Second-Crop Sires Showing Signs of Big Potential

Doing something remarkable once is worthy of plaudits. But it's not necessarily an indicator of continued success. 

However, repeating that success certainly makes prolonged levels of achievement more predictable. There's the likelihood of seeing them in future editions of The List, featuring the top North American sires by progeny earnings. 

So when first-crop sires flash potential thanks to their offspring's on-track precocity, it's natural to wonder whether the sires can build upon Year 1. If a look at the top of this year's second-crop sires list by progeny earnings is any indication, the answer is a resounding yes.

The top nine freshman sires of 2023 have stayed in the top nine as second-crop sires this year. 

Atop this year's sophomore sires list are five stallions who are separated by less than $700,000 in progeny earnings. The top five also have another commonality: they are the only second-crop sires with both 200-plus foals and 90-plus runners. 

Audible  was sixth a year ago but has climbed to the top of the second-crop sires list. He is led by My Mane Squeeze, a 3-year-old filly out of the Speightstown mare In Spite of Mama. The New York-bred has won three of her five starts this year. She started 2024 with a pair of black-type stakes wins before finishing eighth in the Fantasy Stakes (G2). But she bounced back nicely, winning the Eight Belles Stakes (G2) by two lengths. Most recently she was fourth in her first grade 1 experience, the Acorn Stakes. She's won more than $450,000 this year. Overall, she's 5-0-2 from nine starts with $634,110 in earnings. 

Audible has the most graded stakes winners in the class year to date with two. He stood this year for $15,000 at WinStar Farm near Versailles, Ky. 

Second through fifth in the rankings all stand at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington.

Omaha Beach , who was fourth a year ago, is now second. The leading earner of his sire, War Front , Omaha Beach has been well represented by a trio who have done well in graded stakes. He leads second-crop sires with five black-type winners that include E J Won the Cup, Regulatory Risk, and Neom Beach. 

Owned and trained by Doug O'Neill, E J Won the Cup was third in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and won the Texas Derby and Turf Paradise Derby en route to more than $338,000 in winnings; Regulatory Risk, a 3-year-old filly, was third in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and second in the Gazelle Stakes (G2); and Neom Beach has placed in three black-type stakes and was fourth in the Honeybee Stakes (G3). 

Omaha Beach stood for $40,000.

The progeny by top freshman sire, Mitole , continues to show their quality. A champion male sprinter and winner of the 2019 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) has a chip off the old block in Halina's Forte. The Florida-bred filly has shown an aptitude for shorter distances. Having hit the board in six of her eight lifetime starts and three of five starts this year, she has already earned nearly a quarter of a million dollars. 

She made her graded company debut in the Ashland Stakes (G1) but was a disappointing eighth in her first start going two turns. However, she improved with a fourth in the seven-furlong Eight Belles, won an allowance/optional claimer by two lengths at Churchill Downs, and then was third in the Victory Ride Stakes (G3). 

Mitole, who stood for $15,000, has the most winners among his classmates with 46, as of July 15.

Vino Rosso , who in 2019 was named champion older dirt male after winning the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), has a solid quintet: Tuscan Sky, who has won three of four starts including the Pegasus Stakes; Corposo, a filly who has a second in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) and a third in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2); Shiloh's Mistress, who was second in the Providencia Stakes (G3); Wine Me Up, who has run in five straight graded stakes, including seconds in the last two—the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) and the San Felipe Stakes (G2); and The Wine Steward, who last year won the Bashford Manor Stakes and was second in the Breeders' Futurity (G1) before starting this year with seconds in the Lexington Stakes (G3) and Peter Pan Stakes (G3). 

Vino Rosso has had the most runners to date (125) and stood for $25,000, as does Maximus Mischief , who rounds out the top five. A son of Into Mischief , as is Audible, Maximus Mischief was second in first-crop class by progeny earnings. This year, his top runners have been Raging Torrent, who has won two straight races including the Maxfield Overnight Stakes, and Glengarry, an Iowa-bred colt who has won four of five career starts including the Lafayette Stakes in his lone 2024 start.