Sire rankings come into focus as Breeders’ Cup approaches

The dust has settled after the Travers Stakes (G1) weekend, and as attention turns to the Breeders’ Cup World Championship, the list of top stallions is starting to become clearer.

Into mischief ‘s hold on to the top spot unchallenged. He is on track for his sixth consecutive title in total Northern Hemisphere earnings. As of August 26, he was just under $10 million ahead of the second-placed stallion, Mine . And that’s where the attraction begins.

His main earner, Mr. Buscador Mineshaft has earned more than $11.7 million this year. The problem for his sire is that Senor Buscador’s earnings account for more than 80% of Mineshaft’s progeny’s prize money. Having more winning horses would solve this problem, but that’s easier said than done. Mineshaft has the fewest racehorses (100) and winners (58) of any sire ranked in the top 25. Mineshaft will likely be passed for second place without more widespread success.

Biting his hoof is Gunman Mineshaft’s followers are less than $1 million. So Sierra Leone Gun Runner’s top progeny have won this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), a race that carries a $3 million-plus payout that will move the rankings. Gun Runner also has a deep bench, leading the breed by far in the number of Grade 1 winners with four.

Sitting in fourth place at the moment is Alignment and his son Troy City There is a growing buzz around him. He was recently given the best odds (+400) by bet365 to win the Classic. For some, City of Troy’s popularity has become like the Beatles; all reason disappears and the world stops at the mention of his name.

A victory at Del Mar A foal bred in the US, racing in the UK could catapult Justify into second place in terms of offspring earnings among stallions in North America. It could also serve as a turning point that catapults Justify to new heights among stallions here and abroad.

This edition saw little change in the top 25, which may come as a bit of a surprise given the quality of racing over the past two weeks. Justify and Quality Road swap number 4 and number 5; Curlin And Uncle Mo exchange number 8 and number 9; and American Pharaoh And Mendelssohn did the same with numbers 16 and 17. Meanwhile, Ghost Slayer dropped two places to number 25.

There is an additional content from two weeks ago: City of Light . The father has bounced up and down the rankings throughout the year. The son of Quality Road has come and gone based on the success of his top runner, Aggression . All Fierceness did was win at the Travers Saratoga Race Track August 24. Now that he appears to have found his form with back-to-back wins for the first time, the question must be asked: How high can he take his father?

A potential Classic win wouldn’t put him in the top five, but that combined with his status as a top 3-year-old could make City of Lights the most sought-after stallion in 2025.