Tag: Stallion Spotlight

Stallion Spotlight offers stud farm representatives a chance to address breeders and answer questions as they plan their future matings.

In this edition, Erin Robinson of Rockridge Stud discusses Slumber, a Grade 1 winner who moved to New York for the 2021 breeding season, making his first New York-sired foals yearlings of 2023.

Slumber
B. h., 2008, Cacique x Sound Asleep, by Woodman
Race Record: 27-5-6-5; $1,477,162
Advertised Fee: $7,500

Question: What makes Slumber an attractive stallion for potential breeders?

Erin Robinson, Rockridge Stud: The numbers. You absolutely cannot deny his numbers. Twenty four foals of racing age, three stakes winners, two graded stakes winners. The stats just don't get any better than that.

If I've got a mare that's lacking in a physical aspect, what can Slumber best contribute to that equation?

Robinson: Slumber is a very attractive stallion. Big shoulder, strong hip. His foals are just lovely.

What would a breeder looking to capture the Danehill/Danzig line magic find familiar in Slumber?

Robinson: Slumber was a turf monster, and he's throwing likewise.

What makes Slumber a good fit for the New York program?

Robinson: He is emerging as the go-to turf sire in the Northeast. As the turf program grows in New York, so will the interest in Slumber, I believe.

What are some of the physical and pedigree crosses that you have found produced the most attractive and successful Slumber foals?

Robinson: Since two of his stakes winners are from El Prado-line stallions, I would think that stands out, certainly. He's had so few foals to date, it's hard to know exactly what else will work well with him. I think any mare with a turf pedigree should give him a shot.

Fluffy Socks is a multiple graded stakes winner and millionaire. What does a horse like her show New York breeders about the kind of runner Slumber can get you?

Robinson: She tries so very hard, in all of her races. Even her recent Grade 2 runner-up effort at Saratoga (in the Ballston Spa) was a heartbreaker, because she had them just past the wire. What a tremendous filly. And, if you go back and watch Sy Dog's first win and first stakes win (the 2021 Central Park Stakes at Aqueduct) – that kind of come-from-way-behind power play is something to behold. His foals are tryers, something I like to think he's passing on to them.

Slumber did his best work going especially long over the turf. What have you seen from his foals, and what makes you confident going forward, that he'd be able to reel that back to a mile with his runners to fit the typical American style?

Robinson: Both Fluffy Socks and Marvelous Maude have won stakes going one mile, Sy Dog has done well going 1 1/16 m miles or 1 5/8 m miles, but he broke his maiden going seven furlongs. I think he's shown they can go long or short.

What is something about Slumber that you think goes overlooked?

Robinson: Once again, the numbers game. He just doesn't have the volume so many other great stallions have, that it's hard to plead his case at times. But, if you look at his strike rate – it's phenomenal. That's the message we've been trying to drive home.

The post Stallion Spotlight Presented By New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc.: ‘Turf Monster’ Slumber Making Good First Impressions In Empire State appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Stallion Spotlight offers stud farm representatives a chance to address breeders and answer questions as they plan their future matings.

In this edition, John McMahon of McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds and bloodstock agent Chad Schumer discuss Redesdale, a son of Speightstown whose first foals are 3-year-olds of 2023.

Redesdale
B. h., 2013, Speightstown x Harpia, by Danzig
Race Record: 4-3-0-0; $90,300
Advertised Fee: $2,500

Question: What makes Redesdale an attractive stallion for potential breeders?

John McMahon: I would just have to say the outstanding pedigree, being a son of Speightstown, and affordability. You just can't get a pedigree like that; a Juddmonte-bred stallion. That's heavy-duty.

Chad Schumer: He had speed, for sure. He was unbeaten in his first three starts, and was without a doubt graded stakes quality, but an injury prevented that from carrying that on. He has quality and speed, and obviously the strength of his pedigree and the value therein.

If I've got a mare lacking in a physical aspect, what can Redesdale best contribute to that equation?

McMahon: I would say conformation and size. His foals all have tremendous conformation, so I'd say if I had a mare that was back at the knee or maybe offset at the knee, or a sweepy hind leg, he'd be good. If you're breeding your mare and you're seeing a physical defect in her, it'd be nice to breed to a stallion that gives you solid conformation all the time, and plenty of size to boot.

Schumer: He brings speed and quality to the equation. He's got size, he's got substance to him. He's got bone, and a lot of power behind. I think some mares, if they're lighter or if they just need tidying up, he'd be ideal, physically.

