Square Eddie to Stand At Vessels!

[fastappy]

Good new! Another Smart Strike standing in Cali!

By DRF.com
BONSALL, Calif. (Feb. 5, 2010) -- Square Eddie, the winner of the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity in 2008 in his American debut, has been retired to stud at Vessels Stallion Farm with a suspensory injury, owner Paul Reddam said on Friday. http://drf.com/news/article/110608.html

Let the competition begin!

[LB]

That is good news for California.

[bdw0617]

is that smart?

2 smart strikes in california the same year?

[fastappy]

is that smart?

2 smart strikes in california the same year?

Yes, yes, & yes! The owers don't exactly cooridinate the retirements or where they plan to stand their stallions. I mean, California really needed an infusion of top quality stallions particularly the Mr. P line, when Lord Carson died. Decarchy is just now coming online with some nice runners.

Both have strong bottoms and by a potentially important sire, to be of sires, Smart Strike. We now have a top quality stallion, representing Smart Strike in both the North and South of this very large state.

While Square Eddie was more the precocious two year old, Pappa Clem was the better 3 year old & classic distance horse. With two, we have a decent chance of one of them panning out. It would be great if they both did however.

Now Californians don't have to go to Kentucky for some top quality sons who could rival (in the stud) English Channel & Curlin.

[bdw0617]

is that smart?

2 smart strikes in california the same year?

Yes, yes, & yes! The owers don't exactly cooridinate the retirements or where they plan to stand their stallions. I mean, California really needed an infusion of top quality stallions particularly the Mr. P line, when Lord Carson died. Decarchy is just now coming online with some nice runners.

Both have strong bottoms and by a potentially important sire, to be of sires, Smart Strike. We now have a top quality stallion, representing Smart Strike in both the North and South of this very large state.

While Square Eddie was more the precocious two year old, Pappa Clem was the better 3 year old & classic distance horse. With two, we have a decent chance of one of them panning out. It would be great if they both did however.

Now Californians don't have to go to Kentucky for some top quality sons who could rival (in the stud) English Channel & Curlin.

IMHO papa clem is going to be smart strikes best son at stud and I dont' think it's gonna be particularly close. there is nothing not to like about him and California really really lucked out on that one. I would actually worry about keeping him in California in 5 years.

[JYS]

Square Eddie comes from a deep family that has thrown some very useful stallions. I like his chances.

[bdw0617]

the vast majority of a stallion success is how he is handled, and Redham has not done anything whatsoever to suggest to me that he has the patience and the foresight to stand a successful stallion.

[JYS]

the vast majority of a stallion success is how he is handled, and Redham has not done anything whatsoever to suggest to me that he has the patience and the foresight to stand a successful stallion.

Reddam owns the horse, he won't be standing the horse. That duty goes to Vessels which has nurtured and maintained arguably the most consistently high class California stallion of the last 20 years, and certainly the most influential on a national scale in In Excess.

Reddam has centered most of his operation in California and is one of the biggest stalwarts in California breeding and racing of the last 30 years. He has some very high class broodmares that I wouldn't be shocked to see in this young stallion's book.

I'm not sure how he's proven to anyone that he doesn't have the "foresight" and "patience" to succeed at any aspect of this game considering the amount of very good horses he's owned off and on the track.

[da hossman]

I think Vessels certainly has shown they are more than merely competent, however the fact that SE is standing in CA is yet another example of the sorry condition of the breeding business. Reddam's pricing of the horse indicates that he has not faced reality, or is unwilling to accept true market value. 2010 is a dramatically different market place from 2008 and even 2009. Note that Great Hunter has been available as a stallion prospect for almost 2 years but no one was willing to pay Reddam's ridiculous price - now the horse is sold to Venezuela for a fraction of the original ask, and even a fraction of the ask last fall (2009).

It is my understanding that Vessels is only getting "day money" on SE - probably because their valuation & Reddam's were vastly different. Having been in this game for some time, I have never understood why a farm would stand a horse in which they did not have an interest. Consider the Medaglia d'Oro & Candy Ride events that John Sikura experienced, when he lost a poroven horse for which his operation had done all the work. Note that Sikura will no longer stand a horse in which he does not have a controlling interest. Day money ain't that great.

[JYS]

Vessels has been the longtime boarding farm for the majority of Reddam's broodmare band. I can only assume the history and relationship strong enough that Vessels finds the agreement satisfactory.

Vessels also needs to fill the shoes of their biggest thoroughbred moneymaker if the rumors of In Excess' poor fertility prove true.

[bdw0617]

I think Vessels certainly has shown they are more than merely competent, however the fact that SE is standing in CA is yet another example of the sorry condition of the breeding business. Reddam's pricing of the horse indicates that he has not faced reality, or is unwilling to accept true market value. 2010 is a dramatically different market place from 2008 and even 2009. Note that Great Hunter has been available as a stallion prospect for almost 2 years but no one was willing to pay Reddam's ridiculous price - now the horse is sold to Venezuela for a fraction of the original ask, and even a fraction of the ask last fall (2009).

It is my understanding that Vessels is only getting "day money" on SE - probably because their valuation & Reddam's were vastly different. Having been in this game for some time, I have never understood why a farm would stand a horse in which they did not have an interest. Consider the Medaglia d'Oro & Candy Ride events that John Sikura experienced, when he lost a poroven horse for which his operation had done all the work. Note that Sikura will no longer stand a horse in which he does not have a controlling interest. Day money ain't that great.

he's like BASF.. he said what I was trying to say he just said it better.

[fastappy]

I think Vessels certainly has shown they are more than merely competent, however the fact that SE is standing in CA is yet another example of the sorry condition of the breeding business. Reddam's pricing of the horse indicates that he has not faced reality, or is unwilling to accept true market value. 2010 is a dramatically different market place from 2008 and even 2009. Note that Great Hunter has been available as a stallion prospect for almost 2 years but no one was willing to pay Reddam's ridiculous price - now the horse is sold to Venezuela for a fraction of the original ask, and even a fraction of the ask last fall (2009).

So what's up with the "Private Treaty" for a stallion that is just going to stud? Seems bizarre! Maybe a dispute over what the fee should be?

You usually see the "Private Treaty" reserved for stallions that are falling down and the farm is too embarassed to list the re-adjusted price or they'll take whatever they can get, kinda thing.