Giant’s Causeway wins USA sires’ premiership

Coolmore sire Giant’s Causeway claimed the USA sires’ premiership for the second consecutive year.  His 2010 runners earned $8.80 million, down from his winning 2009 total of $11.07 million.

Giant’s Causeway (Storm Cat) stands at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky.  He sired 160 winner from 369 starters with 23 winning black-type.  He will for a $85,000 fee in 2011.

Finishing behind Giant’s Causeway for the second straight year was Distorted Humor on $8.71 million. His leading earner was G1 Belmont Stakes winner Drosselmeyer.

Distorted Humor (Forty Niner) will stand for a $100,000 fee at WinStar Farm this year.

Malibu Moon (A.P. Indy) was next on $8.55 million and Maria’s Mon (Wavering Monarch) and Smart Strike (Mr. Prospector) rounded out the Top 5.

More Than Ready topped the 2YO premiership with earnings of $1.97 million.  The Vinery champion completed a clean-sweep of the BC Juvenile events on grass with Pluck and More Than Real.  His Kentucky fee is $40,000 which is well short of his Hunter Valley fee of $121,000.

Vinery also topped the first-season sires list with Congrats on $1.66 million.  Congrats (A.P. Indy) defeated Bluegrass Cat (Storm Cat) who is out of an A.P. Indy mare and Darley freshman Bernardini (A P Indy).

Congrats also topped the first-season individual winner list with 25 to tie with Sharp Humor.  Wickedly Perfect was his chief earner ($404,600) after victories in the G1 Keeneland Alcibiades Stakes and G3 Del Mar Sorrento Stakes.

Wildcat Heir (Forest Wildcat) was the champion second-crop sire.  He sired the winners of $4.58 million to edge out Afleet Alex (Northern Afleet).

Former Coolmore shuttler Lion Heart topped the third-crop list with $6.95 million.  He was transferred to Turkey last year with fellow Coolmore sires Dehere and Powerscourt.  WinStar stallion Speightstown (Gone West) was second on $6.79 million.

Sadler’s Wells headed the leading broodmare sires’ list for the third consecutive year with $15.99 million.  He finished $2.54 million ahead of Woodman (Mr. Prospector).