The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of racehorses in Japan for each year since 1924. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season.
Most leadings:
The following sire-lines have produced champions sires (1924–2023).
Sire lines of the leading sires, color-coded by sire line | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Northern Dancer was a Thoroughbred that, in 1964, became the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby. After being retired from racing, he became one of the most successful sires of the 20th century. He is considered a Canadian icon and was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1965. Induction into the Racing Hall of Fame in both Canada and the United States followed in 1976. As a competitor, The Blood-Horse ranked him as one of the top 100 U.S. Thoroughbred racehorses of the 20th century. As a sire of sires, his influence on the breed is still felt worldwide.
Nearco was an Italian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by Thoroughbred Heritage as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He was unbeaten, winning 14 races at distances from 1000m to 3000m, including the Derby Italiano and Grand Prix de Paris. He was then sold for a record amount to Martin H. Benson and stood stud in England, where he became the patriarch of several of the most dominant sire lines in Thoroughbred history.
Eclipse was an undefeated 18th-century British Thoroughbred racehorse who won 18 races, including 11 King's Plates. He raced before the introduction of the British Classic Races, at a time when four-mile heat racing was the norm. He was considered the greatest racehorse of his time and the expression, "Eclipse first, the rest nowhere" entered the English vernacular as an expression of dominance.
Deep Impact was a champion Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Japanese Triple Crown in 2005 and the Japan Cup in 2006, as well as three other Japan Grade One races.
Sunday Silence was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In 1989, he won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes but failed to complete the Triple Crown when he was defeated in the Belmont Stakes. Nevertheless, he won the Breeders' Cup Classic and was voted American Champion Three-Year-Old Colt and American Horse of the Year that same year. Sunday Silence's racing career was marked by his rivalry with Easy Goer, whom he had a three to one edge over in their head-to-head races. Easy Goer, the 1988 American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt finished second to Sunday Silence in the Kentucky Derby the Preakness, and the Breeders' Cup Classic. However, Easy Goer prevailed by eight lengths in the Belmont denying Sunday Silence the Triple Crown. Both horses were later voted into the American Hall of Fame.
My Babu (1945–1970) was a French-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who became one of the most influential sires in American breeding of show jumpers, eventers and hunters. His descendants include Bruce Davidson's former eventing mount JJ Babu, Anky van Grunsven's dressage horse Bonfire, and puissance and grand prix jumper Sympatico. Also, the grand prix jumper Napur is related to him through his sire Damascus dam Kerala. My Babu was the sire of Kerala, and therefore one of Napur's grandsires.
The title of champion, or leading, sire of racehorses in Great Britain and Ireland is awarded to the stallion whose offspring have won the most prize money in Britain and Ireland during the flat racing season. The current (2022) champion is Dubawi, who earned his first title after finishing runner-up multiple times.
The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in Australia for each season since 1883–84. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season.
The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the year. It is restricted to stallions which are based in North America, but currently includes earnings from overseas races in Great Britain, Ireland, France, Italy, Germany and the United Arab Emirates as well as domestic earnings.
The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of broodmares in North America for each year since 1924. This is determined by the amount of prize money won during the year by racehorses which were foaled by a daughter of the sire. The most frequent sires on the list are Sir Gallahad III (12), Mr. Prospector (9), Princequillo (8), and Star Shoot (5).
Northern Taste was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who raced in France and who became one of the most successful and influential leading sires in Japanese racing history.
Halo was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and an important Champion sire.
Shadai Stallion Station is a thoroughbred breeding facility located in Abira on the island of Hokkaido in Japan. The farm was begun in the late 1970s to early 1980s by the late Zenya Yoshida, and is now run jointly by his sons, known collectively as the Shadai Group. As of 2006, the brothers own 3,000 horses worldwide. The farm houses stallions from Japan and many other countries and racing circuits. The grounds also house a racing museum and tourist park called the Northern Horse Park and the Northern Farm Kuko, a large horse-training and conditioning facility. The most expensive acquisition was War Emblem, which was bought for US$17 million in 2002 to replace Sunday Silence, which died suddenly that year of a heart attack. War Emblem was a reluctant breeder, siring only 106 registered foals between 2004 and 2011. He did not sire a foal after 2012, and was pensioned and returned to the United States in the fall of 2015 to Old Friends Equine. Other recent acquisitions include 2010 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Harbinger and 2010 Epsom Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Workforce.
Kurifuji was an undefeated Thoroughbred racemare, whose three classic wins included the Tokyo Yūshun race or Japanese Derby.
Average earnings index (AEI) is a popular statistic used in North American Thoroughbred horse breeding. It is used to put the earnings of a breeding animal's progeny into proper perspective.
Still in Love, was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. After winning her only race as a juvenile she became the best filly of her generation in Japan, winning the Oka Sho, Yushun Himba and Shuka Sho to complete the Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown. She remained in training for two more years but failed to win again and was retired in 2005. She produced only one foal before dying at the age of seven in 2007.
Udaipur was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. Her racing career consisted of eight races between April and October 1932. Having finished second on her debut and seventh in the 1000 Guineas she was still a maiden when she recorded her biggest win in the Epsom Oaks in June. She went on to win the Coronation Stakes, Richemont Stakes and Newmarket Oaks as well as finishing fourth in a strong edition of the St Leger. As a broodmare she produced several good winners and was the female-line ancestor of Wild Again.
Diolite was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was arguably the best British two-year-old of 1929, when he won three of his five races including the Coventry Stakes and the Molecomb Stakes. In the following year he won the 2000 Guineas and finished third when favourite for the Epsom Derby. He remained in training for another two years but won only one more race. After his retirement from racing he became a very successful breeding stallion in Japan.
Cinna was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She showed great promise as a juvenile in 1919 when she won a very competitive maiden race on her debut before finishing second in the New Stakes and the Bretby Stakes. As a three-year-old she won the 1000 Guineas and the Coronation Stakes and was narrowly beaten when favourite for the Epsom Oaks. She was retired from racing at the end of the year and went on to be a very successful broodmare. Three of her sons became leading sires in Australasia whilst several of her daughters became influential broodmares including the female-line ancestors of Sunday Silence and Indian Ridge.
The list below shows the leading sire of broodmares in Japan for each year since 1974. This is determined by the amount of prize money won in a race held by the JRA during the year in Japan by racehorses that were foaled by a daughter of the sire in question.