What would a breeder looking to capture the magic of his sire Speightstown find familiar in Redesdale?

Schumer: When I think of Speightstown, I think a lot of tenacity. So many of his runners win photo finishes. They seem to last, even though it took Speightstown a while to get going, and there were some breaks in his racing career. The same can be said for Redesdale. It doesn't seem to show up in their progeny. They tend to be sound and durable, and especially in a state-bred program, that's incredibly important.

What are some of the common traits you've seen among the Redesdale foals, both as young horses getting ready for the sales and as racehorses?

Schumer: I've been struck by what nice types they are. Sometimes with stallions in regional programs, you kind of don't know what to expect. I've seen every Redesdale that's come to the 2-year-old sales. While I've been doing work for other things, I make sure I see all of them, and I've just been struck by how they're all pretty nice types. They have that same quality that he has, and they've done well.

Interestingly, almost across the board, considering the location and fee, I think the price for his 2-year-olds has been really strong.

What makes Redesdale a good fit for the New York-Bred Program?

McMahon: New York is an interesting place to race a horse, because we love turf racing here. We're all into it nowadays. I see the future as being bright for the horse because of the presence of that, and the tremendous international appeal of his pedigree.

Schumer: Soundness and versatility. New York is one of the most lucrative programs in the country, and they want horses that are going to show up as 2-year-olds, be back as 3-year-olds, and so forth. So far, the Redesdales seem to be doing that. It's a little early. His oldest foals are just three at the moment, but they seem to carry on, start after start.

The other thing that I like of what I've seen so far is they seem equally adept at either dirt and turf, which I think is wildly important in a regional program, especially.

What are some of the physical and pedigree traits in broodmares that you've found have produced the most successful crosses with Redesdale?

McMahon: He nicks well with the Mr. Prospector-line mares and A.P. Indy-line mares.

Redesdale has some serious sire power on his page, with the likes of Danehill and Northern Dancer. What is your philosophy on how much having successful stallions in the female family can influence an active stallion's potential?

McMahon: I think it kind of evolves over the course of the years. When you're retiring a stud and you see those names within a pedigree, it's going to attract you a better book of mares. You can get better mares than you would normally get because of those stallion names. Then, in year two or three of a stallion's career, you're seeing some racehorses hit, and now we're seeing some better turf horses coming out of those matings, and we're saying, “Where is this coming from?” Speightstown has been kind of a dirt speed horse, so I think that pedigree is influencing the current crops moreso than we gave it credit for the first couple years. The first couple years, I think we were using it more as a selling point, but now we're using it now to explain what you're going to get.

What is something about Redesdale that you think goes overlooked?

McMahon: Something we haven't talked about much is he threw the highest-priced yearling by a New York sire in 2021. That was $140,000 and ended up being [stakes winner] Ramblin' Wreck, who's trained by Danny Gargan. He can throw you a sales horse out of the right mare. We know they're good-looking, we know the pedigree's there. He can be a commercial stallion with the right broodmare on board.

Schumer: His actual racing class. Because of his stops in his racing career, it took him a while to make his first start due to some niggling things as a 2-year-old, but he ran as a 3-year-old at Churchill Downs in a maiden special weight, then came back and won two more allowance races, and he was undoubtedly graded stakes class.

I think he's easily overlooked because it shows him in the book only as a winner, but he was without a doubt a stakes-quality horse.

Robby Albarado rode him for us, and after his last start, he told me he reminded him so much in terms of quality of a horse he rode at the Fair Grounds, and that was Mineshaft. If he was half as good as that, he'd be a proper stakes winner. It gave us a lot of confidence in using him.

The post Stallion Spotlight Presented By New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc.: Redesdale Getting ‘Sound And Durable’ Foals appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Stallion Spotlight offers stud farm representatives a chance to address breeders and answer questions as they plan their future matings.

This time around, Rick Burke of Irish Hill and Dutchess Views Stallions discusses champion and dual classic winner Big Brown, a son of Boundary who is regularly one of New York's top sires.

Big Brown
B. h., 2005, Boundary x Mien, by Nureyev
Race Record: 8-7-0-0; $3,614,500
Advertised Fee: $5,000

Question: What makes Big Brown an attractive stallion for potential breeders?

Rick Burke, Irish Hill and Dutchess Views Stallions: He's going to get you a racehorse. Big Brown was a tremendous racehorse, and he's got runners all the time in New York. He's done very well as a stallion in New York. He's going to give you size, he's going to add bone, and he's going to improve your mares.

If I've got a mare lacking in a physical aspect. What can Big Brown best contribute to that equation?

