Being a Kentucky-bred ain't what it used to be as far as sales of young horses are concerned, according to Tommy Eastham of Legacy Bloodstock. Read what he has to say:
"The one thing I do think has been very apparent this year is that everybody in the horse business and in state of Kentucky realizes that right now it's a disadvantage to have a Kentucky-bred. We sell many different state-breds, and if there is a time we ever needed to put our heads together and really work toward a common goal in Kentucky, it's now because to have a Kentucky-bred right now is a disadvantage compared to having a Louisiana-bred or a Pennsylvania-bred. I can just tell by the results and the interest (from buyers) in our horses
"If you're talking about (horses worth) $75,000 or above, you get into a different realm where people aren't worried about (state-bred) purse money as much. But below $75,000, it's dramatic how much Kentucky breeders are being penalized by having Kentucky-bred on the catalog page. We're selling $15,000 Louisiana-breds for $40,000, and we're selling $40,000 Kentucky-breds for $15,000. The show volume is very indicative of that (the decreasing popularity of Kentucky-bred horses). Horses in a state-bred program that is well-supported (by alternative gaming) get a lot of looks.
"I'm recommending to people to send their mares with (foals sired by) Kentucky stallions in them to Louisiana, foal the mares out and make them (their offspring) Louisiana-breds, and then breed them (the mares) back to a Louisiana stallions and either sell the mare or split her (form a partnership) with somebody. With that program your yearling is going to sell better or your weanling is going to sell better, because he is associated with a strong state-bred program. When your mare foals that Louiana stallion's foal, you still have residual value because you're going to get mailbox money (state-bred awards). You might be going to a lesser stallion when you breed in Louisiana, but you can still go to a horse like Leestown, who has a good percentage of winners and you get state-bred money."
