DISTORTED HUMOR: NO. 1 BROODMARE SIRE

Distorted Humor has been on an upward trajectory as a broodmare sire in recent years, and he took over the category in 2017.

Led by the earnings of champion Arrogate, who won the $12 million Pegasus World Cup and $10 million Dubai World Cup, Distorted Humor’s daughters accounted for earnings of $28,508,514 in 2017. Among stallions who stand or last stood in North America, that was enough to edge the late Storm Cat, a perennial leader in this category, with $27,358,734.

Giant’s Causeway, the broodmare sire of Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and likely Horse of the Year Gun Runner, checked in third at $22,704,282. Rounding out the top five were A.P. Indy at $22,558,450 and the late Unbridled’s Song at $20,770,805.

While powered by Arrogate, Distorted Humor, who stands at WinStar Farm, was far from a one-hit wonder in 2017. Other top runners out of his daughters on the season included multiple Grade 1 winner Elate, who joins Arrogate as an Eclipse Award finalist; Grade 1 winner Practical Joke; and Belmont Oaks winner New Money Honey.

His other standouts in recent years include two-time Grade 1 winner Constitution, Canadian champion Dynamic Sky, Japanese Group 1 winner Moanin, Grade 1 winners Book Review and Molly Morgan, and multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Stanford.

Big year for Run Away and Hide

Run Away and Hide arrived on the scene in April 2008 and proved to be a precocious juvenile, winning all three of his starts, including the Grade 2 Saratoga Special and the Grade 3 Kentucky Stakes.

Nearly a decade later, that brilliance resurfaced, as Darby Dan Farm’s son of City Zip had a career year with his juveniles. Led by a pair of U.S. graded stakes winners, 10 percent of Run Away and Hide’s juveniles recorded benchmark Beyer Speed Figures of 90 or higher last year. That percentage placed him sixth on the Beyer Sire Performance Standings among stallions with 30 or more juvenile starters, and he appears as a value sire in that category. At an advertised fee of $7,500 for 2018, he is by far the least expensive stallion among the leaders, and the five above him by percentage will stand for an average fee of $174,000.

Run Away and Hide was led by Run Away, who won 4 of 6 starts last year, including the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes, and banked $306,400. The colt won the Santa Anita Juvenile and the Barretts Juvenile, and finished third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity.

Ten City won the Grade 3 Bashford Manor and placed in two other stakes, including a third in the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes. He was euthanized last fall after being injured in the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland. Tango Run was a multiple stakes winner in Ohio, Twin Farms was stakes placed, and Metro Bus was a Group 2 winner in Mexico.