Birdstone?

Bill from WA · Postby **Bill from WA** » Sun Nov 13, 2005 12:09 pm

Can anyone comment on this fellows conformation? Pro's or con's.
Much appreciated.

Bill

louis finochio · Postby **louis finochio** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 6:11 pm

Hi Bill: I need a photo of Birdstone with his profile shot, where can I look at his photo? Thanks Louis.

FOS · Postby **FOS** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 8:09 pm

hi Bill from WA

I have not yet looked at Birdstone in the flesh...but if some general (but 2nd hand) info might help you in some fashion...I can share what I was told (by someone that I have confidence in)...

...Birdstone was described as approx 15-3HH with (in general) good overall conformation.

Other comments were that Birdstone exceeded expectations and that he made a positive impression. No particular "cons" (your word) were mentioned.

Best to you.

Respectfully

Bill from WA · Postby **Bill from WA** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 8:28 am

Hi

Thanks for the response FOS. I am working on an analysis for a client, and Birdstone fits his mare beautifully on paper, but never having seen the horse in person I need some feedback. A mare in foal to Birdstone sold for $1,100,000 recently.

Bill

roving boy · Postby **roving boy** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 10:33 am

It was not Birdstone that drove the price.....

Bill from WA · Postby **Bill from WA** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 10:47 am

Yes, I know that the mare sold, being the dam of Stevie Wonderboy, just might have had a little impact on the bidding. :wink:

But the resulting foal may help Birdstone in the long run. I hope so.

Bill

roving boy · Postby **roving boy** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 10:53 am

You know that is the luck that has been evading me....instead of the dam of Stevie Wonderboy, my mares end up being the dam of Stevie Dudboy! :lol:

Rick · Postby **Rick** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 8:47 pm

George has a writeup on Birdstone.

http://www.members.shaw.ca/thematchmake ... lions.html

ZiaLand · Postby **ZiaLand** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 10:38 pm

When you add it all up, Birdstone's G1 wins, earnings, pedigree, tremendous female family and racing credentials....it seems like he's one heck of a value for $10,000! (Possibly the best value in Kentucky.)

Laurie

roving boy · Postby **roving boy** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 7:14 am

While I cannot argue with most of Zialand's criteria (tremendous :roll:

female family?), I would never consider Grindstone to be a sire of sires or even a successful KY sire. That coupled with size issues and some doubt of brilliance (he broke his maiden going 6 but his claims to fame are 1 1/4 and 1 1/2 mile races) make Birdstone a poor commercial choice in my opinion..

ZiaLand · Postby **ZiaLand** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:55 pm

Maybe I should have been more specific with my comments about Birdstone's "female family". I was, in particular, refering to his dam.

Dear Birdie produced BIRD TOWN (by Cape Town) who won the Kentucky Oaks -G1, Acorn S. -G1, Charon S. (O), with 2nds in the Beldame S. -G1, Stonerside Beaumont S. -G2, and Test S. -G1 and earnings of over $870K, and BIRDSTONE (by Grindstone) himself who won the Champagne S. -G1, Belmont S. -G1, and Travers S. -G1 with earnings over $1.5 million. In fact, I believe every foal Dear Birdie produced that has run was a winner (10 out of 10?), and at least two others were stakes performers.

If Dear Birdie is not an outstanding producer, I'm not sure what the definition would be. :lol:

If you look at the female family in general, going back to Honey Dear, each dam was a stakes performer, and I think you'll find there are quite a few stakes performers listed under them.

Hardly a female family worth rolling your eyes over, IMHO.

And as for Grindstone not being a "sire of sires", he's only a 1993 model so I don't believe he chronologically has had the opportunity to prove or disprove that statement. He'll need at least another decade, and Birdstone will probably figure heavily into that future equation, being his best progeny to date.

Laurie

roving boy · Postby **roving boy** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 4:20 pm

Dear Birdie has been an excellent broodmare - I agree wholeheartedly. What I was rolling my eyes over was the lack of any stallion (o.k. Noactor) in the pedigree.

Grindstone may be too young to be a sire of sires, and may be too bad a sire to ever have another son at stud, imho.

Now, as Birdstone is an unproven stallion, I could be completely wrong. But it seems to me that there are better values at $10,000 in KY.......for example Cape Canaveral, Cuvee, Doneraile Court, Jump Start, Kafwain, Matty G, Military, Monashee Mountain, Pleasant Tap, Posse, Rossini, Vicar, etc. Some of these are unproven, some are proven, so "value" varies for a "breed to race" program to a "breed to sell" program.

Again just my opinion, but I would probably use one of the stallions mentioned above before using Birdstone.

BenB · Postby **BenB** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 1:09 pm

In my opinion, he could be one of my thoughts in the years to come, and having the money. It,s sounds most pleasing to me.
10 out of 10 is not so bad, his sire did win something and I like the winning distances from him up to 10 furlongs.

BenB · Postby **BenB** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 12:46 am

I have to admit, I like the staying ones more than anything else.
I just don,t like the so called 2 year old speedsters.
Early come early go
I like to see racehorses on the track ageing 4 5 and or more so racing while while fully matured, and not racing while beiing babies.

henthorn · Postby **henthorn** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 10:33 am

I too was pleasantly surprised by Birdstone in the flesh. He is just under 16hh, very well-balanced, and with good conformation. He is smart and classy, and his stud fee is appropriate for his unproven sire's status. With the right mare and breed-to-race intentions, I'd go for him at that price.