2011's Top Commercial Sires

A.P. Indy was a dominant force in the commercial


sire ranks in 2011 as his career as a stallion was coming to an end. He was the

leading sire of sale yearlings for the second year in a row and he also was the

top sire of sale weanlings. In addition, one of A.P. Indy's sons, Bernardini,

was the leading covering sire.


The 10 A.P. Indy yearlings that were sold last year at

public auction commanded an average price of $407,000. They included the most

expensive yearling that was sold, a $1.4-million colt out of Malka (by Deputy

Minister). John and Jerry Amerman and Robert S. Evans purchased the youngster, now named Powerful,

at the Keeneland September yearling auction. The three A.P. Indy weanlings that

were sold averaged $348,333.



A.P. Indy was third on the leading sires of sale 2-year-olds,

with five offspring averaging $220,000.



The 1992 Horse of the Year, A.P. Indy was retired

from the breeding shed last April. The 23-year-old son of Seattle Slew stood at

William S. Farish's Lane's End Farm near Versailles, Ky., and still resides

there.

Bernardini, his sire's heir apparent as a commercial

force, grabbed the top spot on the covering sires list when nine mares in foal

to him were sold for an average price of $872,778. His rise to the top ended

Street Cry's two-year reign in the category.



The champion 3-year-old male of 2006, Bernardini

stands at Sheikh Mohammed's Darley operation in Lexington. He ranked third

among sires of sale yearlings (with an average of $339,540 for 50 progeny), second

among sires of sale 2-year-olds (with an average of $240,400 for five

offspring), and fourth among sires of sale weanlings (with an average of

$275,000 for 10 progeny).



Empire Maker was the leading sire of sale

2-year-olds, with 13 of his offspring selling for an average of $330,538. A

12-year-old son of Unbridled and winner of the 2003 Belmont Stakes (gr. I), the

stallion began his stud career in this country but now stands in Japan.



Read full article at  http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/hammertime/archive/2012/01/30/2011s-Top-Commercial-Sires.aspx