Let's discuss a stallion. How about.....Buddha?

[Rokeby Forever]

Hi FOS,

How silly of me to forget....I stand corrected. Many thanks, kind sir.

Best,
Rok

[Rokeby Forever]

Sysonby...does one horse make a sire? Ask Elusive Quality that question. You might even ask Forestry that question - remove Discreet Cat and you won't find too many offspring that have made even $500,000 - two, to be exact.

And I dare say in At The Threshold's case, yes...one horse does make a sire!

[kimberley mine]

Do you think at this point that one horse will have any great impact on the 2007 sales when buyers have already seen about 100 flops?

One horse did, however briefly, for Our Emblem.

[Rokeby Forever]

I LOVE you, Kimberley!!! I still laugh that folks paid $30,000 for Our Emblem after War Emblem's Derby...I'm sure the Taylor Made folks do, as well. LOL!

[Sysonby]

Do you think at this point that one horse will have any great impact on the 2007 sales when buyers have already seen about 100 flops?

One horse did, however briefly, for Our Emblem.

Point taken. But I checked the sales results from Keeneland 2001 (pre War Emblem) and Keeneland 2002 after WE had won 2 legs of the TC and was sold for $18 million to Japan. It looks like the Our Emblem buzz lasted approximately half a sale. In 2001, 18 were sold for about $10,000 average and ranged in price from $1900- $37,000. In 2002, there was one six figure horse early in the sale ($210,000) another for $75,000 mid sale, then he fell down mostly to his usual $5000-30,000 range the rest of the way. Breeders (who are optimistic by nature) may have been fooled by the hype but it doesn't look like most of the buyers were. Except for one filly last year, Our Emblem never again had a 6 figure yearling at Keeneland.

Actually what I think really gets buyers blood pumping is the sire who gets lots of quality winners as opposed to one big national stakes winner. I'm thinking of stallions like Swiss Yodeler (pre Thor's Echo); Forest Camp (who still hasn't found his big horse), Officer, Dixie Union and End Sweep. If the big horse comes early, like Folklore did for Tiznow, he can ride it for a while but pretty soon buyers are looking for a second act. Slew's Tizzy couldn't have come along at a better time for Tiznow.

[Rokeby Forever]

Tiz Wonderful might be a nice horse once he returns, Sysonby.

Street Cry now has a tough act to follow...a Derby winner from his first crop. I think that's been done only 2 or 3 times before.

[Pete]

Hi Habitat,

A good friend of mine bred Belly Rub. He always had a good frame but also something of a pot-belly.

I know what was and wasn't done to Belly Rub (from birth to racing) and having seem many other Buddha foals I have a suspicion that some of their problems may have started at the breeding farms and during sales prep.

Regards,

Pete

[Rokeby Forever]

Pete...I tend to think that their problems started at conception. How can a breeding farm and sales prep make a horse crooked?

[Pete]

Hi Rokeby,

Don't misquote me now, I didn't say anything about 'crooked'.

It must be nice to see everything as either black or white.

I was intentionally vague. There are things that are often done to young stock to make them more appealing at the sales that aren't necessarily beneficial to the horse and that could compromise their chances at the track. The needle can be a powerful thing and just because one can use it, does it mean that they should?

I'll leave it at that.

Regards,

Pete

[Rokeby Forever]

Steroids, milkshakes, EPO, treadmilling, whatever....a farm can't correct a crooked front - as Buddha has and as Buddha passes out.

And that's my sermon from the mount.

[Pete]

Hi Rokeby,

I'm going to bed. You're just so one tracked.

EMail me if you like.

Regards,

Pete

[BookieBuster]

Rokeby -

First of all .... why is your radio station playing "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" so often? Has George Michael died or something?

Secondly .... if it's permissible to name a horse Buddha, is it also ok to name a horse Jesus Christ?

Just curious about these two things.

[Pete]

Hi Bookiebuster,

That's an interesting question that you pose.

Regards,

Pete