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While Blame may get the best book of mares, I think Lookin at Lucky offers more versatility than the others. He's won Grade I's on dirt and synthetic and his pedigree says he'd also be a good turf sire. And he has been pretty sturdy.

I think Blames book will be mostly old Claiborne clients, commercial breeders want to breed to sons of Smart Strike, Giants Causway,and Quality Road, rather than a son of Arch. Hat's off to team Gio Ponte, it's a shame that Blame won't run in 2011 he, if healthy would make more on the track than in the breeding shed

I chose Quality Road because of the brilliance he showed on the racetrack and his popularity . Blame will get an excellent book of mares as well ! I love the fact that Claiborne limits the books of their stallions . I think it benefits the stallion and the quality of the foals ! Lane's End is a state of the art facility ,and I know they will do right by Quality Road !   By the way , May everybody have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving !! Horses too :)

I would imagine that Blame will get the better book of mares judging by the fact that quite a few Breeders cup winners have done very well for themselves at stud.I am simply taking this route because the others have nothing to stand on. QR by Elusive Quality hasn't proven that his offspring can do anything at stud,likewise L at Lucky. We are all waiting to see what Curlin can do and Eskendera by G Causeway has same to prove.

I was thinking that the true class lies with Lookin At Lucky.  In the long run, I think he will have the best book.

I doubt any of these, however, will book Zenyatta, and who ever books her will be top dog.  ( I think it will stay with AP Indy) If it were me, Bernardini would come in way ahead of all these rookies.  As far as these new sires, only Blame would impart stamina for the distance run.  The rest seem to have pronounced limitations. (QR, while gorgeous, won't get distance; Esky broke down; LAL simply had too many unexplained fevers.)

I wonder if perhaps a very pertinent question at this juncture is which of these horses can justify a $30,000 stud fee?  Without doubt each colt has shown form at various times which suggested exceptional racing ability, but there are so many things to factor in for consideration when attempting to justify such fees.  In my opinion, and I realize others might totally disagree, only Blame has warranted standing for such a fee.  We have to remember the lessons we should have been learning from sales these past years.  The offspring of these colts will be offered as yearlings in Sept of 2013.  Almost 3 years hence how will each be perceived by prospective buyers?  Which offspring will be assessed as potential classic horses?  Which as sprinters or at best milers? Which offspring might be viewed with a jaundiced eye when potential buyers think beyond brilliance and consider soundness and durability.  From the breeder's perspective, whose offspring will achieve a median sale price of $60,000 plus, in so doing give the seller, at that price, the possibility of breaking even when considering cost of upkeep, sales prep, vet., etc, etc.  Most certainly a few will sell exceptionally well, but which of these horses will sell well enough to offer a majority of  breeder's a chance to make a profit at the sales or, and this is how we should all be thinking as breeders, withstand the rigors of training and racing well enough to give a reasonable hope of racing success? Brilliance with a five race career really accomplishes nothing other than promote the exchange of funds while perpetuating  breeding for unsoundness and continued breed deterioration. ie you buy my unsound, 5 race wonder, send him to the shed, I breed to him, etc, etc.  It has to stop, for the good of the American Thoroughbred as a breed, for the welfare of breeders who are struggling to stay afloat, and for the good of racing which is struggling to survive.

Eskendereya, brilliant five race wonder, winner of one G2 and one G1, defeats Jackson Bend twice, Aikenite, and Awesome Act, nice horses but hardly top class.  $35,000?  No, but at around $10,000 he might be worth the money.

Quality Road, unquestionably brilliant, but did not show up when it counted.  Defeated by Blame at Saratoga in a race he had all his own way (24.41, 48.06) yet could not withstand Blame's finish, then absolutely trounced in the Classic when challenged to run realistic fractions, being done after 3/4 mile.  Twice failed to stay the American classic distance.  $35,000? No.  How about $10,000 - 12,500. At that price he's worth accepting his limitations and try to build on his brilliance.

Lookin At Lucky, a really nice horse, and one who definitely should stay in training if we are to know what he is really all about.  this colt looks like he might really have the package, but in his only two atempts at 1 1/4 ,iles came up short.  Throw out the Derby where he had no chance, but in the Classic he hooked up with Blame with 3/16ths to run, went with him for a few strides, then really was blown away by Blame (which again speaks very highly of Blame), fianlly to be passed also by Z and another 3 year old, Fly Down.  I really thinnk he has the package.  he's durable, courageous, runs on all tracks, and just met up with a very, very good older horse in Blame, gave his all then gave way.  Next year i see him getting the distance...but he's retired so who can know?  $35,000?  No, but worth more than the others above, maybe $15,000 -20,000.

