TrueNicks - All Comments

re: Blue Gum Farm Joins TrueNicks

Jan McKinnis — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:39:36 GMT

I am wondering if you bred a colt by Encosta de Lago out of Darting (by Century). We purchased him unraced. He is now 7 and is a huge 18.2hands!!!

re: Hansen Looks to the Future

Alan Porter — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:28:53 GMT

Skyfire,

Hard to directly compare. Tapit has made an astonishing start relative to the initial stud fee, and has been working his way through what in theory might be his softer crops. It's going to be very interesting to see what happens as his more expensively concieved crops begin to run.

The expectations for Bernardini were higher all along, but he seems to be shaping as if he could be the heir to his sire with grade one winners Stay Thirsty, Biondetti, A Z Warrior and To Honor and Serve in his first crop, as well as Wilburn, who beat Caleb's Posse and Shackleford in a G2. He has a slew of promising current three-year-olds, not least Algorithms, who just beat Hansen for the Holly Bull. He seems to get a little more speed and precocity that A.P. Indy.

Medaglia d'Oro was somewhat like Tapit in that he always looked to have a shot, but perhaps wouldn't have been named as a sure-fire major stallion. His first crop was staggering with 16 stakes winners from 145 foals (11% stakes winners to foals, the kind of strike-rate you almost never see from that number of foals). Of course, he's the one of the trio who has a legitimate superstar in Rachel Alexandra. He's also got some less strong crops to work through, but if can come with a really good colt or two (which I think is likely as it seems that breeders probably adjusted the type of mare they have been sending), then he's going to be right with the very top of the class.

re: The Influence of Alydar

Powys — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:31:09 GMT

Late to the conversation, but I thought it might be interesting to add this. I have a Wheaton mare I plan to breed this spring. I've been on the fence for a few years about her because she didn't do anything in her 6 starts, but once I got her glued back together and galloping well for fox hunting I found that she could gallop all day and was pretty quick. She could also jump anything. So if I don't get a racehorse I may get a steeplechaser. I'll be back in a few years to let you know what happens.

re: Hansen Looks to the Future

Elizabeth — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:10:45 GMT

Good Luck Hansen! Win the Holy Bull on Sunday. You are my favorite horse!!

re: Hansen Looks to the Future

skyfire — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:23:42 GMT

How do you compare Tapit to Medaglia d' Oro and Bernardini? Who is fastest rising? I know Bernardini has fewer to race...very interesting!

Smart guy, Mr. Hansen...love his beautiful namesake!

re: Looking Back at A.P. Indy

Jeff Brass — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:11:58 GMT

For a stud that did not shuttle down to the south such as the Coolmore horses did he will never get full credit for his 142 stakes winners here in the U.S. his horses were full of vigor & ability to run all distances and race courses thru out the road. A.P.'s horses will show up for generations to come as hard honest horses. Not horses for courses. But horses that are as honest as they come.

re: Zenyatta to Bernardini

Ian Tapp — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:29:50 GMT

Hi Krystal,

Cool idea... the Rachel foal-Zenyatta foal hypo mating would be the cross of Smart Strike and sons and grandsons/Seattle Slew and sons and grandsons, which is currently a "D" rating based on 3 SW from 59 starters. With those two mares close in the pedigree, you'd hope such a foal would have a genetic advantage, but so far--statistically--this particular nick has a below average strike rate.

re: Zenyatta to Bernardini

Krystal — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:24:09 GMT

I'm curious about the nick rating for a very hypothetical breeding ---

Let's say Zenyatta's first foal is a filly...

Breed that filly to the Rachel/Curlin colt (hopefully after extremely successful racing careers).

How would that breeding rate? I am secretly hoping Z has a filly because I would love to see this cross happen...

re: Looking Back at A.P. Indy

longtimeracingfan — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:01:28 GMT

Ian, Byron, sceptre, thanks for your comments and input. Yeah, just think how much longer Indy might have gone with all his equipment!!! I knew about Roman Ruler, but did not know about Court Vision. There are a number of others out there too. Both racing and at stud.

BTW over the years I have had several colts, born with two testicles, that did not drop them until nearly yearlings... and one colt (born with two) did not drop them until he was about 16 months; in fact when I hauled him from Colorado to California the CO brand inspector called him a gelding--- that "gelding" had two normal testicles a few weeks later, and was fully fertile until his death at 26 as the aftermath of a spinal injury. I still have several of his kids... and all are normal and, in the case of the daughters, have produced normal colts (both testicles dropped at normal ages).

Thanks for bypassing my dreadful typos.... and yes, Bill Car, what a wonderful contribution Saint Liam made in his all too brief life.

re: Looking Back at A.P. Indy

sceptre — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:13:49 GMT

A (journalist's) call to one of the top equine teratologists might shed some light on the genetics of equine cryptorchidism. As I understand it, it's cause is often genetic, but the precise genetic mechanism(s) not fully appreciated. It appears that the condition does have an impact on fertility. Amusing, isn't it, that those so motivated to expunge EIPH from the breed rarely, if ever, state concern about cyptochidism when the former is causally less genetic than the latter.

re: Looking Back at A.P. Indy

BILL CAR — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:42:14 GMT

Ian......on a side note....how about an article on Saint Liam.....what could have been....his stats....97 foals...82 starters, 65 winners..13 black type....3 graded.....Champion Older Female...HOY......pretty impressive...thx

re: Looking Back at A.P. Indy

Byron Rogers — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:42:11 GMT

To answer the question, it is something that in this case may be inherited via the female line. There are a number of horses from the Lassie Dear family that had one testicle removed at some stage in their race career. Mambo in Seattle and Court Vision spring to mind in recent times.

re: Looking Back at A.P. Indy

Ian Tapp — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:10:29 GMT

longtimeracingfan,

You should check out The Horse's section on cryptorchidism which has several interesting articles, many from the science side. One link there mentions Roman Ruler, who had an undescended testicle removed while in training.

Thoroughbreds aren't (directly) selected for fertility traits, so many of these reproductive-related issues have to be managed. That being said, my understanding is that cryptorchidism itself is not a cause of subfertility (one functional testicle is adequate for fertility).

re: Looking Back at A.P. Indy

longtimeracingfan — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:27:13 GMT

Just curious... have always been an AP Indy fan for many reasons, but have been a bit leery due to his being a monorchid--- in other breeds (and in dogs) this is a HUGE negative...

In the racing industry this appears to be only a minor inconvenience, with half-castration being done (as was done on Indy in his early creer. Since this is a genetic trait, I'm wondering how many of his sons (and sons of his daughters) have inherited this? It has cropped up a lot in the Slew line so I assume Indy follows right along...

Monorchidism or cryptorchidism, if left uncorrected, can lead to cancer and other ailments; not being a vet I can't comment more, but I am interested in hearing from someone who can clarify this for me.

Being a ridgling certainly hasn't bothered (assuming, of course, they had the glandectomy) many well known runners. And auction buyers aren't mightily thirown off by it either.

By all means, more news on this most illustrious horse, and a "visit" to him in his retirement, would be most welcome.

re: Looking Back at A.P. Indy

Kari — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:37:36 GMT

I remember him falling to his knees at the gate, and STILL winning. He was great to watch!! I remember how low he carried his head while running. He is such a pretty guy!