By DRF.com
Regardless of where in California Grazen resides, it’s a safe bet that he will continue his run at or near the top of the state’s sire charts as he comes off a strong season in 2023.
Grazen, who will stand at Mike and Angie Scully’s Eclipse Thoroughbred Training center for 2024, led this year’s California general sires earnings list through Dec. 14. He has a good chance to hold sway through the end of the year, with total progeny earnings of $4,648,407 to $4,036,340 for Stay Thirsty.
Grazen’s lead is even more impressive considering Stay Thirsty moved to Lovacres Ranch in California in 2018 after spending his early stud career in Kentucky, where stallions have larger books of mares. Stay Thirsty led California stallions by both runners, with 191, and winners, with 89. Grazen, who also leads California’s turf earnings list, had 65 winners from 122 runners through Dec. 14.
Grazen had a strong year in the Golden State Series, a restricted stakes schedule for registered California-bred or sired horses, with five individuals winning seven of those stakes. The winners were led by Rose Maddox, who races as a homebred for Nick Alexander, who bred and raced Grazen. His association with the Scullys, who break Alexander’s young horses, played a role in the stallion moving to Eclipse.
“It’s great – we’re so excited,” Angie Scully said. “We have a good relationship with Nick because we’ve been starting his babies. So when he approached us . . . [we were] thrilled.”
Rose Maddox won the Moscow Burning Stakes and California Distaff Handicap in the Golden State Series. She also won the Golden Poppy Stakes and placed in three additional stakes to be Grazen’s leading earner of 2023.
Grazen’s other winners in the Golden State Series were Alice Marble, winner of the Spring Fever and Irish O’Brien; Grazed My Heart, winner of the Snow Chief; Carole Lombard, who won the Campanile; and Old Pal, winner of the Snow Chief.
Grazen won 4 of 7 starts in his own career, with three stakes wins in California highlighted by the Grade 3 Affirmed in 2009. The big gray son of Benchmark entered stud in 2010 at Tommy Town Thoroughbreds. Now 17, he has ranked in the top 10 California sires by progeny earnings, regardless of progeny conception area, every year since 2019.
His top runners include three-time graded stakes winner Lieutenant Dan, who was second in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint; and graded stakes winners Enola Gray, Just Grazed Me, and S Y Sky. All are Alexander homebreds, and each earned graded stakes wins at age 4 or later.
“His horses are big, strong horses and they mature at 3,” Alexander said of his flagship stallion in the program for this year’s Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association awards, where he was named the leading California breeder. “Probably their best years are 4 and 5. . . . He continues to amaze me.”
Angie Scully confirmed that Grazen’s progeny take that time to mature.
“They’re great-minded,” she added. “They love to work.
“We’re looking forward to getting to know their dad.”
Stay Thirsty
While he may have to settle for second on this year’s California general sires earnings list, Stay Thirsty continues to show he has a bright future in his adopted state.
Multiple Grade 1 winner Stay Thirsty, who prior to 2018 stood in Kentucky for the Coolmore group, was represented by his first California-conceived runners in 2021. He has been California’s leading 2-year-old sire with each of his three in-state crops to date.
Stay Thirsty’s 2-year-old earnings this year stand at $894,380, just ahead of Smiling Tiger of Harris Farms, with $825,620. Stay Thirsty’s son Last Call London won the King Glorious Stakes or 2-year-olds on Dec. 17 at Los Alamitos following two stakes placings over the summer at Del Mar. The gelding was bred by Terry Lovingier and is co-owned by the breeder along with Tom London and Eugene Zondlo.
Mr. Big
Mr. Big hit a career milestone in 2023 while continuing to make the most of the opportunities presented to him.
Mr. Big, who stands at Legacy Ranch, is fifth on California’s general sires earnings list with a solid 40 winners from 87 runners – fewer than any of the stallions above him. His five individual stakes winners in 2023 are second only to leading sire Grazen’s six.
The five stakes winners are led by Ceiling Crusher, who won the Evening Jewel and Melair in the Golden State Series and then stepped up to win the Grade 3 Torrey Pines. She completed her campaign with a victory in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx Racing.
Ceiling Crusher is one of four individuals who captured five stakes in the Golden State Series for Mr. Big, along with Chancery Way, who won the Betty Grable; Big Summer, who won the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint; and Big Pond, who won the Fleet Treat.
Mr. Big, who entered stud in 2010, is the sire of 213 foals from his first 11 crops of racing age – fewer than some Kentucky stallions have the opportunity to produce in a year. Of those, including current 2-year-olds, 147 had started through Dec. 17, with 93 winners. He is the sire of 17 career stakes winners, with Ceiling Crusher, his first Grade 1 winner, joined by Grade 3 winner Big Score.