The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation published its second annual listings of stallions based on durability in an advertisement that appeared in a recent edition of The Blood-Horse. The stallions were ranked based on the performance of their offspring using the average number of lifetime starts per starter and the lifetime percentage of foals of racing age that have started.
To qualify, stallions had to be ranked within the top 200 sires based on progeny earnings in 2009. I thought it would be interesting to look at the Grayson's two lists, compare them to the 2009 ranking of stallions based on progeny earnings that appears on The Blood-Horse's website (http://www.bloodhorse.com/), and find out which ones fared the best based on both durability and progeny earnings.
The sires that were ranked in the top 50 by 2009 progeny earnings, which helps make their offspring more commercially appealing, and in the top 100 on both of the Grayson lists were:
No. 2 (by 2009 progeny earnings), Distorted Humor, 14.36 starts per starter and 73.20% starters from foals of racing age.
No. 3, Smart Strike, 14.17 and 70.67%.
No. 7, Northern Afleet, 16.91 and 75.20%.
No. 9, Dynaformer, 18.01 and 78.90%.
No. 20, Yes It's True, 16.65 and 70.70%.
No. 31, Mutakddim, 19.56 and 76.66%
No. 44, Petionville, 18.93 and 79.00%.
The following horses in the top 50 by 2009 progeny earnings also ranked in the top 100 on at least one Grayson list:
No. 5, A.P. Indy, 68.43% starters from foals of racing age.
No. 10, Tale of the Cat, 69.47% starters from foals.
No. 14, Langfuhr, 78.99% starters from foals.
No. 18, Elusive Quality, 70.26% starters from foals.
No. 21, Pulpit, 69.80% starters from foals.
No. 24, Broken Vow, 14.46 starts per starter.
No. 25, Maria's Mon, 68.14% starters from foals.
No. 27, El Prado, 71.80% starters from foals.
No. 29, Unusual Heat, 15.21 starts per starter.
No. 32, More Than Ready, 72.28% starters from foals.
No. 38, Bernstein, 14.91 starts per starter.
No. 40, Grand Slam, 68.39% starters from foals.
No. 48, Touch Gold, 14.59 starts per starter.
No. 50, Cherokee Run, 79.39% starters from foals.
Of the Top 50 sires by 2009 progeny earnings, Mutakddim ranked the highest (21st) on the list of sires based on the average lifetime starts per starter list. Cherokee Run ranked the highest (11th) on the lifetime percentage of foals by racing age that have started list.
