Bay Head King

[ZiaLand]

I'm curious about opinions on Bay Head King's pedigree.

Saint Ballado - Meadow Silk x Meadowlake

His dam is a SW and half to Champion Silken Cat, dam of Speightstown
He's SP (defeated Orientate at one point), and two full sibs Star Dabbler and Run Production are SWs.

His first crop is in training and have turned in a few bullet works from what I understand.

Thanks,
Laurie

[CA Michael]

Hi Laurie,

His female family is an outstanding source of good sires (HILL PRINCE, FIRST LANDING, THIRD BROTHER, CRUSADER SWORD, etc.), but Saint Ballado hasn't really come up with a high performance son at stud. Grade 1 winners Captain Bodgit, Yankee Victor were really bad stallions; Flame Thrower is nice to look at but his foals have yet to make any impact on the track; Straight Man could only be considered a moderate success at best. Only Sweetsouthernsaint has shown signs of real life. I don't know if all these horses inherited Saint Ballado's back at the knee unsoundness, but something's fishy about their overall lack of vigor.

You didn't ask, but I will volunteer an opinion that MINISTER ERIC may be the sleeper stallion in New Mexico. He was a genuine Grade 2 racehorse, winning at 2, placing in the Breeders Cup Juvenile (albeit a very weak edition) and Del Mar Futurity. He won the San Fernando S-G2 at 4 over some very good horses. His pedigree doesn't scare me, either. OLD TRIESTE out of a Deputy Minister mare. The A.P. Indy line exudes class and is rapidly expanding. Minister Eric was sound legged but had bad feet problems (small foot), so he needs a mare without such.

As a racehorse, he was 10 lengths or more better than Bay Head King; although Old Trieste is unproven as a sire of sires, he isn't heading south like Saint Ballado, either.

[ZiaLand]

Thanks for your comments, Michael. Minister Eric is a recent arrival (to stand at JEH after the loss of Favorite Trick and Saratoga Six). I remember when he was an early Derby contender. I'll have to take a closer look at him.

Laurie

[clh]

Laurie - Don't know much about the stallion Bay Head King but I did see Star Dabbler while in KY a few weeks ago - he is quite a looker in my opinion anyhow.

C

[ZiaLand]

Oh, thanks for that, Cheryl. Where did you see him? Do you remember if he was chestnut with a blaze?

Thanks,
Laurie

[clh]

Laurie - He is standing at Richland Hills - I went to see Andromeda's Hero again since I was done there and Anna K. is going there - and Star Dabbler was there so I had them bring him out since I had heard alot of good things about him from a couple of folks including a consignor He was very nice and was retired from racing due to a cracked sesmoid I believe (but don't quote me on that). I'm thinking he was a very dark brown/bay with some chrome if I remember. I am sure he wasn't a chestnut He was correct looking to me - but then again I'd just seen A.H. he toed in. He was a nice looking boy and I think he would have continued racing if not for his injury. He is on Richland Hills website now I believe.

Cheryl

[LaTroienne]

Yankee Victor wasn't really a bad sire: he just didn't have the best of the best of opportunities, per se, and went under the radar.

[CA Michael]

La Troienne, Yankee Victor stood at Airdrie Stud, one of the most progressive farms in KY. He received all kinds of good mares there, more than enough to prove or disprove himself as a sire. If he had shown any signs of life, Brere Jones woulnt' have sold him off to Alberta, Canada.