Khozan continued to dominate Florida’s sires by earnings in 2025, but those following him on the earnings list held their own in some other metrics.
Khozan, who stands at Ocala Stud, led Florida’s first-crop and 2-year-old sire lists in 2019 and has led the state’s general sires for six consecutive years since. In 2025, he sired 121 winners from 216 individual runners – a 56 percent strike rate – and his progeny earned $6,291,875.
Next on the earnings list were Neolithic, who stands at Pleasant Acres Stallions, with $3,494,053, and Ocala Stud stablemate Adios Charlie at $3,218,608. Like all the other stallions in the top 10, both had far fewer starters than the popular Khozan, who is the sire of five graded/group stakes winners lifetime.
However, Neolithic and Adios Charlie both recorded solid strike rates. Neolithic had 53 winners from 91 runners for a 58 percent winning average, and Adios Charlie had 58 winners from 91 starters for a 64 percent rate.
Neolithic led the state with five individual stakes winners, compared to four each for Khozan and Adios Charlie. Neolithic’s top earner was Florida-bred Neoequos, who hinted at his ability by being multiple stakes-placed during the 2024 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes as a juvenile.
In 2025, Neoequos graduated to open graded stakes company, finishing third in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and third in the Grade 1 Florida Derby behind eventual classic hero Sovereignty. After being on the engine in the Kentucky Derby, leading at one point before fading to 13th, he cut back to sprints for the remainder of the year, notching a win in the Jersey Shore at Monmouth Park and a runner-up effort in the Robert Hilton Memorial at Charles Town. He started 2026 with a victory in the Sunshine Turf at Gulfstream.
Further examining the Florida stallions on Daily Racing Form’s exclusive stallion metrics, the Beyer Sire Performance Standings, Adios Charlie made a mark by recording a state-leading 10 benchmark Beyers of 90 or higher, tallied by six individuals. That placed him in the top 100 sires nationally. Khozan had eight 90-plus Beyers from four individuals.
Adios Charlie’s top Beyer for the season came from the Florida-bred gelding Ciao Chuck, who earned a 95 winning a maiden race in January at Gulfstream Park.
“I call him ‘the poor man’s Uncle Mo,’ ” Ocala Stud’s David O’Farrell told the FTBOA, referring to Uncle Mo and Adios Charlie’s shared sire, Indian Charlie. “His foals are good looking, they run early, they run often, and they win. And they sell well. You can’t ask for much more than that.”
Showing the precocity O’Farrell referenced, Adios Charlie was Florida’s top 2-year-old sire by earnings in 2025, edging Neolithic by more than $70,000. Khozan finished fifth on that list.
Valiant Minister earns plaudits
Florida stallion Valiant Minister recorded a significant accomplishment on the major stage in 2025, siring Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner and Eclipse Award finalist Bentornato. Fueled by this, he checks in fifth on the state’s sire list by earnings, with his 33 winners from 52 starters representing far fewer starters than any stallion above him.
Valiant Minister, a 16-year-old Candy Ride horse, was quick himself, breezing a bullet furlong at the 2015 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s June auction and fetching a then sale-record $680,000 from Baoma Corp. He won his only career start in January 2017, earning a 99 Beyer Speed Figure. However, he had a significant stall accident that resulted in a career-ending injury and entered stud in 2018 at Bridlewood Farm.
Valiant Minister is the sire of four stakes winners, with Bentornato his first graded winner. Bentornato won two legs of the 2023 Florida Sire series. In 2024, he won the Grade 2 Gallant Bob at Parx and was second in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
In a two-start campaign in 2025, Bentornato, who has never finished worse than third, won the Louisville Thoroughbred Society at Churchill Downs in his first start in more than 10 months, then took the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. He earned a Beyer of 110 for that effort, the highest by a Florida-bred in 2025.