Creative Cause

[Cree]

Why was he retired?
Nice pedigree?

[Tappiano]

$ is my guess.

[rudydee]

$15,000 stud fee.

[Barcaldine]

Airdrie will likely breed 100 plus outside mares. That's $1.5 million in income, far more than he would have earned at the track.

When was the last time ex-quarter horse trainer Mike Harrington had a horse last until his four-year-old year?

[Cree]

I was curious if he had an injury, we haven't seen him race since the Preakness, correct?

Anyway, it seems he will be given his chance at Airdrie, overbreed, then be shipped out like Forest Grove, etc. to smaller markets.

[Jorge]

What a great promising stallion with impeccable credentials for
such an abbreviated career. Certainly, he will be visited by some of the best mares, thanks to his dad.

CREATIVE CAUSE (Grey c 2009)

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/creative-c ... 1337587484

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/ ... at-airdrie

[Cree]

Ok, so when I am looking at the female side, I see that he is out of a Grade 1 winner. I don't see much else in the female side (at least to the 3rd dam) that looks to me like he is a bargain at $15,000.

Am I being picky?

[Barcaldine]

I agree. He is overpriced. Giants Causeway has yet to prove himself a solid sire-of-sires, and the dam's female family (with which I am very familiar since I recommended her mating) has not produced any stallion of note.

This horse should be standing for $7500. Im afraid were seeing the beginning of higher stud fees just as breeders were starting to make a profit. Bad news.

[Sysonby]

Honestly I think the comparison should be First Samurai standing for $10,000. I was a little staggered by War Front but I think Claiborne got that fee right

[stlouiskid]

I agree. He is overpriced. Giants Causeway has yet to prove himself a solid sire-of-sires, and the dam's female family (with which I am very familiar since I recommended her mating) has not produced any stallion of note.

This horse should be standing for $7500. Im afraid were seeing the beginning of higher stud fees just as breeders were starting to make a profit. Bad news.

There are about 20 sires that the price is pretty much locked in. But people are starting to take a hard line with the farms in Kentucky. I told several farms this year, why would I breed to a 10,000 stud when his median sales price for yearlings is only 15,000? You are assuring me to lose money. Cut the price in half and I will bring 3 nice mares over.
Some told me no, but more were really willing to negotiate. The business is changing in a big way.

[LB]

There are about 20 sires that the price is pretty much locked in. But people are starting to take a hard line with the farms in Kentucky. I told several farms this year, why would I breed to a 10,000 stud when his median sales price for yearlings is only 15,000? You are assuring me to lose money. Cut the price in half and I will bring 3 nice mares over.
Some told me no, but more were really willing to negotiate. The business is changing in a big way.

If you breed 3 nice mares to a stallion whose median sales price for yearlings is $15,000, for $5,000 apiece you will still most likely lose money.

[stlouiskid]

There are about 20 sires that the price is pretty much locked in. But people are starting to take a hard line with the farms in Kentucky. I told several farms this year, why would I breed to a 10,000 stud when his median sales price for yearlings is only 15,000? You are assuring me to lose money. Cut the price in half and I will bring 3 nice mares over.
Some told me no, but more were really willing to negotiate. The business is changing in a big way.

If you breed 3 nice mares to a stallion whose median sales price for yearlings is $15,000, for $5,000 apiece you will still most likely lose money.

You bring up a whole new set of issues, which for the most part is that breeding thoroughbred horses for resale is a failed business model. The main reason is that the stud fees are way out of line with the economics. Stud fees would have to be cut 50% across the board in order for the model to work.
Even a stud like Bernardini, considered perhaps the best in America now, can not come close to validating his 150,000 fee, with median sales prices this year at 130,000 and last year at 123,000. Based on that, a fair price would be at most 100,000. And as soon as a stallion's foals start selling with a profit(Include, Proud Citizen, Scat Daddy, Exchange Rate, Arch, Flatter) the farms want to jack up the prices, and basically reap the profits themselves.
I tell farm managers this, and a lot get all worked up, but they don't really disagree when it comes down to it. And they will deal with a lot of the studs. In the example I used before, one thing that does help is foaling in states like Indiana(where you can earn 30,000 in breeders awards if a horse runs through their conditions), or Illinois(11% breeders awards).
I have people who want to race ask me the best way to go, should they buy some mares and breed their own, or buy two year olds, yearlings, what is the best way? I believe for an end user, the smartest and best business plan, is to buy yearling fillies, with good pedigrees, from good proven sires, athletic looking with few vet issues. It is amazing the deals you can get, and it gives them a chance to possibly make a profit.
I was at Fasig October sale last week helping some people buy, and there were some great yearling fillies you could buy in the 10,000-25,000 range. By sires like Awesome Again, Discreet Cat, Majestic Warrior, Tale of the Cat, Spring At Last, Stormy Atlantic, Successful Appeal, Northern Afleet, Afleet Alex, Yes Its True. Fillies that vetted out well, had decent pages, and good size and walks. Obviously the breeders of these horses took a bath on them.
Fillies sell for half the price of the colts overall, and you can get residual broodmare value when you get a good one.