1st Dam info at Keenland sales

Toccet02 · Postby **Toccet02** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 9:33 am

Been watching this week...
and have noticed that sometimes under the 1st dam it will say "unraced"
and sometimes, there's no info except "dam of one registered foal, above"
Does this latter mean that she was only ever intended for breeding, or simply an omission?

Green Hills · Postby **Green Hills** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 9:35 am

It's not an omission. She could have always been intended for breeding, or she could have been injured as a youngster or in training that in some way prohibited her from racing. Personally, I'd rather see unraced than a lot of races and few wins (if any)

And as a rule..I prefer to get the 1st or 2nd foal.

Toccet02 · Postby **Toccet02** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 9:40 am

so "unraced" is probably more an indication of a problem than a deliberate choice?

Maven · Postby **Maven** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 9:42 am

No, not at all. Many fillies are born to be broodmares. If there's any question of her talent, most breeders would rather keep a filly unraced rather than unplaced or placed.

Toccet02 · Postby **Toccet02** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 9:44 am

Yeah, but I'm still not clear on the DIFFERENCE between the catalogue saying :"unraced" or simply not mentioning any race record (or lack thereof) at all. :?:

Mood Swings · Postby **Mood Swings** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 9:54 am

I think that sometimes when you do not see the word "unraced" yet there is no race record shown that it is an ommission. As has been mentioned it looks better on a catalogue to see unraced than "sucked"

So if the mare "sucked" owners would rather it say nothing at all on the catalogue page.

Maven · Postby **Maven** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 10:00 am

You usually see a race record omission when the mare is older and a proven producer. In other words, what she did or didn't do on the track is no longer relevant with her production record.

Toccet02 · Postby **Toccet02** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 10:01 am

How about this for the 1st Dam line where they "sucked"

"La La La We Can't Hear You!"

or "We'd rather not discuss it"

I once saw a filly finish a race at a trot.
Wonder what they could have said about her!?

Maven · Postby **Maven** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 10:13 am

I've had consignors tell me with a straight face "the dam would have been a stakes winner but she had a breathing problem..." or "she was more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs"... I mean just the most random stuff.

Green Hills · Postby **Green Hills** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 10:32 am

Toccet02 wrote:so "unraced" is probably more an indication of a problem than a deliberate choice?

If you are looking to buy, the best thing to do is ask why the mare was unraced...or not. You'll get a bunch of stories, but at least it will be amusing...

pfrsue · Postby **pfrsue** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:06 am

Toccet02 wrote:I once saw a filly finish a race at a trot.
Wonder what they could have said about her!?

Nominated to the Breeders Cup and the Hambletonian?

Toccet02 · Postby **Toccet02** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:10 am

VERY Good!
You must be a consignor!

magic code · Postby **magic code** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:56 am

Unless it specifically says "Unraced" or "Placed at ____" or "Winner at ___" or "X wins at _____" - assume the mare was unplaced.

It used to be that if a mare only had 1 or 2 starts and went unplaced, it said so in the book - "unplaced in 1 start." They don't do that anymore.

Sysonby · Postby **Sysonby** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 12:26 pm

Don't forget that catalogs are put out by sales companies, which are trying to sell horses. It's not necessarily in their best interest to highlight the bad and the ugly but to slant everything in the best light possible. So if they are silent on something, chances are good that there wasn't much positive to say.

Of course there is only so much you can do when the best light possible still puts the 4th dam on the page a full inch from the bottom.

Green Hills · Postby **Green Hills** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 12:35 pm

Sysonby wrote:Don't forget that catalogs are put out by sales companies, which are trying to sell horses. It's not necessarily in their best interest to highlight the bad and the ugly but to slant everything in the best light possible. So if they are silent on something, chances are good that there wasn't much positive to say.

Of course there is only so much you can do when the best light possible still puts the 4th dam on the page a full inch from the bottom.

Unless it's an outstanding individual (in my eyes, of course) I don't buy anything with a 4th dam on the page.