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August 2008 - Posts

Reader Q&A: Why Do Nick Ratings Vary By a Sire's Different Sons?

Question : We were wondering why Rahy crossed on Trempolino is a C TrueNicks but Runaway Groom (through Cherokee Run) crossed on Trempolino is an A when they are both Blushing Groom sire lines. Mare is Emeralino. Your thoughts please.... Regards, Brian Answer: Hi Brian, Thank you for your enquiry. When we look at a Cherokee Run ( TrueNicks , SRO )/Emeralino mating, there are not enough starters or... More...

Written by sgillies | Aug 24, 2008 | 0 Comments

Hill ‘n’ Dale Joins TrueNicks

Hill ‘n' Dale Farms is the latest major Kentucky farm to enroll its stallions on TrueNicks, allowing users to run complimentary ratings on a roster of 13 stallions. Place of honor in Hill ‘n' Dale team has to go to veteran Theatrical (IRE) ( TrueNicks , SRO ). A champion in Ireland and the U.S., the son of Nureyev is billed as a "Living Legend," and not without reason. He has sired 77 stakes winners... More...

Written by sgillies | Aug 23, 2008 | 0 Comments

Pin Oak Stallions Join TrueNicks

TrueNicks is happy to announce that the Pin Oak Stud stallions are the latest to join the TrueNicks team. The Versailles, Ky., stallion farm stands a trio of stallions, veteran Sky Classic ( TrueNicks , SRO ); the up-and-coming Broken Vow ( TrueNicks , SRO ); and Bob and John ( TrueNicks , SRO ), who recently completed his first year at stud. Sky Classic was a three-time champion in Canada, and also... More...

Written by sgillies | Aug 18, 2008 | 0 Comments

TrueNicks Welcomes Ashford Stud

Breeders now have access to complimentary ratings for the 12 stallions at Ashford Stud, as another top Kentucky farm enrolls its stallions on TrueNicks. Ashford's powerful roster is headed by Giant's Causeway ( TrueNicks , SRO ), who is both Storm Cat's most outstanding runner and his leading stallion son. To date, Giant's Causeway is already sire of 49 stakes winners, 27 of them group or graded, including... More...

Written by sgillies | Aug 15, 2008 | 0 Comments

WinStar Stallions Now on TrueNicks

TrueNicks welcomes WinStar Farm, our most recent new subscriber. WinStar's commitment allows breeders to run complimentary ratings with the six stallions that make up the farm's powerful roster. The team is headed by Distorted Humor ( TrueNicks , SRO ), now firmly established as one of the world's leading sires with 64 stakes winners, 26 of them graded, in his first six crops. Those stakes winners... More...

Written by sgillies | Aug 14, 2008 | 0 Comments

The Green Monkey on TrueNicks

Mare owners considering breeding to The Green Monkey ( TrueNicks ), who begins his stud career at Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds in Ocala, Fla., in 2009, are now able to research their mares with the horse on TrueNicks. Randy Hartley and Dean De Renzo consigned The Green Monkey to the 2006 Fasig-Tipton Florida select sale of 2-year-olds in training at Calder Race Course, where he worked an eighth of... More...

Written by sgillies | Aug 13, 2008 | 0 Comments

Millennium Farms Stallions Latest to Join TrueNicks

TrueNicks is delighted to welcome Millenniums Farms Kentucky, which has become the latest farm to give users complimentary ratings with its sires. Millennium Farms is currently home to six stallions, but the roster will be extended in 2009 with the recently-announced addition of Student Council ( TrueNicks , SRO ). A winner on dirt, all-weather, and turf surfaces, Student Council won grade I events... More...

Written by sgillies | Aug 12, 2008 | 0 Comments

Journeyman Stud Stallions Now on TrueNicks

Breeders will now have access to complimentary TrueNicks ratings for the stallions standing at one of Florida's leading stallion stations, Brent Fernung's Journeyman Stud. Journeyman stands six young sires at their Ocala facility. The roster is headlined by the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (gr. I) winner Wildcat Heir ( TrueNicks , SRO ). A son of Forest Wildcat and the Pentelicus mare Penniless... More...

Written by sgillies | Aug 12, 2008 | 0 Comments

Hot Choo

New York-based sire Western Expression was represented by his first stakes winner when his daughter, I Lost My Choo, took the Virginia Oaks (gr. III) at Colonial Downs. Rated A++ by TrueNicks, I Lost My Choo has a very unusual pedigree pattern. Firstly, she is inbred to Majestic Prince, and in both instances combined with Buckpasser (Western Expression's dam, Tricky Game, is by Majestic Prince's son... More...

Written by sgillies | Aug 08, 2008 | 1 Comment

Parallel Series

We've frequently mentioned, in this and other columns, varieties of what we call "Parallel Patterns." There are variations, but a general description would be where a sire and a mare or broodmare sire are bred on a similar cross (we also have inversion of this, which we've christened "Reverse Parallel Patterns"). A couple of recent 2-year-old races threw up a pair of interesting "Parallel Pattern"... More...

Written by sgillies | Aug 07, 2008 | 0 Comments

Luck — Or Opportunity?

We had yet another example of the imporatance of considering opportunity when creating nick ratings with the August 1 victory of Luck Money in the Majestic Light Stakes at Saratoga. Irish-bred Luck Money was scoring his first stakes victory, although he'd been third to superstar Henrythenavigator in the Coventry Stakes (gr. II) and captured the Goffs Million (endowed with a $2.3 million purse!) last... More...

Written by sgillies | Aug 06, 2008 | 0 Comments

Opportunity Knocks

Some recent articles by propents of rival nicking systems have floated the idea that somehow programs that don't use a database of worldwide stakes winners, and don't consider true opportunity - in fact they admit they don't use opportunity at all - can be more accurate than the TrueNicks program that considers true opportunity, and utilizes the comprehensive database of The Jockey Club Information... More...

Written by sgillies | Aug 04, 2008 | 1 Comment

River Edge Stallions Join TrueNicks

One of California's leading stallion farms, River Edge, has become the latest to enroll its stallions on TrueNicks. River Edge Farm is home to three stallions: Benchmark ( TrueNicks , SRO ), Bertrando ( TrueNicks , SRO ), and Tribal Rule ( TrueNicks , SRO ). Benchmark, a son of Alydar, was a three-time grade II winner. He is sire of 19 stakes winners, six of them graded, including the Santa Anita Derby... More...

Written by sgillies | Aug 04, 2008 | 0 Comments

Reader Q&A: Cost vs. Quality

Question : My question is whether there a much greater risk factor when considering between two stallions that differ in the fact that one has many proven mares and was a very good performer himself, while the other is a young stallion that is well-bred but has never raced because of an injury, and doesn't yet have a large number of offspring? The two stallions give a similar nick rating. I have a... More...

Written by sgillies | Aug 02, 2008 | 0 Comments