What's YOUR secret stallion selection criteria?

[MaresRest]

In addition to a good conformation complement to your mare and appropriate matches for pedigree/aptitude/class, who has other specific unique-to-you criteria for selecting stallions for their mares? I'm thinking factors that go beyond choosing a stallion for an individual mare, but instead more universal rules you have imposed on your breeding choices.

Things like "no stallions with Storm Cat blood" or "only stallions at least 16.5 hands" or "only stallions with book size over 100."

For my small farm, I have decided I will use only stallions who started at least 20 times lifetime. I also prefer 10+ starts in at least one racing year. It's a somewhat arbitrary cutoff, but to me it signifies at least a certain level of soundness and durability. It's not a tiny pool of stallions, but it certainly cuts down the number of choices. On a side note, I was going through the Calumet roster recently and noticed 9 of 12 of Calumet's Kentucky stallions with an advertised fee have 20+ starts (and 11 of 18 if you count "private fee" studs). That's certainly out of the norm and something I love to see.

[madelyn]

Well while the physical match is one significant criteria, I am pretty firm on the pedigree matchup. There is So Much evidence of the effectiveness of blood affinities.

[Jusanothafox]

I will use pedigree and ability when I make my choice. I know some horses just do not get to show their full potential. I do not think I can eliminate a horse because of human error. Pedigree will also guide me, there are so many stallions outside Kentucky that offer tremendous value, I probably will never breed in Kentucky.

[Joltman]

I like the number of starts stat, but probably too few of the top stalllions will ever get to 20 these days. Once they're proven as a 3yos they have stud plans and their career is for all intents and purposes over - short of the 20 start number. There are other criteria that might show the soundness and consistency, like workout records and race records, even with suitable layoffs. Then you have the Justifys of the world that effctively race for only a handful of starts.

For a commercial horse, I for one like a horse that has an important graded stakes win at 2 which offers a promise early precocity. If I was racing one, it wouldn't matter and probably would look for one that could throw a horse ready to run at 2, but peaking at late 3 or 4. They'll cost a lot less too.


jm