Great Notion Claims Fifth Leading Maryland Sire Title

Great Notion   continues to do his part to perpetuate Northview Stallion Station's dominance at the top of Maryland general leading sire rankings. The 22-year-old son of Elusive Quality earned his fifth consecutive leading sire title in The Old Line State by progeny earnings, but is also the top sire by number of winners, number of stakes winners, and number of stakes horses.

The farm was co-founded by Richard Golden, Allaire du Pont, and Tom Bowman after prominent nursery Windfields Farm shut down in 1988. It is represented by the top three Maryland stallions of 2022 that include second-ranked Uncle Lino   and third-ranked Golden Lad  . For 19 of the last 22 years, Northview has stood the leading Maryland stallion, which includes a 12-year occupation of the top spot by Not For Love.

Great Notion's five-year run actually brings his total sire titles to seven because he was Maryland's leading freshman sire for 2008 and became the leading third-crop sire for 2010.

The sire's progeny earnings of $4,615,322 for 2022 is a single-season personal best. Thirteen of his 62 winners for the year earned more than $100,000, led by his chief earner and five-time stakes winner, Fille d'Esprit . A 6-year-old mare out of the No Armistice  daughter Sweet Valor, Fille d'Esprit won the Conniver Stakes, Susquehanna Valley Stakes, Seeking the Pearl Stakes, Maryland Million Distaff Stakes, and Politely Stakes and was also third in the Barbara Fritchie Stakes (G3).

As he did, Great Notion's progeny thrive in races at a mile or shorter. He won his first stakes in the one-mile Southwest Stakes (then ungraded) in 2003. Great Notion followed with a second in the Rebel Stakes at 8 1/2 furlongs, went unplaced in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at nine furlongs, and then was second consecutively in the Amsterdam Stakes (G2) and King's Bishop Stakes (G1) at six furlongs and seven furlongs, respectively.

"He is one of the few sprinters that we retired to the farm, and he got off to a slow start because we had Not For Love, Two Punch, and Polish Numbers there," said David Wade, Northview's general manager. "Once he got rolling, though, his numbers were as good as Not For Love's, which is saying a lot for a regional sire."

Through Jan. 3, Great Notion has sired 35 career black-type winners, which is 9.2% from starters compared to Not For Love, who has 9.6% stakes winners from starters. Also for 2022, Great Notion is the leading U.S. sire standing outside Kentucky by number of black-type performers with 12.

"They win on turf and dirt. In fact, his progeny have won every Maryland Million race except the Classic, which is the longest. One day I think we'll get one of those," Wade said. "One factor in the ability of a horse to sire good racehorses has to do with how they cross genetically and by phenotype with the mares in his area. Great Notion has certainly done very well with mares around here."