Snifter's Spirit runs up to his pedigree at SHRP!

angelsprite · Postby **angelsprite** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:04 pm

Snifters Spirit ran again tonight. I did the pedigree analysis on this boy and boy was I ever right about him! I am so proud of this little guy, you have no idea. I couldn't find the thread we were talking about him before on, so had to start a new one.
My recommendations in his analysis were that he go long, also that they put him on the turf. I told them they should look for good competetive ability from 6 furlongs to 7 furlongs on the dirt and from 7 furlongs to well over a mile on the turf. I believe his connections thought he would be a sprinter, but they had no other race for him than the 6 furlongs he ran tonight, the 7th race at SHRP. He was the 3 horse. He won by SEVERAL lengths. There was a lot of fog, but it looked like maybe four or five lengths. If they had gone shorter with him, I don't think he would have done as well. Maybe now, they will have an idea what he's like.
His first race, at 5 1/2, he ran third, but looked good, just tired in the last 1/16 after having to use too much of himself coming from the outside.
I am going to ask permission to put his analysis on my website as a sample, but I don't know what they will say about that. I'm pretty sure they want to keep it private.
Oh, yes. He is a C Werk rating.

angelsprite · Postby **angelsprite** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:29 pm

Spirit won by 6 lengths in 1:11.2! This was only his second race! He looked really good too, just powering down the stretch.
He's bred to do that. He has nearly ALL champions in line-breeding!

Heidilady · Postby **Heidilady** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:32 pm

That horse's name reminds me of the bit in Singin' in the Rain..

"Sinful Caesar sipped his snifter, seized his knees and sneezed..."

angelsprite · Postby **angelsprite** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 11:23 pm

Lady,
That's cute! I'm going to have to tell Lynn about that one. I love his name. His dam was Snifter, who passed away from a stroke, an untimely death. He was her only foal and he looks just like her. It's really good to see him making so many people happy. They loved Snifter and have been grieving ever since she died. Spirit is like a balm to an old wound for them.

Bedouwia · Postby **Bedouwia** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 5:24 am

With all the problems in the industry, it is sometimes easy to forget that it is also about people's hopes and dreams, and genuine love for their horses. Every once in awhile, something good comes along to remind us of that. This young horse is one of those. Congratulations to his connections.

Bedouwia

louis finochio · Postby **louis finochio** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 6:40 am

Congrats: As this Fair Play Phalaris cross is becoming a legend, only the strong survive and SS is one of the ones. Louis.

angelsprite · Postby **angelsprite** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 6:07 pm

Louis,
Relaunch was one heck of a horse. People have ignored him and they shouldn't have. Captain Countdown is now the leading first crop sire still active in Texas with 4 runners, 3 winners, and 100% hitting the board. These are his first crop to hit the track and all 2 year olds. If that isn't hereditary soundness and talent, I don't know what is! These four babies have put up these numbers. 9 starts, 3 wins, 1 place, 3 shows. Not bad at all.

geowarrior · Postby **geowarrior** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 6:51 pm

I like Relaunch and Captain Countdown too. I thought the farm he was at was dispersing. Will he be standing in Texas for 2007? And do you think he will get a reasonable book of mares?

angelsprite · Postby **angelsprite** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 1:35 am

Geo,
As far as I know, they are not dispersing. Many farms though are moving out of state. I do not think a single stallion in Texas will get a reasonable book this year, except perhaps the Captain. They will breed him to their own mares, and they donated a breeding to the winner of our hardest working racehorse contest, so hopefully, they will bring Won Ton Win to him.
I really believe this is a much higher class stallion than people would imagine. Just because he's standing in Texas, they may think he couldn't stand elsewhere. He could. His owners are loyal to Texas and keep him here.
I would like to see some of his colts be kept whole, as I think he has a lot to offer to Thoroughbred pedigrees in the future.

Bedouwia · Postby **Bedouwia** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 5:30 am

angelsprite wrote:Geo,
As far as I know, they are not dispersing. Many farms though are moving out of state. I do not think a single stallion in Texas will get a reasonable book this year, except perhaps the Captain. .

I am not sure what you consider a "reasonable book", if it is a 100 or more mares, probably not. However, while there are some moving over the border due to our political problems -- not everyone is going! Captain Countdown will be here, as far as I know. We will also have the top Sophmore stallion, Uncle Abbie here in Texas. He will have a "reasonable book" for sure. I think that Valid Expectations will continue to do well.

There are a lot of interesting stallions in Texas to select from, including some very good new ones, like Running Stag and Lil's Lad. I would expect them to get a good book. Just my opinion.

Bedouwia

angelsprite · Postby **angelsprite** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 3:14 pm

Bedouwia,
I don't really view our problems as political myself. I view the problems as horsemen being manipulated by the cartel. Most of the trainers and owners left in the state are part of that organized group. The breeders get the shaft, but they keep expecting the track owners, top trainers, and their cronies to get slots. If they could manage it, I would make money, and breeders would make money, because our businesses don't depend on racing a horse, so it would be fine with me. But, I want to race and if we get slots before we get a better purse distribution and stall limits, I'll still have to run out of state. If that's what I have to do, that's fine. I'm setting up to do that anyway, because I really don't believe they will get slots. There just isn't any interest in a failed business in Texas. They thought by maintaining the status quo, they could make the legislators "help" the industry with slots, but our legislators don't want to give any help until the tracks prove they can be viable without the gaming.
It's like the horse that couldn't be rode and the rider that couldn't be throwed.