They’re widely recognised as America’s two top turf sires, and War Front and Kitten’s Joy underlined their prowess with significant climbs in the world sires’ rankings last week. But it was all down to their runners in Europe.
War Front, who stands at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky at an advertised fee of $250,000 - the fifth highest in the world, moves up from #30 to #17 after a handsome seven-point gain week on week. The son of Danzig owes much of his prominence to the patronage of Coolmore, and indeed it was the Irish operation that supplied his two Group winners last week: Roly Poly in the G1 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket and Spirit Of Valor in a G2 at the Curragh.
Both Roly Poly and Spirit Of Valor look to be improving 3-year-olds, which is a shot in the arm for War Front’s supporters amid accusations that the stallion’s progeny rarely excel beyond the age of two.
Another feather in War Front’s cap came when his son, Declaration Of War, who stands at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky, was responsible for his own first Group winner from his first crop, the Aidan O’Brien-trained 2-year-old filly Actress taking a G2 at the Curragh on Sunday.
Kitten’s Joy, who stands at Ramsey Farm in Kentucky at an advertised fee of $100,000, already has a formidable record as a turf sire in the U.S., and his Europe-based stock have been joining in the fun in the past couple of seasons. Now he is up to world #21 (from #30 - he was tied there with War Front) after two successes last week - a G2 triumph for Godolphin’s 2016 Coral-Eclipse winner Hawkbill at Newmarket and a G3 for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s Taareef at Maisons-Laffitte.
These are timely boosts ahead of this year’s Saratoga meet, which starts tomorrow, even though neither War Front nor Kitten’s Joy will be able to rely on their European progeny to improve their standings in the TRC stats for Saratoga.
LEADING SIRES IN GRADED STAKES AT SARATOGA 2011-2016
Rank | Name | Rnrs | Runs | Strike rate | G1 wins | G2 wins | G3 wins | Pts |
1 | Curlin | 7 | 16 | 38 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1034 |
2 | Tapit | 33 | 51 | 20 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1030 |
3 | Super Saver | 5 | 7 | 57 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1024 |
4 | Dansili | 5 | 10 | 50 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1020 |
5 | Bernardini | 21 | 34 | 32 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1016 |
6 | Congrats | 9 | 12 | 42 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1016 |
7 | Unbridled's Song | 17 | 27 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1015 |
8 | Tale Of The Cat | 7 | 12 | 42 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1014 |
9 | Hard Spun | 10 | 16 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1010 |
10 | Tiznow | 12 | 15 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1004 |
14 | Kitten's Joy | 15 | 27 | 19 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1004 |
17 | War Front | 12 | 20 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1004 |
According to TRC Global Rankings algorithm
On the subject of stats for Saratoga, here are the top tens for jockeys, trainers and owners over the last six years of competition in Graded stakes at the Spa:
LEADING JOCKEYS IN GRADED STAKES AT SARATOGA 2011-2016
Rank | Name | Horses | Runs | Strike rate | G1 wins | G2 wins | G3 wins | Pts |
1 | Javier Castellano | 128 | 155 | 25 | 22 | 11 | 5 | 1058 |
2 | John R Velazquez | 142 | 173 | 21 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 1027 |
3 | Irad Ortiz Jr | 85 | 101 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 1015 |
4 | Mike E Smith | 18 | 22 | 27 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1015 |
5 | Joe Bravo | 26 | 28 | 21 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 998 |
6 | Jose L Ortiz | 62 | 81 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 984 |
7 | Joel Rosario | 96 | 106 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 981 |
8 | Rajiv Maragh | 37 | 45 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 977 |
9 | Junior Alvarado | 56 | 65 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 973 |
10 | Luis Saez | 53 | 61 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 973 |
According to TRC Global Rankings algorithm
LEADING TRAINERS IN GRADED STAKES AT SARATOGA 2011-2016
Rank | Name | Horses | Runs | Strike rate | G1 wins | G2 wins | G3 wins | Pts |
1 | Chad C Brown | 67 | 91 | 19 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 1027 |
2 | Kiaran McLaughlin | 35 | 54 | 26 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1020 |
3 | Todd Pletcher | 122 | 184 | 21 | 16 | 14 | 8 | 1001 |
4 | Claude McGaughey III | 24 | 35 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 993 |
5 | Bob Baffert | 17 | 21 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 992 |
6 | Anthony Dutrow | 13 | 19 | 37 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 991 |
7 | Christophe Clement | 18 | 22 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 988 |
8 | Mark Casse | 18 | 21 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 988 |
9 | H Graham Motion | 30 | 36 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 982 |
10 | William Mott | 56 | 81 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 979 |
According to TRC Global Rankings algorithm
LEADING OWNERS IN GRADED STAKES AT SARATOGA 2011-2016
Rank | Name | Horses | Runs | Strike rate | G1 wins | G2 wins | G3 wins | Pts |
1 | Juddmonte Farms | 14 | 19 | 37 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1010 |
2 | Stonestreet Stables | 11 | 18 | 50 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1000 |
3 | Fox Hill Farms Inc | 6 | 8 | 50 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 993 |
4 | Klaravich Stables Inc & William H Lawrence | 15 | 22 | 32 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 993 |
5 | Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners | 6 | 11 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 990 |
6 | Alex & Joann Lieblong | 5 | 8 | 38 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 989 |
7 | Morton Fink | 2 | 5 | 60 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 987 |
8 | Phillips Racing Partnership | 3 | 5 | 60 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 986 |
9 | Godolphin | 26 | 43 | 23 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 985 |
10 | St Elias Stable & West Point Thoroughbreds | 3 | 6 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 985 |
According to TRC Global Rankings algorithm
Frankel is up again
War Front is in a three-way tie for 17th in the TRC global sires’ standings - alongside the two highest-ranked sons of Galileo: Teofilo and Frankel, who has gained another four points and another four places after the G2 Maisons-Laffitte victory of the Juddmonte colt Finche. Frankel, of course, remains the highest-ranked second season stallion.
Click here for a list of the week’s biggest points gainers.
Click here for a list of the week’s Group and Graded winners.