Another missed name opportunity

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 12:02 pm

Dear Birdie is the dam of Birdstone and Bird Town. She's also the dam of lesser known Bird Cage and Bird Charm. Her two year old colt by Mineshaft worked this morning at Saratoga in :36 2/5.

His name? Birdshot.

C'mon...who gets Birdshot on a window shield? I wish Mrs Whitney would stop being chickenshot with the naming of Dear Birdie's foals!

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 12:49 pm

Rok, I think the stuff on your windshield is spelled differently. Birdshot is those small pellets in a cartridge for your shotgun. I think the names are rather clever, actually.

wilf · Postby **wilf** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 1:02 pm

Maddy, I would have thought that Birdbrain would have been appropriate especially given the madness of descending into a mineshaft these days!

majxmom · Postby **majxmom** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 4:13 pm

In fairness to Mrs. Whitney, who could have known three years ago when she bred that mare to get the foal that Mineshaft was going to start out so unspectacularly? You pays your money, and you takes your chances....

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 4:21 pm

majxmom wrote:In fairness to Mrs. Whitney, who could have known three years ago when she bred that mare to get the foal that Mineshaft was going to start out so unspectacularly?

Mineshaft didn't race at two, and didn't win a stake until he was four. Why should he be expected to sire precocious offspring?

majxmom · Postby **majxmom** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 4:57 pm

Rokeby Forever wrote:Mineshaft didn't race at two, and didn't win a stake until he was four. Why should he be expected to sire precocious offspring?

I don't disagree with what I think you are saying. I would expect him to sire distance runners, not sprinters. By August, most of Mineshaft's 9 foals to the racetrack would probably only have run 6f races, so perhaps that is why they don't seem to be running very well. I'm reminded of Point Given, who was not very high up on the freshman list by this point in his first year, but is in the top five of the third-crop list now.

Still, it doesn't feel like he is going to be the next AP Indy, does it? 72 foals, 1 winner...

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 5:20 pm

I think there are more speed oriented sires (with huge books) now more than ever before, so it's becoming increasingly difficult for a sire like Mineshaft to sire early winners. Aside from that, would you expect a Mineshaft offspring to outrun a Posse, a More Than Ready, or an Officer, at five and a half or six furlongs?

Mineshaft may or may not be the next AP Indy - at least, he's standing at the same farm. LOL!