Imported Argentine Stallion standing in Michigan

[mrsmedic]

Rushwind Thoroughbreds is offering for consideration El Caurel. http://www.mrsmacsdesigns.com/el_caurel.html

[summerhorse]

He's pretty but not really what I'd consider a $1250 stallion would be. More like $500-750 (at least until they put up a detailed record and family notes on him!)

The Qh mare on top is really nice but the others are not really what I would consider superb racing broodmare prospects! Sport maybe.

[Intrinsic Worth]

Agreed, I don't know anyone who would breed to something with such an obscure pedigree, especially for that price.

[mrsmedic]

So they have to be blacktyped up front to be worth something? It doesn't matter that he ran in the US and made over $155,000, ran in France, Japan, and Argentina and made $$$ there? So his accomplishments don't stand for anything?

I would like to know the expertise both of you base your judgement on! Do you bet on horses, do you raise or train them? I would love to see YOUR accomplishments with racehorses. Please...fill me in. By the way, his season has ended for this year and we booked plenty of mares, we already have season bookings for next year. So obviously some folks find him a bargain for what his accomplishments are!

[tinners way]

mrsmedic, you went fishing and a couple of responses asked some good questions- yes, he raced in 4 countries, yes he made 155k, but how many outs, what type of company did he race against, sprinter or stayer? You say his book is filled, but was that 100 mares or 10 mares. I don't think anyone meant to be mean about your horse, but you basically advertised for responses to try and build excitement and consensus without a lot of facts. My background just so you know is I am mainly in the broodmare side of the business, my last post I made had to do with Sons of Known Fact, who I took a chance on a first year son of his in 2005, Sand Ridge, who stands in Texas for $1,500, ran out $700k, stakes winner, Graded Placed, and ran triple digit beyers 9x in a row. Based on that information and the fact he won 17 races, retired sound, and is solid pedigree top and bottom, I felt comfortable parting with $1500. My mare was an unraced Quiet American who was hurt as a 2 year old. And yes, I think the foal is outstanding and have bred a different mare back to him this year. Nothing big time, but we have sold some nice horses that have delivered over the years.

[madelyn]

mrsmedic... if you appear thin-skinned and hotheaded, people may choose to ignore you..

If one is breeding to race, then blacktype, pedigree and/or outstanding female family complementary to American bloodlines are a must. If you breed primarily for sporthorse, then conformation, talent, athleticism and temperament overshadow pedigree and race record. Plus you might not need to be concerned at all whether or not any of the owners of the mares you accept will attempt to get his offspring to the track (which is a big part of "making" a racing stallion).

If your stallion's season has ended, now, in the early part of April, I guess he must be on southern hemisphere time...

Sadly, what happens in racing outside the US always causes questioning raised eyebrows.. my own stallion won two GRADE 1 races in Argentina, and was on the board in NINE graded stakes, but I think he doesn't get the support he deserves.. cap that with the fact that he won at 5f and 1mi +, both on the turf and on the dirt, and also here in the US (but not graded here). He's my avatar, Rocking Trick.

As for my opinion, I'm just a small KY farm owner with a couple of stallions and a bunch of broodmares, first two foals on the ground (third one died) and a bunch more coming.....

You posted an "announcement" above, which elicited comments. I liken that to moistening a finger and holding it up to see which way the wind is going... and arguing with the wind, or accusing it of being from the wrong direction, is a waste of energy.

[mrsmedic]

His breeding season has ended because he is headed back to the track.
I do appreciate the responses. I respect everyone elses opinions. I guess I grew up in a different era, where horses proved themselves, not by their parentage, but by their achievements. This stallion is owned by my cousin, and stands at my farm. I will have her update his webpage to show his accomplishments, currently she is down in Ocala, FL and will return next week.

Thank you again for the responses. I apologize for being so defensive. Once his foals hit the track in a couple years, than maybe his name will get out there more. I am hoping to get some black type mares in the future once my husband returns from Afghanistan and we can focus more on the farm and broodmare band.

Have a great day everyone.

[summerhorse]

You asked for an opinion and we gave you it. There are just two many good horses out there to breed to a question mark. If you want to attract good mares and can't afford them yourself offer him free to approved mares (and be choosy) so you can hopefully get some GOOD foals out there running for you. That would be better than having bad foals running, all they do is show he can't improve a mare. When you can afford them try to find older mares with both good race records, pedigrees and producing records. If she has a bunch of foals that never made it to the track and never won and/or their foals did the same skip her. The first two generations of mares are very important IMO as to whether you get a runner or not. But you can do pretty well with getting good prices on older mares people think are "too old". Just make sure they have had foals in the last couple of years.

If you want to market him as a sport horse get him all gussied up like for a show, clipped, groomed, braided, pulled tail and get some good conformation shots each side, some free jumping maybe (or if dressage riding).

But no I would not even consider a stallion without having complete race record, pedigree, and family notes (ESP. on a foreign bred) right there for me to see. There are too many good stallions to pick from.

Graded Stakes Winners have been pulled out of feedlots and kill pens at auctions, a great record won't make a so so pedigree look any better. Horses tend to breed to their PEDIGREES anyway, not their race record.