Keeneland Spin

[JYS]

I bought 6 yearling fillies for a total of 9k. I'll see if any have talent and the ones that don't, I'll put in foal at 3, and by then, I imagine the economy to be in a bit better position, and will try to sell them as broodmares.

If they don't have talent, why breed them? Isn't indiscriminate breeding a big part of what got the market to the sorry state it's in now?

So only blacktype fillies should be bred now? The majority of good broodmares didn't have a world of talent.

If you believe in family over individual than ASB's method is sound. There were a lot of well-bred fillies who deserve a chance that went for nothing.

[winds]

I'm not breeding a whole bunch of mares, just one and I live in PA, why not breed regionally. I'd rather be in the MidAtlantic sale than in one of the later books at Keenland.

As stated earlier, most of my breeding experience was matching for breed to race operations and we did well having at least one stakes winner a year with a modest 3 to 6 broodmare band. My mare is a winner and has a good family behind her, not good enough for an early book at Keenland but good enough to produce a good racehorse.

The breeders incentives are just that, and incentive to breed in PA for maybe some checks for my work in the future.

winds

[JCBloodstock]

I too bought some very well bred fillies for clients.Excellent pedigree's on the bottom side.If they do run that's the bonus but all were purchased for their female families and potential as broodmare prospects in futire years.Some of these fillies off of pedigree alone are worth more unraced than what they will be as raced when bred back to the right stallions.

I once knew a breeder that rarely sold or raced his fillies yet those same fillies produced over 30% stakes winners for him and a few were graded stakes winners.What many have forgotten about the thoroughbred industry is that they are not a conformation breed.They have been bred for over 100 years for one purpose and one purpose only---to run.Some don't run on the track but it doesn't mean they can't produce a runner.That's where pedigrees come into play.

Anticipating the November and January sales.Could really be the year to get clients into better mares.It's definitely a better market to buy them bred than to breed them yourselves.Plus you don't have all the waiting.Purchasing mares out of the January sale you'll be getting mares close to foaling.Forget the mare care,vet bills,stud fee ---- that's already paid for.Your buying a package deal with all the fee's paid and there will be several that will sell for less than what there board and vet bills were not to mention the stud fee's of the foals their carrying in utero.Definitely a time where the small breeders can upgrade their programs.

[Dave C]

This could definitely be the year to upgrade your stock. It could also be the year when the people who think that, find out down the road that they are the ones left holding the bag. The entire industry is restructuring and what it will look like when it is done is not yet clear but almost certainly there will be fewer racetracks and fewer races for fewer horses. The smart/lucky will position themselves to take advantage of the opportunities that the survivors offer, but others may find that their farm ended up with one of the short straws with no market to service.