by Philip and Jonathan Sporn

Even though it’s very early in the racing season, we wanted to take a look at some of the first-crop sires and see how they were doing, so far. Once I started digging, however, I figured let’s examine all sires to date. Of course, it’s very, very early, and these figures change every day, but it’s always interesting to do some detailed analysis and see what comes up.

The charts cover all sires with at least 10 foals of 2021, with statistics as of July 5, 2023 at noon.

Taking a quick look at the newcomers, New York’s Courtly Choice leads the pacers, with 67 per cent of his first crop hitting the track. After him comes Ohioan Dancin Yankee (56 per cent), Minnesota’s Karpathian Kid (55 per cent), and another pair of Buckeyes in Bit Of A Legend (55 per cent) and Lather Up (49 per cent). Rounding out the new pacing sires are Indiana’s Lost In Time (47 per cent), Ontario’s Jimmy Freight (46 per cent), Indiana’s Freaky Feet Pete (43 per cent), the Garden State’s Bettor’s Wish (41 per cent), Pennsylvania’s Captain Crunch (40 per cent) and Ontario’s Stag Party (29 per cent).

The charts also include the leading sires in terms of percentage of winners, as well as the winners to starters ratio.

In terms of trotting sires, Pennsylvania’s Greenshoe leads the way, with 52 per cent of his 2-year-old crop making the races. Other newbies on the list are Ohio’s Volstead (48 per cent), New Jersey’s Six Pack (46 per cent), Ontario’s The Bank (39 per cent), and Indiana’s Pilot Discretion (30 per cent).

Interestingly, the overall pacing sire leader — Deuce Seelster — has 70 per cent of his foals started, while trotting sire Fordham Road leads the way with an almost identical 73 per cent.

In terms of winners, Sagebrush has a 30 per cent rate of winners, while Chapter Seven leads the trotters, with 29 per cent winners, a virtual tie.

We’ll see how the numbers stack up at year’s end.

2023 2-YEAR-OLD LEADING TROTTING SIRES (LISTED BY % STARTERS)
MINIMUM 10 FOALS
FIRST CROP SIRES IN BOLD
SIRE	FOALS	STARTERS	% STARTERS
FORDHAM ROAD	11	8	73%
FULL COUNT	29	18	62%
WALNER	103	62	60%
DEVIOUS MAN	20	12	60%
E L TITAN	50	30	60%
FATHER PATRICK	100	60	60%
UNCLE PETER	54	31	57%
LONG TOM	91	52	57%
WHAT THE HILL	84	47	56%
E L ROCKET	20	11	55%
CRAZY WOW	39	21	54%
CREATINE	43	23	53%
CANTAB HALL	83	44	53%
CHAPTER SEVEN	91	48	53%
GREENSHOE	101	53	52%
LIONHUNTER	10	5	50%
BAR HOPPING	62	31	50%
MUSCLE HILL	70	34	49%
VOLSTEAD	29	14	48%
LOU’S LEGACY	36	17	47%
INTERNATIONAL MONI	102	48	47%
SIX PACK	85	39	46%
SWAN FOR ALL	95	43	45%
DANISH DURANGO	14	6	43%
HELPISONTHEWAY	56	24	43%
SOUTHWIND FRANK	31	13	42%
DOVER DAN	47	19	40%
MET’S HALL	20	8	40%
YOU KNOW YOU DO	33	13	39%
THE BANK	28	11	39%
TRIUMPHANT CAVIAR	18	7	39%
TACTICAL LANDING	100	37	37%
MUSCLE MASS	96	35	36%
STRONG HOPE	14	5	36%
WHEELING N DEALIN	34	12	35%
SOUTHWIND FLASH	15	5	33%
ENTERPRISE	75	25	33%
CONWAY HALL	35	11	31%
LINDY’S TRU GRIT	16	5	31%
CREDIT WINNER	13	4	31%
PILOT DISCRETION	33	10	30%
IL SOGNO DREAM	10	3	30%
MUSCLE MASSIVE	34	10	29%
TRIXTON	29	8	28%
SWAN IN A MILLION	64	17	27%
KADABRA	34	9	26%
DEJARMBRO	23	6	26%
ANDOVER HALL	26	6	23%
LOOKSLIKEACHPNDALE	57	11	19%
ROYALTY FOR LIFE	34	6	18%
MAJOR ATHENS	28	3	11%
WALDORF HALL	12	1	8%
LEAR JETTA	14	1	7%

