Thoughts on this cross?

[TomFool]

The mare May Dare 1990 by Nalees Man with a son of Valid Appeal? There may be better crosses out there with Gallant Man line mares I'm not sure just noticed Seacliff & Valid Video. I was looking at maybe Valid Belfast with this mare as she has to be bred back to a Louisiana stud. Thoughts?

[henthorn]

Your mare's tail female line is nothing to write home about. I checked back four generations, and among perhaps 100 progeny, found three minor stakes horses. There are also a lot of unraced and lightly raced horses, suggesting unsoundness. You're right about Valid Video, in that he contains Gallant Man at the 4th generation, comprising 6.25% of his genetics. So Valid Belfast seems a good choice, and he comes from honest talented stock. However, Nalees Man had a poor broodmare sire production. Of over 700 individual foals, only 3% are stakes winners. Only three of those won more than $300K, and the most prominent is Wilderness Song, millionaire by Wild Again. Pok Ta Pok by Full Pocket (by Olden Times), and D. Guilford by Guilford Road, a son of Roberto. The only sire with two stakes winners was Dr. McGuire by Dr. Fager.

Maybe you have some more up-to-date info on this mare's family, but she is less than desirable as a foundation for your broodmare band.

[Linda in TX]

The mare May Dare 1990 by Nalees Man with a son of Valid Appeal? I was looking at maybe Valid Belfast with this mare

After getting past her inbreeding to the inbred Gallant Man, your mare has an interesting pedigree. She traces tail-female to the good producer Friar's Carse, the dam of War Relic - War Relic was bred on a Man O'War/ Friar Rock cross and that cross is repeated in the pedigree of Gray Challenge, the second dam of May Dare's broodmare sire Dare To Command. Going to a stallion with a line of Friar's Carse would be my choice, too.

Besides Valid Belfast, other War Relic line stallions to consider are Littleexpectations (the full brother to leading Texas sire Valid Expectations), Captain Countdown (his distaff side was carved from hickory), and Sand Ridge (by Known Fact) - all standing in Texas. If travel to Arizona isn't out of the question, Louis Arthur (by Relaunch) would be worth considering. Louis Arthur is out of a Seattle Slew mare, and Nalee's Man's and Slew O'Gold's second dams are full sisters - Slew O'Gold was sired by Seattle Slew. (If you'd like more information on Louis Arthur, please email me).

Festive looks interesting with your mare on paper. Fesitive is by Damascus, and the sire of Damascus, Sword Dancer traces to Speed Boat, the full sister to Anchors Ahead (May Dare's fifth dam). Festive is from a great family (5-j), tracing to the dam of Equipoise. (Festive also carries a cross to Equipoise through Tom Fool). Maybe Family 5-j likes Friar's Carse (Intentionally is also from Family 5-j, and Tiznow has a line to Family 5-j through Pia Star). With Festive, too, you'd bring in My Babu over Ambiorix. Festive stands in Texas.