Jenny, I'm facing your dilemma this year. I have two beautifully bred and conformed stallions that didn't make a ton of money but have everything else to be at the least profitable regional sires. I have babies up right now prepping them for an early April sale. By getting them ready now I will have something fat, slick and pretty when owners come by to look at my stallions, plus I know at the sale there will be many more people go to the sale than will come by the farm. I'm really not interested in selling, unless they brought a good price, but my intent is to showcase the product of my stallions to as many people as I can. We plan on running as many as we can. I feel if you don't do as much self promotion as you can you're not giving your stallion a fair shot.
Good Luck,
Larrygene
Sales jitters...
Moderators: Roguelet, WaveMaster, madelyn
Sorry to say I didn't see yours go through the sales - I was too freaked about mine. Believe it or not this filly had "suddenly" gone over at one knee. She was listed in the BoodHorse as one of the top 10 A++ nicks for the sale that day and the dam just had two stakes winners that week.
Sent her to R&R for them to take a look at her.
She had 65 looks and when I saw her over at the knee and the consignor told me she was over at the knee I said she had not been when I sent her to the prepper in KY for the last 2 1/2 weeks of prepping so I am not sure what happened. Unfortunately I only saw her a minute on Wednesday after stallion shopping all day and then when I got there Thursday trying to make a decision via phone calls with hubby, etc... to set a really low reserve or no reserve and let her go or "scratch her" - she ended up going through - in hindsight I should have scratched her. But, as was stated before, you can't beat yourself up over it - just have to move on.
My moving on is now trying to find matings for my mares
Sent her to R&R for them to take a look at her.
She had 65 looks and when I saw her over at the knee and the consignor told me she was over at the knee I said she had not been when I sent her to the prepper in KY for the last 2 1/2 weeks of prepping so I am not sure what happened. Unfortunately I only saw her a minute on Wednesday after stallion shopping all day and then when I got there Thursday trying to make a decision via phone calls with hubby, etc... to set a really low reserve or no reserve and let her go or "scratch her" - she ended up going through - in hindsight I should have scratched her. But, as was stated before, you can't beat yourself up over it - just have to move on.
My moving on is now trying to find matings for my mares
"We are the people our parents warned us about" - Jimmy Buffett
"My occupational hazard is that my occupation is just not around" - Jimmy Buffett
"My occupational hazard is that my occupation is just not around" - Jimmy Buffett
It is a commonly accepted practice for a lot of stallion farms to "support" their stallions by buying back babies at the first few sales, at highly inflated prices. Money doesn't really change hands, except for the commission on the inflated price, which they can write off as an advertising expense. It is the sales prices of that first crop that sets the tone of market perception to the horse. If they can later boast that the median or average price at the sales "returned x times the stud fee" it gives them something to talk about. When I analyze a stallion's commercial appeal, I examine the sale of EACH offspring. When you see a stallion where more than 30% of the offspring sell BELOW stud fee, and most of the rest hover from $1K over fee to 2x the fee, and then there are two or three six figure horses, chances are the six figure sales are fakes.
I have not sold any of Rocking Trick's first crop from my mares. I was pretty much brand new to this business when I got him. Over time, as I did deals on other young horses, I learned this. One of the MOST IMPORTANT THINGS for a new stallion is who GETS his offspring. I sold all of the yearlings I bought in 2005 to trainers (except one). I got good "off the farm" prices for horses I had little money in so it was profitable. BUT they went to "little" trainers, who struggle hard and typically in those barns, the horses just don't get the same kind of care. I had to take back one filly for nonpayment, and I took her to Feb Fasig Tipton as a 2yo, where she went cheap to yet another cheap trainer. As I said, overall, the project turned a profit, but the most valuable thing was the lesson. There was an amazing Chester House filly I had picked up for $2K at Keeneland, for whom I got $5K. A European owner bought her through a trainer he had hooked up with through the trainer's family -- but this particular trainer was just not the real deal. Anyhow, at some point the owner flew over to see his horses, at which time he YANKED them. The Chester House filly went to Europe, to a good barn, and ended up winning a stakes. A couple of good outfits claimed two of the others from the "cheap" barns and they went on to have good careers.
Over time I became thoroughly convinced that at least the first crop babies in my barn had to have their destinies assured to help my stallion. One of the things you CANNOT control if you sell at auction is WHO buys your stallion's offspring. Where you CAN control that is on the backside when you and a trainer have put in the time, and have a two year old going really well. When you sell THAT horse you know exactly where the horse is going, and you have ratcheted up to the point where that maiden win is a REAL possibility.
So the "best" five are in my barn and we are getting ready to start breaking them. Over time, they will go, one at a time, to the track to get started. Here in Kentucky (our market may be very different than yours), in my opinion, taking horses to the sales that are not "sales" horses (ie: by the flavor-of-the-month sire, out of GSW mares, and with ALL the right connections) will (1) cost you a bundle and (2) hurt your stallion. It costs $1K minimum to put them in the Keeneland catalog. A consignor gets 5% of the sale, and most have a $1500 minimum. Sales prep is $30-$45 a day. They charge upwards of $60 for the stall card, $45 for the sale halter, etc. etc. The total cost for Three Chimneys prep (about 24 days) and to sell my Street Cry filly (including Keeneland's catalog fee and commission) was a little over $7000. If you take them yourself, it will cost you about $2K a horse.
