tbrace - my plans vary from day to day.
My mare is A Regal Reflection, and she is 7 years old. She had 49 races, won 6, was the last mount for David Neusch (win). Last year she went to post 13 times.
I think this mare is a breed to race, though eventually I'd like to upgrade to a some mares I could breed to sell. Though if I get some runners out of her first few crops (I define runners as 40K-50K+ earners by 4 ) I might feel comfortable to sell. On the other hand, if she throws non-runners I will stop breeding her have a friend for life (she has been part of the 'family' for 3 years now - my neices haven't met her yet, with her sweet personality, I would be disowned if they found out she wasn't mine anymore)
As far as giving her a year off, I had red in several places that it was a good idea to give mares a year ff (the latest reference I found was in Tesio's "
In his Own Words"
Now I know she has had no major medications/hormones as she was raced by my racing partner and myself now for 3 years. At the end of her three year old campaign she had some nagging injuries after leaving the gate and had collided with several horses (the form line says "showed little" - should say "bumped start").
As far as my goals - well I want to breed some decent runners out of her. (ok, when I let my mind run off it has any offspring winning the major stakes races here in Western Canada - followed with a trip to Woodbine for the fall of the 3 year old season maybe a couple of stakes wins there - runner up for Sovereign award followed by a 4 year old winter campaign in the grade 2s and 3s in Gulfstream, ending with a sovereign award as horse of the year...). Ok- back to reality.
If I had started last year breeding her, I would have opted to breed in British Columbia, better BC bred bonuses down to the bottom claiming level. With the ongoing slot machine struggle at hastings park and with Calgary building a new race track with the almighty casino facility(see other posts on this board) I may bring her back to Alberta.
As far as entering the breeding game, it hit me after watching a particularily bad ride on either my mare or one of my acquaintances that the breeder has the advantage over the owner . It comes from not having to deal with those 100 lb knot heads and their agents. (A common refrain between my racing partner and myself is "Not many of these guys retire to work for NASA")
How I got into the game, well I have been around it in one way or another for over a decade, my best friend's dad and my dentist partnered on a stakes winner here in Alberta. After that I moved to the metropolis of Edmonton and met my racing partner, and on a day when I was rained out from work got a "education at the race track". Since then I have developed a love for racing ( I plan my life around seeing the good racing, I have "misplaced" my cellphone at 20 minutes prior to post on all the derby preps the last four years).
I have taken the points on buying mares in foal, unfortunately I am looking at being unable to find something "worth it"(I would have to go say to California - barretts sale). Though there are breeders incentives here (up to $8 500 paid back of the hammer price if bred back to Alberta Stallion, and the addition of Kiradashi locally, is attractive.
As far as planning matings I have a hoot with that. I have taken a look at most systems (there are a couple of interesting nicks as far as she goes with the BC stallions - 6 for 6 runners/winners - though a couple of those mares are the class of western canada).
As far as my year off it will also give me a chance to get out to see some stallions, and some of the new onws up here are having their first and second crops of foals. I also feel more confident in my own judjements and observations.
*whew* Well those are my musings.
Since I made my first post I have made some "loose plans" - I want to see a couple of sires "Mass Market" and "Terrell" before I settle on anything. Of course this all relies on my mare co-operatinig