Burke: He'll get you a dirt horse, turf horse. Somelikeithotbrown does tremendous on the turf. He can help add bone, if you need to add distance, you name it, he's going to help you. If you've got a mare that's hard to get bred, he's going to get her pregnant. He's extremely fertile, even for his age. For years, I've told owners if they're having trouble getting a mare bred, just go to Big Brown, and bang, he has the mare pregnant.

Big Brown is by Boundary, a son of Danzig. What can a breeder looking to capture that Danzig-line influence find familiar in Big Brown?

Burke: They're runners. He does look like his sire Boundary, but he gives Danzig's running ability. It doesn't matter; small horse, big horse, they're all runners, and Danzig did that, too. He can produce racehorses like Danzig.

What do you see in Big Brown that might come from his broodmare sire, Nureyev?

Burke: The turf comes out on the bottom side. Physically, a lot of Big Brown's babies look like him. They're going to have that big shoulder, that big rear end. He's going to add bone to them and give them size if they need size. He's good at influencing his offspring.

What do you think makes Big Brown a good fit for the New York program?

Burke: The fact that he improves his mares. When he came to New York, he wasn't doing as well in Kentucky with the mares there, and once he came to New York, he's done tremendous in improving the mares and getting runners. He's got a couple every day running at the track.

What are some of the common traits that you've seen among Big Brown's foals, both as young horses at the sales and as older horses at the races?

Burke: They look like him and they're going to run like him. He's going to get you dirt or turf, whatever you're looking for. He passes on his body type. Big Brown's a big horse. He's got great balance, even for his age. He's got a very stout body to him. He's got a presence to him.

What can the success of a horse like Grade 2 winner Somelikeithotbrown tell us about the caliber of horse that Big Brown can put on the track?

Burke: He has the caliber to get them out there. If you go back to his first race, he was good on the turf, and then he was even better on the dirt. He was a dual-surface horse. Who knows how great Big Brown could have been on the turf? He did so well on the dirt, but if he'd have run on the turf where he could have been even better, who knows?

What else should breeders know about Big Brown before picking up the phone?

Burke: He's going to get your mare pregnant. He's very fertile, and he can improve on the mare. Whatever you're looking for – if you have a mare that needs a little more leg or bone, he's going to do that. If you've got one that needs a little more size, he's going to do that. Whatever you need him to do, he's going to get it done.

The post Stallion Spotlight Presented By New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc.: Champion Big Brown ‘Good At Influencing His Offspring’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Stallion Spotlight offers stud farm representatives a chance to address breeders and answer questions as they plan their future matings.

In this edition, Anne Morgan of Mill Creek Farm discusses Venezuelan Hug, a Grade 3-winning son of Constitution whose first foals are arriving this year.

Venezuelan Hug
Gr. or ro. h., 2017, Constitution x Downtown Diva, by Giant's Causeway
Race Record: 10-6-0-1; $252,830
Advertised Fee: $2,500

Question: What makes Venezuelan Hug an attractive stallion for prospective breeders?

Anne Morgan, Mill Creek Farm: He fits all types of mares.

If I've got a mare lacking in a physical aspect, what can Venezuelan Hug best contribute to that equation?

Morgan: He adds size, bone, and athleticism.

What would a breeder looking to capture the Constitution/Tapit sire line find familiar in Venezuelan Hug?

Morgan: His great attitude and looks.

What do you see in Venezuelan Hug that might have come from his broodmare sire, Giant's Causeway?

Morgan: Size and bone.

What are some of the common traits you are seeing among Venezuelan Hug's first crop of foals?

Morgan: They're smart, balanced, and correct.

What are some of the crosses that you think have produced the most attractive foals, or which crosses are you most excited to see Venezuelan Hug try?

Morgan: He really fits with any mare, which is nice.

What do you think makes Venezuelan Hug a good fit for the New York program?

Morgan: He's got a good race record, and he's a son of Constitution, who is very popular.

What race do you think best displays Venezuelan Hug's ability on the racetrack?

Morgan: Any of them. He never gave up, and he tried every time.

What is something about Venezuelan Hug that you think goes overlooked?

Morgan: People think he's only turf. [Trainer] Danny Gargan said he was just as good on dirt.

What else should breeders know about Venezuelan Hug before picking up the phone?

Morgan: He's the best-kept secret in New York. With his ability as a racehorse and his exceptional breeding, he could be a future top stallion.

The post Stallion Spotlight Presented By New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc.: Venezuelan Hug ‘The Best-Kept Secret In New York’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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