Breeding Study Exercise

Get advice on your broodmares and stallion selection.

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merse
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Breeding Study Exercise

Postby merse » Fri Oct 10, 2008 4:25 am

Enough negatives about the state of the industry....

I propose a breeding study exercise where we may all learn something from other peoples' methods. Let us take three mares and hypothetically breed them to any stallion and explain our method of stallion selection. I propose the three mares we use will be the winners of the upcoming Breeders Cup races:

Filly & Mare Sprint
Distaff
Filly & Mare Turf

This will give us short, long, and turf categories which I believe pretty much covers the spectrum. (If anyone wants to add a category, chime in).

Using these mares will save us from the discussions of "this mare should never have been bred" and no stud manager in the world would turn any of these mares away so we don't have to worry about that either.

MINNOW
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Postby MINNOW » Fri Oct 10, 2008 6:13 am

What a great idea,I am looking forward to this.
You are right with all the negatives surrounding our industry we should be trying to help each other out.It is not as if we are in competition with each other we live miles apart.
We have only been in the breeding end of things for a short while,it is very challenging.Can not help but feel we have a good shot at making it even if we only breed our own mares.
I would like to see how breeders prepare for breeding season and how they take care of their stallions during it.
If you don't think that should come under this thread then I would love to start another one more along those lines,truth be known lot's of folks out there that need some encouragement.We have a wealth of knowledge on this site let's share it.
thanks
All gave some,
some gave all

KBEquine
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Postby KBEquine » Sat Oct 11, 2008 8:52 am

merse - interesting idea. I normally avoid the hypothetical threads, but this one, where breeders talk through their reasoning on specific mares, intrigues me.

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bfinellc
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Postby bfinellc » Mon Oct 13, 2008 3:18 pm

I would like to have three categories: 1) unlimited stud fees; 2) up to $50,000 each; 3) under $15,000 each. That way we can get some serious discussion...especially on the lower ends where a lot of us on here are actually looking to breed.

vallygirl927
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Postby vallygirl927 » Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:23 am

I agree, I am very interested in this....

xfactor fan
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Postby xfactor fan » Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:44 pm

Can anyone provide conformation photos of the mares under considertation?

Without seeing what the mares & fillies look like how can you select a proper mate?

merse
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Postby merse » Fri Oct 17, 2008 7:06 am

Can anyone provide conformation photos of the mares under considertation?

Without seeing what the mares & fillies look like how can you select a proper mate?


Good point xfactor fan. This may be very hard to get and it is essential data.

xfactor fan
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Postby xfactor fan » Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:07 am

http://www.jen-thoroughbreds.blogspot.com/

Photo of Sugar Mom walking under tack pretty close to the top of the blog.

merse
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Postby merse » Wed Oct 29, 2008 7:31 am

Filly & Mare Sprint - Ventura
Ladies Classic (formerly Distaff) - Zenyatta
Filly & Mare Turf - Forever Together

kimberley mine
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Postby kimberley mine » Wed Oct 29, 2008 7:30 pm

Just for fun, I'll play.

With Forever Together...and this is assuming that physically they're compatible...

In the $15k and under category, this one's a no-brainer and that's Sky Classic. This mare's female family has done quite well with Nijinsky II (2 sw and 2 winners out of five foals bred on this cross under the 2nd dam). He would suit her turf aptitude and gets nice, useful runners (8% sw from foals). He's a decent size and has good general-purpose conformation. His fillies should be useful broodmare prospects and his colts have futures in the chasing and hunter/jumper ranks. Honorable mention in this category to Purim.

In the $20-$50k category, Gulch at $20,000, all the way. He's commercial enough to sell the foal, brings quality speed to the table, and seems to really like Danzig blood. This foal would be likely to earn its keep regardless of whether it's a sales baby or a breed-to-race. With regards to Forever Together's female line, her dam's Gulch half-sister Puzzled Look is a stakes winner of $110k.

In the high-ticket category, and this may raise a few eyebrows, but Giant's Causeway looks the treat. Again, this is a mare with tremendous turf ability, and I think she would be best seeing a grass-loving stallion rather than one who might be better on dirt. Coolmore did GC no favours in his first few years at stud, including very large books and shuttling--but even so, his first two northern-hemisphere crops have 10% stakes winners from foals. Keep this one to race, let it grow up (I've noticed that they tend to do better as late 3yos and older), keep it on the lawn, and have a blast racing it.

And in the pie-in-the-sky category, send her across the pond to Red Ransom.

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Postby SemparQuel » Fri Oct 31, 2008 9:19 am

Very exciting game...
I think that members of the forum should suggest only one stallion for every mare, with very short comments.

Ventura -
I'd wait for First Defence.
The inbreeding 3s x 3M on Toussaud could be very hot.

Forever Together -
Her strength is more in her toughness, than in her pedigree.
I'd try a high quality total outbreeding.
My proposal is Master Command

Zenyatta -
IMO she will be able to throw winners of the european derbies.
Logical ideas are the sires of the best european classical winners (Montjeu, Galileo, Dansili, Unfuwain, Daylami, ...)
Consider also she is ND free.
But I'd try to spend a bit less.
My idea is again my 'pallino' Cetewayo