louis finochio wrote:The biggest mistake made by a novice breeder is too purchase too many Tb in hope of producing a Gr Sw.
Many years later the novice will realize that buying quality over quanity will pay big dividends.
A Tb breeder must weed his garden and improve his class of Tb or he will fall behind his competition.
Someday Louis will share with us all the names of the champion horses he has produced using his endless, repetitive rhetoric.
In the meantime.. yes, it takes some cash. But not as much as you'd think if you are creative, resourceful, and willing to take some chances. I, too, love my stallion to pieces. And I have spent a LOT of time this year both culling and acquiring. And WHAT a broodmare band we have. A lot of class out there. We've had some nice boosts and lucky breaks here and there (Rocky's yearling half brother fetching $1.3mil and being a session topper got us a lot of press). A couple of LOVELY mares I got last year for foal shares (we take the first foal and return the mare in foal) had owners who changed their minds and plans and simply sent us papers for the mares. No matter how much you believe in your own stallion and mares, and how much absolute faith you have, it can also pay to have one or two contingency plans to help produce revenue along the way. To wit, I got Express to Boston in foal to Street Cry (and on one cover!). I didn't know until later on when I met the chap who originally had Express to Boston just what a LUCKY break that was.. he'd tried to breed her for two years and nothing, nada, nyet.
Most of all, though, I think you have to demonstrate your willingness to go the extra mile. It is perhaps unreasonable to expect someone else to take a weanling with no race history to speak of in its parents, raise it, break it, and spend thousands taking it to the track. So another plan would be for you to break the weanling yourself as a long yearling. Then early in the 2 year old year, spend three months jogging and galloping the horse. Invite a couple of Thoroughbred trainers out to see the now fit youngster. THEN you will probably be able to sell that horse. You could even consider picking up a long yearling or two pretty cheap (skipping the breeding, waiting, foaling, and first two years of life), so your horse would have company and you would have more than one for buyers to look at... you can make quite a bit of money that way if you can pick out good ones that others overlook.
In fact I've done LOTS of things along the way to generate cash to get Rocky's foals on the ground, registered, etc., and will actually get some to the sales this year. But the one thing I have NEVER done is just tried to breed a lower level horse. My goal has ALWAYS been to breed stakes quality horses. No one wants the others...
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....
I mentioned SS stud fee keeps going down while UH keeps going up.
Cuz I know I'd piss you off regularly 