Invasor [ARG]

newby · Postby **newby** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 4:33 pm

I'm really surprised that Invasor doesn't have more 2 year olds on the track.

Clh your colt is the only one I know of...do you know of anymore?

Bargainblueblood I'm with you! I'm not a very patient so the suspense is killing me.

clh · Postby **clh** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 7:18 am

I believe that Vader is the only Invasor at the track. Realize that Shadwell doesn't overbreed their stallions and that when Vader was born I believe they only bred 65 mares to Invasor that year with a live foal rate of 55 or so I think. But I too would think there would be more on the track. I think Invasor only raced once as a 2 year old, so that isn't where he made his mark.

Crystal - if your farm had a Laird's Cup mare on your farm then you had your hands full

- Laird's Honor was a pretty tough mare - she was a lovely big boned mare but she could try a saint - she did however foal lovely babies.

BB - good luck with your Invasor foal - I'll be anxious to see what you think of it. Keep me posted!

BargainBlueblood · Postby **BargainBlueblood** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:22 am

Horse name Expression
Notes 03/25/2009 Filly Invasor (ARG)-Exotic West, Gone West (dam is a half sis to G1 stakes winner Exotic Wood)
Activity type Workout
Activity date 08-02-2011
Track Churchill Downs
Surface Dirt
Distance 3 Furlongs
Workout type Breezing
Workout time 0:39.60
Track condition Fast

clh · Postby **clh** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 2:47 pm

I guess Vader better hurry up and break his maiden before this one beats him to the punch and becomes Invasor's first winner

clh · Postby **clh** » Sat Oct 15, 2011 9:15 pm

Midnight Vader isn't Invasor's first winner, but he did come in third today at Thistledowns in the Best of Ohio's Juvenile Stakes Race in a field of 13. Hopefully Vader will figure out sooner rather than later what a winner is

.

Not An Altar Boy aka Damien (Tueflesburg out of Laird's Honor) came in 6th. Damien did however come in 1st a few weeks ago in an allowance race in a downpour a Thistledowns, becoming T'burg's first mudder I believe

.

Brigitte · Postby **Brigitte** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 10:42 am

Brigitte · Postby **Brigitte** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 12:59 pm

I'm an Invasor fan hoping his spectacular racing career would transfer to the breeding shed. I don't know how to interpret the results for his 2 year olds so far. I'd hoped there would be one to race at the top level but is that reasonable for 15 runners?

I notice the ones that race for big name outfits/trainers haven't raced yet or haven't done well: Golf Juan (Criquette-Head), Inquadh (Godolphin), Five Sixteen (raced at Saratoga & Belmont). Dutrow got a second for Holy Invader in his firat race last week, Matz hasn't raced Galilee yet.

Most started late. Wonder of it All won at 8f on turf, a closer. High Compression won by 14 on wet-fast dirt, back in 12 days on artificial, got to the front and faded to 5th - if she'd won she'd be a star.

Midnight Vader started early, ambitiously campaigned, highest earner, twice stakes placed. Now that's foundation! A cyber-toast in advance to Vader's first win!

Not precocious, not sprinters. Too early to tell about routing. Shadwell kept the stud fee at $20,000 so they aren't discouraged. Maybe the owners and trainers see more in the data? Please share.

clh · Postby **clh** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 2:45 pm

We aren't really worried about Vader, although we'd certainly like to see him get his first win

. Allou isn't known to produce 2 year old runners and Invasor certainly didn't perform as a 2 year old. Most of Allou's foals are late bloomers and mature late, so we were really pleased that Vader looked as good as he did as a two year old and performed as well as he did. Hopefully he'll do better as he matures (keeps fingers crossed

). Allou's Daaher colt just sold at FT today, so hopefully he'll do good things for his new owner. I "think" he'll be a good two year old as well. His previous owners did a great job with him prepping him for the yearling sale.

Brigitte · Postby **Brigitte** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 7:21 pm

Thanks - I'm rooting for Vader Saturday!

When you said Invasor did nothing at 2 it was a surprise. I assumed Invasor's first race was at 2. But no, he was foaled in Aug 2002, made his debut in Feb 2005 winning a sprint by 6 1/2. As you said, he wasn't precocious at all himself. The results make more sense now.

clh · Postby **clh** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 4:23 pm

Hopefully Brigitte he'll know you and I are rooting for him and Vader will show the folks at Mountaineer he really does know how to win

. Hopefully he likes the track and a mile is long enough for him, although I am thinking he is going to be like his recently departed sister and need a longer route than that.

