Derby Winner War Emblem, who experienced difficulties breeding mares at the Yoshida family’s Shadai Stallion Station in Japan in 2003 during his first season at stud, has covered nearly 50 mares at the farm this year. The resourceful Shadai team employs a switcheroo tactic in which the Eclipse Award winner is teased with mares he likes, then those mares are substituted for ones he previously showed a dislike. Last year, War Emblem didn’t cover his first mare until March 9 and covered five more in the next several days before regressing.

War Emblem’s problems last breeding season resulted in the son of Our Emblem being the object of an insurance claim. Three of the four insurance companies that insured him agreed to pay about ¥1.6 billion (approximately $13.3 million). Shadai had purchased War Emblem for nearly $18 million in September of 2002 from owners Russell L. Reinemann and Prince Ahmed Salman’s The Thoroughbred Corp.

War Emblem, who was produced from the Lord At War mare Sweetest Lady, won the 2002 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) the year he was champion 3-year-old male