN), who has been a fantastic stallion in his own right, has always had to play the second potato to Deep Impact(JPN) over the years. With his final full crop debuting in 2022 as two-year-olds, his opportunity to hit leading sire status is beginning to narrow. Heart's Cry(JPN) continues to stay consistent year after year on the general rankings though his biggest earner of the year was a promising juvenile Do Deuce(JPN) who won the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity at the end of 2021. Salios(JPN) and Hishi Iguazu(JPN) both have their sire a good boost with solid efforts both at home and abroad.

Kizuna(JPN) finally broke through into 2021, getting his first G1 winner with Akai Ito(JPN)'s win in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup last November, who still represented at four years old, then only the young stallion's first crop. He had been 12th on the general sire rankings in 2020, so this was a significant jump. It is the highest-ranking on the general sire ranking that any son of Deep Impact(JPN) has managed to reach. Deep Bond(JPN) was his highest earner with two runner-up efforts in G1s in Japan and was his first international winner. Deep Bond(JPN) sensational win in the G2 Prix Foy leading up to a try at the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Kizuna(JPN) has produced a steady stream of graded stakes winners in his first three crops, so I doubt that he will remain at fourth for long.

While King Kamehameha(JPN) is slowing falling from the higher rankings on this year-end list, his presence won't ever really be gone. His son Lord Kanaloa(JPN) will likely hit number one soon, and his son Rulership(JPN) has been on the list for years as a sire that reliably produces winners. Three-year-old Andvaranaut(JPN) was King Kamehameha(JPN)'s highest domestic earner of 2021 after winning the G2 Rose Stakes and a third-place finish in the G1 Shuka Sho. His final crop debut last year. His son Rulership(JPN) holds a steady spot in the top ten despite not having many graded stakes winners. He makes up for what he lacks in high profile wins in consistency at all other levels.

Orfevre(JPN) had a big year internationally, with Marche Lorraine(JPN) winning the G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff in an incredible performance. Still, he also had a great year domestically, with his progeny winning multiple graded stakes races throughout 2021. While he hasn't had as many high-profile horses as other stallions in the top ten, he keeps producing quality racehorses, especially stayers.

Epiphaneia(JPN) has been a break-out success with two very talented horses coming from his first three crops. Efforia(JPN)'s classic success in the spring and wins in the G1 Tenno Sho Fall and G1 Arima Kinen last fall put him as one of the desirable young studs on the market, and his ranking should only be going up each year as the quality of his books increase. He also sired the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies winner Circle of Life(JPN) in 2021, his first juvenile G1 winner.

Since debuting in Japan, Henny Hughes(USA) has been a significant success in both the NAR and JRA. With winners on turf and dirt, he has been a great outcross to Sunday Silence(JPN) line mares, and the wins keep coming.

Daiwa Major(JPN) has dropped on the list as younger stallions take over the market, but he has consistently been one of the most reliable stallions on the market. As his career draws to a close, there is no sign of dropping in the quality of racehorses he can produce, which keeps him in the top ten.

Each year, one of the most exciting rankings is the Freshman Sire rankings, as there is so much on the line for these sires and the breed as a whole. Drefong(USA) ended the year on top with the most wins and prize money. It is the first time since 2015 that a non-Japanese bred freshman sire topped this ranking and the first time since 2014 that an imported stallion has topped it. In 2015, Casino Drive(USA), who raced in Japan, topped the ranks, while in 2014, imported sire Harbinger(GB) topped it. Drefong(USA) was an impressive sprinter as a racehorse, but he has managed to give that speed to horses who can extend further than sprint distances. How this first crop is able to translate into the classic season of 2022 will be crucial to his future success, but it is a spectacular start. With winners on turf and dirt, Drefong(USA) will be a sire in hot demand in the 2022 breeding season and sales season.

The other break-out success in 2021 was Silver State(JPN). While he was one win behind Drefong(USA), his success in some ways is more impressive as he didn't have the same kind of high profile mare access that the Shadai Stallion Station based Drefong(USA) would have. He was also a horse who suffered a career-ending injury before his true potential was ever realized, but he has been able to pass that potential on and improve the mares he gets. His offspring have been highly thought of prior to their debut and lived up to that hype. As a son of Deep Impact(JPN) that is both affordable and successful, he should be another stallion to keep a keen eye on going forward.

Isla Bonita(JPN) was one of the final top horses prominent sire Fuji Kiseki(JPN) produced, and he had a solid start with his first crop, particularly in the JRA. Kitasan Black(JPN) had the lowest number of debut runners, but the ones who did make quite the impression. His son Equinox(JPN) impressed in the G2 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes back in November. Kitasan Black(JPN) himself didn't debut till he was a three-year-old and got better and better with age, so seeing some of his offspring this precocious is very promising for the young stallion.

American Patriot(USA) had mass success in the NAR with his debut crop, where the majority of his wins were, but he also had some promising turf prospects in the JRA. The Factor(USA), who was leased to Japan for a year, performed well in the NAR. Both stallions are by top US stallion War Front(USA), and they were second and third in the NAR Freshman Sire rankings, respectively.