I have not sold any of Rocking Trick's first crop from my mares. I was pretty much brand new to this business when I got him. Over time, as I did deals on other young horses, I learned this. One of the MOST IMPORTANT THINGS for a new stallion is who GETS his offspring. I sold all of the yearlings I bought in 2005 to trainers (except one). I got good "off the farm" prices for horses I had little money in so it was profitable. BUT they went to "little" trainers, who struggle hard and typically in those barns, the horses just don't get the same kind of care. I had to take back one filly for nonpayment, and I took her to Feb Fasig Tipton as a 2yo, where she went cheap to yet another cheap trainer. As I said, overall, the project turned a profit, but the most valuable thing was the lesson. There was an amazing Chester House filly I had picked up for $2K at Keeneland, for whom I got $5K. A European owner bought her through a trainer he had hooked up with through the trainer's family -- but this particular trainer was just not the real deal. Anyhow, at some point the owner flew over to see his horses, at which time he YANKED them. The Chester House filly went to Europe, to a good barn, and ended up winning a stakes. A couple of good outfits claimed two of the others from the "cheap" barns and they went on to have good careers.
Over time I became thoroughly convinced that at least the first crop babies in my barn had to have their destinies assured to help my stallion. One of the things you CANNOT control if you sell at auction is WHO buys your stallion's offspring. Where you CAN control that is on the backside when you and a trainer have put in the time, and have a two year old going really well. When you sell THAT horse you know exactly where the horse is going, and you have ratcheted up to the point where that maiden win is a REAL possibility.
So the "best" five are in my barn and we are getting ready to start breaking them. Over time, they will go, one at a time, to the track to get started. Here in Kentucky (our market may be very different than yours), in my opinion, taking horses to the sales that are not "sales" horses (ie: by the flavor-of-the-month sire, out of GSW mares, and with ALL the right connections) will (1) cost you a bundle and (2) hurt your stallion. It costs $1K minimum to put them in the Keeneland catalog. A consignor gets 5% of the sale, and most have a $1500 minimum. Sales prep is $30-$45 a day. They charge upwards of $60 for the stall card, $45 for the sale halter, etc. etc. The total cost for Three Chimneys prep (about 24 days) and to sell my Street Cry filly (including Keeneland's catalog fee and commission) was a little over $7000. If you take them yourself, it will cost you about $2K a horse.
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....
No Jitters for me today. I don't understand it because every other sale, I've had butterflies. (I've been unsuccessful in every other sale so maybe this is a good thing?) I've set what I think is a realistic reserve and will not be unhappy to bring this one home if I have to. Hip#2480 will go through the ring between 3:30-4:00 by my estimation.
Madelyn, I'm in the same boat you're in. This first crop of babies by both my stallions are looking very good, but, I don't have 100+ babies on the ground as some do. I realized that I needed to have control of as many foals as I could so I went and bought several from owners. Now I know what kind of care, feed, etc. they are getting. If someone came along with the right money I would sell but my intentions are to try and get as many to the track as possible. I want to control the destiny of the few I have.To me the first 2 crops of a stallions will either make or break them. I know my stallions will be regional sires and that's fine with me. But, even though I feel like I have 2 outstanding potential sires, right now I have to show pretty, correct, fat yearlings this year and I'll worry about if they can run this time next year.
Best to You,
Larrygene
Best to You,
Larrygene
I was talking to one of my clients regarding the January Sale (we bought one back in this sale) and there are too many horses and not enough buyers. The November Keeneland sale had 5500 head, January 2500 head, and then there are sales in the Mid-Atlantic, Calfornia, and the Europe sales.
Caryn
www.carawayracing.com
Caryn
www.carawayracing.com
She RNA'd so she's coming home. My daughter couldn't watch so she went to the movies. She'll be one happy young lady when she comes out! If the truth be known, I am glad also. My head put her in the sale but my heart is happy she's coming home!
Lady With a Fan has been under lights so we'll get an early start at the breeding season. Right now I am thinking Outflanker in Maryland or look around for a deal in Kentucky since she is down there....
Lady With a Fan has been under lights so we'll get an early start at the breeding season. Right now I am thinking Outflanker in Maryland or look around for a deal in Kentucky since she is down there....
merse wrote:She RNA'd so she's coming home. My daughter couldn't watch so she went to the movies. She'll be one happy young lady when she comes out! If the truth be known, I am glad also. My head put her in the sale but my heart is happy she's coming home!
Lady With a Fan has been under lights so we'll get an early start at the breeding season. Right now I am thinking Outflanker in Maryland or look around for a deal in Kentucky since she is down there....
I am glad to hear it...sorry she didn't sell but at least you got your baby back, maybe another time?
Good Luck with year's breeding
Shanova
I mean this with no disrespect... In R C U Later Elines picture she looks very small and doesnt appear to have been much of a runner, nor do any of the siblings. Combine that with a Sire whos pretty much DOA, and has been exported and you were lucky to get 2k. I did not see your baby, but if anyone told you to look for anything over 5k for your sales entry they lied to you.
I mean this with no disrespect... In R C U Later Elines picture she looks very small and doesnt appear to have been much of a runner, nor do any of the siblings. Combine that with a Sire whos pretty much DOA, and has been exported and you were lucky to get 2k. I did not see your baby, but if anyone told you to look for anything over 5k for your sales entry they lied to you.