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Thoroughbred Racehorse Retirement

63 Comments

Fewer off-the-track fillies are in demand as broodmare prospects in this down economy, and they join the thousands of retired Thoroughbred geldings that need new homes every year. How will the industry fund retirement for all of them?...

Thoroughbred Pedigree Review -- Relaunch Connections

26 Comments

Once as a grandsire and once as a damsire, the In Reality son Relaunch was represented by impressive graded winners over the Independence Day weekend....

Rah Rah RAHY, Damsire of Sires

23 Comments

Rahy becomes a pensioner and with his retirement the Thoroughbred breeding industry loses one more source of diversity. (Plus a quick look at the Nasrullah sire line.)...

Mating Choices -- Flawlessly

19 Comments

A few brief notes about the family of multiple-champion mare Flawlessly -- and why it's up to a single daughter to carry on her legacy. ...

Horse Board -- Pasture vs. Stall

27 Comments

A recent study finds that one choice is better than the other for overall equine health....

Son of Personal Ensign -- Stallion Prospect?

61 Comments

His elder siblings proved that Personal Ensign's bloodlines were capable of top-class success. Will that be enough to earn her youngest named foal a shot in the stallion barn?...

Thoroughbred Bloodlines for Performance Sports

67 Comments

Thoroughbred horses do more than run fast. They're a true equine athlete -- but are certain bloodlines more likely to produce a good jumper or a graceful dressage mount?...

Mating Choices -- Bayakoa

20 Comments

Multimillionaire Argentine filly Bayakoa didn't reproduce herself in the breeding shed -- but one generation later her daughters are making a go of it....

Mating Choices -- Serena's Song

32 Comments

How do the owners of champion distaffers select mates for their top-notch mares? In the case of Serena's Song, only the best stallions have made the cut....

Pink and Blue in the Thoroughbred Breeding Shed

9 Comments

With some matings, you hope for a colt, with others a filly. But what affects foal gender -- and can Thoroughbred breeders influence the process?...

Can You Pick the Better Broodmare?

53 Comments

Presented here are two mares that are similarly-priced, with stakes-winning dams and a couple of foals on the ground. So which one is the better deal?...

Mare Care at the Boarding Farm

27 Comments

I had great experiences sending my mares off to out-of-state breeding sheds. But not everyone is so lucky.......

How About a Calvin Crown?

85 Comments

If everything works out just right, Calvin Borel could create his own jockey version of the Triple Crown....

5 Easy Ways to Improve a Broodmare's Life

34 Comments

They're asked to produce and nurture a new crop of runners every year. But what is the quality of life of the average Thoroughbred broodmare? Here are five tips to making your mares' lives better....

French Classic Winner Silver Frost Combines Euro, American Lines

9 Comments

A seriously international sire line paired with an all-American female family gives us French classic winner Silver Frost. A lesson in French is included at no charge, and an Ivory Soap commercial falls into the mix somehow....

Live Cover vs. Artificial Insemination in Thoroughbred Breeding -- Why The Jockey Club Has It Right

85 Comments

Here are a few arguments in favor of maintaining the rule of live cover in the Thoroughbred breeding industry....

Can Mine That Bird Take the Preakness?

74 Comments

We're 11 days away from Step Two in the 2009 Triple Crown. Without even knowing who the contestants will be, I'm calling Mine That Bird's shots in this year's Preakness Stakes....

Mine That Bird's Misleading Dosage Profile

37 Comments

Last week I said that future Derby winners would have a higher Dosage Index than in the past. It happened this year -- but here's why Mine That Bird's win does NOT add value to my prediction....

Kentucky Derby By the Numbers -- How the 2009 Runners Stack Up by Dosage

29 Comments

With few exceptions, Derby winners have adhered to a Dosage rule for decades. Will future generations of Thoroughbreds force the rule to be re-written?...

Is This a Broodmare? -- Stakes Producer in Michigan

23 Comments

She's an unraced mare out of an unplaced dam, and she's in Michigan. But the family is top-tier and she's already a stakes producer. Does Charedi's Gold stay in the broodmare band or is she a classic cull?...

Fast Facts -- What is the Average Earnings Index (AEI) in Thoroughbred Breeding?

4 Comments

Getting back to basics: What is the Average Earnings Index?...

Identify Thoroughbred Race Horses by Lip Tattoos Thanks to The Jockey Club

22 Comments

A policy change by The Jockey Club -- overseer of the American Stud Book for Thoroughbred registration -- is a wise decision that has positive implications for retired racers....

Quick Change of Plans for Proud Spell

12 Comments

Retired from racing, Proud Spell doesn't hesitate getting into her new role as a broodmare....

Can Horse Racing Solve Its Problems In Time to Survive?

105 Comments

If you think Thoroughbred horse racing is strong enough or wealthy enough to weather any storm, you could be in for a huge disappointment. The industry has monumental challenges ahead and no clear plans about how to meet them....

7 Mistakes New Breeders Make

51 Comments

Successful Thoroughbred breeding is harder than it looks. Here are seven errors common to breeders who are just starting out....

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