madelyn wrote:
Birdstone is an interesting horse. But I think his best ones were very early in his career. He started at $10K and did not go anywhere but down. He is a small horse with a short neck and while I have not seen him in person for many years, I never thought of him as impressive.
A horse I have always admired and loved that has finally fallen into the under $25K is Stormy Atlantic. He is getting "on" and has dropped to $15K 2018. He started, I believe, at $5K in Florida. He earned his way into Kentucky and rose to $35K where he stayed for a Very Long Time. He's a bigger horse with a nicer body type and throws a big butt. He STAMPS his foals. And they seem to run pretty well.
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That Birdstone could sire Classic runners and winners speaks to a certain quality- but it makes me wonder if breeders may be going the wrong way with him, breeding the wrong kinds of mares to him. It's one of those "If a day had 40 hours" situations, I would love to get a full report on this guy and plot the performance over time. I think as a son of Grindstone, who never got much love, he was destined to get fewer mares, especially quality mares. With Tapit and Empire Maker in the barn - he won't see the top mares with Gainesway connections.
Did the arrival of the top performers help him get more/better mares? Kinda sorta. He's sired less than 600 foals. 4%SW. In his best year getting more mares (after the first crop crushed it) he still only had 83 foals, yet with the better mares that crop got 6% SW, but still a fall off in mares/foals after that. Down to about 20 a year now. Might get lightning in a bottle with him, with the right one.
You've got me into Stormy Atlantic's fan club Madelyn
