Inducement for stamina-building breeding?

[Kasept]

From Alan Shuback's wrap-up of closing day at Ascot... Note the condition of the race the Queen's colt won...


Queen Elizabeth had something to cheer about as her juvenile colt Free Agent won the listed seven-furlong Chesham Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths as the 7-2 co-favorite with runner-up Seaway. A son of Dr Fong, Free Agent was winning for the second time in two starts in a race restricted to horses whose sires had won going at least 1 1/4 miles.


Isn't this a viable model for the way to build interest in the 'unfashionable' stamina-tinged sires/sire lines? Pleasant Tap, Broad Brush sons, etc? Can be "sires who won going at least 1 1/8 miles", or whatever...

[TheSpyder]

Steve,

I think you're absolutely right, not only to include such conditions but to take it a step further, if there were emphasis on longer races, owners and trainers would bring horses that can run long races.

I know many thought the 1 1/2 mile marathon Breeders Cup race was a joke, but a look at what is done in UK shows these are great races and actually are looked upon as the gold standard. If there was a trend to these type races more emphasis would be put on breeding, training, and running longer races. If speed can take a back seat to stamina it's got to be a good thing.

Spyder

[Kasept]

The Marathon is looking like it will be a positive with the movement and stretchout of the historical Brooklyn and re-emergence of several 'old-timey' route stakes.

Plus, there was the news of these three new 12f events just last week:

Greenwood Cup at Philadelphia Park on July 19;

Cougar II Handicap at Del Mar on July 30;

Turfway Fall Championship at Turfway Park on Sept. 6.

I imagine that one key element for the conditional stakes would be to running a number of them for 2 year olds and early in the sophomore season...

[deltagulf]

i believe the majority of races should be routes then sprints. the routes are my favorite. to place a bet on.

[TheSpyder]

I agree. I'd be thrilled if all these 5f & 6f grass sprints would be replaced with long routes.

Spydee

Originally Posted by deltagulf

i believe the majority of races should be routes then sprints. the routes are my favorite. to place a bet on.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by TheSpyder

I agree. I'd be thrilled if all these 5f & 6f grass sprints would be replaced with long routes.

Spydee

I know facts sometimes get in the way of good arguments but England runs tons of sprints, every race isnt a mile and a half. Australia runs tons of sprints also. The reasons that shorter races and speed based pedigrees have become more fashionable are mostly economic. Buying horses or breeding horses for stamina is simply more expensive due to the fact that you usually have an extra year before these types of horses are at their best. With training and other expenses rising like everything else, it is just hard to justify economically breeding horses that may not be at their best till they are 4 or 5.

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Isn't this a viable model for the way to build interest in the 'unfashionable' stamina-tinged sires/sire lines? Pleasant Tap, Broad Brush sons, etc? Can be "sires who won going at least 1 1/8 miles", or whatever...

Doesn't the dam have a lot to do with it too, though?

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

Doesn't the dam have a lot to do with it too, though?

I would argue more.

[eajinabi]

Routes are great but there will be a lot more chaulk.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by Kasept

From Alan Shuback's wrap-up of closing day at Ascot... Note the condition of the race the Queen's colt won...


Queen Elizabeth had something to cheer about as her juvenile colt Free Agent won the listed seven-furlong Chesham Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths as the 7-2 co-favorite with runner-up Seaway. A son of Dr Fong, Free Agent was winning for the second time in two starts in a race restricted to horses whose sires had won going at least 1 1/4 miles.


Isn't this a viable model for the way to build interest in the 'unfashionable' stamina-tinged sires/sire lines? Pleasant Tap, Broad Brush sons, etc? Can be "sires who won going at least 1 1/8 miles", or whatever...

It should be noted that the first two home in that race were both by Dr. Fong, who, yes, did win at 10f, but who's Group 1 form was displayed at a flat mile.

The third place horse was by FuPeg, who some might say outstayed his pedigree being a son of Mr. Prospector. The 4th place horse I think was by Hawk Wing, again, another horse probably at his best racing a mile. Incidentally, one of the trailers was by Peintre Celebre, the only sire represented in the race that was a true distance horse, having won the French Derby (when it was 12f) and the Arc.

In theory, the idea might work, but at least as far as this race goes, it just seems like easy pickings for the progeny of precocious stallions who happened to get it done once or twice over a distance of ground.