help pick our next stallion

[jagger]

Which of the following stallions do you like/dislike for our mare, Lagaylia. Royal Academy, Devil His Due, Quiet American, Dehere, Woodman, Holy Bull. Any other suggestions? Please include reasons for your choice.

Thanks for the help.

[Keith]

I would shy away from Turn-to bloodlines as your mare is 4x5x6 Turn-to. Your mare is also 3x5 Bold Ruler. Bold Ruler is by Nasrullah who comes from the same bloodlines as Royal Charger the sire of Turn-to. Nasrullah is by Nearco-Mumtaz Begum by Blenheim II. Royal Charger is by Nearco-Sun Princess by Solario. Royal Charger's second dam is Mumtaz Begum. I would not suggest Devil His Due for this mare as he is a grandson of Halo who is by Hail to Reason a son of Turn-to. Bloodlines are so full of Nearco through Nearctic, Nasrullah, and Royal Charger and full of Native Dancer through Northern Dancer, and Raise a Native. I would not suggest Quiet American as the resulting foal would be 3x4x5 Dr. Fager. Dehere would make an interesting cross line breeding Somethingroyal 4x5 and Imperatrice 5x6x6. With Dehere you would get 4x4x6 Bold Ruler. Royal Academy is a proven sire and would also make an interesting cross also bring in great mares Flaming Page, Natalma, and Crimson Saint to the pedigree of the resulting foal. Holy Bull would also bring you an outcross and line breeding Aspidistra 4x6. Holy Bull has proven he can sire the big Horse in Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo, Breeder's Cup Juvenile winner and Champion two year old Macho Uno. and other Grade I winners Confessional and Pohave. Woodman can also get the big horse but he is line bred Nasrullah 5x5 and your mare has plenty of Nasrullah and Turn-to so I would not suggest Woodman for your mare. I understand you considering Holy Bull as Giacomo is out of a Stop The Music mare. Have you considered Grand Slam bloodlines as Breeders Cup Sprint winner Cajun Beat is out of a Cure The Blues mare. A horse that I would consider for you mare would be Northern Afleet. Remember Afleet Alex is out of a Hawkster mare which is Hail To Reason bloodlines through Roberto and Silver Hawk. Limehouse may be unproven but I would also consider him for your mare.

Keith

[SemparQuel]

My idea was that this mare could produce well with a son of a daughter of Secretariat.

So I found:
Danzatame - is such a pedigree enough to make a good stallion?
Tribunal
Eavesdropper - starting to a great future IMHO
Atticus - going on sure

Wishes

[kimberley mine]

I agree with everything Keith says except for Holy Bull. For whatever reason, Holy Bull with added Dr Fager hasn't worked up to expectations. Soundness problems, perhaps? Giacomo is a reverse cross of Cure the Blues, but importantly without Dr Fager in there.

How about City Zip? I like him a lot for your mare.

*Relaunch plus Seattle Slew is a red-hot cross. Champion Tiznow, SW Slew Gin Fizz, Officer, Tizdubai, Tizbud, etc.

*The Axe II (damsire of Relaunch) over Bebopper (dam of Stop the Music) produced Gr-1 winner Hatchet Man. Also provides somewhat farther back sex-balanced linebreeding to La Troienne.

*Carson City brings in Mr Prospector, a proven cross for Seattle Slew and Cure the Blues, and Wild Risk through Blushing Groom. Relaunch provides Intentionally. The cross of Intentionally/Aspidistra/Rough'n'Tumble/Wild Risk has produced champions Unbridled, Housebuster, Macho Uno, etc. It is very consistent and keeps popping up over several generations.

*This is a five-generation outcross while still bringing in several bloodlines that complement each other. There is an additional cross of Nasrullah, but it is through Blushing Groom who is quite different from either Seattle Slew or Bold Ruler.

If you're looking to go commercial, he looks good, has 2yo stakes winners, and being a half-brother to Ghostzapper won't hurt. All this for $15,000.

[jagger]

Thanks to all for your responses. I am pretty new at this, way over my head actually, but trying very hard to catch up. I should have mentioned in my original post that since this is our first venture in the thoroughbred industry, that our group is leaning slightly towards commercial. I, actually, hope that we cannot sell the foal and that we can take it to the track which I know is riskier but is way more fun.

With this in mind, Royal Academy, Dehere, Northern Afleet look pretty good from the proven side and Limehouse, Consolidator, and Others? from the unproven boys.

I like a Secretariat grandson from one of his daughters.

Could I ask everyone's oppinion on Came Home. Lagaylia has already had one of his foals, a colt, that sold for 110K.

If I could ask one more favor - Could everyone give me their impressions of the worth of the X-Factor. Lagaylia has single and double copy mares on her dam's side for many generations back and it seems like this should be something that I take advantage of. Thoughts?

Again, thanks for you help. I am constantly amazed at the in depth knowledge, and my lack thereof, of the members of this forum.

[madelyn]

Jagger, I have a question regarding your mare Lagaylia. She was for sale at the November Breeding Stock sale at Keeneland, consigned by Taylor Made. She RNA'd (reserve not attained) at $35,000 in foal to Harlan's Holiday. Presumably you purchased her shortly after that sale.

Why, then, do Taylor Made also have her in the upcoming catalog in January, the Horses of All Ages sale?

[jagger]

Madelyn,

We purchased Lagaylia after the sale after she RNA'd for her reserve price.

I was surprised to see her in the January sale as well. I think, perhaps, it is common practice to enter a horse in two sales, especially when they are so close, at the same time and just do the paper work once and then she will appear as an "out" in the January sale.

Any thoughts on her next stallion, Madelyn? We are leaning towards Dehere but also considering Came Home (again), Royal Academy, Dixie Union, Holy Bull, Afleet Alex and a few others. All suggestions are welcome.

[LSB]

jagger, my best suggestion to you would be to not think about this too long. The books on several of the stallions you've mentioned are already closed (Dixie Union, for example, has been closed since before the Nov. sale). So by not making a decision, you're narrowing your choices, espcially if you're thinking of using one of the new stallions, which tend to be very popular.

[jagger]

Thanks for the prompt response, Madelyn, and for the heads up about Dixie Union. I feel significant urgency about this matter and sent an e-mail to the other partners in our group. Dehere is my favorite of the lot and I know as of yesterday that he had 20 seasons left but after his picture on the front of TB times, I think those will get taken up tomorrow. Do you happen to know if Royal Academy has any more seasons? Additionally, we will probably be buying another mare in foal at the January sale and then there will be even more urgency.

Thoughts on Dehere?

[jagger]

Sorry, LSB.