Oakton Farms Morriston, Fl.

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20dourmdd
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Oakton Farms Morriston, Fl.

Postby 20dourmdd » Sun Dec 15, 2019 8:55 pm

Has anyone had a breeding done on this farm in Morriston, FL.? I would like to hear some feedback if anyone has worked with them.

20dourmdd
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Posts: 206
Joined: Thu Sep 15, 2005 2:43 pm
Location: Ohio

Re: Oakton Farms Morriston, Fl.

Postby 20dourmdd » Mon Dec 16, 2019 11:41 am

Again, we wonder why the public has a low regard for thoroughbred racing and ownership? Let me take you on a journey! I buy a lifetime breeding to "Suns Out Guns Out" an Empire Maker Stallion, from Hand Ride Stables in Ohio, which I have a contract which gives all of the conditions as how I could lose my breeding if something would happen to the horse. Meanwhile, the horse is sent to Florida to Prestige Stallions, Ocala, FL. I find this out as I was getting ready to send a mare to him in Ohio. The cost of sending the mare to FL is too much for me (Transportation, Board, etc.) so I let a person that Prestige knows have my breeding right as long as I am listed as co-breeder. I keep in touch with the secretary at the farm wanting to know when the mare was bred etc.. The mare doesn't get in foal, the stallion doesn't get any mares to speak of and the owner of the farm doesn't seem too interested in securing any mares to him. So, I am now interested in getting another mare to him for this 2020 season. I am not notified that Prestige has moved the stud to Oakton Farms in Morriston, FL.. I contact them, and they inform me the owner has picked the horse up, gelded him, and took him from the farm. That is not in my original and only contract for lifetime breeding right to this horse. I paid good money for the breeding right from Hand Ride Stables in Ohio. Have not been able to use the breeding....This type of crap goes on all the time in the thoroughbred business.
I have had many of other instances as a small horse owner that makes you angry as to the corruption in the horse business. Would welcome your responses whether good or bad!

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madelyn
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Re: Oakton Farms Morriston, Fl.

Postby madelyn » Tue Dec 17, 2019 1:54 pm

It's a sad tale. Most likely the original seller of the season had nothing whatsoever like this in mind. Perhaps they thought they would sell a truck load of seasons and the buyers would send a truck load of mares and it would all be rosy the stallion would be off to a great start and have plenty of opportunity to have winners out there down the road. I do remember talking with the stud farm in Ocala; to their knowledge at that time you were the only owner of a season to that horse and the Florida owner of the horse at that time might have wanted to buy it back from you. In the meantime an acquaintance of mine sent a mare on your season that year (you would have been co-breeder), got the mare in foal, sent it somewhere CHEAP to board, and the filly she had died. It takes mountains of money to launch a stallion. SOGO was a really nicely bred horse with a good race record and decent earnings. What is usually expected is that the stallion owner scrapes up 20 or so nice mares (winners and/or producers) and starts the ball rolling for at least three or four breeding seasons. These days that is a Minimum Requirement. Then you need to shake the trees and make deals. Advertising costs money. Mare owners don't beat a path to your door. You have to beat the bushes to flush them out. Get foals into the sales so people see the stallion in the catalog and the foals on the ground, etc. It is a MAJOR undertaking. The horse is fortunate to have had a soft landing after; gelding and back to his home farm.
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....