- A Top 10 General Sire of 2021
- 2021 racing: KNICKS GO, winner of the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic [G1], $3 million Pegasus World Cup [G1], and the $1 million Whitney S. [G1]; HARPERS FIRST RIDE, back-to-back winner of the Deputed Testamony S.; MISS LESLIE, 3-time stakes winner in 2021.; BREEZE RIDER, winner of the My Charmer S. and the Joseph R. Peluso Memorial S.; A BIT OF BOTH, winner of the Captiva Island S.; RENAISANCE FROLIC, winner of the Steele S. and runner-up in the Appleton S. [G3]; PIRATE JUNCTION, winner of the Charles Taylor S.; G2-placed MERVEILLEUX; G3-placed Platinum Paynter; etc.
- No. 1 Fourth-Crop Sire by earnings, BTWs, BTHs, GSWs, winners, and wins. 8 BTWs in 2020 from ages 2 to 5, colts and fillies, all surfaces, from 5 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/2 miles. More BTWs than Ghostzapper, Hard Spun, Malibu Moon, Twirling Candy, etc.
- 2020 racing: KNICKS GO, winner of the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile [G1] in a new track record; HARPERS FIRST RIDE, multiple stakes winner of the Pimlico Special S. [G3]; MS PEINTOUR, winner of the Astra S. [G3]; MERVEILLEUX, winner of the Wonder Where S. and the Ontario Damsel S.; 2YO colt POSITIVITY, winner of the Graduation S.; QUEEN OF GOD, winner of the Bourbonette Oaks; SIR RICK, winner of the Mine That Bird Derby; RING LEADER, set a new stakes record in the Dixie Belle S.; Winning Impression, placed in the Arkansas Derby [G1]; Scarto, runner-up in the Twilight Derby [G2]; Motu, placed in the Honeybee S. [G3]; etc.
- Lifetime: 38 BTHs, 20 BTWs, $30 million+ in earnings
- The fastest G1-winning colt by sire of sires AWESOME AGAIN since Champion Ghostzapper
- At 3: Dominant winner of the $1,000,000 Haskell Invitational [G1] in 1:48 4/5, runner-up by a neck in the $1,000,000 Belmont S. [G1]
- Fastest Ragozin pattern of any 3YO from his vintage crop: 1 1⁄2, 2 1⁄2, 2 1⁄2. Ran a 107 Beyer in
the Haskell, then returned at four to run a 114 Beyer—the fastest Beyer under a mile in 2013
- A sire’s pedigree and physical: Out of a full sister to Horse of the Year and leading sire TIZNOW
From top to bottom, Paynter was bred to be a sire. He is by elite sire Awesome Again, and has a very similar breeding cross as Awesome Again's best son, Ghostzapper.
Paynter's dam is a full sister to Champion Sire Tiznow, and an outcross within 4 generations (closest inbreeding 4x5x5 Northern Dancer).
“He’s the best colt I’ve ever purchased.”
- David Ingordo