Thomas Herding Technique Founder Kerry Thomas, in his essay Breeding for Behavior in the Hybrid Thoroughbred, says that Emotional Conformation and reapplying natural selection in breeding practices is important for the improvement of the breed.
“You cannot continually remove the natural selection element from the process and expect great results without weakening the breed itself. …Emotional Conformation and Psychological Profiling of the individual horse being proposed for mating can provide the extra information needed to increase the probability of a more successful outcome. Just because you mate two incredibly talented athletes with outstanding pedigrees doesn’t mean that their progeny will be as outstanding. Because this is true, the result is over-breeding and a saturation of the industry with far too many trash-can horses, deemed unworthy of financial support because they don’t win, or are unsound and breakdown.”
For the entire essay please click here.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Great Racehorses Of The Decade
In a new series of articles for the British Horseracing Authority, turf writer Andrew Scott profiles Great Racehorses of the Decade.
In week eight, Scott profiles The Best of Britain and France.
In week eight, Scott profiles The Best of Britain and France.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Hollywood Prevue Stakes Racing Roundup
A field of eight 2-year-old juveniles has been entered in today’s $100,000 Hollywood Prevue Stakes (G3) but it looks like the 7-furlong sprint could become a three-horse race.
Winstar Farms’ American Lion is the 7-5 morning line favorite and he comes into the race with an impressive maiden win by 6 ¾ -lengths in a 7-furlong sprint at Keeneland. Trainer Eoin Harty should have American Lion ready for another big performance and jockey Julien Leparoux returns for the mount.
American Lion's second grandsire, Relaunch, sired Star Of The Crop who won the Prevue in 1991 and his third grandsire, In Reality, sired Judge Smells who won in 1985. American Lion’s damsire, Storm Cat, is the grandsire of Lion Heart who won the Prevue in 2003 and Roll Hennessy Roll who won in 2002.
Win or lose, I will be watching to see how well American Lion performs when he stretches out to a route race.
Hall Of Fame Trainer Bob Baffert won the Hollywood Prevue with Massive Drama in 2007 and he’s looking for another victory with a pair of nice colts, Indian Firewater (5-2) and Macias (3-1).
Indian Firewater has been training well recording several bullet works at Hollywood Park and the Prevue looks like the next best step in his progression. His sire, Indian Charlie, won the Santa Anita Derby and sired the 2006 Eclipse Champion Fleet Indian and 2007 Eclipse Champion Indian Blessing. Indian Firewater’s grandsire, In Excess, sired the 1996 Prevue winner In Excessive Bull. Indian Firewater’s damsire is 1997 Belmont winner Touch Gold and Miswaki, the sire of Indian Firewater’s second dam Bay Barrister, sired the 1993 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Urban Sea.
So, Indian Firewater looks like another one to keep an eye on when he stretches out to a route race.
Zayat Stables’ Macias is the only colt in the field with a stakes win to his credit. He has good speed and won the 6-furlong Jack Goodman Stakes last out in a final time of 1:08.98. If Macias can carry the speed to 7-furlongs he will be tough. Zayat Stables won the Prevue with Massive Drama in 2007 and Belgravia in 2006.
Tribal Face (15-1) looks like an intriguing long shot. After four starts, Tribal Face finally broke his maiden last out and appears to be improving. Tribal Face has only been out of the money once and he has a third-place finish in the hotly-contested I’m Smokin Stakes. His grandsire, Storm Cat, is the grandsire of Prevue winners Lion Heart and Roll Hennessy Roll. His damsire, Memo, sired the 1999 Prevue winner Grey Memo who was the 2002 California Champion Older Horse with over $1 million in career earnings.
So at 15-1 morning line odds, he may be worth a small win, place bet.
Winstar Farms’ American Lion is the 7-5 morning line favorite and he comes into the race with an impressive maiden win by 6 ¾ -lengths in a 7-furlong sprint at Keeneland. Trainer Eoin Harty should have American Lion ready for another big performance and jockey Julien Leparoux returns for the mount.
American Lion's second grandsire, Relaunch, sired Star Of The Crop who won the Prevue in 1991 and his third grandsire, In Reality, sired Judge Smells who won in 1985. American Lion’s damsire, Storm Cat, is the grandsire of Lion Heart who won the Prevue in 2003 and Roll Hennessy Roll who won in 2002.
Win or lose, I will be watching to see how well American Lion performs when he stretches out to a route race.
Hall Of Fame Trainer Bob Baffert won the Hollywood Prevue with Massive Drama in 2007 and he’s looking for another victory with a pair of nice colts, Indian Firewater (5-2) and Macias (3-1).
Indian Firewater has been training well recording several bullet works at Hollywood Park and the Prevue looks like the next best step in his progression. His sire, Indian Charlie, won the Santa Anita Derby and sired the 2006 Eclipse Champion Fleet Indian and 2007 Eclipse Champion Indian Blessing. Indian Firewater’s grandsire, In Excess, sired the 1996 Prevue winner In Excessive Bull. Indian Firewater’s damsire is 1997 Belmont winner Touch Gold and Miswaki, the sire of Indian Firewater’s second dam Bay Barrister, sired the 1993 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Urban Sea.
So, Indian Firewater looks like another one to keep an eye on when he stretches out to a route race.
Zayat Stables’ Macias is the only colt in the field with a stakes win to his credit. He has good speed and won the 6-furlong Jack Goodman Stakes last out in a final time of 1:08.98. If Macias can carry the speed to 7-furlongs he will be tough. Zayat Stables won the Prevue with Massive Drama in 2007 and Belgravia in 2006.
