Tight Race Ahead for Leading Turf Sire of 2020

With 10 days remaining for 2020, all but one of the leading North American sires titles have been decided and the one undecided contest could be a nail-biter.

Spendthrift Farm's marquee sire Into Mischief  rolls toward the end of the year and his second consecutive general leading sires title with an untouchable margin of more than $10.36 million. His total progeny earnings for the year, which exceeds $22 million through Dec. 20, has already set a North American single-season record. 

The 15-year-old son of Harlan's Holiday also has a comfortable lead for the title of leading sire of 2-year-olds. An impressive runner-up on the leading sires of 2-year-olds list is Darley's freshman sire Nyquist , who will be this year's leading first-crop sire. Nyquist has nearly $2.4 million in progeny earnings and is the sire of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Vequist. 

WinStar Farm's Constitution , the sire of Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) winner Tiz the Law , will be the leading second-crop sire with nearly $800,000 more in progeny earnings through Dec. 20 than Ashford Stud's second-ranked American Pharoah . The top three second-crop sires by progeny earnings are a powerful trio, with each in a leadership position in at least one key statistical category. Constitution leads by progeny earnings and number of black-type performers (19), while American Pharoah is the leader year to date by number of graded stakes winners (6) and grade 1 winners (2), and Darby Dan's Tapiture  leads his class by number of winners (85).

Adding another laurel branch to Into Mischief's accomplishments is his son Goldencents , who is expected to be the leading third-crop sire of 2020 with a more than $1.1 million advantage over Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa's second-ranked sire Mucho Macho Man . Like his sire, Goldencents also leads his class by number of winners, number of black-type winners, and number of black-type performers.

WinStar should have a second title to celebrate with Paynter , an 11-year-old son of the late Awesome Again, expected to be the year's leading fourth-crop sire. He got a big boost from his son Knicks Go, who won the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and has earned $608,440 in purse money this year.

The closest contest of the year will be in the leading turf sires division where $163,157 separates top-ranked English Channel  from runner-up and previous six-time leading turf sire Kitten's Joy .

High-profile winners put Calumet Farm's English Channel on top as of Dec. 21. He sired five North American graded stakes winners so far this year, led by Channel Maker, who won two of his four lifetime grade 1s in 2020 and banked $839,443 in purses. English Channel, an 18-year-old son of Smart Strike, has $4,768,309 in progeny turf earnings.

Hill 'n' Dale's Kitten's Joy didn't have as many graded winners as English Channel this year but he is the leading turf sire by number of winners with 81. This deep bench of performers earned $4,605,152 so far in purses, and Kitten's Joy could still be a late closer for the title.

During Dec. 26-31, Santa Anita Park, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, and Gulfstream Park have 11 turf stakes scheduled that are worth a total $1.2 million.

Kitten's Joy has two entries in Dec. 26 stakes at Gulfstream Park. He'll be represented by 6-year-old gelding Focus Group in the $75,000 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes, which is Race 6. On the same card is the $75,000 Tropical Park Derby, which will include Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Don Juan Kitten, a 3-year-old colt out of Romance Project. Siamese, a 3-year-old filly out of Keri Keri, also has been entered in a $43,000 allowance race Dec. 26 at Fair Grounds. She was bred by the Ramseys and is raced by Qatar Racing Limited and Marc Detampel.

If these three Kitten's Joy runners become winners, the sire could pick up $118,800 in purses and narrow the gap with English Channel to $44,357.

So far, English Channel has one horse entered—his 2-year-old daughter Patronus is listed for a $29,000 maiden claiming race Dec. 23 at Gulfstream. Raced by Stephen Screnci, Patronus is 30-1 in the morning line. 

More Than Ready , WinStar's third-ranked turf sire, is not completely out of the hunt either with a $200,567 gap to close with English Channel. He has two entries in the Dec. 26 $75,000 Tropical Park Oaks—Martin Schwartz' More Than Unusual and Live Oak Plantation's homebred American Giant. The veteran sire also has 4-year-old Ginny B entered in the same turf allowance race at Fair Grounds as Siamese.

Santa Anita is likely where the leading turf sire title will be decided with six turf stakes valued at $825,000.

Earnings through Dec. 20, 2020.