Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky, became the first major farm to announce its 2010 stud fees on Monday.

Pulpit was reduced from $80,000 in 2009 to $60,000 in 2010. Horse Greeley was reduced from $7,500 to $6,500, and both Political Force and War Front went from $12,500 to $10,000.

“The stud fees at Claiborne Farm have always been very reasonable,” said Claiborne's Bernie Sams. “Seth Hancock and I talked about it, and we felt we knew what we needed to do. The reduction on Pulpit was a gesture to those who have bred to him and the people trying to make a living in this business. He’s become a sire of sires and they sell and run well.”

Many farms announced their 2009 fees late in ’08 only to later reduce prices in an effort to attract a bigger share of the shrinking number of mares bred.

“We didn’t adjust at the midpoint this year because we felt we had set our fees properly to start with,” Sams said. “I think you’ll see many farms waiting as long they can this year, so they don’t make a mistake.”

Prominent young sire First Samurai, whose first foals are yearlings, will remain at $30,000. Forty-two First Samurai yearlings sold at the sales this year for an average of $117,090 and a median of $68,500.

“We dropped First Samurai from $40,000 to $30,000 last year, and we have been asked if we are going to raise him based on his positive sale results,” Sams said. “There’s a lot of interest in that horse.”

Fees for Arch ($25,000), Flatter ($5,000), and Out of Place ($5,000) will remain the same. Second crop sire Stroll has returned from Italy and will stand for $7,500.

Claiborne also announced a policy that no more than 100 mares will be bred to any of its stallions.

“It makes sense to try to help breeders when they are entering a competitive marketplace,” Sams said. “And we’ve always tried to set reasonable stud fees and to cap the number of mares bred.”

Pete Denk is sales editor of Thoroughbred Times