Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

Sam — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 23:36:46 GMT

"The TrueNicks community voted on the best first mate for superfilly Rachel Alexandra. Here are the results, along with links to the full reports.

TrueNicks 05 Nov 2009 2:29 PM"

I'm sorry, it might be my computer, but I am still not seeing anything that shows the results of this vote. The link at the top to vote on has been disabled and doesn't show anything but a "this poll is closed" message.

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

Sam — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:17:30 GMT

I missed the results of this poll and can't seem to find them anywhere. May I ask who the top seven votes were and who you ultimately sent as suggestions to Jackson?

The Tribe has Spoken! - Curlin tops potential matings for Rachel Alexandra

TrueNicks — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:29:55 GMT

The TrueNicks community voted on the best first mate for superfilly Rachel Alexandra. Here are the results, along with links to the full reports.

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

Horacio de sousa — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:17:59 GMT

i would breed her to limehouse,he has a lot of mr prospector,Ithink it would be interesting.

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

Michael Ventura — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:42:53 GMT

I say Distorted Humor.

Just look at how DH has crossed with El Prado (1 G1W and 2 additional SWs from only 3 tries) and Sadlers Wells (a G1W with him as the 2nd damsire) from extremely limited opportunity!

This makes sense from the standpoint of theory given the intriguing parallels between the pedigree of Sadlers Wells and Distorted Humor's dam Danzigs Beauty, both having Northern Dancer close up on the sireside and a representative of the Hail to Reason / Djeddah cross as the damsire.

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

Horswld — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:13:23 GMT

I would have to say Smart Strike. Seems to produce on all surfaces. And that seems to be a huge angle for breeding now.

Curlin...English Channel... Need I say more?

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

BrettFavre — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:48:13 GMT

I think she should go to Strong Hope or Buddha to see how good she really is...maybe she can move them up.

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

Racingfan — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:19:24 GMT

Of the five listed here, I would chose Curlin for similar bloodline reasons as Any Given Saturday.

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

Racingfan — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:15:46 GMT

I like Any Given Saturday for Rachel. They get an excellent True Nicks rating. Although I am not sure she has distance limitations as some have speculated, his pedigree has plenty of winners at 10 furlongs and more. Even though he did not win past 9 furlongs, there were possible reasons for his losses in those attempts. I also really like the double crosses of Native Dancer and Northern Dancer! Even though some would disagree, I have seen an HUGE number of stakes winners with that breeding! Go Native Dancer!

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

HorseFirst — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 02:54:12 GMT

Then again, the way he's running, heck, as an unproven sire, who'd retire about the same time as RA, Summer Bird would be a better bet.

Not only does that get you Birdstone and the Silent Screen/Caps and Bells factor, he brings in a dam line back to the Man O' War mare Spotted Beauty, adds in Rough Shod and Weekend Surprise, the dam of A.P. Indy.

It gives way too much Northern Dancer for my taste, but as a package, combines Birdstone with some of the A.P.Indy background.

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

Ruffian's mother — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 01:24:50 GMT

1)Dynaformer--for the inbred Ribot

2)Tiznow--heart, longevity and stamina

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

Elinor — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:55:57 GMT

I would love to see Rachel Alexandra bred to Smarty Jones at Three Chimney’s Farm.

Even though Smarty Jones was a smaller size stallion, he had a heart of gold, good temperament, loved to race and a very good racing record. He was also known as the Peoples’ Horse and still is.

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

QWERTY — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:00:28 GMT

RA has to go to Curlin, what point in Jess Jackson not supporting his stallion with his best mare?

If the foal is a filly then when its time to breed from it there will be no inbreeding within the five generations and the foal can them be bread to any stallion.

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

Convene — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:55:06 GMT

Hard Spun. Like Rachel, he was sound, durable and as honest and courageous a racehorse as we've seen for many a year. Okay, maybe he wasn't as out and out fast as Curlin and Street Sense (altho he did beat both of 'em) but Rachel IS. The combination of all their traits could result in something quick enough to top its division and durable enough to stick around and draw the love of the fans.

