Career as a sire
In September 2002, War Emblem was sold to the prominent Yoshida racing family of Japan for US$17.7 million to stand at stud at their renowned Shadai Stallion Station in Shiraoi, Hokkaido.
Expected to follow in the footsteps of Shadai's great sires Northern Taste and Sunday Silence, War Emblem did not fulfill those expectations in the breeding shed. "We know he is fertile, but he has no interest in mares", said Dr. Nubuo Tsunoda, the farm's director. For his first year at stud in 2003, only four foals were produced in 2004. His second year was more successful, resulting in nineteen colts and fifteen fillies born in 2005. However, his third crop born in 2006 consisted of only four colts and one filly. In the next two years, War Emblem rejected nearly every mare presented to him so no foals were produced in 2007 and 2008. On June 8, 2008, War Emblem was evaluated by a stallion behavior team from the University of Pennsylvania. They suggested that he should be separated from other stallions to help improve his breeding behavior. The measures seemed to help War Emblem in the 2009 breeding season, with a career record of 43 foals born in 2010. However, War Emblem reverted to his old habits in 2010, only covering five of 300 mares presented to him in the season. In 2012, he covered only three mares, none of whom became pregnant. In total, he sired only 106 registered foals between 2004 and 2011.
Although War Emblem only sired a total of 119 foals, his progeny proved quite successful on a percentage basis, with 80 winners from 111 starters and combined progeny earnings of $35,300,307. His last foal was born in 2012. He was represented by his first career stakes winner in 2008 when Shonan Alba (Xianlang (IRE), by Great Commotion) won the Kyodo News Service Hai, an 1,800 meter listed race on Tokyo Race Course's turf course. Nearly a month later, the filly Air Pascale (Raffica, by Sunday Silence) scored in the listed Tulip Sho at Hashin Race Course. On March 22, another filly, Black Emblem (Vin de Noir, by Hector Protector), became War Emblem's first classic winner with an odds-on victory in the Shuka Sho, the final leg of the Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown. Black Emblem later became dam of two stakes winners, Bright Emblem and Testament. War Emblem's most successful offspring was Robe Tissage, who was the champion two-year-old filly in Japan in 2012. He also sired Group 3 winners King's Emblem and War Tactics, and stakes winners Civil War, Danon Programmer, and Clan Emblem.
His son, Civil War, was sent to stud. Due to initial fears he would exhibit his sire's habits in the breeding shed, a special "conception confirmation"-clause was issued. At first year, Civil War covered 62 mares.
