Will you be breeding to the multiple G1 winning 2yo or the mediocre stakes horse he was at 3 and 4?
Will the much publicized 'remodelling' of his ankle affect his sales prices? (will buyers shy away from a horse whose conformation was changing at the end of his 2yo year).
Had Toccet retired as a 2yo near champion I believe he would have been a popular stallion at $25,000. His weaker performances at 3 and 4 certainly hurt his value at stud.
Awesome Again's fee and reputation are based on his top three, the wonderful Ghostzapper and 2yo G1 winners Toccet and Wilko. Remove these three and Awesome Again is underwhelming. His AEI would be nearly be cut in half (to about 1.58 aei), his percentage of winners at @33% and his percentage of SWs just 2.4% (it's only 3.9% with these 3). Awesome Again's sales prices reflect these inconsistencies and at a fee of $125,000, he's standing for a lot more than his foals have averaged at sale. Adena Springs is able to keep their stallion fees artificially high because they'll fill their own stallions books as needed.
Toccet's pedigree is weak commercially. I personally like some of the balance in it, but it's not going to inspire buyers.
I always preach knowing what you want to use a specific stallion for. I think Toccet will average about $45,000 for his foals, especially if Ghostzapper continues to be a dominant older horse and Awesome Again gets another nice colt. If they don't perform, I can see his average in the low $30,000 range.
If you're breeding to sell, I feel that there are better choices in this price range that offer more commercial pop. If his first foals look exceptional, he might be a choice in his 2nd year - especially if he got a large, quality book that might work for you.
If you're breeding to race, Awesome Again has been far to hit and miss, with a very low percentage of winners to make Toccet appealing. Far better choices here.
Read The Footnotes
Smoke Glacken is hitting on all cylinders and he's outperforming his own sire, Two Punch. His percentages of winners is very high, SWs solid and his sales prices have moved up sharply. He has gained commercial appeal and all this off an ordinary book. I believe the best is yet to come for him.
When a colt has had a shorter career, I like to see that a high percentage of wins from starts, (like Montbrook - I underbid 2 shares on him in 1995
). Reat The Footnotes won 5 of 8 starts and showed solid forward development through his 2yo campaign into his 3yo with wins in maiden then allowance company followed by his Nashua S (G3) win and then the Remsen S (G2). He sprinted and then routed with success. His opponents weren't the best, but he was consistently better than them (Artie Schiller on dirt isn't the same horse as he is on turf).
Read The Footnotes sold for $320,000 as a 2yo, best of Smoke Glacken's 17 sold. I don't know him physically and can't comment past the solid sales price, but both Two Punch and now Smoke Glacken consistently get nice individuals with substance and bone and I'd expect similar from Read The Footnotes.
Read The Footnotes has an unusual pedigree, not particularly compelling in his first 2 dams, and far more turf than dirt in orientation. His deeper family is solid, but again with more success on the grass. Al Nasr as a broodmare sire doesn't inspire, but he holds that position for Tomorrow's Cat and Honour And Glory. On the other hand, Magesterial was though to be a huge liability for Smoke Glacken.
Someone mentioned that Stravinsky is from the same female as Read The Footnotes. True, but he's under the 3rd dam, and other than his initial success with 2yo winners, he hasn't gotten top quality horses. Smoke Glacken is already a superior sire to Stravinsky.
Being inbred 3x4 to Mr. Prospector could be some concern, but it's a top/bottom line tie and I like this aspectation much more than inbreeding Mr. P this close on sire lines.
Smoke Glacken has been outstanding sire of 2yos with 27% winners. Read The Footnotes has a nearly identical 2yo record as his sire, though he was far more versitile in distance. Standing in Florida is an environmental advantage.
I'm splitting hairs if I said that I'd rather he had stood at $7,500, but I do like him. He will ride his sire's coat tails and I believe Smoke Glacken will be a $50,000 sire before long. If his get have the substance and structure that his sire line is noted for I think he will sell (reasonably) well, perhaps averaging $35,000 or more based on Smoke Glacken's continued success.
I've projected Read The Footnotes as a better choice (commercially) as a 2nd and 3rd year stallion. I WANT to play the bubble on this guy (that's why the fee is an issue for me). If I can get clients to him in years 2 and 3 at @$6,000, I will recommend him. With a solid race record (especially at but not limited to his 2yo year), the improvement in his sire line (Glacken being better than Two Punch) and the Florida advantge I believe he will get a substantial percentage of 2yo runners and winners. I can easily see his 3rd crop averaging $50,000. I will look for his first crop as an indication of potential success.
If you're breeding to race, Read The Footnotes is an acceptable choice, but I'd like him better in his 2nd, 3rd and 4th years at stud.
Regards,
Pete