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

cah1708 — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:51:31 GMT

How about Sea the Stars? ND and MP inbreeding should be far enough back. Look at some of the outstanding broodmares involved: Urban Sea, Courtly Dee, Glowing Tribute. You'd have two crosses of Sir Ivor and four crosses of Sir Gaylord, plus a half-sister to Somethingroyal in Speedwell.You'd also have a son and a daughter of Tom Fool (Buckpasser and Cap and Bells). Also, hasn't Sadler's Wells done nicely when crossed with Never Bend (who is out of Lalun, dam of Sadler's Wells' broodmare sire, Bold Reason)?

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

sal — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:36:45 GMT

i think zenyattas sire street cry truenicks rating a++

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:50:04 GMT

Curlin- no

I don't think the formula of breeding champions to champions has always worked very well.

I still like Birdstone for her.

There is some interesting duplications in the top and bottom of the pedigree for the hypothetical foal.

Next, Hat Trick, for all the the Fair Play lines in the background that you don't see in the 5-gen of both horse-, and if there is anything to MTDNA, then he's from family 1-0 as is RA. Might not increase the stamina but then again, with this cross, it's about further back in the pedigree and maybe that would help bring a little back, plus duplicating the same mare family top and bottom.

That said, since you're limiting this to only a couple stallions, following the theory that stamina is built by multiple duplications in the 6th through 10 generations, then Dynaformer. The resulting foal will have Dynaformer's repeats in the sixth. There's not much else other than getting Hail to Reason up closer and RA has one cross of that in the 5th. I still think the resulting foal might be too big but not the "big bulk" Curlin might produce.

Second choice is A.P.Indy.

But I'll say it again, take a real good look at the Birdstone cross and the sex balanced (I think) crosses it produces of Silent Screen and Caps and Bells. If you want a race horse, that's one thing. If you want the potential of producing a sire/broodmare, then Birdstone- plus it helps put a little more distance in the RA mix.

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

mburry — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:01:09 GMT

I have to say Bernardini. I will never forget how he looked in the paddock going into the Preakness.

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

Cowboy Bob — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:00:10 GMT

If you are breeding for a racehorse then MARILYN is right on. Birdstone. But since Jackson owns the horse then they will breed to whoever will create the most valuable offspring.

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

ROBERT — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:12:49 GMT

I would not breed Rachel to Curlin, and not because of the inbreeding. But rather that Smart Strike has not shown to be a sire of sires....yet. Having said that, you know that Rachel will go to Curlin for the first foal. I would send her to Quiet American or Bernardini. Rachel may be a large mare, but she does not show that she will be as dominate at 1 1/4 miles. I would still like to see more stamina in her. A.P. Indy will probably cover her since he is getting older and Curlin is just starting. Street Cry is another I would try. I would also take a shot with Giants Causeway. I would stay away from Distorted Humor or anything with additional Forty Niner in the pedigree. I would not breed her to any stallion, with the exception of Quiet American, who did not win at 1 1/4 miles. Sunday Silence blood might also provide a boost.

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

Ann in Lexington — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:49:05 GMT

This one is off the wall, but I base it on the huge success Rachel's damsire Roar had in Argentina: Repent, out of a full sister to an Argentine champion. Roar sired a G1 winner out of a mare by Repent's damsire. Repent is just over 16 hands so not a giant, and he has sired several decent horses from his first few crops. Only repeated name in first five generations is Northern Dancer, 4x5x5 (you can't get away from him anywhere).

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

Rose — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:18:53 GMT

RA has such a strong topline and a huge hindquarters -I love her movement and her shoulder. The question is will the colt follow her or the stallion, thats the risk. In my mind, she is such a superior filly, you could breed her to a cull and still get a quality individual. But something no one ever addresses, is the mind of the stallion, and to me that is just as important.

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

EarlySpeed — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:14:31 GMT

Sam, you're right on the money.

These were the A++ crosses with Rachel Alexandra:

Indian Charley

Distorted Humor

Street Cry

Grand Slam

Milwaukee Brew

Successful Appeal

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

Agnes — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:28:14 GMT

Rachel is huge and should not be bred to a massive type of stallion. I like the idea of trying her with Elusive Quality og Indian Charlie for racy refinement. I'm not sure these suggestions will come out with A plusplusplus etc. in your nicking machine - but the idea is intriguing.

re: Your Turn: Time To Vote On Your Selections For Rachel Alexandra's First Mate

Michael D — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:26:08 GMT

Bernardini - when he was right nothing could match strides with him. I'd like to see the biomechanical matches.