Door Opened for New Leading Sire of Breeders' Cup Winners

The leading Breeders' Cup sire by earnings, Deputy Minister, does not have an entrant this year. That could open the door for another sire to take over that title, the likely candidates being Storm Cat, Seattle Slew, Mr. Prospector, and Sadler's Wells.

Deputy Minister, who stands at Fred Seitz' Brookdale Farm near Versailles, Ky., has sired three Breeders' Cup winners from 24 starters and had 12 others finish second through sixth and thus gain a check for their efforts. His progeny earnings in Breeders' Cup races is $5,355,400.

Second is Cee's Tizzy, who stands at Harris Farms in California and has only had two starters. But one of those two is Tiznow, who earned $4,560,400 for his 2000 and 2001 Classic (gr. I) wins. Cee's Tizzy, also sire of Classic second Budroyale, has total earnings of $5,318,800.

Storm Cat, who has the same exact number of starters as Deputy Minister with two winners and 13 others to finish in purse positions, ranks third. With $5,277,200, Storm Cat, who stands at W.T. Young's Overbrook Farm near Lexington, looks to move to the top spot Saturday at Arlington Park with his runners in the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) and Long John Silver's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I).

Storm Cat has the favorite in the Juvenile Fillies, unbeaten Storm Flag Flying, and had four colts entered in the Juvenile, though all will probably not run. All four of the Storm Cat colts -- Hold That Tiger, Van Nistelrooy, Marino Marini, and Ontario -- are trained by Aidan O'Brien, who was to decide Tuesday which horses he would ship from Ireland.

Fourth in the sire progeny earnings list is Alydar, who has been dead long enough to have no runners. Fifth is Danzig, who stands at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Ky., but has no Breeders' Cup runners this year.

Seattle Slew, who died this year, ranks sixth with $4,085,000. He has two Breeders' Cup starters. Like Storm Cat, they are both 2-year-olds, colts Tomahawk and Vindication.

Cozzene comes next on the list and like Danzig, he has no 2002 Breeders' Cup starters. In eighth is Sadler's Wells, who stands at Coolmore Stud in Ireland and has six pre-entrants, more than any other stallion. All grass runners, Salder's Wells is represented by Ballingarry, John Deere Turf (gr. IT); Beat Hollow, NetJets Mile (gr. IT), Gossamer, Mile and Filly & Mare Turf (gr. I); High Chaparral, Turf; Islington, Filly & Mare Turf; and Perfect Soul, Turf. His previous starters have earned $3,424,000.

Rounding out the top 10 sires are two dead stallions, Mr. Prospector and Fappiano. Mr. Prospector is represented this year by Aldebaran in the Mile and E Dubai in the Classic.

Danehill, who also stands at Coolmore, notched his first Breeders' Cup winner last year when Banks Hill won the Filly & Mare Turf. He has a strong hand this year with four starters: Banks Hill looking for a repeat; Dress To Thrill and Landseer in the Mile; and Rock of Gibralter in the Classic.

Several other stallions could have big days on Saturday. Gone West, who has sired dual Breeders' Cup winner Da Hoss, has Came Home in the Classic and Westerly Breeze in the Juvenile Fillies. Dynaformer, who has never sired a Breeders' Cup winner, has four pre-entries, Blazing Fury in the Turf, Pefect Drift in the Classic, Riskaverse in the Filly & Mare Turf, and Starrer in the Distaff (gr. I).