Hap- Will he become a good sire?

Discussion and analysis of thoroughbred stallions.

Moderators: Roguelet, WaveMaster, madelyn

User avatar
Keith
Grade III Winner
Posts: 1040
Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2004 3:45 am
Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho

Hap- Will he become a good sire?

Postby Keith » Sat Jul 16, 2005 8:14 pm

Hap is a multiple graded stakes winner and is a full brother to the dam of English Channel who won the Virginia Derby today. Hap is brother to Grade I stakes winner Pharma. Hap is out of multiple champion mare Committed and at $5,000 he may be good stallion to breed to for the money. Will he become a good sire?

Keith

JimP
Allowance Winner
Posts: 258
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:26 am

Postby JimP » Sun Jul 17, 2005 4:53 am

Hi Guys,

Keith, I am counting on that very idea. I just got my mare home from visiting Hap and she is in foal. He is a turf runner and they don't always get a lot of attention at stud. I am anxious for his foals to hit the track and see what happens. :D
JimP
White Cat Farm
[email protected]

"the gene pool could use a little chlorine"

User avatar
FOS
Freshman Sire
Posts: 2816
Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2004 1:44 pm

Postby FOS » Sun Jul 17, 2005 10:40 am

hi JimP...hello Keith

Hap was a very nice turfhorse...but seems to be quite the longshot for significant sire success in North America. That doesn't mean he doesn't have it in him though to come up with some nice ones.

I suggest it's certainly interesting in that Hap's sire Theatrical Loved a mile and a half on the turf...and his Brilliant dam Committed could fly and Loved to sprint on the turf...and the resultant Hap Loved the grass also...particularly a mile and an eighth (kind of in the middle [more or less] of his sire and dam's best distances).

It'll be interesting to see what Hap passes-on...his champion and G1 winning father's great stamina...his champion and G1 winning mother's brilliant speed...and/or something of himself who (although very good) was never the caliber horse that either his sire or dam was?

Even though all three (Hap...his sire Theatrical...and his dam Committed) thrived on the turf, it seems clear that their best racing occurred at distinctly different distances.

JimP, why Hap? Were you specifically looking for a very good turf performer whose sire and dam were turf super-stars and champions? If so...he certainly fits the bill. Best of luck.

Respectfully

JimP
Allowance Winner
Posts: 258
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:26 am

Postby JimP » Sun Jul 17, 2005 2:29 pm

Hi Guys,

FOS - Thanks for the comments on Hap. I was going for a very good turf family when I decided on breeding to Hap. It was my goal to breed my mare who has thrown a semi good turf runner and I wanted to try and
re-inforce that quality in this foal. I hope she carries to term and we will see what we get.
JimP

White Cat Farm

[email protected]



"the gene pool could use a little chlorine"

User avatar
FOS
Freshman Sire
Posts: 2816
Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2004 1:44 pm

Postby FOS » Sun Jul 17, 2005 2:37 pm

hi JimP

Sounds exciting...I hope things unfold beautifully for you and your mare. Sounds like you've given Hap a good opportunity too.

Respectfully

pembroke
Allowance Winner
Posts: 300
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 8:00 pm

Postby pembroke » Sun Jul 17, 2005 3:26 pm

I am with JimP on this one. I bred a mare to Hap because turf racing is my first love regardless of how commercial or uncommercial it is. I have a Mr. P mare who is out of a Raja Baba mare and her 2nd. dam is by T V Lark. Theatrical did well with Mr. P and Hap has a cross to Bold Ruler thru Boldnesian and T V Lark was sucha gutsy guy on turf I thought his appearence here was a bonus. Sure hope I'm right.......I will say that I was disappointed in Haps weanlings at the November sale. The chestnuts looked like him and were very nice...the others were smaller and not breedy(?) Geez, having trouble coming up with a discription. You could tell they were just in that awkward stage. They are very fine boned. My filly born this year is chestnut, looks like her dad right down to the face mark and one sock. Very tall, very fine boned.

User avatar
FOS
Freshman Sire
Posts: 2816
Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2004 1:44 pm

Postby FOS » Sun Jul 17, 2005 8:06 pm

hi Pembroke

Thanks for sharing what sounds like some interesting and valuable observations...plus a no-nonsense description of your own foal.

What is your mare like in the "bone" category...how old is her foal...and what have your mare's previous foals (if any) looked like at this stage, compared to her Hap?

Maybe the Haps will need some time...that certainly does not (in and of itself) preclude them from making nice racehorses. And when you consider that Hap was unraced until age three...is described as 15-2 HH...and did not win his first stakes-races until age four (and both of those were Grade-2 wins at Saratoga...quite impressive in my book)...patience might be a virtue (if not a requirement) with the Haps. And whose to say patience might not pay dividends.

Who knows...Hap may be replicating himself...I suggest that's not so bad. It might be interesting if Darby Dan could supply you with some insights and/or photographs of Hap as a foal.

Respectfully

Sunday Silence
Moderator
Posts: 649
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 12:14 pm

Postby Sunday Silence » Wed Jul 20, 2005 10:02 am

Is Hap passing on his flaxen mane color?

pembroke
Allowance Winner
Posts: 300
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 8:00 pm

Postby pembroke » Wed Jul 20, 2005 10:15 am

I think the two at Keeneland I saw did have the flaxen. They looked so much like him it was scary! My baby was born without the flaxen, but it is coming in now.

ak1
Allowance Winner
Posts: 426
Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2005 12:36 pm
Location: Missouri

Postby ak1 » Wed Jul 20, 2005 10:55 am

just curious, with the hap weanlings y'all have seen, is the fine boned description in proportion to the rest of their bodies or do they have the look of legs being to fine to support the bulk of their bodies?

hap was a very nice racehorse who was enjoyable to watch...like the news that he is stamping his babies in his image. sometimes those smaller horses leave everyone in their wake....

pembroke
Allowance Winner
Posts: 300
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 8:00 pm

Postby pembroke » Wed Jul 20, 2005 11:12 am

Hi FOS. I agree, the Haps will need to be "waited on." How does that old saying go...? " Good things come to those who wait?"!! This is the first foal I have raised out of this mare. Her previous owners said she always had HUGE babies that grow into HUGE yearlings. My baby is certainly not huge, so it will be interesting to see how she develops. They also told me the mare needs to be bred for more bone, so this filly's fine bone comes from mom. Darby Dan told me last year that Haps babies had a lot of leg, more like grandpa, and they were happy with that.

I have raised stock horses for years...the big-time breeders have always preached that the mark of a good stallion was one who could duplicate himself in the looks department. You "looked" at a colt and you just knew who his daddy was. I am wondering, and time will tell, if Haps chestnut babies will be better or will the bays....since they look more like Theatrical ? Will be interesting to watch and see.

pembroke
Allowance Winner
Posts: 300
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 8:00 pm

Postby pembroke » Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:11 pm

Hi ak1...I don't recall them being out of proportion at all. They just looked like they weren't as developed as the other weanlings. You knew they just needed time.

ak1
Allowance Winner
Posts: 426
Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2005 12:36 pm
Location: Missouri

Postby ak1 » Wed Jul 20, 2005 1:11 pm

thanks pembroke, that is good to know.