Copano Rickey(JPN) was also a break-out success in the NAR, leading that Freshman Sire Ranking and landing at sixth place overall. While he was successful at the highest level in the JRA on the track himself, his most significant achievements were always in the NAR, and he has seemed to have passed that ability on well to his offspring. With such a great start, he is likely to one day be a leading dirt stallion in Japan before too long.

Big Arthur(JPN), Satono Aladdin(JPN), and Logotype(JPN) all had great success in NAR with their first crops. Big Arthur(JPN) and Logotype(JPN) have some promising turf runners in the JRA, with Logotype(JPN)'s Lovely Your Eyes(JPN) finishing second in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies in December.

2021 will be the last year Deep Impact(JPN) has the number of runners to hit the top ten of the two-year-old rankings since he only has six registered foals turning two in 2022. He went out with a bang in 2021, though, with Killer Ability(JPN) living up to his name in the G1 Hopeful Stakes in December. Epiphaneia(JPN) continues to impress with his juveniles earning him a spot at second in the rankings. His juveniles seem to get better with age as well, so they are likely to have some very impressive three-year-olds come out of this crop in 2022. The sudden passing of Duramente(JPN) was a shock to the Japanese thoroughbred industry last year. He achieved G1 success with his son Titleholder(JPN) in the G1 Kikuka Sho, and with a strong crop of two-year-olds in 2021, the future few crops he has left behind should be exciting to watch.

Lord Kanaloa(JPN) 's progeny seem to be good at any age, earning him a high spot on the two-year-old rankings. Drefong(USA) only debuted in 2021 but had a spectacular year putting him high on the general two-year-old sire rankings. His progeny seem to be precocious on all surfaces and doesn't seem limited to sprints. Henny Hughes(USA) gets up high on the general list primarily due to his success in the NAR, with about half of his juvenile wins making him a hit in both jurisdictions. Daiwa Major(JPN) has been a staple of two-year-old success in Japan, with his juveniles performing well at the highest level each year. Heart's Cry(JPN), like his fellow Sunday Silence(USA) line sires has been reliable at all ages his Do Deuce(JPN) won the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity in December.

Silver State(JPN) also had a fantastic start to his stallion career in 2021, with some very promising juveniles coming through the pipelines. Sinister Minister(USA) had a big year in 2021, with T O Keyes(JPN) giving him his first G1 victory in the Champions Cup in December. His notable success in the NAR gets him into the overall top ten. The JRA trained Dry Stout(JPN) gave Sinister Minister(USA) his second G1 when he captured the JPN1 Zen Nihon Nisai Yushun in December. The past few years, he has been one of the highest-ranked stallions in the NAR, but his JRA numbers have been on the rise as of late as well, so seeing him creeping up in the rankings isn't a surprise.

Sunday Silence(USA) 's hold on the Japanese thoroughbred might sometimes seem like it is fading into further generations, but the data says something else entirely. Half of the top 10 Broodmare sires in Japan are still his sons, and the legend himself holds on steadfast in the fifth place, having 300 individual winners win 532 times. While his daughters are fast approaching the end of their breeding careers, his sons still make up over half of the top 20. Not to mention the fact that most of these other stallions are typically placed where they are in the rankings due to how well they mix with the sons and grandsons of Sunday Silence(USA). With Deep Impact(JPN), Agnes Tachyon(JPN), Special Week(JPN), Manhattan Café(JPN), and Dance in the Dark(JPN) all keeping their father's legacy alive on at the bottom of pedigrees the same way they used to on the top side.

King Kamehameha(JPN) takes his place at the top of the rankings for the second consecutive year and, based on numbers alone, seems to have a massive collection of daughters producing top-notch runners in Japan. He was one of the best outcross options for Sunday Silence(USA) mares when he was a stallion and his daughters, and even when there is a bit of Sunday Silence(USA) inbreeding, some stellar performances have resulted, like Triple Tiara winner Daring Tact(JPN). His best performer was Akaitorino Musume(JPN), who was by Deep Impact(JPN) and won the 2021 G1 Shuka Sho.

Deep Impact(JPN) has been rising the ranks of the Broodmare Sire rankings. His daughters seem to mix well with all sorts of different stallions. However, the King Kamehameha(JPN) line sires, which is particularly prevalent, has produced some very nice horses, as has Epiphinaeia(JPN). His best performer of last year was Stellar Veloce(JPN) by Bago(FR), who placed in nearly all the biggest races of 2021.

Kurofune(USA) and his sire French Deputy(USA) have been staples of this particular ranking for a while. They seem to have complemented existing bloodlines in Japan ever since they joined the stallion ranks. Chrono Genesis(JPN) by Bago(FR) had been making headlines for the past few years and was the main headliner for Kurofune(USA) last year, having won the G1 Takarazuka Kinen. Red le Zele(JPN) by Lord Kanaloa(JPN) was French Deputy(USA) 's top performer with his runner-up effort in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen in the spring and his record-setting win in the JPN1 JBC Sprint in the fall of 2021.

Symboli Kris S(USA) 's most significant legacy at stud is probably his son Epiphaneia(JPN), but his influence as a broodmare sire can't be ignored. Authority(JPN) by Orfevre(JPN) is a perfect example of the staying power he gives to the racehorses that carry his blood.

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