When racing enthusiasts discuss racehorses, the question is often heard: “who is the sire?”. That happens above all at sales, where foals, yearlings, racehorses and broodmares are traded and should ideally prove to be good investments. This article presents a number of American stallions whose progeny, many generations on, are still in demand all over the globe.
MAN O’WAR (1917 – 1947)
Fair Play – Hastings / Mahubah
Man O’War was not only a fantastic racehorse, after his racing career he also became an equally fantastic stallion.
After an impressive racing career he went to stud and became the sire of 64 Stakes winners.
One of his sons, War Admiral – the famous rival of Seabiscuit – became a Triple Crown winner. And another of Man O’War’s sons, Battleship, managed to win the Grand National at Aintree in Liverpool.
Other great names were War Relic, American Flag, Florence Nightingale, Maid At War, Crusader and Hard Tack. Hard Tack in particular later became the sire of Seabiscuit.
CITATION (1945 – 1970)
Bull Lea – Hydroplane / Hyperion
Citation was the first American racehorse to win more than a million dollars. He first won the Triple Crown series in 1948, and after that he also struck in the Pimlico Special.
He was an active racehorse in 1947, 1948, 1950 and 1951. He did not run in 1949 because of an injury. Of his career’s 45 starts Citation won 32 times, was second 10 times and third twice.
Citation’s best progeny were Silver Spoon, Get Around, Duadalcanal and Fabius.
BOLD RULER (1954-1971)
Nasrullah – Miss Disco / Discovery
Bold Ruler was Horse of the Year in 1957 in the USA and the first stallion whose progeny won more than two million dollars in a single season.
His most famous offspring was Secretariat, but in addition there were 10 other champions: Lamb Chop, Bold Bidder, Bold Lad, Queen Empress, Gamely, Bold Lad II, Successor, Queen Of The Stage, Vitriolic and Wajima.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6PuKjzWATs
NORTHERN DANCER (1961 – 1990)
Nearctic – Natalma / Native Dancer
Northern Dancer won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, but it is his career as a stallion that will be remembered for ever.
The little stallion became the sire of eminent names such as Nijinsky, Sadler’s Wells, Lyphard, Nureyev, The Minstrel, El Gran Senor, Dixieland Band, Storm Bird and Danzig.
RAISE A NATIVE (1961 – 1988)
Native Dancer – Raise You / Case Ace
On Raise A Native’s death in 1988 the New York Times wrote: “The most influential sire of American thoroughbred stallions over the last 20 years”.
Raise A Native ran only as a 2-year-old, when he won four times. At stud he became the sire of Alydar, Mr Prospector and Majestic Prince. Of these the first two also became leading stallions. Raise A Native became the sire of 74 Stakes winners.
DR FAGER (1964 – 1976)
Rough’n Tumble – Aspidistra / Better Self
Dr Fager won 18 of his 22 starts, and he is still the only horse to have won four titles in the same season.
He became Horse of The Year, Champion Handicap Horse, Champion Sprinter and Champion Turf Horse.
His career as a stallion was short, as he died as early as at 12 after an attack of colic. His best progeny were Dearly Precious, Dr Patches, Tree Of Knowledge, L’Alezane and the broodmare Killaloe, who later became the dam of Fappiano.
SECRETARIAT (1970 – 1989)
Bold Ruler – Somethingroyal / Princequillo
Secretariat’s career spanned only his 2- and 3-year-old seasons. Despite that he is regarded by many as the best racehorse of all time.
He earned 1.3 million dollars from 16 wins in 21 starts. As a 3-year-old he became a Triple Crown winner and he set a track record in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes alike.
Secretariat died in 1989 after siring 653 foals, of which 57 became Stakes winners. Secretariat’s best progeny were General Assembly, Lady’s Secret, Risen Star, Kingston Rule and Tinners Way, but he made an even bigger mark as the broodmare sire of, among others, A.P. Indy and Storm Cat.
MR PROSPECTOR (1970 – 1999)
Raise A Native – Gold Digger / Nashua
Mr Prospector was born the same year as Secretariat. As a racehorse he never won the same honours and status as “Big Red”, but at stud he outshone everyone and everything.
Mr Prospector won seven of his 14 starts and was at first based in Florida, but after a successful start he was moved to Kentucky and a future as a dominant stallion.
Those of his sons who later also became world-famous stallions include: Fappiano, Conquistador Cielo, Woodman, Gulch, Gone West, Afleet, Forty Niner, Miswaki, Seeking The Gold, Machiavellian, Kingmambo, Our Emblem, Smart Strike and Fusaichi Pegasus.
SEATTLE SLEW (1974 – 2002)
Bold Reasoning – My Charmer / Poker
In 1977 Seattle Slew became the 10th Triple Crown winner, but it very nearly never happened.
He was decidedly not the best-looking horse as a yearling, but on the other hand he was sound as a bell, and fortunately he was backed to such a degree that in time he became one of the best horses in the history of the USA.
He won 14 times in 17 starts and earned more than 1.2 million dollars.
Seattle Slew’s best progeny were A.P. Indy, Adored, Capote, Flute, Landaluce, Seattle Song, Septieme Ciel, Slew City Slew, Slew O’Gold, Slewpy, Surfside, Swale and Vindication.
SPECTACULAR BID (1976 – 2003)
Bold Bidder – Spectacular / Promised Land
Spectacular Bid was named American Horse of the Year in 1980, when as a 4-year-old he was unbeaten in nine starts.
He won the first two races in the Triple Crown series, but had to miss the Belmont Stakes because of an injury. In 1980 he even set a world record in Santa Anita’s Grub Stakes, where he ran 1600 metres in 1:57.8.
Among Spectacular Bid’s best progeny were Bite The Bullet, Spectacular Love, Spectacular Sue, Maison Close, Lotus Pool and Esprit d’Etoile.
DANZIG (1977 – 2006)
Northern Dancer – Pas De Nom / Admiral’s Voyage
Danzig started only three times – and won all three – before his racing career had to be stopped because of knee problems.
He went to stud at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky and helped shape breeding through generations with 188 Graded Stakes winners and 10 Champions.
His most famous son is Danehill, but names such as Green Desert, Chief’s Crown, Lure, Dance Smartly, War Chant, Dayjur, Langfuhr and Anabaa have also had a huge influence on the thoroughbred sport since.
STORM CAT (1983 – 2013)
Storm Bird – Terlingua / Secretariat
Storm Cat was one of the best 2-year-olds in the USA and won among other races the Young America Stakes (G1) and was second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). It was as a stallion, though, that Storm Cat made his name worldwide, and his covering fee reached as high as $500,000.
Among Storm Cat’s best progeny are Tabasco Cat, Silken Cat, Hennessy, Tactical Cat, Aljabr, Cat Thief, Forestry, Giant’s Causeway, High Yield, Storm Flag Flying, Hold That Tiger, Nebraska Tornado, Sweet Catomine, Denebola, One Cool Cat, Bluegrass Cat and Consolidator.
A.P. INDY (1989 – 2020)
Seattle Slew – Weekend Surprise / Secretariat
A.P. Indy won the Belmont Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 1992, which also gave him the title of American Horse of the Year.
His influence on breeding has been enormous all over the world, and among his many eminent sons and daughters are Pulpit (sire of Tapit), Golden Missile, Old Trieste, Aptitude, Mineshaft, Congrats, Bernardini, Rags To Riches, Take Charge Indy, Dreaming Of Julia, Malibu Moon and Honor Code.