Blame.  The total package for my money.  Sound.  Durable (not a lot of races but never missed a beat in training for 1 1/2 years). Classic pedigree from a stallion producing female line, bred to run all day and likely would have loved the turf if given the opportunity.  Proved, without a doubt, that he stays the classic American distance, and likely longer.  Demonstrated tremendous courage in several hard fought finishes.  $35,000?  You bet.  Worth every penny of it if you have the right mare.

Just my thoughts.  Happy Thanksgiving to all.        

Eskendereya&lookin at lucky have

diversity in their five generation

pedigrees when it comes to sires

so their is more potential for them to

sire a dominant horse the best chance for

that to happen in order 1 eskendereya

2 lookin at lucky 3 blame 4 quality road

Murray, I think your comments are right on. A shame Looking at Lucky will not race at 4. The breeders are slowly but surly killing the sport by rushing the promising horses to the breeding shed. All of the pundits who bemoan the demise of racing have only to look at Zenyatta and Goldicova to see that the sport can still generate excitement and a fan base if it gives its stars a chance to build a following.

I think it will be close between Blame and Quality Road.  Quality Road because of his brilliant speed.  Blame because he won graded stakes from 8.5f to 10f, never finished off the board in 13 starts, remained sound throughout his career, and beat the best of the best.  But I don't think either will be especially popular among those looking to breed a precocious 2-year-old.    

I find Lookin at Lucky and Eskendereya highly questionable and wonder if other breeder's will feel the same.  

Lucky was the best of a very mediocre crop.  He had neither brilliant speed nor proven ability to get 10f.   I suspect those looking to breed to an unproven son of Smart Strike will consider Curlin to be a better gamble.  

Eskendereya looked great in two 9f races against questionable competition, then retired unsound.   Nice pedigree but there's better choices for breeder's looking for nice pedigree.

Except for Eskendereya, I wish the rest were racing next year especially LAL I don't think we really got to see what he was capable of yet.  I think Blame will get the best book of mares to start off with the others will have more to prove. I agree with the person above about stud fee's only Blame seems worth the price.

As a breeder I believe the answer is a mute point.  All 4 will be supported with some quality mares.  The real unknown is how well they will translate the opportunities they do receive to racetrack success with their respective off springs.  I would question why anyone would go to any of the four when there are good proven stallions that sell well at the same or cheaper prices.  Tale of the Cat and Harlans Holiday come to mind

who was voted champion 2 year old good enough to be just as good as a 3 year old (Looking At Lucky) should get a top book of mares.not taking anything away from blame or eskendarya or quality road, nonetheless he's my choice....

Stallions that have Secretariat as the broodmare sire of their sire or grand sire are likely to be successful producers. Quality Road, a grandson of Gone West and Eskendereya, a grandson of Storm Cat are lkely to be the most successful on both the track and in the sales ring. I can't tell if the breeders see it like I do, hence it is hard to predict which one will get the best book of mares.  Looking At Lucky has the pedigree, conformatin and performance record to throw Classic type horses, with Mr Prospector and Northern Dancer fairly close up in his pedigree, therefore he should do well with some amount of inbreeding to mares with Mr Prospector and Northern Dancer in their pedigree.  The only doubt lies in the fact that Smart Strike has not yet proven to be a sire of sires (as a late blooming sire it is still not too late for him to show this trait).  Blame is the greatest risk of being a successful sire because the Hail to Reason line is harder to predict and quite inconsistent in throwing champions.

Eskendereya and Quality Road are more than worth their stud fees based upon their sublime talent and the fact that they are bred-in-the-purple individuals on the Dam side (plenty of top class stamina and surface versatiliity).  Esky is a bargain, given that he was arguably the best 3YO colt of 2010 and could have been a triple crown winner if not for injury.  

Ranagulzion...."Stallions that have Secretariat as the broodmare sire of their sire or grand sire are likely to be successful producers."....really?

For every Storm Cat, AP Indy, Gone West and Summer Squall there is a Secreto, Dare and Go, Lion Cavern and Boone's Mill. Having Secretariat as your broodmare sire wasn't a magic passport to sire success.