Stradivarius retired

Two of his sire's best--Baaeed and Cloth of Stars--are out of Kingmambo mares, as is Coronation Cup winner Hukum.

I wouldn't be surprised to see some Japanese interest in him, as a high-class runner from the family of Peintre Celebre (Nureyev, broodmare sire of Kingmambo) who is completely free of Halo.

I spot an interesting connection between Protectionist and Stradivarius.

A look at both Sires damline shows, "Poughkeepsie" is the third dam of Protectionist and the Granddam

of "Stradivarius"!

regards, Ticino

From 1912 or earlier breeders know if you put a sprint mare to a staying sire you get an intermediate distance runner.

In the UK, Ireland, France the big money is in middle-distance races.

Send a sprint bred mare to Stradivarius and you are certain the foal will be a middle distance sort, although as in all breeding you can not be sure of ability.

Send a miler mare to a miler stallion and you could get a sprinter, a miler, or a middle-distance sort.

Winning money beyond 12f is acceptable.
Proven ability is a curse, unproven and untried is "commercial".

The definition of "commercial" used by bloodstock buyers seems to equate to "loss-making".

Of the 1,708 yearlings where I found a racing record (or confirmed non-runner) 320 made a profit, 1,388 made a loss (81.3%).

176 never ran, over 10% of purchases.  They cost GBP 18,396,000.  That is a lot of paddock accidents.

The 2,109 yearlings cost 154 million, earned 65 million - that is commercial - the only winners are the sellers, the stallion owners, the auction houses, and the middle-men who take a percentage for buying badly with other people's money.


These are the big earners in the UK from those 2,109 yearlings sold at Tattersalls 2015.

Name	Earn_GB
Stradivarius	3,378,869
Battaash	1,585,563
Blue Point	1,377,062
Addeybb	1,235,793
Accidental Agent	745,842
Beat The Bank	600,516
Summerghand	506,738
Best Solution	483,822
Dakota Gold	444,305
Urban Fox	413,316
Gulliver	386,880
Forest Ranger	380,148
Bless Him	311,121
Mehmas	305,953
Fujaira Prince	303,265
Island Brave	302,360
Eminent	270,705
Kynren	256,219
Second Thought	236,359
Ripp Orf	233,356

Only one sire (and that sire's son) matches well with Stradivarius.

I doubt Stradivarius will meet any mares by that sire.  His mares about 1/460 of the large sample.

My last visit was March 2022.

Good news - today I learned a maiden mare who failed to get in foal twice got in foal on the third visit.

Not so good news - the 2023 colt foal has a front near leg that shoots out at an alarming angle.

Last night I was reading Best Horses of the decade 1970-1979 by John Crofts.

There is a chapter on Pawneese, the third dam of Stradivarius.

Pawneese was a cracking middle distance filly. winning the English and French Oaks and the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth II as a 3yo.

At the end of the chapter he states that Pawneese is the fourth dam of Protectionist, German trainer winner of the 2014 Melbourne Cup.

Actually Poughkeepsie, daughter of Pawneese, is the 2nd dam of Stradivarius and the 3rd dam of Protectionist.

Poughkeepsie ran only four times, all in France, all at 2000 metres.

It looks like those similar dam lines in Stradivarius and Protectionist are a source of extreme stamina.

Thanks for that link.

It is comforting to read that things change with time.

At the finish line in a race they do not hand out prizes for foal or yearling conformation.

This morning I looked for the camera lead to connect my oldest and cheapest camera to the PC to look at the photos I took at the stud yesterday.

I had not used that camera for about four years.

By some freak the first lead I found was the right one to connect the camera to the PC. 

When I looked at the photos I see both my colt foal's legs turn out, the near leg more.

From the front it is like looking at a triangle from the knees down.

He is a feisty little boy, wriggling like an eel when the handler tried to keep him still for a second, and he kicked his mother. 

He never stopped moving.  I think he did not like getting out of bed at 11 am.

The stud owner did not seem too bothered by his legs saying they probably they will come right in time.

The weather is beautiful here for the last week, and will be for next week.

All the horses at the stud were out enjoying themselves, the yearling colts biting each other and  shoving each other around.

Possibly the best, truest and saddest post ever in the breeding forums!