Actually Brigitte that was the reason we went to Invasor. We really didn't care whether he was a runner at 2 - we loved that he had as long a career as he did and didn't retire after his three year old campaign after a total of 5 or 6 races. His total earnings and being Horse of the Year in the USA and Uraquay were just added plusses of course

. We had been sending Allou to first crop stallions and decided that year we were going to send her to an established stallion; I'm sure for the money there were plenty of others we could have gone to but there was just something about this guy that we liked (well that I liked - I had to really convince hubby on this one). Seeing this guy at the breeding shed would not convince you he was a great stallion or winner either - he comes out looking like a backyard pony. So laid back and easy-going.

QUITE the constrast when we sent Allou to Daaher the following year - that bad boy came out on his hind legs with his front legs pawing the air. He was one striking looking fella. The stallion handlers were throwing wet cotton balls at him to settle him down - don't ask me what they thought that was going to accomplish :shock:

- NOTHING IS WHAT!

Bast · Postby **Bast** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 4:43 pm

clh wrote:QUITE the constrast when we sent Allou to Daaher the following year - that bad boy came out on his hind legs with his front legs pawing the air. He was one striking looking fella. The stallion handlers were throwing wet cotton balls at him to settle him down - don't ask me what they thought that was going to accomplish - NOTHING IS WHAT!

One of the things I like about this game is that there is always something more to learn--I would really like to know what the wet cotton balls were supposed to accomplish. :shock:

clh · Postby **clh** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 5:00 pm

BAST I really "think" they thought this was a way of controlling him and making him behave and perhaps a way of keeping his hooves from hitting them. Even with a lip shank on he was rearing like that and that is how he literally walked into the breeding shed. That truly is the only time I've seen a stallion do that. Now I've seen them play certain music for stallions to get them ready for the breeding shed, play the music loudly when they walk up to the shed and even play certain songs, do all the hooting and hollering and have seen the stallions actually drop and be ready - but this was a first for me. I was waiting for him to bat the cotton balls back at them with his hooves.

When we took Laird's Honor to Tueflesburg for the third time he would jump her but wasn't really getting into it. They finally took them outside of the breeding shed, to the back area at Hurrican Hall. That did the trick and lo' and behold Not An Altar Boy was conceived

.

When I took Laird's Honor to Nobiz Like Shobiz I actually thought I was going to have to spend the night there :lol:

This stallion was so friendly and so laid back he just wanted to nuzzle the mare and all she wanted to do was get back to the freaking van where her baby was screaming his (Not An Altar Boy) head off! He was so nonchalant about the whole thing, but when he finally got around to it he got it done on the first cover - thank goodness!

Brigitte · Postby **Brigitte** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 5:57 pm

Maybe they were trying to distract him? They needed bigger cotton balls.

Mountaineer has tight turns, doesn't it? I've never been there, but heard that. An advantage to the athletic.

Except Vader, the Invasors made late debuts, or haven't raced yet. He may be much stronger at three - a real menace!

The Invasors seem to like longer distances, even at two. But it's not a big statistical sample. The two winners won when they jumped up to a mile, 4 made their debut at a mile, Rawaafed & Bodembender improved at a mile or longer. Inquadh debuted at a mile, faded badly going 10 f - ah but he was also switched from all-weather to soft turf. Five-Sixteen ran last at 1 1/16 - ah but he was also switched from fast dirt to turf. Invasor Girl ran 10th when put on turf at the same distance she'd been second on all weather. That leaves Golf Juan who ran on soft turf both times 8/12 at a mile and 8/9 at 9f losing by 30, no notes provided. Poor guy.

clh · Postby **clh** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 3:03 pm

Your faith in Vader inspires me

We are certainly hoping he gets better at three. Slew's Night Moves really didn't even get warmed up until almost a mile and she loved the slop. I joked with the trainer that if she ran around the track before each race and it poured the rain for each race she might have actually won. Perhaps Vader needs to be warmed up a little more before his races

.

The statistics are interesting for Invasor's offspring. It will be interesting to see what they do with the ones that didn't like the surface switch.

I am keeping my fingers crossed for Saturday. Ivan has high hopes for him and thinks "he's the real deal". He trains Catlaunch so hopefully he knows what he's talking about. I'll report back after the race on Saturday.

Brigitte · Postby **Brigitte** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 7:33 pm

All the Invasors except Vader started later in the season if they raced. They seem to develop slowly. Don't seem to have much speed or staying power yet. When they have to work hard way outside or on the pace "weakened" and "faded" appears in the comments. My guess is that they do better at a mile because they get to cruise, they seem to have a router's cruise mode, but little strength as yet. Next year may see big improvements.

If Vader is like them rather than more precocious, then he'll be great at three! I'm rooting for him Saturday and looking forward to hearing about it. But I won't be shocked if he doesn't take to Mountaineer where the race might not go his way.

Pedigree Query

Invasor [ARG]

Invasor two year olds at the track

Thanks!

Cotton balls and distance

Slow to develop