FIVE STAR DAY---great value!

[bcassidy]

Some of the more frequent posters may know that I have a privately devised system to evaluate stallions. In the interest of sharing my data, I thought some of you might be interested to know that I have identified another very nice stallion who consistently improves the mares he has covered---FIVE STAR DAY. I really like his numbers and I will probably be sending him a mare or two next year, if his stud fee stays at 15K or there abouts. In my system he is very good value with lots of upside. Has anyone seen him in the flesh? How do others on the board value this stallion? Hope all is well. Brendan

[FloridaGators]

Good call... $7,400 per start and winning at a 20% clip.

[bcassidy]

floridagators---Thanks for sharing those numbers. My system doesn't use or evaluate those type of statistics but you are correct in stating that they are very nice numbers. FSD has performed quite nicely with a very average band of broodmares. A successful stallion covering average mares is something else I really like to see, as this eliminates the effect the broodmares are contributing to the success of the foals. FSD has been passing along tremendous precocity to his get and they also love an off track. I really expect to hear more from this stallion in the very near future. He is definitely a considerable prospect in my evaluation. Lots to like about him---not to mention his 15k stud fee.

[henthorn]

Five Star Day is a fine-looking gentleman, and he apparently puts out respectable-looking sales individuals. I saw him in spring 2005 and was very impressed by him. I don't recall any problems I noted, and he is athletic, balanced, and of average size.

[Prairie]

In his pictures, Five Star Day appears to have substantial bone and substance (not at all "spindly legged"). Is that the case?

[FloridaGators]

Outstanding individual... minus a significantly pigeon-toed left fore.

[bcassidy]

Isn't it amazing how many pigeon toed individuals display speed. It's not only true with horses, I have also noticed this trait in human athletes, especially football players. Quite a few professional athletes have a tendency to toe in with one foot or both feet. Just curious if anyone else has noticed the same thing?

[bcassidy]

Thanks for the personal insight into his conformation. Sounds like I need to see him in person.

[Bill from WA]

Somethingroyal was markedly pigeon-toed and look what she accomplished.

Bill

[FloridaGators]

Good point Bill... have you ever watched the head-0n view of the 100m in the Olympics? Pigeon-toed across the board!

[FloridaGators]

I have several pictures of Five Star Day I took in the fall of 2005... but I can't figure out how to insert them.

[CA Michael]

There is more than one similarity between human and equine sprinters; they usually experience more leg injuries, and race fewer times than their counterparts. Pigeon toed athletes of both species generally incur additional injuries due to the excessive strain on the sides of the joints.

Pigeon toed athletes are more than just unsightly; they carry a physical weakness which translates into soundness problems.

As fas as Five Star Day is concerned, I have no personal criticism of the horse. I would point out his race record, in which he raced three years, with 16 starts and 6 wins, earning $575,365. He averaged about 5 starts a year.

JMO---and we wonder why so many horses are breaking down, and why the numbers of starters per race are shrinking.........

[bcassidy]

CA Michael---which came first the toed in feet or the speed of the individual? Is it possible that toeing in is a speed coupled physical trait or are these two characteristics totally unrelated. My casual observations lead me to belive they are more related than unrelated. Curious what others think?

[CA Michael]

Horses which toe in almost always paddle at the walk, and waste precious energy when they are at full speed. Their legs often interfere when racing. Hence, a toed in horse may be otherwise capable of staying a route of ground, but is compromised by the effects of his conformational defect.

[bcassidy]

CA Michael----Toeing-in is certainly the better of choices when compared to toeing-out but I also think toeing-out creates more problems for the legs in motion then toeing-in. I consider toeing-out to be a more negative conformational fault than toeing-in. But if your point is we should all be trying to breed the most correct animal possible I whole heartedly agree---of course, from what I understand about the german TB, they have excellent conformation but just don't have the speed of american TBs. We must all decide for ourselves what traits we can live with and which ones we can't. I was merely making the point that many toed-in individuals also seem to have a lot of speed. I was speculating that somehow this physical trait was linked to speed in that individual. Maybe so--maybe not, I was curious if anyone else noticed the same. Thanks for your thoughts.