Claiborne Farm cuts War Front's fee to $150,000 amid 'unprecedented times'

Claiborne Farm announced stud fees for a number of its stallions standing at the Paris, Kentucky based farm during the 2021 breeding season.

Among 13 stallions, War Front leads the roster with a $150,000 (£115,920/€128,065) stud fee, reduced from $250,000 during this year's breeding season. The internationally acclaimed son of Danzig and emerging sire of sires is currently North America's leading active sire by percentage of lifetime black-type winners at 15 per cent. In 2020, War Front has added two new Grade 1 winners to his record, bringing his lifetime total to 22, the most of any active stallion in North America behind only Tapit with 27.

War Front's most recent Grade 1 winners include Breeders' Cup World Championships hopefuls Civil Union and Halladay, and his son War Of Will, who won the 2019 Preakness Stakes, captured a Grade 1 on the turf this year in the Maker's Mark Mile Stakes at Keeneland. War Of Will will join Claiborne's stallion roster next year. His three Grade 1 winners so far this year make him the co-leading sire in this category along with Into Mischief and Speightstown.

In the sales ring, War Front continued his reign among leading sires with 13 yearlings sold averaging $344,846 and his top-priced yearling bringing $1.05 million.

Four of Claiborne's stallions have had their fees dropped for 2021.

"In these unprecedented times, we felt it would be irresponsible to raise or keep some stud fees the same as last year, despite our stallions having outstanding success in the sales ring and on the racetrack," said Claiborne president Walker Hancock. "It is now more important than ever that we do what is best for the sustainability of our industry."

Champion and three-time Grade 1 winner Blame will stand for $30,000. Ranked among the top of his sire crop with 63 stakes horses and 30 stakes winners lifetime, his 16 Graded stakes winners include Nadal, the winner of this year's Arkansas Derby. Yearlings sired by Blame have sold up to $400,000 this year.

Flatter, the prolific son of A.P. Indy, will stand for $35,000. He has sired 109 stakes horses and 54 stakes winners lifetime, including recent champions West Coast and Avie's Flatter. This year, his two-year-olds sold for up to $600,000, while yearlings brought up to $330,000 in the sales ring.

Mastery, the undefeated Grade 1-winning son of Candy Ride, will remain at $25,000. His highest-priced first yearlings sold so far this year brought $510,000, $450,000, and $400,000, with an average of $142,425.

Catholic Boy and Demarchelier, who both stood their first seasons at Claiborne in 2020, will remain unchanged. Catholic Boy, one of only three North American three-year-old colts in history to win Grade 1 events on both dirt and turf, will stand for $25,000. Demarchelier, the only son of top international sire Dubawi standing in Kentucky, will stand for $5,000.

First Samurai, the proven son of Giant's Causeway, will stand for $15,000. He is the sire of undefeated two-year-old sensation Plum Ali, a Breeders' Cup hopeful and winner of the recent Miss Grillo Stakes. Three yearlings by First Samurai sold for more than $200,000, topped by a colt that brought $260,000.

Stud fees for Eclipse champion Runhappy and War Of Will will be announced following the Breeders' Cup.

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