Several of 2020’s top stallions continued to reign supreme over the sport through the 2021 season, while other sires broke through to dominate the harness racing ranks through their progeny.

On the pacing side, the top three stallions by all-age earnings remains unchanged from 2020. Bettors Delight still holds the top spot with gross earnings of $22,685,067 from 618 starters, leading Somebeachsomewhere’s $20,510,940 from 426 starters and Captaintreacherous’ $16,122,271 from 249 starters.

Following a strong season from his sophomores in 2020, Captaintreacherous’ 2021 two-year-olds led in total earnings, but by a slim margin. His 64 starters banked $3,456,216 to just top Always B Miki’s total of $3,360,740. But with only 61 pacing two-year-olds in 2021, Always B Miki bested Captaintreacherous in average earnings per starter with $55,094 compared to “The Captain’s” $54,003. In total earnings, Downbytheseaside finished third among stallions of two-year-olds with a total of $3,228,012, while Big Jim’s progeny finished third in average earnings with an average of $53,533 earned from 15 starters.

Somebeachsomewhere’s penultimate crop, which turned three years old in 2021, turned up on the track again to give the late pacing star the top spot among stallions of pacing sophomores in total earnings. From 92 starters, Somebeachsomewhere three-year-olds banked $5,146,951, topping Always B Miki’s total of $5,073,474 from 79 starters and Captaintreacherous’ $4,871,387 from 75 starters.

Ironically, those three reverse spots on the leaderboard among average earnings per starter with Captaintreacherous having the best average earnings of the three with $64,951, followed by Always B Miki with $64,221 and Somebeachsomewhere with $55,945. But those three do not sit atop the leaderboard in average earnings for pacing three-year-olds in 2021. Instead, the eight-starter crop from Panther Hanover took the top spot for average earnings per starter with a whopping $95,917 banked from his progeny.

After years of dominating the trotting side as a stallion, Muscle Hill did not take the top spot among trotting stallions for 2021. Instead, the leading sire of all-age earnings was Chapter Seven, whose 176 starters accrued $10,002,538 through the season. Muscle Hill took second on the rankings with $9,607,715 from 209 starters while Cantab Hall ranked third with $7,111,780 from 221 starters.

The 2021 season served largely as a breakthrough year for the Chapter Seven bloodline. Not only did he take the top spot among all-age earnings, but his three-year-old crop from 2021 earned the most of any sire’s in 2021 with a total of $4,127,219 banked from 54 starters. Bar Hopping finished second among sires of three-year-olds with $3,745,098 from 40 starters while Muscle Hill finished third with $3,666,202 from 69 starters.

Meanwhile, Chapter Seven’s star son and stallion phenom Walner led his sire and all other stallions in earnings from two-year-old starters. Walner’s two-year-olds, from 68 starters, earned $4,883,743, well ahead of Chapter Seven’s $3,072,602 from 53 starters. Again, Muscle Hill finished third on the leaderboard, with 60 starters earnings $2,298,744.

In average earnings, Walner and Chapter Seven also hold the top two spots among two-year-olds in 2021. Walner’s starters averaged $71,819, also well ahead of his sire Chapter Seven’s average of $57,973. Resolve broke through to land third in average earnings, with his 21 two-year-old starters averaging $52,848 – just ahead of Nuncio's $51,842 average with his five-starter crop.

Bar Hopping led trotting stallions of three-year-olds in average earnings, with his 40-starter crop averaging $93,627. Chapter Seven settled for second with his 54-starter contingent averaging $76,429. Archangel averaged third best as a stallion of sophomores with his 24-starter crop averaging $67,300.

Click these links to access the leaderboards for the year's leading stallions by earnings and by average earnings.