Irish National Stud's Indian Ridge, sire of 74 stakes winners, died of a heart attack this week. His passing likely marks the end of the Byerly Turk/Herod sire line unless one of his sons can take up the mantle. This line has been virtually extinct in the U.S. for the last few decades and is hanging by a thread in Europe. Assuming the Herod line goes under, we will be left with thriving Darley Arabian/Eclipse line and Goldophin Arabian/Matchem line, which mainly survives through In Reality's sons Valid Appeal and Relaunch. The success of the Matchem line (which runs through the great Man o'War to In Reality) depends on the success of young sires Tiznow, Officer, and Successful Appeal.

Phalaris (from the crop of 1913) is the dominant sire line and may be only line left in a few generations. 

% of All Purse Money earned by offspring of U.S. based sires in 2003

Eclipse             95.98%

Matchem            3.97%            (War Relic/In Reality)

Herod                  0.05%            (Crozier)

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Phalaris            86.68%

Teddy                3.89%            (Damascus)

St. Simon           3.57%            (Ribot/His Majesty/Pleasant Colony, Princequillo)

Himyar               1.01%            (Holy Bull, Broad Brsuh)         

Bay Ronald        0.67%           (Grey Dawn)

Swynford           0.14%           (Mahmoud/The Axe)