Tribal Face (15-1) looks like an intriguing long shot. After four starts, Tribal Face finally broke his maiden last out and appears to be improving. Tribal Face has only been out of the money once and he has a third-place finish in the hotly-contested I’m Smokin Stakes. His grandsire, Storm Cat, is the grandsire of Prevue winners Lion Heart and Roll Hennessy Roll. His damsire, Memo, sired the 1999 Prevue winner Grey Memo who was the 2002 California Champion Older Horse with over $1 million in career earnings.
So at 15-1 morning line odds, he may be worth a small win, place bet.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Great Racehorses Of The Decade: Ballydoyle Stable
In a new series of articles for the British Horseracing Authority, turf writer Andrew Scott profiles Great Racehorses of the Decade.
In week seven, Scott profiles Ballydoyle Stable.
In week seven, Scott profiles Ballydoyle Stable.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Great Racehorses Of The Decade: Sea The Stars
In a new series of articles for the British Horseracing Authority, turf writer Andrew Scott profiles Great Racehorses of the Decade.
In week six, Scott profiles Sea The Stars.
In week six, Scott profiles Sea The Stars.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Vale Of York On Track To Kentucky Derby
The fantastic upset victory by Vale Of York (IRE) in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile has given Godolphin dreams of another conquest in next year’s Derby.
No. Not the Epsom Derby, the Kentucky Derby.
“He handled the synthetic surface well,” said Godolphin Racing Manager Simon Crisford in a Racing Post news article. “We don’t know whether or not he will handle the dirt at Churchill Downs as well, but we certainly will give it a try.”
No. Not the Epsom Derby, the Kentucky Derby.
“He handled the synthetic surface well,” said Godolphin Racing Manager Simon Crisford in a Racing Post news article. “We don’t know whether or not he will handle the dirt at Churchill Downs as well, but we certainly will give it a try.”
Coronation Futurity Racing Roundup
Hotep is a 2-year-old thoroughbred that I have had on my watch list for some time and today, along with six other juveniles, he will make his stakes debut in the $250,000 Coronation Futurity at Woodbine.
Hotep is a full brother to this year’s Canadian Queen’s Plate winner Eye Of The Leopard and I’m eager to see how well he performs in the Coronation. So far, with a win in his maiden debut last month, Hotep is farther along that his older brother who did not race as a 2-year-old and just started racing this past April.
Both Eye of The Leopard and Hotep are trained by Mark Frostad who won the Coronation in 1999 with Dixieland Diamond.
I like it that Hotep’s maiden win came in a 1-mile, 70-yard route race and his pedigree suggests that he will relish going even farther.
Hotep comes into 9-furlong Coronation as the 5-1 morning-line-third-choice. His major competition will most likely come from the 6-5 morning line favorite Hollinger who won the 8.5-furlong Cup And Saucer Stakes on the turf last month at Woodbine.
Undefeated in three starts, Hollinger is trained by Roger Attfield who won the Coronation three times with Ablo in 2004, Talkin Man in 1994 and Norcliffe in 1975.
Stormy Lord (6-1) finished second to Hollinger in the Cup And Saucer Stakes and I look for him to be in the mix at the finish. His sire Stormy Atlantic sired Leonnatus Anteas who won the Coronation in 2006 and went on to become the Canadian Champion Two Year Old Colt.
Another horse that probably should be used in the exotics is Vicar Street (8-1) who narrowly lost to Hotep by a neck in his last outing. His damsire, At The Threshold, sired the 1992 Kentucky Derby winner Lil E. Tee and his second damsire, Norcliffe, won the 1975 edition of the Coronation.
Ghost Fleet is the 4-1 second-choice but he failed as the favorite in his last race when stretching out to a route in the Grey Stakes (G3) and I'm not too keen on him in this race.
Hotep is a full brother to this year’s Canadian Queen’s Plate winner Eye Of The Leopard and I’m eager to see how well he performs in the Coronation. So far, with a win in his maiden debut last month, Hotep is farther along that his older brother who did not race as a 2-year-old and just started racing this past April.
Both Eye of The Leopard and Hotep are trained by Mark Frostad who won the Coronation in 1999 with Dixieland Diamond.
I like it that Hotep’s maiden win came in a 1-mile, 70-yard route race and his pedigree suggests that he will relish going even farther.
Hotep comes into 9-furlong Coronation as the 5-1 morning-line-third-choice. His major competition will most likely come from the 6-5 morning line favorite Hollinger who won the 8.5-furlong Cup And Saucer Stakes on the turf last month at Woodbine.
Undefeated in three starts, Hollinger is trained by Roger Attfield who won the Coronation three times with Ablo in 2004, Talkin Man in 1994 and Norcliffe in 1975.
Stormy Lord (6-1) finished second to Hollinger in the Cup And Saucer Stakes and I look for him to be in the mix at the finish. His sire Stormy Atlantic sired Leonnatus Anteas who won the Coronation in 2006 and went on to become the Canadian Champion Two Year Old Colt.
Another horse that probably should be used in the exotics is Vicar Street (8-1) who narrowly lost to Hotep by a neck in his last outing. His damsire, At The Threshold, sired the 1992 Kentucky Derby winner Lil E. Tee and his second damsire, Norcliffe, won the 1975 edition of the Coronation.
Ghost Fleet is the 4-1 second-choice but he failed as the favorite in his last race when stretching out to a route in the Grey Stakes (G3) and I'm not too keen on him in this race.
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