re: Reader Q&A: Can TrueNicks help the regional stallion?

JKH — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:29:36 GMT

ATG is a multiple G1 winner and producer. Seemed like a bargain to me at 4K. Hope I like what I get in the Spring.

re: Reader Q&A: Can TrueNicks help the regional stallion?

Bellwether — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 09:27:36 GMT

just breed the BEST you can AFFORD period...Long Live Mr.SQUEAKY!!!

re: Reader Q&A: Can TrueNicks help the regional stallion?

margi — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 03:51:19 GMT

I am a big fan of Albert The Great. This son of Go For Gin, as a racehorse, was every man's dream. He was fast, he was honest, he was talented, he was a GI winner at 3, beating older in the JCGC, and he finished his on-track career with over $3M in earnings. That nose loss in the Travers still hurts!

What's not to like? Well, looks like it doesn't matter what his record is in graded stakes or the distances he won at, or how much money he bagged. He couldn't get the mares at what I thought was real value at $10K at entry. Elizabeth Valando took a chance with a Storm Cat mare and got No Biz'.

Albert has been re-located to Penn, with a fee of $5K(?). I was disappointed when I heard that, but a friend of mine thinks this might be the best thing to happen to him.

Does TrueNicks think he has any chance at all?

Byron's Reply: Albert The Great has been relocated to Pin Oak Lane Farm in PA and was indeed a great racehorse but unfortunately he is the type of stallion that is very hit and miss in this modern era of horses requiring gate speed and on pace racing speed. From a pedigree viewpoint his sire, while a Kentucky Derby winner, was a dissapointment as a sire given his opportunity and his sire line hasn't found great commerical favor in the current environment. Looking at his results to date it is clear that "Al" requires speed put to him with his three stakes winners to date out of mares by Storm Cat, Holy Bull and Crafty Prospector. Hopefully in PA he is given mares that suit him on pedigree structure (good nick ratings) and pedigree type (speed) that will help him in the long term.