On the strength of 13 black-type winners this year, including two grade 1 winners, Claiborne Farm has raised the stud fee for champion and three-time grade 1 winner Blame to $30,000 for 2019.
The 12-year-old son of Arch currently ranks second in his sire class of lifetime stakes horses and graded stakes horses, according to Claiborne. This year, he ranks 21st on the BloodHorse's general leading sires list with $6,699,492 in progeny earnings through Nov. 5, but he is co-ranked as the 11th-leading sire by number of black-type winners.
His top runners of 2018 are grade 1 winners Fault and Marley's Freedom, who have each won three graded stakes this year. Fault won the Santa Margarita Stakes (G1), Buena Vista Stakes (G2), and Adoration Stakes (G3). Marley's Freedom won the Ketel One Ballerina Stakes (G1), Great Lady M Stakes (G2), and the Desert Stormer Stakes (G3).
His other stakes winners this year include graded stakes victors Maraud, Miss Kentucky, and Beyond Blame. He also sired 17 stakes horses in 2017, including French classic winner Senga.
Blame has sired 25 black-type winners and 22 black-type placers to date. His stakes winners include 10 graded/group winners. He has also had a standout season in the auction ring, highlighted by the $1.2 million sale of Fault to Shadai Farm at The November Sale at Fasig-Tipton.
