Maybe it wasn't her fault

[helen in FL]

As I am trying to sell my gray mare by Crusader Sword who is in foal to my stallion Dantrick, I am doing some research on her mare line. Silvie never did much on the track doing 15 - 1 - 1 - 4 $12,280 in three years with her win being a $4k claimer. Dan in my opinion he was just mismanaged as he is just phenomenally put together to run and the breeding is there. He did 34 - 5 - 9 - 1 $60,661 in three years with his maiden allowance being last won.

I started looking at Silvie's pedigree as I have researched the cr@p out of Dan's. Silvie's dam Key Jove did 65 - 14 - 18 - 12 $91,896 in a six year period. That's INSANE longevity outside looking in as I am not quite as knee deep into racing as I am neck high into showing. I couldn't see if Key Jove has other progeny than Silvie but that can be resolved with a simple APR request. Silvie's sire Crusader Sword did 21 - 6 - 3 - 5 $327,476 in three years and is a leading NY sire and is a decent broodmare sire even though his reign doesn't drift past NY really. He has put some black type on the board. Even with his unenthusiastic following.

Now Clever Trick is still hitting the lists for broodmare sires and the highest profile stallion I could find was Yes It's True. Combining Raja Baba with Clever Trick was noted as speed on speed. Well Silvie has the Bold Ruler through Key to the Kingdom plus she has the Damascus that is speculated to do well with the cross.

Silvie's second dam Key Venture was actually a decent race horse doing 7 - 3 - 0 - 2 $56,520 in two years. Northern Jove didn't WOW as much but he does have some sons who did well and are being marketed well enough. I believe a poster on the board has a son of his in Louisiana.

What I am discovering is even though my mare isn't high dollar commercial she isn't cr@p either. My stallion is from a dying line but he isn't cr@p either. I have two horses who come from decent to good female producing lines. It will be very similar to hiking K2 in high heels but I am actually interested in what these two will put on the ground. On paper it is good horses to good horses in the first three.

What are your thoughts on the cross?

[Crystal]

Helen,

Don't count out Crusader sword just yet. There is a gentleman on this board who goes by the handle el camino. He owns a son of Crusader sword named Tin Cup Chalice. Who just has a amazing story about him, and has just won the 2nd leg of the NY triple crown. He is one Saratoga race away! This horse almost died TWICE, and was a RNA at the sales, and now is a multi stakes winner. Google Tin Cup Chalice to get a little more info.

And maybe taking a look at Clever Trick's offspring to see if they share some of the same ancestor's as silvie maybe a better way to get started. Crusader Sword is basically falling off the map with so many new sires in NY.

[oakorchard]

I am a big fan of [b]Crusader Sword[/b], and I feel that he has more positive attributes that you may want to note. He is an own son of Damascus out of a G-1 placed Nijinsky daughter. He was a G-1 winning 2yo (won the G-1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga) who at some time in his race career beat the likes of Forty Niner and Tejano. He has sired millionaire Isitingood and currently has an undefeated stakes winner in Tin Cup Chalice who is headed for the 3rd leg of the NY Triple Crown, having won the first two. His daughters are broodmares in some KY programs. Physically, even at the advanced age of 23, Crusader has a very nice topline and is still breeding. He looks, moves, and acts like a much younger horse.

A very well-bred, good-natured old guy - according to his lifetime stats, he has had 434 foals of racing age, 75% starters/foals and 80% winners/starters. Pretty impressive, in my opinion.

[Toccet02]

I'll also throw in a hoorah for Crusader Sword---sometime ago I was planning a breeding (not for real, just another "what would I do if . . ." and I picked him.
For a Two Punch Mare with a Lord Avie Damsire. Nice match on paper.

[helen in FL]

So what I am thinking is this cross would produce a good blue collar foal who can hold its own at least, if not a chance to really do something with the right management/direction.
Crystal, I did look up a lot of the Clever Trick crosses from farm's broodmares, stallions, and sales catalog, so many hours of google searches. What I did find is Clever Trick does very well with, in my opinion, the good old tried and true bloodlines. Like Bold Ruler, Damascus, Nijinsky, Northern Dancer, the whole Key line. Pretty much the pedigrees I see transfer over to the show ring all the time with great competitive success. With all that considered I thought to give this cross a shot.
Even if it doesn't throw something stellar on the track it's going to be something so rock solid sound you can beat it over with a 2x4 and it will still put in a clear round. Oh yes, I expect this foal to jump the moon since sire/dam are so insanely talented.
Thank you for telling me about Crusader Sword's current news. I did think he was dying out because of his age and the fact there are so many new stallions entering the field like you said Crystal. So it makes me think this mare may not be seen for her full potential from a buyer. I have not been able to research as much due to my future pony rider. So this was a 3am impulse!

[Crystal]

Hey Helen,
I think Crusader Sword is a good broodmare sire, and he is name in FL lots of people know. He started out there I believe. FL is a tough place to make it for a stud. CS is also a munchkin. LOL His photo makes a "look of eagles" BLAH. He's short. So that was another thing people looked down on, and now the fact he stands for 1k and is 20 plus years old. But like you pointed out he's a blue collar kind of guy. His foals like to earn checks. So see what Silvie gives you! And of course Danny's foal is going to be a cutie!

[helen in FL]

And hopefully close to 16h! lol!