The makeup of the general sires earnings list has shifted in recent years thanks to multimillion-dollar purses for events such as the Pegasus World Cup and Dubai World Cup. Tapit is among the elite sires fighting an uphill battle against those statistics, as his three-year run atop the general sires earnings list, in which he established a single-season record for a North American sire each year from 2014 to 2016, ended with the advent of the Pegasus in 2017. However, Daily Racing Form’s exclusive stallion metrics, the Beyer Sire Performance Standings, powered by Darley, show that Tapit’s dominance has not slowed at all in terms of quality. Tapit, who stands at Gainesway Farm, was represented by 43 individual runners to earn benchmark Beyer Speed Figures of 90 or higher in 2018. He easily outpaced Candy Ride, as the Lane’s End stallion was represented by 32 individuals to meet that mark. Raising the bar even higher, Tapit had six individuals to earn triple-digit Beyers, tied with More Than Ready and Speightstown, both of whom stand at WinStar Farm. Tapit’s top-earning runner of 2018 was Unique Bella, who also posted his highest Beyer when she earned a 109 winning the Grade 2 Santa Maria in February by nine lengths to start her season. The champion female sprinter of 2017, Unique Bella went on to add Grade 1 scores in the Beholder Mile and Clement L. Hirsch before injury ended her career. More Than Ready’s Eclipse Award champion Roy H posted a Beyer Speed Figure of 111 for his 3 1/4-length repeat victory in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs. That was the same figure he earned for his one-length victory in the 2017 BC Sprint at Del Mar. Speightstown’s sons Switzerland and Yorkton each recorded Beyers of 103 to propel their sire in 2018. Switzerland posted the figure in the Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash, and Yorkton recorded his in winning the Grade 3 Bold Venture Stakes. Kitten’s Joy, who finished in the top five by both individuals to earn 90-plus and individuals to earn 100-plus figures, was the year’s leading sire by general earnings, with progeny bankrolling $19,083,421. The Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm stallion – who also led the general sire list in 2013, and has been North America’s leading turf sire every year since 2013 – was led by European Horse of the Year Roaring Lion, Dubai Group 1 winner Hawkbill, and Grade 1 winner Oscar Performance. Oscar Performance earned his sire’s highest Beyer of 2018, with a 104 on two occasions. He first won the Grade 3 Poker Stakes at Belmont, sizzling the mile on turf in a course-record setting and North American-record-tying 1:31.23. He later matched the figure in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile. Catapult also earned a 104 Beyer for Kitten’s Joy in winning the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile as well as two other triple-digit performances. Candy Ride, who kick-started his year with Pegasus World Cup winner Gun Runner and also sired 2018 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Game Winner and Grade 1 winners Leofric and Separationofpowers, checked in second on the general earnings list at $17,972,878. Champion Gun Runner earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 120 in the Pegasus, which held on throughout the season as the year’s top figure.