by Steve Bailey

Dixieland Band, who has sired 115 stakes winners and amassed progeny earnings of more than $73.7-million, has been pensioned from stud duties at William S. Farish’s Lane’s End in Versailles, Kentucky.

The 28-year-old Northern Dancer horse out of Grade 1 winner Mississippi Mud, by Delta Judge, remains in good health and is fertile but is being removed from stud because of problems with arthritis, according to a press release from the farm. He was one of the original three stallions to enter stud at Lane’s End following his retirement from racing in 1985. Dixieland Band will remain at the farm.

A multiple Grade 2 winner, Dixieland Band won eight of 24 career starts with three second- and four third-place finishes, earning $441,320 during three racing seasons. He won the 1983 Pennsylvania Derby (G2) and the ’84 Massachusetts Handicap (G2) before retiring to Lane’s End.

He stood for a career-high fee of $75,000 in 2001-’02 and stood for $50,000 from ’04 through ’08. He was scheduled to stand for $30,000 in 2009.

From 23 crops of racing age, Dixieland Band has sired 752 winners, including 44 graded stakes winners, from 979 starters that have earned $73,791,250 through December 1. He was among the leading sires in both 1993 and ’99.

Among Dixieland Band’s most decorated progeny are 1997 Canadian champion three-year-old filly Cotton Carnival, European Group 1 winners Drum Taps and Egyptband, and North American Grade 1 winners Dixie Union—who currently is the 2008 co-leading juvenile sire by stakes victories—Sharp Lisa, Dixie Brass, Spinning Round, and Alwajeeha.

Dixieland Band has had success as a broodmare sire, as his daughters have produced 120 stakes winners and the earners of more than $116.2-million, including Kentucky Derby (G1) winners Monarchos and Street Sense.

Sons of Dixieland Band at stud include Dixie Union —who also stands at Lane’s End—and Hook and Ladder, the leading second-crop sire in New York.

Steve Bailey is deputy news editor of Thoroughbred Times