The good the bad and the not so ugly

[brogers]

I am working on a project and I would like to hear some opinions on the following.

Can you list 5 stallions for each category. The horses must still stand in North America and must be alive.

1. Stallions who received good opportunity (however you want to define it) and are good stallions (however you want to define that).

2. Stallions who received good opportunity and are poor stallions.

3. Stallions who received poor opportunity and are good stallions.

Interested to hear your thoughts.

[Bohemia]

I'll take a crack at this:

1. Stallions who received good opportunity (however you want to define it) and are good stallions (however you want to define that).
A. P. Indy, Unbridled's Song, Giant's Causeway, Medaglia d'Oro and Tiznow.

2. Stallions who received good opportunity and are poor stallions.
Smarty Jones, Behrens, Cat Thief, Point Given and Aptitude.

3. Stallions who received poor opportunity and are good stallions.
Malibu Moon, Northern Afleet, Montbrook, Not For Love and Two Punch.

[kimberley mine]

Good opportunity/good stallion:

1. Giant's Causeway. He shouldn't have stood down under, probably shouldn't have moved to North America, and definitely shouldn't have books as large as he does even without shuttling. Even so, he's been the heir to his father, and 19 Gr-1 winners and counting isn't too shabby.

2. Tiznow. Having a quiet year with "only" 11 stakes winners and no Gr-1 winners. He was well-supported at first but I don't think anybody honestly expected him to be as good as he is. Very much assisted by artificial tracks.

3. Pulpit.

4. Medaglia D'Oro. Hill'n'Dale bred him to a LOT of mares, but there were a lot of good mares in there, too.

5. Street Cry.

Good book/poor stallion:

1. Atticus. One horse accounts for nearly 8% of his total progeny earnings.

2. Soul of the Matter. (Poor California.)

3. Smarty Jones. (Three Chimneys isn't looking so great here.....)

4. Point Given. When they're good, they're really, really good. When they're bad, they're really, really bad, and a whole bunch of them are really, really bad. Three horses account for nearly 20% of his total progeny earnings, barely four out of ten win, and those that win don't earn much. For a horse who started for $125k, well, enough said.

5. Fusaichi Pegasus. Looks are deceiving for this lad...those millionaires from down under are out of mares who'd throw cup winners to a shetland pony, plus a bunch from Japan where the purses are inflated. Take away Japanese purses and Japanese horses and you have...Finger Lakes claimers, conceived on a $125,000 fee.

Honourable mention to Kitalpha.

Good horse/poor opportunity:

1. Raj Waki, and is he ever.

2. Obligatory Distorted Humor mention.

3. Obligatory Dynaformer mention.

4. Bold Executive. (Oh, Canada!) From 12 foals in his first crop to the leading sire in Canada....you don't get much better than that.

5. Successful Appeal.

[Bast]

Good horse/poor opportunity:

1. Raj Waki, and is he ever.

Unfamiliar with Raj Waki, I had to look him up. Impressive.

[Fireslam]

Ill add Unusual Heat and City Zip to the Good Stallion/Poor Opportunity list.

[Derby2004]

Smart Strike would have to be thrown in there with the good mares and goos sires, I agree with City Zip and Unusual Heat. How about Birdstone (of last year) with the bad mares good sires. And then there are up and comers Bring The Heat (whom Im esctatic about) and Hear No Evil (give it 3 years before you chuckle).

[xfactor fan]

What sort of mares did Mr. Prospector get in his early years?

[ASB]

I'll focus on those not mentioned.

Good Opportunity/Good Stallions:

Empire Maker
Tale of the Cat
Speightstown
Pulpit

Good Stallion/Poor Opportunity

Tapit
Elusive Quality
Stormy Atlantic
Candy Ride
Stephen Got Even
Bernstein
Exchange Rate
Yes It's True

[Mahubah]

What sort of mares did Mr. Prospector get in his early years?

Not up to KY standards for a top stallion prospect, but pretty good by regional standards. Owner Butch Savin didn't have a big broodmare band but supported his horse with the best he had, including KY Oaks winner Native Street, and he was pretty much able to pick and choose for the rest of the horse's book as demand outstripped available bookings. By the time Mr. P left Florida, I'd guess that the only horse in Ocala getting better support was probably In Reality.

[Hops]

1. Pulpit, Unbridled's Song, Broken Vow, Grand Slam, Tapit

2. Aldebaran, War Chant, Milwaukee Brew, Monarchos, Ghostzapper

3. Mutakkdim, Freud, Congrats, In Excess, Northern Afleet