*ALL STATS AS OF JULY 5, 2023 NOON

2023 2-YEAR-OLD LEADING TROTTING SIRES (LISTED BY % WINNERS)
MINIMUM 10 FOALS
FIRST CROP SIRES IN BOLD
SIRE	FOALS	WINNERS	% WINNERS
CHAPTER SEVEN	91	26	29%
FORDHAM ROAD	11	3	27%
UNCLE PETER	54	14	26%
FATHER PATRICK	100	25	25%
CREDIT WINNER	13	3	23%
WALNER	103	23	22%
E L TITAN	50	11	22%
CANTAB HALL	83	18	22%
STRONG HOPE	14	3	21%
TACTICAL LANDING	100	20	20%
LINDY’S TRU GRIT	16	3	19%
PILOT DISCRETION	33	6	18%
CRAZY WOW	39	7	18%
TRIUMPHANT CAVIAR	18	3	17%
LONG TOM	91	15	16%
GREENSHOE	101	16	16%
SWAN FOR ALL	95	15	16%
MUSCLE HILL	70	11	16%
SIX PACK	85	13	15%
E L ROCKET	20	3	15%
MET’S HALL	20	3	15%
WHAT THE HILL	84	12	14%
CREATINE	43	6	14%
BAR HOPPING	62	8	13%
SOUTHWIND FRANK	31	4	13%
DOVER DAN	47	6	13%
INTERNATIONAL MONI	102	12	12%
CONWAY HALL	35	4	11%
LOU’S LEGACY	36	4	11%
HELPISONTHEWAY	56	6	11%
VOLSTEAD	29	3	10%
DEVIOUS MAN	20	2	10%
LIONHUNTER	10	1	10%
IL SOGNO DREAM	10	1	10%
DEJARMBRO	23	2	9%
WALDORF HALL	12	1	8%
MUSCLE MASS	96	7	7%
DANISH DURANGO	14	1	7%
LEAR JETTA	14	1	7%
FULL COUNT	29	2	7%
TRIXTON	29	2	7%
SOUTHWIND FLASH	15	1	7%
SWAN IN A MILLION	64	4	6%
YOU KNOW YOU DO	33	2	6%
MUSCLE MASSIVE	34	2	6%
KADABRA	34	2	6%
ROYALTY FOR LIFE	34	2	6%
LOOKSLIKEACHPNDALE	57	3	5%
ENTERPRISE	75	3	4%
ANDOVER HALL	26	1	4%
THE BANK	28	1	4%
MAJOR ATHENS	28	1	4%
WHEELING N DEALIN	34	1	3%

*ALL STATS AS OF JULY 5, 2023 NOON

2023 2-YEAR-OLD LEADING TROTTING SIRES (LISTED BY WIN/START %)
MINIMUM 10 FOALS
FIRST CROP SIRES IN BOLD
SIRE	WINNERS	STARTERS	WIN/START %
WALDORF HALL	1	1	100%
LEAR JETTA	1	1	100%
CREDIT WINNER	3	4	75%
STRONG HOPE	3	5	60%
LINDY’S TRU GRIT	3	5	60%
PILOT DISCRETION	6	10	60%
CHAPTER SEVEN	26	48	54%
TACTICAL LANDING	20	37	54%
UNCLE PETER	14	31	45%
TRIUMPHANT CAVIAR	3	7	43%
FATHER PATRICK	25	60	42%
CANTAB HALL	18	44	41%
FORDHAM ROAD	3	8	38%
MET’S HALL	3	8	38%
WALNER	23	62	37%
E L TITAN	11	30	37%
CONWAY HALL	4	11	36%
SWAN FOR ALL	15	43	35%
CRAZY WOW	7	21	33%
SIX PACK	13	39	33%
IL SOGNO DREAM	1	3	33%
DEJARMBRO	2	6	33%
ROYALTY FOR LIFE	2	6	33%
MAJOR ATHENS	1	3	33%
MUSCLE HILL	11	34	32%
DOVER DAN	6	19	32%
SOUTHWIND FRANK	4	13	31%
GREENSHOE	16	53	30%
LONG TOM	15	52	29%
E L ROCKET	3	11	27%
LOOKSLIKEACHPNDALE	3	11	27%
CREATINE	6	23	26%
BAR HOPPING	8	31	26%
WHAT THE HILL	12	47	26%
INTERNATIONAL MONI	12	48	25%
HELPISONTHEWAY	6	24	25%
TRIXTON	2	8	25%
LOU’S LEGACY	4	17	24%
SWAN IN A MILLION	4	17	24%
KADABRA	2	9	22%
VOLSTEAD	3	14	21%
LIONHUNTER	1	5	20%
MUSCLE MASS	7	35	20%
SOUTHWIND FLASH	1	5	20%
MUSCLE MASSIVE	2	10	20%
DEVIOUS MAN	2	12	17%
DANISH DURANGO	1	6	17%
ANDOVER HALL	1	6	17%
YOU KNOW YOU DO	2	13	15%
ENTERPRISE	3	25	12%
FULL COUNT	2	18	11%
THE BANK	1	11	9%
WHEELING N DEALIN	1	12	8%

*ALL STATS AS OF JULY 5, 2023 NOON