Favorite Trick

[JimP]

Hi Guys,

I see that Favorite Trick is now moving to New Mexico. Ir doesn't seem like he was in Florida long. I like Favorite Trick but his production record is less than stellar. Bred to wrong mares? He saw some nice mares while standing at Walmac. Opinions on FT????

[LSB]

I was sorry to see that he's moving again. I thought he might have a chance to make a small comeback with some of those speedy Florida mares. But with only one year there, he obviously he wasn't popular enough. I always liked him, I hope the NM breeders do too.

[HR LLC]

New Mexico program may fit him. I would feel bad if I had a FT weanling or yearling going to the sales later this year.

[FOS]

hi guys

Regardless of his lack of accomplishment as a sire...Favorite Trick was one heck of a race horse.

Although his lack of prowess as a sire doesn't surprise me...it's probably fair to say that he's been quite disappointing, maybe Failure is a better description.

Hopefully he'll continue to be well cared for and respected for his accomplishments as the brilliant and rare 2-yo Horse of the Year he was...and maybe there's still some good fortune in store for him and his connections.

Respectfully

[ZiaLand]

I hadn't heard about that move yet. Thanks, JimP.

New Mexico isn't the TB hinterland it once was due to a great incentive program, and Favorite Trick will be joining the likes of Devon Lane, Saratoga Six and Robyn Dancer here in the Land of Enchantment. It seems that stallions that aren't getting the mares (number or quality-wise) in other states like California and Florida can come to New Mexico and get better books, both in numbers and in some cases, mare quality. In theory, it could eventually end up as a boost to their careers, not a set back.

Laurie

[LSB]

ZiaLand, I'm glad you anticipate that he'll get a nice reception there. I didn't realize Saratoga Six was in NM. He's one of my favorites too.

[Mahubah]

Am I correct in remembering that FT has gotten some speedy QH offspring as well? That might be another incentive towards the NM move, since the Southwest is the heart of top-class QH racing.

[Pan Zareta]

Am I correct in remembering that FT has gotten some speedy QH offspring as well? That might be another incentive towards the NM move, since the Southwest is the heart of top-class QH racing.

He's gotten a couple of very good ones out of the Dash For Cash mare Stardust Dash - G1W Prankster CF and G3W Tricky Dust (both geldings).

[jellac]

Favorite Trick will very likely get a warm reception in New Mexico because he can play to both Tb and QH breeders.....there are a ton of Dash For Cash and similarly bred QH mares in the Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma region that will find Favorite Trick attractive as a breeding option. I'm sure some TB breeders will also take a chance on the undefeated 2YO & Juvenile Champion in the effort to have some early maturing runners/winners. Also there are more short races available on the race cards in this region as opposed to the classic length races and as a result his ability to impart speed over a short distance to his offspring may work better here than it did in Florida or Kentucky, where it worked against his offspring for the most part. Favorite Trick certainly puts some muscle on his offspring so they always look like a good candidate for the sprint races.

Jim Helzer of JEH was first successful at racing QHs and then went into the thoroughbreds, with which he has also enjoyed success as an owner....but he never forgot "the one that brung 'im", always standing some top QH stallions as well as steadily putting together an ever improving slate of Tb stallions. He was among the first of the Texas stud farm operators to set up a branch office in New Mexico and will continue to focus there unless and until VLTs are approved in Texas. Last year he brought Saratoga Six to New Mexico and now Favorite Trick will join "Six" for 2006...I suspect that there will be more 'proven' stallions relocating to JEH-New Mexico before the breeding sheds open next year. Mr. Helzer understands the stallion market in a regional situation as well as anybody and usually has a business plan that makes sense for that marketplace and that region's mare owners.

Favorite Trick may not be a breed to sell stallion but I think he'll do OK as a breed to race stallion in this region and I strongly suspect his career at stud will take off due to patronage by QH breeders and the results that will continue to come from that angle.

[ZiaLand]

We have a third kind of breeder here in New Mexico other than strictly breed to race or breed to sell....the incentive breeder. Incentive breeders tend to breed for the middle of the road: a sales product that looks good on paper and has the promise of soundess and ability on the track so that the state breeder incentives will continue to roll in for years to come, long after the yearling has gone through the sales ring.

I have a feeling that Favorite Trick is going to be a huge favorite among incentive breeders at least for the first two or three breeding seasons. He has the early speed, racing credentials and body type that will attract a lot of mares, TB and QH both. Once his progeny hit the track it will be the determining factor if he'll be a success in the long run. NM breeders tend to be very fickle and stallions fall from grace quickly here if they don't produce offspring that can compete favorably in the regional stakes.

Laurie

[jellac]

Excellent point Zialand............

............and BTW JimP - I love your statment at the foot of your posts - didn't catch it the first time I read through this thread but greatly enjoyed it tonight!

"the gene pool could use a little chlorine"

[JCBloodstock]

Favorite Trick should have some nice opportunities in New Mexico.I thought when they moved him to Florida that was probably one of the best moves ever-that's where he should have started-Phone Trick out of a daughter of Medievel Man-they would have ate that up in Florida(the fact that they breed heavily for quick-maturing 2 year old runners) but when you look at him in New Mexico with the Quarter Horse mare pool it will be interesting.I liked Favorite Trick as a racehorse - heck I like Phone Tricks - but how many have really cut it as highly commercial stallions.They seem to be honest,hard knocking race horses.And in the regional markets.......that's what you want to breed for.

Also,I'm curious-what are the incentives for New Mexico Breds

Here in Iowa we have a nice program but not really enough days of racing to take it past a hobby for most - to be Iowa Bred all you have to do is foal here.You can live out of state and foal here(mare must be in the state before Jan.1 of foaling year until foaling or must be bred back to an Iowa Registered Stallion if arriving in the state after Jan.1).Pretty simple - breeder of foal gets back 12% of the winner's share only everytime that foal wins in Iowa - there is also Supplementation on Open Company races for state breds of 60%(I believe) up to 4th place(so if the race has a $20,000 purse and an Iowa Bred wins the race he's earned 60% of $32,000 instead of 60% of $20,000 - you also get 12% of the $19,200 winner's share for being the breeder instead of 12% of $12,000).But I am curious if someone has a link to The New Mexico Program.


Another comical way some are attempting to take advantage of these somewhat lucrative state breeding incentives are interesting - we have one here that is putting Dual Breds out there - he has a Farm with a Minnesota mailing address but the farm is actually in Iowa - won't that be interesting if Texas ever does get some type of casino gaming with New Mexico to the west,Oklahoma to the North and Louisiana to the east.

[ZiaLand]

http://www.nmhorsebreeders.com/awd_2001.htm

There's the link. This was for the 2004 racing season. I'm hearing through the grapevine that the incentive pay outs this year may be as high as $8 million (but just rumor, so not verified).

The New Mexico bred program is more restrictive than some. Both stallion and mare must be registered in the program, the mare by September of the year bred at the latest, and the mare must remain in the state throughout her pregnancy and foaling, unless special permission is granted for her to leave the state.

Laurie

[JCBloodstock]

Thank you for the link Laurie - I can see where as a stallion owner it could become very lucrative putting foals on the ground in New Mexico - and especially with the amount of racing available there.

[Pete]

Hi all,

There isn't a huge well of data but to date the sons of Phone Trick haven't fared so well with a good mare base.

The more transparent the mares, the better (in general and specifically for better quality runners) Phone Trick's sons have fared.

This move leverages the QH success that Phone Trick has had and allows him the opportunity to be a sire of runners. Good luck to him and his connections.

Regards,

Pete