Salt Lake to California

[Sysonby]

http://breeding.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=28851

This is great news for California's breeding program.

[hurleynyc]

Maybe the answer to one or two of your prayers, Sysonby? He is a really nice sire, good size, strongly made and muscular, usually moves his mares up, and as a breeder you can be optimistic whether you breed to sell or race. For my purposes, he was one of my favorites in KY - wish he were in NY, but I'm happy for ya. Now if only you could ship a season out East...

[FloridaGators]

Salt Lake to CA is only good news if Golden Eagle sets his fee at a level where everyone benefits... if they bring him in and demand that small breeders mortgage their future to send a mare to him, they just as well leave him in KY.

Plus, Golden Eagle has followed the CA trend of collecting booking fees. At 10%, breeders are going to be asked to fork up a NON-REFUNDABLE $1250-$1500.

They'll probably start him at 15k... what do the rest of you think?

[Timber]

Methinks because he is a good sire in KY does not mean he will be as successful in CA. Very few imports are. Presently his offspring run against all other stallions' offspring. In So. CA they will be running against the BEST offspring of other stallions, state program notwithstanding.

That said, hope he does as well in CA as General Meeting did. A solid stallion, good for CA breeding. Kudos to Golden Eagle.

[aurora]

This is most unfortunate news for anyone that bred to SL in KY recently.

[madelyn]

He was $12,500 this year at Walmac... moving a stallion out of KY usually indicates he has not proven whatever he set out to prove in KY so I could not comprehend why his fee would RISE... I would think maybe around $7,500 or something to get the mares flowing. And he is 16yo after all.

[Sysonby]

I don't see him as less than $10,000 and in all probability, he'll stay at $12,500. This is an entirely new direction for Golden Eagle as they generally build their own stallions from the ground up. Perhaps they are finding it less expensive to bring in a solid Kentucky sire than to ship their mares around so much to get Kentucky bred Calbreds. Whatever their motivation, they are like the California version of Adena --if you don't want to pay it, they will fill up his book with their own mares quite happily. Also, at $12,500, he fits with the breeders who used Cee's Tizzy, Bertrando, General Meeting and Roar who all had fees between $10-15,000.

[madelyn]

From the Stallion Register

Salt Lake's Auction Results

2005 (YTD) Covering Sire Weanlings Yearlings 2-Y-Os
Number Sold 5 n/a 5 22
Total Average $14,140 n/a $9,780 $82,795
Total Median $12,000 n/a $8,000 $43,000
Colt Average n/a n/a $10,225(4) $107,778(9)
Filly Average n/a n/a $8,000(1) $65,500(13)

his babies weren't bring stud fees last year, and have only five at the sale means he wasn't getting the mares either.

The farm in CA may be ALL THAT but if Salt Lake had been putting out the goods Walmac would have kept him.

[aurora]

When you put it into perspective, Salt Lake was an old stallion by Walmac standards. Almost all of their stallions now are very new. Gentlemen is now the stallion that has been on their roster for the longest time period, entered stud in 1999. The current market wants 1st and 2nd crop sires which is what they are providing, not a horse like Salt Lake that can crank out stakes winners with every crop. No excitement / specutation with that. Look for some other stallions on their roster to also exit soon that haven't put up the numbers SL has.

[horsenuts]

I don't see him as less than $10,000 and in all probability, he'll stay at $12,500. This is an entirely new direction for Golden Eagle as they generally build their own stallions from the ground up. Perhaps they are finding it less expensive to bring in a solid Kentucky sire than to ship their mares around so much to get Kentucky bred Calbreds. Whatever their motivation, they are like the California version of Adena --if you don't want to pay it, they will fill up his book with their own mares quite happily. Also, at $12,500, he fits with the breeders who used Cee's Tizzy, Bertrando, General Meeting and Roar who all had fees between $10-15,000.

I'd only consider him for around $5,000. He's a has been that has been out of favor for sometime now. No reason to pay a premium for such a horse.

I'd much rather breed to Unusual Heat for $6,000 or try to bargain Beau Genius down to $5,000 or $4,000. Or take a chance on Skimming for $7,500. Salt Lake is okay.. but his fee needs to be cut in half or more as far as I'm concerned. I'll be surprised if he's all that well received.

[llbean]

From the Stallion Register

Salt Lake's Auction Results

2005 (YTD) Covering Sire Weanlings Yearlings 2-Y-Os
Number Sold 5 n/a 5 22
Total Average $14,140 n/a $9,780 $82,795
Total Median $12,000 n/a $8,000 $43,000
Colt Average n/a n/a $10,225(4) $107,778(9)
Filly Average n/a n/a $8,000(1) $65,500(13)

his babies weren't bring stud fees last year, and have only five at the sale means he wasn't getting the mares either.

The farm in CA may be ALL THAT but if Salt Lake had been putting out the goods Walmac would have kept him.

Hi Madelyn,

2005 is this year and that may help explain his only having five foals at sale (in '04 he had 8 Weanings sell for a average of $23,813, 48 yearlings sell for an average of $31,033, and 7 2YOs sell for an average of $78,786).

The median on the weanlings and yearlings were barely if at all break even figures of $16,500 and $19,000 though.

Still, the 2YOs median last year was $37,000 and the 2YO median for this year is a healthy $125,000.

-llbean

[madelyn]

Thanks for the correction.

[louis finochio]

Salt Lake produced 6 % SW and 6 % SP
His AEI is 1.59 CL 1.49
Average earner 3,500 / foals
AWD 6.58
Progenys Average Starts 15.47


Salt lake will do well in speed oriented Calif. as the Golden Eagle mares will be a positive for SL.

With the lucrutive Calif. breeders awards Golden Eagle will be raking those golden acorns in the fall.

SL competition in Calif is not as strong as in Ky. as SL will be among the leading sires in our golden state. Congrats to Golden Eagle for purchasing SL.

[Pete]

Hi Louis,

I'd tend to agree with you. I think he'll stand for $10,000 and will be Golden Eagle's top end stallion. The comparison to Adena (they'll fill his book) made me smile. With the retirement of General Meeting, they have an opening and their other stallions are going nowhere fast.

Golden Eagle hasn't gotten Event Of The Year off the ground and Souvenir Copy is proving to be a plain race horse sire. High Demand was bred to 24 mares in 2004 with 21 live foals. This high percentage of live foals leads me to believe that they were mainly Golden Eagle mares. In 2005 High Demand was bred 35 times but he lacks general commercial appeal.

Event Of The Year was bred 39 times in 2003, with 30 foals in 2004 and only bred 13 times in 2004. Event Of The Year's not doing so poorly, but Golden Eagle's giving up on him.

I see their stallions standing for: Salt Lake $10,000, Souvenir Copy $7,500, High Demand $5,000 and Event Of The Year $5,000.

If they didn't support Event Of The Year last year, don't expect them to this year. I'd also expect High Demand to have a smaller book and look for them to put 30-40 of their own mares to the well proven Salt Lake. It's simply a good business move for them.

Regards,

Pete

[Joe]

I agree with aurora and Louis. I bred to SL in 2004 and paid $12,500. He was highly promoted and supported in the beginning and produced accordingly. I think when they shifted the center of attraction, he still produced well and has continued to sell well especially as 2YO's who continue to be precosious (sic) and run. All my KY people told me he was in great shape for his age, he's not a young horse by any means. My weanling is wonderful and I'm very satisfied.