Grand Slam?

Mood Swings · Postby **Mood Swings** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 6:59 pm

Just curious as to what his offspring look like - size, conformation etc. I know his stud fee has dropped considerably as has the success of his runners the last couple years. What does everyone think? Thanks

Douglas Brown · Postby **Douglas Brown** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 3:16 pm

I tried to buy a daughter of his at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale earlier this month but she went over my budget. Her name was Impetus and she was Hip #125 and was gorgeous - big, correct, well-balanced and a very nice demeanor!

Intrinsic Worth · Postby **Intrinsic Worth** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:17 pm

How are Grand Slam's kids temperaments generally? I worked with his nutcase of a mother and I can't imagine anything out of that line being easy to work with.

KAL · Postby **KAL** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 10:26 pm

Intrinsic Worth, it is funny you mentioned that... I had the good fortune to be around a couple really nice Grand Slam weanlings. They were hard-headed little things. I discussed them with the farm manager and he claimed that of the GS's he had seen (which was more than a few), their temperments tended to be slightly more aggressive and "opinionated" than their dams... if the dam was laid back, the foal was a little tougher, but tolerable... if the dam was a mess, the foal was a little demon.

I relayed my conversation a day or so later to a close friend who was a trainer... he laughed and said, "... of course, Bright Candles... Toussaud... can you spell El Gran Senor curse...". He may have been on to something.

He also had worked with a couple, and I believe this may have been Grand Slam's first or second crop, and swore that if all were like the ones he worked with, that none would ever be able to carry a distance. It seems once the blood got boiling, they were hard to rate, were hard to fight, were quite competitive, and pretty much had one thought... GO! Watching the foals over the years, my friend may have been correct...

Of course, both gentlemen may have been exaggerating... they know I have a weak spot for hard-headed, "opinionated", and generally tough critters (it was a criterion for the mares I purchased and the woman I married).

Intrinsic Worth · Postby **Intrinsic Worth** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 4:41 pm

Bright Candles is about as spooky as a horse can get. She will run you over to get away from whatever is scaring her. She also has VERY bad feet (tender all the time.)

Mood Swings · Postby **Mood Swings** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 10:29 am

Intrinsic Worth - do you know if he GS has bad feet? Has he passed this on to many of his foals? What does he look like? Thanks

Intrinsic Worth · Postby **Intrinsic Worth** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 5:16 pm

I don't know if he has bad feet or not, it's something you would want to find out before breeding to him. I tend to think he inherited his mother's temperament, however. Two years ago, he flipped himself over and gave the farm a big scare.

I only remember GS from the racetrack and he wasn't a huge horse, but compact and had a very sprinter-like build. Not ugly by any means. Bright Candles is not attractive at all. She's an ugly sort of chestnut, smallish and a very ugly head.